Welcome back, my Little Addicts, to the final day of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week." I had hoped to have finished reading "Timeless" by now and be able to produce a proper review for the book. I deeply apologize that I have no actual review today. Unfortunately, fate and life had other plans, and I find myself only halfway through "Timeless." So all I can say at this point is that it is fabulous, and if you haven't picked or ordered your very own copy yet, you totally should because you will LOVE it!
So, since the review will have to wait until next week, today we will wrap-up the week with a recap, just in case anyone missed anything.
Day One - On Monday we took a brief look at the first two books in the Parasol Protectorate series, "Soulless," and "Changeless."
Day Two - Tuesday is, of course, always Teaser Tuesday here at SunnyReads, so we twisted the meme to our own purposes and had a special Teaser from each of the first four books in the series.
Day Three - On Wednesday we continued our look back at the series by focusing on books three and four: "Blameless" and "Heartless."
Day Four - Thursday was the official release day for book five in the series, "Timeless," although some store fronts and online retailers made the book available several days before this date. (Apparently this is called a 'soft release,' something that I did not know). Also the official release day for the "Soulless" manga! But most importantly, Thursday was my interview with Gail Carriger, award winning and New York Times Bestselling author, and my very first ever Author Interview! Gail chats about the series and characters in the Parasol Protectorate, and drops a few juicy hints about what we can expect from her two new writing projects!
A very special thanks goes out to Ms Carriger for granting the interview, and I'd also like to thank everyone who helped me with this project, and I hope you all enjoyed "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week!" I know it was lots of fun for me.
Tune in next week for my review of "Timeless" (I promise!) - and if you've already finished the book and written your own review, let me know and I'll include a link to your review page! You can email me the link at "SunnyReads (at) gmail (dot) com," or if you prefer, leave a link in the comments.
Showing posts with label Changeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Changeless. Show all posts
Friday, March 2, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Day Four of Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week: Author Interview
Welcome to Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week here at SunnyReads!
All this week we will be celebrating The Parasol Protectorate series as a whole, and specifically the release of the concluding book in the series, "Timeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fifth."
Today, I am very excited to share this with all of you! Ms. Carriger was kind enough to agree to do this brief interview, (My first EVER!), and I'm very grateful to her for taking the time out of her busy schedule. So without further ado - The Interview!
Award winning & New York Times Bestselling author Gail Carriger was born in small California town to a British ex–pat gardener with a tea habit and a woodworking Dane who sidelined as a philosophical scribbler. She escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning, including a BA with Honors in Classical Archaeolgy, an MA in Anthropology, and an MS with Distinction in Materials Archaeology. She ended up back in California with a tea habit inherited from her mother (she insists on Twinings gold label (black box) English Breakfast imported from the UK), a scribbling habit inherited from her father, and a penchant for gadding off to foreign countries in hot pursuit of fascinating ancient artifacts – dragging both habits ruthlessly in her wake. When her writing and promotional duties allow her to be at home, she enjoys food, fashion, and fabulous shoes. She names inanimate objects because it is rude to yell at them without calling them by name, and she rides a motorcycle named Carmen.
SR: That must be a very long list indeed!!
SR: I shudder to think!
All this week we will be celebrating The Parasol Protectorate series as a whole, and specifically the release of the concluding book in the series, "Timeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fifth."
Today, I am very excited to share this with all of you! Ms. Carriger was kind enough to agree to do this brief interview, (My first EVER!), and I'm very grateful to her for taking the time out of her busy schedule. So without further ado - The Interview!
