Prudence: The First Book of the Custard Protocol

Amazon Pre-Order

We know how excited I was about this book. I preordered it and I never preorder anything. I had a moral dilemma when it arrived because it clashed with my Lenten penance.

Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama, or Rue to friends, is all grown up! It's really touching to see all the old crew 20 years older, even the babies which we didn't get to know really well at the end of the Parasol Protectorate books.
Rue is gifted an entire dirigible of her own by her indulgent adopted father, Lord Akeldama. However, this isn't just for joy-riding and globe trotting in. Her mission, should she choose to accept it, is to visit India and procure some very rare, very new tea plants. Because, as we all know from personal experience, tea is very important. So, along with her homies Prim, Percy, and Quesnel, she sets off, but perhaps a little too hastily. Because fairly quickly the youths discover that maybe they should have stuck around a little longer so that Akeldama could debrief them more on what to expect. Things such as werecats and an abducted Englishwoman. This causes a great deal of confusion (and as the reader it felt a little off the cuff and sloppy).

Plot-wise, the story was imperfect. Many of Carriger's series start off feeling like that, but improve after she embellishes over time. Considering that there is only projected to be one book after this one in the series, I'm a little concerned here.
But the thing that really makes this book work beautifully is the humor and the characters. I loved the banter between Rue & Percy. And Quesnel is just...

...Oh My Lanta. Mother MAY I! Etc etc

As usual, Carriger follows a formula with her cast. There's the plucky female lead, much developed since the soulless and socially cold Alexia. There's the well dressed, vain-ish, but totally loyal best friend (Ivy, Prim, and Dimity), and even that has gotten stronger. And there's the nerdy idiot brother that somehow girls adore. As I say, a little formulaic, but I really love the dynamic and it keeps me coming back for more. 

Third Daughter: First book of the Dharian Affairs Trilogy

Kindle (free!)

I have to admit, I read a review for this book on SBTB that simply raved about it. Those girls don't put up with much bull, so when they rave about something you know it's legit. It's a steampunk trilogy set in a proto-India - Not England or America? How refreshing! If I wasn't sold yet, I was when I learned that the first book is free on the Kindle (or any e-reader device, including smart phones.) You really can't say no to something like that!
Okay, it took me a good deal longer to read this than I'd have liked. (I guess I'm still adjusting to reading on my replacement Kindle) But you guys might not have ever known that if I hadn't said anything.
Third Daughter is about Princess Anari, who is as the title implys, the Queen's 3rd daughter which means that she isn't as special as the first or second daughter. But it does mean that, unlike her sisters, after she reaches a certain age she's allowed to marry whomever she chooses. But this is only after she reaches a certain age. Before that her mother could very easily make her marry whoever she chooses. Anari's birthday is in a few weeks and she knows exactly who she'll choose - a handsome courtesan. But, it just happens that her mom wants to introduce her to the prince of a foreign province which is known for it's supposed barbarism, a prince who her mother wants her to marry. There are conditions: Anari can say no outright, and she really wants to, but she shouldn't because her mother (who has often with-held a lot of affection for her daughter) promises that she can still marry who she chooses by her birthday, provided she says yes now and acts as a spy for their country. Rumor has it the prince has a secret flying machine that could be used as a weapon. Anari is a very head strong fire-brand. Maybe she doesn't always make the smart decisions - sometimes she let's her heart lead when she should really let her (actually, very sound) head do the talking. I don't always like characters like her, but then again she didn't make me want to throw things either. I like a character that knows when to shut up and butt out, which. Head strong fire-brands do not have a concept of this at all. I'm not saying it has to be a defining trait, just that, you know, sometimes it isn't always appropriate to jump down your body guard's throat for being straight up with you, even if he is unpleasant about it. That's all. But i'm getting ahead of myself.
Clearly, this is a good sci-fi with a tough female lead, romance, espionage and daring-do. It's smart and well versed. The world building is unique and really exciting, to me anyway. Anari is a bit exasperating, but she develops by the end of the book. It's a great start to the triology, which being that you're able to read the first book for free, it does entice me to pay for the next two books. Sometimes that kind of tactic doesn't always work, but it did this time. But if you'd rather not read any further it's okay too. The book has a satisfactory ending (with a small cliff-hanger). I have been advised, however, that the series does not end with "him putting a million babies inside her," which for a romance reader could be a problem.

