Soulless by Gail Carriger

Soulless (Orbit) (Parasol Protectorate, #1)

by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti is labouring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire - and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Or will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?
SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Reviewed by funstm on

5 of 5 stars

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This had me giggling the whole way through. Alexia is hilarious and Conall is not far behind. That said, there's not a huge amount of romance and their relationship is more prone to volatile banter than anything else. I do love that Conall constantly defends her to everyone - including her own family. I loved the rest of the cast of characters, Ivy, Professor Lyall and Lord Alkeldama. I enjoyed the steampunk setting and the paranormal elements - particularly that of Alexia who is "soulless". I love how concerned she is with good manners. The mystery was intriguing and I had a great time following along as they investigated. 4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

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  • Started reading
  • 11 January, 2021: Finished reading
  • 11 January, 2021: Reviewed
  • Started reading
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  • 11 January, 2021: Reviewed