Duo Review of the Steampunkery Sort + Giveaway

Hello all!

We have a fun post for you today and I am ever so happy to welcome our very lovely Jen and the Brilliant Mad Scientist.  This dynamic duo has plot, planned, and executed schemed behind all of our backs and produced a wonderful review or the Steampunkery sort!

Now once you are done with the review please head to Steampunkery & Book Reviews to sign up for the Giveaway.  Mad Scientist will be giving away Soulless and Changeless for one lucky winner.

Black Disaster Fairy Proudly Presents:

Changeless

Review By:

Jen the Bibliophile & The Mad Scientist!

By:  Gail Carriger

Series: Parasol Protectorate No. 2

Title: Changeless 

Published: March 30th,2010 By Orbit

Pages: 374 Paperback

Book Art: A utterly wonderful cover! 

Tags:  Steampunk, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Werewolves, Adult

First Line:  "They are what?" Lord Conall Maccon, Earl of Woolsey, was yelling.  Loudly.  

Concoction of a Review: 

Jen:  Ms. Gail Carriger does it again with her second novel, Changeless, starring none other than the illustriously wonderful Alexia Tarabotti and her marvelous parasol. After I finished Soulless, the first in the series, I could do nothing other than race to the nearest bookstore and purchase my very own copy (as the library was sorely lacking) of Carriger's Changeless.

Mad Scientist:  You could me sporting my bustled derrière *pops parasol* and new pink and black parasol fashioned in honor of our lovely heroine the day Changeless came out.  I was full of curiosity and excited.  I could not wait to get some more Scottish delight!  

Jen:  I immediately began digging into the yummy little paperback of Victorian Steampunk, "vampires, werewolves, and dirigibles". A most excellent collection of characters consume this urban fantasy novel and if given the option, I would like nothing more than to jump head first into 1870 Great Britain as long as I were to have Lord Akeldama hosting me with tea and his drone Biffy, a connoisseur of all things lovely, available for fashion advice.

Mad Scientist:  Lord Akeldama is just a brilliant character.  He was a character that also had me hooked.  I could not wait to get more of him.  *Gasps*  What am I saying?  I loved every character!  I actually had a particular fondness for Madame Lefoux, owner of a hattery - Chapeau de Poupe, which provides more than just Victorian hats.  I admit Madame Lefoux is my muse!

Jen:  I was much depressed at my inability to finish the book in one sitting, but the weekday hodgepodge forced my submission, but I was able to finish it the next morning. Upon finishing, I was rather disheveled and upset and for the life of me I didn't know what to do with myself until Blameless, the next in the series, was out this past September.

Mad Scientist:  Oh my dear Jen, perk up because the adventure continues even after Blameless.  Our love of these most delightful characters will be around for a while longer.  Steampunkery will be had in a wonderful inky goodness form.

Jen:  All I can say is Carriger, you naughty little female, you have done me in with your most suspenseful plot and endearing characters, but why oh why must you torture me with your turn of events cliffhanger? It has suffused me with outright indignation and utter vexation at Alexia's latest predicament for although Lord Maccon has had a place in my heart, I feel as though I must fling him henceforth into an abyss...the brute!

Mad Scientist:  Truly a brute!  His Scottish gruffness is just too much.  *fans self*  Be still my beating heart.  I think it is about to jump out away from me.  As much as I wanted to see more of this scruffy werewolf in this novel I was happy to get to know our lovely Alexia more.  

Jen:  I will say no more, as it would be a shameful disaster to give away any of the deliciousness found within the 374 pages. My last words on the matter are, readers of Changeless may want to clear their schedules before they begin Carriger's novel because if it leaves you anything like it left me, you will find yourself wide eyed and breathless throughout!

Mad Scientist: Jen, you have it put in the most truthful manner.  This book is unbelievable.  The plots twist in unique ways, a mad scientist makes an appearance, and we have goggles & fashionable hats.  You will not want to put this book down nor will you be disappointed.  Trust us, you will jump in the carriage as soon as you set this book down for Blameless. 

As you can see, my goodness I hope so, through our reviews that this series is not to be missed.

A big Thanks to Gail for writing this lovely work of inky goodness.
You can visit Gail's website here.
You can visit Gail's GoodReads profile here.

A big Thanks to Jen for working with me on this review.
See her original review here.

Other Posts these two have created:

Intro & Interview with Jen the Bibliophile

Soulless Review

Tribute to Lord Conall Maccon

Ode to Madame Lefoux

Giveaway!!

At Steampunkery & Book Reivews

 Soulless and Changeless

***OPEN INTERNATIONALLY***

Leave a comment on the Blameless post!

At Steampunkery & Book Review!!

Closes Dec 10th

So, the winner will have a dear Christmas present from the Mad Scientist.

 &  

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Book: Soulless

Author: Gail Carriger

Published: October 1^st, 2009

Pages: 357

Genre: Adult Fiction, Fantasy

**Reviewer Note: This book does contain adult content including several scenes of sensuality

...So Alexia, who abhorred violence, was forced to grab the miscreant by his nostrils, a delicate and therefore painful area, and shove him away. He stumbled over the fallen tea trolley, lost his balance in a manner astonishingly graceless for a vampire, and fell to the floor. He landed right on top of a plate of treacle tart.
Miss Tarabotti was most distressed by this. She was particularly fond of treacle tart and had been looking forward to consuming that precise plateful. She picked up her parasol. It was terribly tasteless for her to be carrying a parasol at an evening ball, but Miss Tarabotti rarely went anywhere without it…

Soulless by Gail Carriger is a wonderful piece of fiction that all should sink their teeth into. She has taken a wonderful piece of 19th century British history and molded it into a steampunk, urban fantasy with "vampires, werewolves, and parasols". I was enraptured by the book so utterly and so completely that I was at a loss when I was forced to put the book down. I started it yesterday at around 11:00 a.m. and finished the 357 page novel (with a sadness of heart) in the closet at 12:45 a.m. this morning. As I neared the end I tried not to think of the short supply of remaining pages as I wished the book could go on forever.

Might I just say that this book was absolutely and deliciously scrumptious! Miss Alexia Tarabotti is a most amazing and lovable character in my eyes as is her parasol. I adored all the characters including Lord Akeldama and the delectable Lord Maccon. I definitely wish I had found this book so much sooner than just recently. I probably wouldn't have discovered it at all if it weren't for one of my favorite book sites goodreads.com.

I decided it was worthy of five stars because Carriger has done me in with her story of intrigue that she forced me to read the darn thing all in one day. The characters were so excitingly lovable I wish I could live in their world whilst I fraternized with the haughty vampires and illustriously large werewolves. AND it was so refreshingly hilarious and original I thought Gail Carriger possibly wrote it knowing I was going to one day read it (although that is probably not the case).

I have 2 things left to say:

1. If this had not been a library book (and therefore my own copy) I would have kissed it all over for its scathingly lovable goodness. (AND)

2. I must find myself a silver tipped parasol!

5 out of 5 Kisses