Timeless: The Last Book of the Parasol Protectorate

Amazon Used

The last book in the Parasol Protectorate series, which I enjoyed so much as a whole, and I'm not really sure how I'm going to do this review. I'm kind of in a haze. Yes, Gail Carriger's new series, "The Custard Protocol," was released only this week - so it's not like I can't continue my journey with these characters absolutely immediately. But the series ended in such a way that... Well, I'm still dealing with Carriger making some decisions that I'm so totally on board with, and others that kind of crushed me. This being the last book in the series, understand that I will have to spoil the very important things. I will keep my review above a break for you, and the spoilers below it. If You Haven't Read This Book Do Not Read Past The Break. 

In this book, Alexia and company has had a few years to settle down until they receive a surprise invitation from an old as the literal hills (if you call pyramids "hills") Egyptian Vampire Queen. There's little choice, but many motives, for her to accept it. One of them being to find out something about her long lost father, and a little more about her preternatural condition. Naturally, new cases of intrigue spring up that must be dealt with.
So this book was a roller coaster ride. There were times where I felt euphoric and other times when I felt like my heart somehow lodged it's self in the back of my throat and I thought, panicking, "Is this real?! Is this real?!" I found out that some readers didn't share my enthusiasm, seeing as it was released around the same time as the last of the Sookie Stackhouse series - which was apparently disappointment (I wasn't a big fan of that series, Louisiana setting notwithstanding, so I can't imagine it ending any worse than the way it began, as I wouldn't read past the first book). Maybe it's because I allowed myself to become completely invested in these characters over the course of the last 3 months, but still couldn't allow myself to accept the bad luck of some of the characters. I'm still trying to digest it.
Rest thee assured that it ends happily, I guess. If you want any proof of that see The Custard Protocol - but do not see it if you haven't finished this series. It is a stand alone, but already it's made enough references to the events in this book to mess a sloppy reader up.
Speaking of, here comes the break! (Don't read if you don't want to be spoiled! You've been warned!)

Heartless: Book Four of the Parasol Protectorate Series

Amazon Used

At this point in the series, with only one book left, I almost can't write a review without spoiling some things for certain readers. That's why I'm going to change up my format out of consideration of anyone thinking about reading further into the series. I'm doing this because you might not be interested in starting a new series without knowing if it will end badly. We don't want another Lost.
Okay, Carriger has gotten into a really good stride at this point in the series. All of the characters are really interesting, the conflict is now more engaging - and if you have your wits about you, you actually have a chance at guessing the outcome (I hate books that deliberately with-hold information from the reader and toss out red herrings so that, even if you're paying very close attention, you'll never figure it out - cough, cough the Millennium trilogy)
I'm also excited that Carriger focused more on London this time around. I'm already a fan of Victorian novels on manners, and one of my favorite parts about this series is that - unlike a lot of Steampunk (unfortunately... ) - she's interested in it as well. Most Steampunk is really just a regular sci-fi novel but with steam & goggles. I get that a lot of fans think that's more interesting than Victorian manners, but this sets it apart.
The rest is under the spoiler-buffering jump -

