Soulless (#163) by Gail Carriger has been sitting on my bookshelf gathering dust waiting for just the right opportunity to read it. One of my friends had this book passed on to her from her daughter a while back and sniffed that it was just "about vampires and werewolves and things like that". She gave me no indictation of what turned out to be an absolutely delightful read. I haven't read, nor do I have any intention of reading, the Twilight series or its ilk. I have read and enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse supernatural series, but confess to liking MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series even more because of the humor. Soulless for me is the perfect blend of historical fiction (Victorian London), Jane Austenish comedy of manners, over-the-top supernatural characters (love that Lord Akeldama!), strong, intelligent female lead character and just the right spice of romance. And oh, yes, a parasol.
Of course, as far as I'm concerned, the best part of Soulless is that it is the first of the Alexia Tarabotti novels, and that there are at least four more to follow at this point, and that I already have the next two on my overcrowded bookshelf. I alternated between laughing out loud at the antics and biting my nails when the outcome couldn't possibly be positive, but all with the cozy conviction that I was reading a particularly tasty literary tidbit.
Just one caveat on my part, and for most people, I suppose it's a minor one: I find the cover art for this series off-putting. Yes, I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but with so many books out there clamoring for your attention, a glance at the cover art is still in most cases a make-or-break moment. You either decide to pick up the book and pursue it further, or you bypass it. Fortunately for me, this book came to my notice as an Amazon recommendation, and I read the blurbs before I decided to purchase it, despite the repellant cover. That's just me, and you know if you read my blog regularly that I have a strong opinion about the role of cover art. I'm so glad I took a chance on Soulless!
LOVE this series! I've read all but the last one, just release. I'm so sad it's ending, but it's been a blast. This is one I would consider re-reading a few years down the road.
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