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Award winning & New York Times Bestselling author Gail Carriger was born in small California town to a British ex–pat gardener with a tea habit and a woodworking Dane who sidelined as a philosophical scribbler. She escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning, including a BA with Honors in Classical Archaeolgy, an MA in Anthropology, and an MS with Distinction in Materials Archaeology. She ended up back in California with a tea habit inherited from her mother (she insists on Twinings gold label (black box) English Breakfast imported from the UK), a scribbling habit inherited from her father, and a penchant for gadding off to foreign countries in hot pursuit of fascinating ancient artifacts – dragging both habits ruthlessly in her wake. When her writing and promotional duties allow her to be at home, she enjoys food, fashion, and fabulous shoes. She names inanimate objects because it is rude to yell at them without calling them by name, and she rides a motorcycle named Carmen.
SunnyReads (SR): Anyone who is familiar with your work is probably also aware that you have studied and worked in the field of archaeology. I’ve read that you have worked on archaeological sites in Peru and Northern Italy. Where else has archaeology taken you, and what do you miss most about being at an excavation site, since your authorial duties have kept you away from that work?
Gail Carriger (GC): Those are the only two overseas projects I worked on. I'm a lab tech by training so I've worked on a wide range of artifacts from 12th century Islamic to Romano British. I miss the work itself, being very meticulous and exploring ancient cultures, but I also miss spending an extended time on foreign soil. I enjoy the privilege of becoming fully immersed in a culture, not to mention eating as much of the local food as possible. As an author, the longest I've been able to get away is five days and then I was only a tourist.
SR: In your writing, you present some issues that would have been social taboos in Victorian England, such as the tolerance and acceptance of minority groups and different sexual orientations, and you handle these topics with amazing sensitivity. Is the social commentary in your work and its’ relationship to current events deliberate?
GC: It is deliberate, but it is not meant to be a political statement. I was raised in a very open-minded alternative town much affiliated with the beat movement, and later, early 80s counter culture. It has affected, some might say skewed, my ideas of a Utopian society. As to queering up genre fiction, I have an entire blog post about that you can read here: http://gailcarriger.livejournal.com/134641.html
SR: That is a fascinating blog post and I highly recommend that anyone interested in the subject take a moment to read it. So, moving on to a something a little more fun, this question actually comes from one of my readers (my Little Addicts, as I like to call them).
Rebecca would like to know: "Lord Akeldama is a favorite character for many of your readers, and one of his endearing qualities is his liberal use of various epithets, but I don’t think he ever uses the same one twice! Does he keep a list somewhere, or does he just make them up as needed?"
GC: He makes them up as needed, and since he hijacks my blog for a semi-monthly "Dear Lord Akeldama" column there are ever more epithets in my life. He always calls Alexia something food or flower related. (I tend to write them down as I think of them, and I keep a long list in case of emergency epithet needs.)
GC: He makes them up as needed, and since he hijacks my blog for a semi-monthly "Dear Lord Akeldama" column there are ever more epithets in my life. He always calls Alexia something food or flower related. (I tend to write them down as I think of them, and I keep a long list in case of emergency epithet needs.)
SR: That must be a very long list indeed!!
Now, with the release of "Timeless" today, I have to admit I personally am completely obsessed with the zombie porcupines that showed up in “Heartless,” and the mechanical ladybugs in “Blameless.” How did you come up with these ‘creatures,’ and will we be seeing something similar in “Timeless?”
GC: No, but mechanimals, as they are called, have a key and long running role to play in my new young adult series, the Finishing School. Events in this series, which take place some 22 year before the Parasol Protectorate, will make the appearance of the zombie porcupines, in retrospect, all the more shocking.
SR: Oh very interesting! Something to look forward to!
GC: No, but mechanimals, as they are called, have a key and long running role to play in my new young adult series, the Finishing School. Events in this series, which take place some 22 year before the Parasol Protectorate, will make the appearance of the zombie porcupines, in retrospect, all the more shocking. SR: Oh very interesting! Something to look forward to!
Another thing that I’m curious about is Floote, who may be your most mysterious and enigmatic character, and who appears to keep a great many secrets from Alexia. Is this for Alexia’s protection somehow, and will we learn more about Floote’s past and the secrets that he keeps in “Timeless?”