Blameless: Book Three of the Parasol Protectorate Series

Local Used Bookstore

After reading the Finishing School series in such a whirlwind, I felt a little bad about never having finished up the Parasol Protectorate when I easily could have. The first book had been entertaining, but the second book was a little bit of a pot boiler, and so I nearly fell off because of it. But after enjoying Finishing School so much, I decided I'd wasted enough time not reading the rest and dove right in. During my extended weekend brought on by that surprise dental visit, I had enough time to catch up on some reading - which is always something I'm trying to squirrel out more of. I still managed to take longer than I needed to read this, mainly because the volume before it didn't exactly leave me thrilled, even though it ended in an exciting cliff hanger. In fact, it feels like it has been so long since I've last picked up this series that I barely can remember any of the minor characters. If it hadn't been for my closest friends being in the throes of Carriger Mania, I might not have picked it up again at all. But I'm glad that I did. As for forgetting characters names, I found it was a bit like riding a bike - it all comes back to you pretty quickly.
Now, where we last left off Alexia found herself in a delicate predicament. Cast out by her husband, family, The Queen, and embarrassed by society, you'd be tempted to worry about her. However, Alexia has always managed to take care of herself, though she gets by with a little help from her friends. The always dependable Lord Akeldama has suddenly left London, leaving Alexia to be pursued by all the remaining Vampires of London who now want her dead. She has no choice but to leave town herself, making a break for Italy (along with a few of her dependable friends) to seek out the care (????) of the Knights Templar - a collection of highly trained warrior monks. While there, Alexia learns more about her predicament and herself.
I'm really glad I decided to finally read further than the 2nd book. The characters are developing further and it's so much more interesting as a whole. I only have two books left of the series and I'm a little worried about what I'll do after it's all done (It isn't like I don't have 3 bookcases literally overflowing with unread books, bless my heart) but the good news is that I have Gail's new book preordered!

The Finishing School Series

Have you been wondering where I've been, dear readers? Wonder no more. This Christmas season I received from my bestie the entire (at press date) Finishing School series by Gail Carriger (of Parasol Protectorate fame) - and under peer pressure I read the entire thing (as quickly as my work schedule allowed). I debated on reviewing them each individually, but because I moved on from one to the next so quickly I didn't give myself time. Instead, I'm just going to review it as a whole - as I have the rare opportunity to.

Christmas Gifts from Jenee G.

Looking back at my reviews of the Parasol Protectorate books I'm a little horrified to see that I didn't love them as much as I remembered enjoying them. I guess the two feelings can mutually exclusive? I think of that series as a prototype for this one, however. I feel like Gail toyed around with some of the same ideas that she brought back in these books - and now honed them to perfection.

The Finishing School series is basically about a Victorian girls charm school, which sounds so quaint doesn't it? Well, they're also training to become assassins and spies. Picture it! Using handkerchiefs and sewing scissors for lethal weapons? Sounds pretty perfect to me. It has a beautifully droll sense of humor, which is more than enough to hook me, a series of badass girls and "evil genius" boys, foppish vampires, genteel werewolves, eccentric professors, cross-dressing, and a few more of my favorite things.
I absolutely don't want to give too much away, so at this point I just want to talk about my impressions. There aren't many characters in this series, which is fine (because once you read something like Game of Thrones you start to appreciate that) but one thing that I didn't like is that the minor characters didn't get a whole lot of chances to develop sooner. This series is going to be 4 books long and so far we have three, so that is something that stresses me out a bit. Naturally, the important characters do by the 3rd book, so that's what's important. Hopefully Carriger revisits some of them in later books. Failing that, this is ripe territory for fanfic writers - which I very much encourage. Part of the reason for this review is that this series has a very small fandom and that, to me, is so ridiculous. Please read this books and make lots of fanart and fanfics, everyone! Make all of the things, make it blow up. I want all the movies, video games, a TV series - I want this thing to never die, ya heard?
This series shares the same world (and sprinkling of some of the same characters) as the Parasol Protectorate books, but dated a few decades earlier. Like in Protectorate a lot of the names are nearly unpronounceable - something my friends and I have been debating back and fourth on. However, one of the beautiful things about Carriger's steam-punk world is that it isn't idealized and floofy like some proto-Victorian writers. One of the reasons I've been obsessed with the Victorians for most of my life is that they weren't always as genteel as we now seem to think. They were actually kind of horrifying sometimes. They may have been sexually repressed, but they compensated for it through other avenues - like a healthy obsession with what we today would consider outright macabre. These books don't include examples of this, at least nothing that high school librarians would picket against, but Carriger is aware of it. These books are anything but cutesy-poo.
Ah, now for the "shipping-wars." I'll reveal nothing of my own alignment on here, but you'll be tempted to pick sides and let me just say neither are bad choices. I made it very well known that I wasn't going to share my ships with my friends (because I didn't have one, really. It could go either way for me.) but the 3rd book ends in such a way, that... ugh... #1 whoever you choose, you'll be conflicted no matter what and #2 the 4th book isn't coming out until next November. All this tension and unresolved feelings has me like:

(too late)

Thankfully, Gail will be releasing a new book for a new series this March which I can't fuggin wait for. Maybe that will tide me over until then.

