Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger[/caption]Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carriger
★★★★★★★★★☆
Soulless sat on my “To Read” shelf gathering e-cobwebs for some time. I don’t particularly fancy werewolves and I actively boycott books about vampires ever since the Twilight plague, but I was tired of seeing it on my recommendations page and for some unknown reason didn’t want to banish it into the Goodreads ether so I reluctantly marked it for the future. I figured, maybe someday I might read it. Maybe.
Eventually I took a chance. And I didn’t want to put it down.
Miss Alexia Tarabotti is an upper-class spinster (at 26) living in 19th century London. Her Italian skin is too dark, her nose too big, her body to voluptuous, her penchant for literature and science too unladylike, and her tongue too quick to attract potential suitors. And, unbeknownst to most, she was born without a soul.
The premise of the “soulless” is difficult to explain (after all, how can one measure soul?). The novel doesn’t come right out and explain it – they get into that more into the later books – but you do understand Miss Tarabotti’s abilities because of her unique condition and her effect on supernatural beings.
Carrigar creates a well-crafted “modified” historic novel with a setting that seamlessly integrates the familiar with the supernatural – naturally engaging the readers’ imaginations without insulting common sense. Such an ability is as rare as a vampire without fangs or fashion sense. In this world, werewolves, ghosts and vampires exist, but have integrated into society. They shop at the same stores and attend the same pubs as humans (albeit at night). Although they belong to traditional packs (werewolves) and hives (vampires), they abide by the same rigid class systems as other Londoners, have their own investigation bureau (protecting both humans and supernaturals) and have representatives in the queen’s cabinet.
The interesting cast of characters were more than pleasantly surprising. They followed along only the most basic stereotypes – werewolves changed under the full moon and had a canine-like nature; vampires could not come out in sunlight and drank blood. But there were so many more details, logistics that they were not only believable, they were actually interesting.
Among the cast of characters is the stubborn, loud, Scottish Lord Connal Maccon, Alpha of the Woolsey Pack; Professor Lyle, the intelligent and calculating Beta; Lord Alkadama, the flamboyant vampire with his pack of pretty “dandies”; Miss Hisslepenny, the loyal-but-vapid best friend with a penchant for outrageous hats.
And, of course, there’s Miss Alexia Tarabotti. From the first scene in the library – where Alexia is attacked by a particularly uncouth vampire while trying to escape from a dull social event seriously lacking foodstuffs – I knew she was going to be a hoot. For a lady of status in the 19th century, she pushes the boundaries of “proper” ladylike behavior. But she’s a rule bender, not a rule breaker. It would be easy for a modern-day writer to subliminally editorialize a historic novel from a post-women’s lib perspective, but Carrigar carefully chooses how, when and to what extent Alexia will go against the grain. After all, she is a lady.
But what I least expected and most enjoyed was the sharp, witty dialogue. Especially that which came from Miss Tarabotti and even more when said dialogue was directed toward Lord Maccon. A match made in – well, wherever they make matches between soulless and immortals. Watching the unlikely lovers butt heads and establish they are both Alphas in their own way was frustrating but funny. There were so many times I found myself laughing aloud as I read. Although, some of that can be attributed to Miss Hisselpenny and her hats.
At first (actually, through a significant part of this book), I felt the romance between Alexia and Connal to be overbearing and a little cylindrical – getting in the way of “the plot.” But as I approached the ending, I began to see Soulless isn’t a jaunt, it’s the beginning of The ParasolProtectorate journey.
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