GC: Yes indeed. Many of Floote's secrets are finally revealed, as are the sins of the father, as it were.
GC: Yes indeed. Many of Floote's secrets are finally revealed, as are the sins of the father, as it were.
SR: Very mysterious indeed!
Now, I noticed in the FAQ on your website (which is a veritable fount of amazing information), you have a list of “Throw away temptation lines” for each of the Parasol Protectorate novels. The line for “Timeless” is “Not for the faint of hat,” which seems to be an obvious reference to Ivy Hisselpenny. Will she have a more prominent role in “Timeless?”
GC: Oh yes, Ivy is back in full force, along with her husband and assorted additional attachments. And nothing is funnier than Ivy's idea of appropriate travel attire.
GC: Oh yes, Ivy is back in full force, along with her husband and assorted additional attachments. And nothing is funnier than Ivy's idea of appropriate travel attire.
SR: I shudder to think!
Now, my very favorite moment in the series so far is when Alexia inducts Ivy into the Parasol Protectorate by administering the oath. While reading that scene I dropped the book, jumped to my feet and hollered “YESSSSS!” which was a tad bit embarrassing as I was in the middle of a coffee shop at the time. How did you come up with this scene and the oath itself - had you been planning it all along, or did it suggest itself as you were writing?
CG: I always knew Ivy understood more than she let on about Alexia's life. And I knew I wanted these books, as the series title implies, to detail the inception of the Parasol Protectorate secret society. The mantle of the protectorate (or should I say, the sunshade?) is taken up in full as a complete and covert operation by Prudence in the new series, the Parasol Protectorate Abroad, set some 20 or so years later. I'm delighted you liked that scene because it is, in it's way, the beginning of everything. I came up with it by imagining what Ivy would want from an induction ceremony, combined with how secret societies were viewed in Sherlock Holmes mixed with the antics foisted up the members of the Drone's Club by Wodehouse.
CG: I always knew Ivy understood more than she let on about Alexia's life. And I knew I wanted these books, as the series title implies, to detail the inception of the Parasol Protectorate secret society. The mantle of the protectorate (or should I say, the sunshade?) is taken up in full as a complete and covert operation by Prudence in the new series, the Parasol Protectorate Abroad, set some 20 or so years later. I'm delighted you liked that scene because it is, in it's way, the beginning of everything. I came up with it by imagining what Ivy would want from an induction ceremony, combined with how secret societies were viewed in Sherlock Holmes mixed with the antics foisted up the members of the Drone's Club by Wodehouse.
SR: Looking back over the five books in the series, now that "Timeless" has been released, what have been your favorite and least favorite scenes of the series, as far as what happens in them and how easy or difficult they were to write?
CG: That's a difficult question to answer. I think some of my hardest scenes were in Blameless, as I had a complete rewrite of most of that book, which required some scalpel work that still gives me a headache to think on. My two favorite scenes are the ending sequences with Lord Akeldama in both Soulless and Timeless. I also adore the last fight scene I got to write for Alexia in Timeless, it's really a doozy.
CG: That's a difficult question to answer. I think some of my hardest scenes were in Blameless, as I had a complete rewrite of most of that book, which required some scalpel work that still gives me a headache to think on. My two favorite scenes are the ending sequences with Lord Akeldama in both Soulless and Timeless. I also adore the last fight scene I got to write for Alexia in Timeless, it's really a doozy.
SR: I can't wait to read that! Some readers may already be aware that you have two new series of books coming out in the not-too-distant future. Can you tell us anything new about what we can expect from “Etiquette & Espionage” (Book 1 in The Finishing School series) and “Prudence” (Book 1 in the Parasol Protectorate Abroad series)?
CG: Well, I sort of already did. I can say that Etiquette & Espionage was a blast to write. I'm having fun with technology that shouldn't exist, and doesn't anymore; a protagonist with a crafty mind and no special powers except her wits; and the usual cadre of totally absurd and ridiculous side characters. I haven't started writing any of the Prudence books yet, but I do have her character well formed and I can say that she is what you might expect from a young lady raised by multiple eccentric parents. You can expect to see many familiar faces in the background as she carries out her various missions and assignments.
