Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School, #1)

by Gail Carriger

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners-and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's young ladies learn to finish . . . everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage - in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Reviewed by Mackenzie on

4 of 5 stars

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I don't know what I expected from this book, but it wasn't this! When you start this book, you're simply thrown into it. No introduction whatsoever. Werewolves? Normal. Vampires? Everyday stuff. Picklemen? Sure. Why not? And, though it was a bit off-putting, in the end I ended up loving it. Sophronia, with her spunky nature and dry wit, easily won me over. Her curiosity led to many, many interesting adventures. Even though you're just kind of drop-kicked into this fantasy world, it's well worth it. Fun adventures await!

Full review coming soon!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 January, 2014: Finished reading
  • 28 January, 2014: Reviewed