Published: March 23, 2011
Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Parasol Protectorate #2
Length: 10 hr 33 min
My Rating: 4.5/5.0
Synopsis:
Alexia Maccon, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears; leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.
But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. So even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can. She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.
CHANGELESS is the second book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.
Very nearly immediately after I finished Soulless I downloaded Changeless because let’s be honest, I was swept off my feet by this Victorian/Steampunk/Paranormal/Romance. This book was just as engaging as the first and left me amused and perhaps slightly enraged at the end. Those of you who have already read this will know precisely what I mean! The outrage I felt on behalf of poor Alexia!
Anyways, Changeless introduces a veritable host of new characters which I think has worked out very well for this series. New characters aren’t always an improvement in a book, but in this case I liked it and the new additions helped to expand the world a little. Madame le Fou was a fun addition – she’s very mysterious, clever, and totally embraced pants before the rest of society. She’s also a talented inventor, who I’m pretty sure showed up in Carriger’s Finishing School series as a child (can anyone confirm?). The arrival of the previously abroad Woolsey pack and the subsequent problems is where our true adventure lies, as their arrival heralds a strange wave of… normal. Vampires and Werewolves become mortal and all ghosts in the area of effect are exorcised, alarming the entire population of London, immortal or otherwise.
So far, I’ve found all of Gail Carriger’s writing to be fantastic and quite funny. Her books have been a breath of fresh air during those times when every fantasy book feels much the same – unwaveringly serious plots, saving the world, etc. The change of scenery in Changeless was welcome – from dirigible delights to the rough Scottish Highlands, there was certainly enough travel in this one! I’ll be continuing with The Parasol Protectorate series as soon as time allows! If you’re interested, I would highly recommend the audio version of this series. The narration is excellent!
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