Heartless by Gail Carriger

Parasol Protectorate

Soulless * Changeless * Blameless * Heartless * Timeless

Publish Date: July 1st, 2011
Publisher: Orbit
Format: Paperback
Series: Parasol Protectorate
Author: Gail Carriger
Author’s Goodreads
Wikia (has spoilers!)
My Review on Goodreads

Disclaimer

This book is not typically found in the YA section of a library as the characters are older (MC is 26). It has some sexual content. I do contend that teens can enjoy the story and world, but some people may be upset about the sexual content. Totally fair. I usually only review content that is clearly marketed to teens, and this is not. I'm reviewing this because it is in the same universe as the YA Prudence and is the pre-story to that. So...

If you don't like some steamy content, please skip this review/book!

Introduction

There's a plot to kill the queen, and Alexia must get to the bottom of it. Unfortunately, she is eight months pregnant and under constant assassination attempts of her own.

Tone/Pacing

The book does get some shifts in tone. The beginning is slow and meandering, setting up everything for later, and I found it absolutely boring, though it is good to know when you read Prudence. The last third(ish) of the book is action-packed with plot twists and turns and to me, it was much more enjoyable. 

However, the constant reminder of Alexia being pregnant got trite real quickly. I don't know if the author has ever been pregnant, but the way Alexia has to be man-handled every five minutes was ridiculous. She's unable to do so much, yet she constantly puts herself and her child in danger.

The pacing was thrown off a lot with the terrible way answers were almost given. This book likes to have conversations where something is almost revealed, but a sudden visitor/ruckus happens and they are interrupted. Once or twice, sure, but how many times has this happened here? I lost count and I stopped caring.

Verdict

It definitely wasn't as good as the other books. But it does shed some light on some historical events, plus a few mysteries from the previous books. There's only one more book in this series, so I can't just stop now. I have a lot of complaints about this book, but ultimately, I wanted to know about the story itself and what happens to the characters. Which is what this series does - it gets you hooked with emotional investment. The problem is, I now dislike a bunch of characters because of their actions in this book, and a lot of the plot is contrived. I'm kinda rooting for the vampires to eat everyone now. 

Spoilers Ahead! Let's Spill Some Tea.

1. Having Biffy and Lord Akeldama split for good was a wasted opportunity. Alexia and Conall are together, why not Biffy and Lord Akeldama? The whole thing was dragged on for so long and it just ended with zero satisfaction. Biffy couldn't integrate into the pack and learn to be a werewolf AND be in love with a vampire? Thanks, I hate it. 

2. Speaking of Lord Akeldama...he used Alexia to his own advantage by getting the other vampires out of London, which made Alexia/the pack lose their castle. Am I supposed to think this was cute? Also, Alexia put her FRIEND into slavery with the group she hates, who will also start biting her. Lovely. 

3. I still have no idea why everyone wants to kill the baby. Because it has never happened before in recorded history? I think? And Akeldama adopting the baby makes everything ok, somehow? 

4. Lyall lied for how many years? Seemed so tacked on...

5. Why did she save the vampires?!

Marceline is the only Vampire Queen you need!

  

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Parasol Protectorate

Soulless * Changeless * Blameless * Heartless * Timeless

Publish Date: October 1st, 2009
Format: Paperback
Series: Parasol Protectorate
Author: Gail Carriger
Author’s Goodreads

Wikia (has spoilers!)
My Review on Goodreads

Disclaimer

I originally read this book because I read Prudence but I was lost in the world that was established in Parasol Protectorate. Goodreads claims Prudence is for a YA audience, but Soulless is NOT tagged as YA in Goodreads. I assumed it would be, and I was wrong. This book gets steamy. More steamy than A Bite at the Cherry. It isn't in the YA section at my public library - it's in the regular fiction area. I do contend that teens can enjoy the story and world, but some people may be upset about the sexual content. Totally fair. I usually only review content that is clearly marketed to teens, and this is not. I'm reviewing this because it is in the same universe as the YA Prudence and is the pre-story to that. So...

If you don't like some steamy content, please skip this review/book!

  

Story

Alexia Tarabotti is a spinster, half-Italian, and is soulless. To be soulless means that if she touches a supernatural being, she neutralizes them and turns them mortal. By the way, England has integrated its supernatural folk into society. This includes werewolves, vampires, and ghosts. The Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR) keeps tabs on them and everything seems to be in order.

The story is actually remarkably simple; supernatural beings are going missing, and BUR has to find out why. The rest is the love story component with interesting characters. That's it. If you read the back of the book, you got it.

The issues that I had about the world in Prudence are largely answered. Vampires cannot stand any sunlight (as it should be). Older werewolves can stand the sun for a time, otherwise, they are regulated to the nighttime, and they get "full-moon madness". Ghosts did not receive much elaboration, but if the sneak-peek to the second book is to be believed, we will see them more in book two, Changeless. A rove is a supernatural being who does not belong to a larger group. A hive is a vampire group who basically has a ruling queen (queens can make other vampires). Drones are humans who want to be turned into vampires or receive patronage, and they feed the vampires willingly and serve them. Clavigers are the same as drones, but for werewolves.  

Main Character

While I hated Prudence's snobbery, Alexia is bossy but indomitable. She can still be liked. At the age of 15, her mother put her on the shelf and declared her unmarriable because she is tall, tanned, has a prominent nose, and is half-Italian (which her mother had married, did she not know how heritage works?).

I wish she was nicer to/about Ivy, her best friend. So much to say about bad hats, but she's her best friend, why can't she say anything nice?

Vampires

These vampires are more like this:

Which is good.

However, Lord Akeldama is the Sassy Gay Friend trope, which I don't think would fly today.

Werewolves

Less of this:

More like this:

Big wolves, not bipedal.

Final Verdict

Overall, I was highly invested in this book. It's more about how the various characters interact with each other rather than a compelling plot. You'll know who she gets with within the first 30 minutes, if that. Like vampires, werewolves, parasols, grumpy werewolf men with no manners? This might intrigue you. The scenes of intimacy caught me off guard, and honestly, they aren't even that interesting, one time I laughed, so there's that. I thought the ending scene in the carriage was ridiculous and I just wanted it to be over. I recommend this to an older crowd who is alright with some steamy scenes.

Still here? Have some more gifs.

Take that werewolf! Reminds me of What we do in the Shadows

You know he is, too.

Alexia and Ivy