Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School, #1)

by Gail Carriger

I really thought that I was going to like Etiquette and Espionage.

Historical fiction, Steampunk and Fantasy are some of my favourite genres and Etiquette and Espionage consists of them all. Etiquette and Espionage also has an intriguing premise: a girl who goes to a Finishing School that teaches her not only to be a lady, but also a spy and assassin.

However, while Etiquette and Espionage has an awesome premise, everything is just so bland.

Firstly, the plot is insubstantial and nothing much really happens in Etiquette and Espionage. The action scenes didn't make me worried or nervous and one of the reasons for that could be because Sophronia wasn't involved in much of the action. However, even when she was involved, I had a feeling that everything was going to be fine. I also couldn't take the villains seriously because they didn't feel like much of a threat.

Secondly, I didn't care about any of the characters. The main character, Sophronia, is the type of character that I usually like. She's headstrong, smart and flawed, but unfortunately, she's so emotionless, boring and stereotypical. There was no character in Etiquette and Espionage that stands out. They're all stereotypical and uninteresting.

Etiquette and Espionage isn't an engrossing read and it didn't hold my attention. I had high expectations and I'm quite disappointed that I didn't love Etiquette and Espionage as much as I wanted to.