Book Review: Blameless by Gail Carriger

*** This is the third book in a series so if you have not read Soulless and Changeless proceed with caution. But seriously, read them because I am obsessed with this series and I'm only marathoning it now.***

Title: Blameless Parasol Protectorate #2 Written by: Gail Carriger Published: September 1, 2010 by Orbit (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.   Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.  While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.  BLAMELESS is the third book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Another fantastic book in the Paradol Protectorate series. I am absolutely spying through these book. They are so fun and the perfect combination of action, adventure, mystery, and silliness.

For one thing, I just adore these characters. I have become so attached to them in the last three books (7 books for some of you count the Finishing School series). First and foremost I love Alexia. She really is such a spitfire. She's sassy, intelligent, and resourceful. I love seeing her in action and she continues to make me smile. Lord Maccon too is fantastic despite the fact that he was very frustrating in this book. I still love him and love their relationship. I can't wait to see them develop, especially as parents.

I also really enjoy the secondary characters here. Some of my favorite from the Finishing School series are still favorites here like Madame LeFoux, who will always be Vieve to me. I feel like there is still more to learn about her and I like learning it. Same thing with Lord Akeldama who was only minimally involved but affected the book in a big way. In this book too we got a lot more of Professor Lyall which was really interesting as well.

But the characters are not the only interesting thing about this book. This is a book full of action and adventure. By now I should expect the hijinx and shenanigans that this series is capable of and yet it still manages to surprise me. This is a plot where you have to expect the unexpected. There was a lot of different perspective and storylines here but in the end they came together in a complex and interesting way that was full of thrilling moments that had me surprised and enthralled.

But I will say, this felt like a middle book. As far as the pacing of the larger story it did feel a little bit basic. There was a lot of attention spent on something that I'm sure will come into play later but it didn't feel like it was enough to fell a whole book. It felt a little bit like filler or the kind of book that serves as a bridge between books. These kind of books are needed for the series as a whole, but when you're reading them it can seem a little stunted. I'm ready to continue on with it though.

And I'm also ready to explore more of the world. I continue to be blown away by how well Gail Carriger is able to create a world and a setting that brilliantly combines elements of historical fiction, steampunk, and supernatural fantasy. It shouldn't all work together but it does. It works to make a fascinating backdrop for the story. There was a lot of focus on preternaturals here and this kind of scientific approach to them that the book has been touching on and was explored even further. I'm also so curious to learn more about what their child will be and what they will be capable of as they only are just starting to explore that and why the other supernatural set, particularly the vampires, are not happy about this. I know there is more to learn and I am really excited to learn it as the series develops.

I am really loved this book and I'm definitely enjoying this series. I'm so glad that I'm finally taking the time to read it and I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm so invested in these characters and it's a series that is full of action, humor, and mystery.

I give Blameless by Gail Carriger 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you are following along with my marathoning of this series you will know that I am loving these books. If you are late to the party like me and you like steampunk or supernatural fantasies then get your hands on these books.

Have you read Blameless? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!