CG: Well, I sort of already did. I can say that Etiquette & Espionage was a blast to write. I'm having fun with technology that shouldn't exist, and doesn't anymore; a protagonist with a crafty mind and no special powers except her wits; and the usual cadre of totally absurd and ridiculous side characters. I haven't started writing any of the Prudence books yet, but I do have her character well formed and I can say that she is what you might expect from a young lady raised by multiple eccentric parents. You can expect to see many familiar faces in the background as she carries out her various missions and assignments.
SR: Sounds fantastic!! Finally, even though you are creating new adventures in Alexia’s world with your other projects, as “Timeless” brings The Parasol Protectorate series to a close, what will you miss the most about working on this particular series?
CG: Oh, I shall miss Alexia's voice. She was a part of me for so long, I shall miss the way she regarded every problem and encounter in an entirely practical and prosaic way. Prudence has some of this, but she is more excitable than Alexia, and Sophronia (the Finishing School protagonist) is a natural spy, her mind is far more analytical and suspicious than Alexia's. Alexia had a strange kind of innocence and I will miss looking at the Victorian world through her eyes.
CG: Oh, I shall miss Alexia's voice. She was a part of me for so long, I shall miss the way she regarded every problem and encounter in an entirely practical and prosaic way. Prudence has some of this, but she is more excitable than Alexia, and Sophronia (the Finishing School protagonist) is a natural spy, her mind is far more analytical and suspicious than Alexia's. Alexia had a strange kind of innocence and I will miss looking at the Victorian world through her eyes.
SR: I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions, as I know you must be busy with the promotions for “Timeless.” Best of luck, and thank you so much!!
CG: Thank you for asking me such interesting questions!
And that's The Interview! Thanks for joining me today, (and all this week), to celebrate the release of "Timeless."
If you haven't gotten your copy yet, you won't want to wait! I've just started reading my copy and so far it's fabulous!
Don't forget, today is the official release date for both "Timeless," and also for the "Soulless" manga!
CG: Thank you for asking me such interesting questions!
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Gail Carriger has several online homes:
Website: http://gailcarriger.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gailcarriger
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/gailcarriger
And that's The Interview! Thanks for joining me today, (and all this week), to celebrate the release of "Timeless."If you haven't gotten your copy yet, you won't want to wait! I've just started reading my copy and so far it's fabulous!
Don't forget, today is the official release date for both "Timeless," and also for the "Soulless" manga!
Check back tomorrow for the final day of the "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week" here at SunnyReads! See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Day Three of Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week: Series Recap, Part 2
Welcome to Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week here at SunnyReads!
All this week we will be celebrating The Parasol Protectorate series as a whole, and specifically the release of the concluding book in the series, "Timeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fifth."
So today we will go back to the beginning and take a quick look at the second and third books in the series, "Blameless," and "Heartless," for a brief introduction/recap of the the story so far.
For any of you who may not have read the series so far, please beware - There are spoilers below!
Blameless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Third
The Blurb:
"Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon is 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" may be, in my opinion, the absolute funniest novel in the series so far. We get to learn a little bit more about Professor Lyall. Alexia decides to proactively go in search of information to prove that she is blameless in the scandal currently afflicting her (revealed at the end of "Changeless"), and decides that Italy and the ancient order of the Templars is the best place to start. After a brief stop in Paris, she quickly realizes that it isn't only the vampires in London who wish her dead - it seems the vampires on the continent are also intent on killing her, but she still doesn't know why! Upon finally arriving in Italy, she hopes to learn the answers to all her questions, and in some ways she does, but certainly not in the manner she hoped. Unexpected surprises are the order of the day, and since her husband is busy trying to stay drunk (by drinking all of Professor Lyall's experiments!), Alexia will just have to save herself this time. And really, with the help of Floote and Madame Lefoux, how hard could that be?
