Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger[/caption]Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger
★★★★★★★★★★
Changeless, the second book of The Parasol Protectorate series, picks up where Soulless left off. Former spinster Miss Alexia Tarabotti has just become Lady Maccon after marrying Lord Connal Maccon, werewolf and Alpha to the Woolsey Pack. Not only is she adjusting to life with a rowdy pack of werewolves, but she has taken on duties as muhjah – the preternatural (or soulless) advisor on the queen’s Shadow Committee.
Lady Maccoon has barely made her home at Woolsey when her husband sneaks off to work due to some urgent business, leaving his inquisitive wife to only hypothesize what is going on. To top it off, she walks out to discover her husband’s entire army – led by the cocky Captain Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings – has taken up residence on the front lawn after returning from duty
The honeymoon is over.
Supernaturals within a certain perimeter of London have temporarily lost the ability to change and the ghosts appear to have been exorcised. Although the infliction is only temporary, it appears to have coincided with the arrival of a ship. Rapidly, the curse (or curse breaker plague) appears to be moving toward Scotland and the Kingair Pack—former pack to Lord Maccoon.
Lord Maccoon rushes to his former pack to see if they’ve been affected while Alexia, in her role as muhjah, preternatural, and chronic interferer – attempts to unravel the suspicious circumstances. Her investigation follows her husband to Scotland (by dirigible) with an unlikely posse including Alexia’s excessively dramatic friend, Miss Hisselpenny, Lord Maccon’s equally dramatic clavigar, Tunstall, an amorous cross-dressing French inventor, Madame Lafauxe and – much to Alexia’s vehement displeasure --- her insufferable half-sister, Felicity.
Any doubts I had after finishing Soulless regarding the “mystery” plot playing second fiddle to the Maccoon’s romance were allayed – or at least began to make sense. The first novel may have spent a considerable amount of text focusing on their relationship, but I realized what it had accomplished was building a foundation for Changeless (and the rest of the series) to build from. With the groundwork laid and a majority of the main characters so thoroughly introduced, no time was spent doddling over formalities and quickly launched into action.
I didn’t believe it possible, but I found Changeless even more difficult to put down than its predecessor. The plot was unpredictable and psychologically stimulating. The new characters, especially Madame Lefaux, were most entertaining and enriching to the overall story. Most of the fantastic characters from the first book returned, seamlessly integrating and evolving with each page. They began to feel like family.
(Note: I never finished this review nor did I write reviews for the next books in the series. I read these in such a whirlwind that by the time I finished and had time to write reviews, I didn't feel like I could do them justice. Yes, they're that good!)
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