Changeless: Book Two of the Parasol Protectorate Series

   As it so happens, the review I wrote of Book One, Soulless, is one of my most popular posts so far. That being the case, I can't let my readers down! Here's my review of the 2nd book - Changeless.
   It would be difficult to review this without spoiling it if you intend to read the first book, so I'll just try to avoid mentioning anything, you know, important. This book didn't initially heat up the series. You basically had to read on until the end of the book, the very last chapter, the very last few pages for that. And it ended on a cliff hanger. I'm not going to say that the rest of it was unbearable to read, but it was nothing really all that special, either. It was fun and entertaining to read and revisit the old characters, plus there are a few new characters, too. A mysterious French woman who ends up becoming Alexia's intellectual side-kick, and a Scottish werewolf pack. A good deal of the story takes place in an old Scottish castle.
The basic plot is that some mysterious, presumed bio-weapon that only affects supernatural beings (and only in the London area) is causing Vampire and Werewolf alike to return to their mortal states, as well as exorcizing ghosts. Without warning, Alexia's new husband (whoops! Is that a spoiler?) high tails it out of town, though not necessarily in pursuit of the cause of the blight.

As I've said... it didn't really add much interest to the series. My verdict is still out on if I liked it or not. I'll still continue to read the others in the series, because I really appreciate the author's style and sense of humor. It's refreshing to read anything Steam Punk that isn't awful, and while this is a little better than mediocre, it still isn't.... you know... awful...

Soulless: Book One of The Parasol Protectorate Series

I hope you're all having a Spooktacular Valentines! This year we had kind of a wonky calendar, what with Lent starting exactly one day before Valentines. So if you're Catholic, like me, and gave up sweets for Lent, like me, I hope you're still able to go about enjoying Valentines day. (My advice - don't be weak! Yes, that temptation makes it very, very, very hard, but that's exactly what it's all about. Don't try to squirrel out of it.)
Mardi Gras was a very quiet, rainy affair for us. It's only natural that I camped out all week in my bed, reading and gorging myself on candy (while I still could). And the book I picked to read? Perfect for Valentine's Day. I couldn't have planned it better if I tried, and honestly I didn't.
Now, to know me is to know that I like to celebrate Valentine's Day with Buffy marathons and red velvet cake (if possible), and that "bad" Steampunk Sci-Fi is a special guilty pleasure of mine. Soulless isn't quiet Buffy, but it's in the same vein, and if the book reviews on GoodReads are to be trusted, this book is indeed bad.

Wise words of wisdom.

But since this sort of thing is my Honey Boo-Boo Child, I really enjoyed this book. A lot. I mean, since I'm a paranormal romance/steampunk loving fool, and all. And really, I wasn't too far off the mark before when I mentioned Buffy. Soulless is about a half Italian, smart-ass spinster named Alexia who lives in an alternate-past London. In this version of London, werewolves and vampires live-in with the rest of society. It's all very proper and dignified. And while werewolves and vampires are still considered dangerous, they are accepted and normal. What isn't considered normal, however, is to be preternatural like Alexia. In other words, she has no soul. In other words, she is neither human, nor supernatural, and can't be turned as you would have to have a soul first.
That's pretty cool. But most importantly, she's entertaining as hell. We here at Feast of Poetry love a strong female lead. We also do not believe that that necessarily has to take away from the fact that any romance intended for this strong, independent lady has to be dry and lacking of luster. Because there is a certain Scottish alpha werewolf (Cliche? Perhaps. Do we mind? Not really.) who has set his cap towards our little Alexia. And while the resulting trysts are only PG-13, if even that, they certainly still had me, as the expression goes, "clutching at my pearls."
I really liked the tone of this book. I loved the idea for an a-typical paranormal romance that's refreshed a little bit by adding steampunk elements, Victorian manners, and sassy mouthed heroines. It's not perfect, but it's a fun, light-hearted way to spend a rainy pre-Valentine's week.