Heartless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fourth
The Blurb:
"Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember that she happens to be eight months pregnant.
Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?"
I already loved this series when "Heartless" was released, but even if I hadn't, the moment the zombie porcupines shuffled onto the page my heart was lost! I mean, come on! They're zombie porcupines!! What's not to love?! But there's oh so much more than that. The attempts to murder Alexia have not lessened since her return from Italy, including - but not limited to - exploding gravy boats and flaming Mongolian poodles. But at long last a sort of truce has been reached with the vampires, and Alexia is ready to settle down again. At least until the mad ghost shows up muttering threats against the queen! Once again Alexia finds herself in a race against time to solve the mystery and save the realm. But could the threat also have a more personal consequence? Only Alexia can solve the mystery and save the day, but with vampires swarming, rampaging werewolves, and a decidedly dangerous octomaton roaming the countryside, the question isn't can Alexia save the day, but, can she save the day before the birth of her child?!
And that's all for today! Thanks for joining me for this short look back at the beginning of the series! Tomorrow is Thursday, and for Day Four of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week" I have a special surprise! Something so exciting I've barely been able to contain myself - an interview with the author herself, Ms Gail Carriger! So don't forget to stop back by tomorrow. See you then!
All this week we will be celebrating The Parasol Protectorate series as a whole, and specifically the release of the concluding book in the series, "Timeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fifth."
So today we will go back to the beginning and take a quick look at the second and third books in the series, "Blameless," and "Heartless," for a brief introduction/recap of the the story so far.
For any of you who may not have read the series so far, please beware - There are spoilers below!
Blameless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Third
The Blurb:
"Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon is 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" may be, in my opinion, the absolute funniest novel in the series so far. We get to learn a little bit more about Professor Lyall. Alexia decides to proactively go in search of information to prove that she is blameless in the scandal currently afflicting her (revealed at the end of "Changeless"), and decides that Italy and the ancient order of the Templars is the best place to start. After a brief stop in Paris, she quickly realizes that it isn't only the vampires in London who wish her dead - it seems the vampires on the continent are also intent on killing her, but she still doesn't know why! Upon finally arriving in Italy, she hopes to learn the answers to all her questions, and in some ways she does, but certainly not in the manner she hoped. Unexpected surprises are the order of the day, and since her husband is busy trying to stay drunk (by drinking all of Professor Lyall's experiments!), Alexia will just have to save herself this time. And really, with the help of Floote and Madame Lefoux, how hard could that be?
Heartless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fourth
The Blurb:
"Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember that she happens to be eight months pregnant.
I already loved this series when "Heartless" was released, but even if I hadn't, the moment the zombie porcupines shuffled onto the page my heart was lost! I mean, come on! They're zombie porcupines!! What's not to love?! But there's oh so much more than that. The attempts to murder Alexia have not lessened since her return from Italy, including - but not limited to - exploding gravy boats and flaming Mongolian poodles. But at long last a sort of truce has been reached with the vampires, and Alexia is ready to settle down again. At least until the mad ghost shows up muttering threats against the queen! Once again Alexia finds herself in a race against time to solve the mystery and save the realm. But could the threat also have a more personal consequence? Only Alexia can solve the mystery and save the day, but with vampires swarming, rampaging werewolves, and a decidedly dangerous octomaton roaming the countryside, the question isn't can Alexia save the day, but, can she save the day before the birth of her child?!
---------------
And that's all for today! Thanks for joining me for this short look back at the beginning of the series! Tomorrow is Thursday, and for Day Four of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week" I have a special surprise! Something so exciting I've barely been able to contain myself - an interview with the author herself, Ms Gail Carriger! So don't forget to stop back by tomorrow. See you then!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Day Two of Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week: Teaser Tuesday!
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To Be Read (TBR) Lists if they like your teasers!
