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Changeless by Gail Carriger
Jul. 29th, 2010 08:33 pmThe second Parasol Protectorate book was just as fun as the first until I got to the end, when suddenly, it just exploded in a flaming blast of rage and hate and fury.
Alexia Tarabotti is still soulless, but is now married to a hot werewolf who thinks she’s hot, and is a spy in Queen Victoria’s service. The plot largely revolves around a disease that turns the supernatural mortal (ghosts get exorcised, and vampires and werewolves become human and age, grow hair, etc.) with a secondary plot involving Maccon’s history. There’s less “glory of empire” than the first book, but the Georgette Heyer influence in the language seemed more obvious. I think, though, that that has more to do with my having read a couple more Heyers between books. Consciously or subconsciously, Carriger also seems to be using Amelia and Emerson from Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody books as models for Alexia and Maccon. But more firmly Victorian, and steampunk with the supernatural. (While all the above are legitimate criticisms others have made, none really bother me.) Carriger also expands on the interesting mythology set up in the first book, and introduces a character I adore.
But then I got to the ending.
( spoilers of mass destruction )
In short, I do not remember the last time “highly entertained WHEE!” turned into “DIE HATE RAGE WTF?” so abruptly for me. I may have gotten whiplash.
Alexia Tarabotti is still soulless, but is now married to a hot werewolf who thinks she’s hot, and is a spy in Queen Victoria’s service. The plot largely revolves around a disease that turns the supernatural mortal (ghosts get exorcised, and vampires and werewolves become human and age, grow hair, etc.) with a secondary plot involving Maccon’s history. There’s less “glory of empire” than the first book, but the Georgette Heyer influence in the language seemed more obvious. I think, though, that that has more to do with my having read a couple more Heyers between books. Consciously or subconsciously, Carriger also seems to be using Amelia and Emerson from Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody books as models for Alexia and Maccon. But more firmly Victorian, and steampunk with the supernatural. (While all the above are legitimate criticisms others have made, none really bother me.) Carriger also expands on the interesting mythology set up in the first book, and introduces a character I adore.
But then I got to the ending.
( spoilers of mass destruction )
In short, I do not remember the last time “highly entertained WHEE!” turned into “DIE HATE RAGE WTF?” so abruptly for me. I may have gotten whiplash.