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Welcome to Day Two of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week!" Today is also Teaser Tuesday, and so, due to our theme this week, we have a Teaser from each of The Parasol Protectorate books so far!
(Also, I'm cheating - each Teaser is way more than two sentences - but I'm sure you'll survive!)
The Teasers:
"My dearest girl,' said the vampire finally, examining Lord Maccon with an exhausted but appreciative eye, 'such a banquet. Never been one to favor werewolves myself, but he is very well equipped, now, is he not?'
Miss Tarabotti gave him an arch look. 'My goodies,' she warned.
'Humans,' chuckled the vampire, 'so possessive."
Miss Tarabotti gave him an arch look. 'My goodies,' she warned.
'Humans,' chuckled the vampire, 'so possessive."
-Soulless, The Parasol Protectorate: Book the First, by Gail Carriger
"Alexia had also given this due consideration over her tea and toast. If she had to leave, she was going in pursuit of information. If she had to flee, she might as well flee toward the possibility of proving her innocence. Only one country knew anything substantial about preternaturals. "I hear that Italy is lovely this time of year."
"Italy?"
"The hotbed of anti-supernatural sentiment," spat Professor Lyall.
"The cesspit of religious fanaticism," added Tunstell.
"The Templars." That last was from Floote, and he whispered it.
"I think it's a perfectly topping idea," said Alexia, expressionless."
-Blameless, The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Third, by Gail Carriger
"They landed just before sunset on a patch of green near the Glasgow train station. The dirigible came to rest as lightly as a butterfly on an egg, if the butterfly were to stumble a bit and list heavily to one side and the egg to take take on the peculiar characteristics of Scotland in winter: more soggy and more gray than one would think possible."
-Changeless, The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Second, by Gail Carriger
"Alexia had also given this due consideration over her tea and toast. If she had to leave, she was going in pursuit of information. If she had to flee, she might as well flee toward the possibility of proving her innocence. Only one country knew anything substantial about preternaturals. "I hear that Italy is lovely this time of year."
"Italy?"
"The hotbed of anti-supernatural sentiment," spat Professor Lyall.
"The cesspit of religious fanaticism," added Tunstell.
"The Templars." That last was from Floote, and he whispered it.
"I think it's a perfectly topping idea," said Alexia, expressionless."
-Blameless, The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Third, by Gail Carriger
"Motioning Ivy to stand, Alexia handed her the handle and said, "Spin the parasol three times and repeat after me: I shield in the name of fashion. I accessorize for one and all. Pursuit of truth is my passion. This I vow by the great parasol."
Ivy did as she was told, face serious and concentrated.
"Now pick the parasol up and raise it, open, to the ceiling. Yes, just like that."
"Is that all? Shouldn't the vow be sealed in blood or something like?"
"Oh, do you think?"
Ivy nodded enthusiastically. Alexia shrugged. "If you insist." She took back her parasol, snapped it closed, and twisted the handle. Two wickedly sharp spikes projected out of the tip, one of silver, the other of wood. Ivy inhaled in appreciation."
Heartless, The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Fourth, by Gail Carriger
What's your Tease?
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Thanks for joining me for Day Two of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week!" Stop back by tomorrow on Day Three for a brief introduction/recap of "Blameless" and "Heartless." Then on Thursday - Day Four - I'll have a very special surprise for you that you absolutely will not want to miss! See you then!!
Day One of Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week: Series Recap
Welcome to Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week here at SunnyReads!
All this week we will be celebrating The Parasol Protectorate series as a whole, and specifically the release of the concluding book in the series, "Timeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Last."
So today we will go back to the beginning and take a quick look at the first two books in the series, "Soulless," and "Changeless," for a brief introduction/recap of the the story.
Soulless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the First
The Blurb:
"Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?
SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking."
One of the things that I liked best about "Soulless" was Alexia herself - she's strong, independent, pragmatic, not afraid to speak her mind, and witty to the core. Quite simply put, she's fabulous. Ms. Carriger has created an amazing world of vampires and werewolves with a Victorian overlay, and Alexia is the perfect guide to exploring this incredible alternate England. The book opens with the aforementioned vampire attack, and Alexia quickly finds herself drawn into the middle of a mystery, which can only be solved with the help of a cast of eclectic characters who quickly become her close friends. And as the story progresses she suddenly also finds herself head over heels in annoyance with Lord Maccon, and the inevitable love affair blossoms, though not exactly as one might expect. Soulless is a witty and fun romp of a a steampunk mystery with a touch of romance, and a more than generous helping of comedy.
Changeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Second
The Blurb:
Alexia Maccon, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.
But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.
She might even find time to track down her wayward husband - if she feels like it."
"Changeless" continues the story of Alexia and company, as she finds herself in the middle of yet another mystery. All of the supernaturals in London have suddenly reverted to being mortal, shockingly embarrassing in and of itself, and all of London's ghosts have been instantly exorcised. As the sphere of influence leaves London and seems to travel across the country towards Scotland, Alexia decides she must follow it - and her missing husband. And it gives her a perfect excuse to go floating aboard a dirigible, the most modern way to travel! All is not what she expected though, either on the journey, or upon arrival in Scotland, and it seems that the more questions she finds answers for, the more mysteries remain! Changeless is another smashing success, and if you haven't read it yet, there's a super special surprise waiting for you at the end!
And that's all for today! Thanks for joining me for this short look back at the beginning of the series! Tomorrow is Tuesday, so for Day Two of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week" I'll have a special version of Teaser Tuesday, with a Teaser for each of the books in the series so far - so don't forget to stop back by tomorrow. See you then!
All this week we will be celebrating The Parasol Protectorate series as a whole, and specifically the release of the concluding book in the series, "Timeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Last."
So today we will go back to the beginning and take a quick look at the first two books in the series, "Soulless," and "Changeless," for a brief introduction/recap of the the story.
Soulless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the First
The Blurb:
"Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?
SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking."
One of the things that I liked best about "Soulless" was Alexia herself - she's strong, independent, pragmatic, not afraid to speak her mind, and witty to the core. Quite simply put, she's fabulous. Ms. Carriger has created an amazing world of vampires and werewolves with a Victorian overlay, and Alexia is the perfect guide to exploring this incredible alternate England. The book opens with the aforementioned vampire attack, and Alexia quickly finds herself drawn into the middle of a mystery, which can only be solved with the help of a cast of eclectic characters who quickly become her close friends. And as the story progresses she suddenly also finds herself head over heels in annoyance with Lord Maccon, and the inevitable love affair blossoms, though not exactly as one might expect. Soulless is a witty and fun romp of a a steampunk mystery with a touch of romance, and a more than generous helping of comedy.
Changeless - The Parasol Protectorate: Book the Second
The Blurb:
Alexia Maccon, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.
But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.She might even find time to track down her wayward husband - if she feels like it."
"Changeless" continues the story of Alexia and company, as she finds herself in the middle of yet another mystery. All of the supernaturals in London have suddenly reverted to being mortal, shockingly embarrassing in and of itself, and all of London's ghosts have been instantly exorcised. As the sphere of influence leaves London and seems to travel across the country towards Scotland, Alexia decides she must follow it - and her missing husband. And it gives her a perfect excuse to go floating aboard a dirigible, the most modern way to travel! All is not what she expected though, either on the journey, or upon arrival in Scotland, and it seems that the more questions she finds answers for, the more mysteries remain! Changeless is another smashing success, and if you haven't read it yet, there's a super special surprise waiting for you at the end!
---------------
And that's all for today! Thanks for joining me for this short look back at the beginning of the series! Tomorrow is Tuesday, so for Day Two of "Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate Week" I'll have a special version of Teaser Tuesday, with a Teaser for each of the books in the series so far - so don't forget to stop back by tomorrow. See you then!
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