Monday, May 10, 2010
Book Musings: Changeless by Gail Carriger
I have just finished Changeless by Gail Carriger, the second book in the Parasol Protectorate series. I simply could not wait for the library to purchase a copy, so I went out and bought my own and I absolutely loved it! I found parts of it to be predictable, but in a good way. It was the kind of predictable where I found my self thinking "Hmmm...I wonder if she's going to do______." Only to find out that she did. I don't enjoy when I figure out the plot because it is so obvious and I find myself thinking how so many other authors have gone down the same route. That's upsetting, this however wasn't. Spoilers commence! (Which means you should go read Soulless first, right now!)
Here is what Amazon.com had to say:
"Alexia Tarabotti, 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."
Everything I enjoyed about the first Parasol Protectorate book was back again, with one exception. At one point Lord Maccon approaches Lady Maccon in wolf form and recognizes her. I like how in the first book he was not able to restrain himself quite so much in her company, but I am guessing he has become accustomed to her scent and therefore no longer needs to be as careful around her.
The parasol was back! And so was the witty dialogue. As annoying as she is supposed to be, I really do enjoy the character of Ivy Hisselpenny. She has a very fun story line, and her ability to faint is always welcome. I would have liked to see more of Professor Lyall, but there really was no place for him in this installment, and from the synopsis I've read about Blameless, the next book, I do not believe he will be involved there a great deal either. This book seemed to explore a little bit more of what it means to be a preternatural, and what abilities Alexia is capable of.
I have one frustration. I do not blame the author for this, I feel she wrote the scenario very well, which is why I am frustrated with it. If it had been done any other way, I would have thought it too out of character for Lord Maccon. Anyway because of information that is revealed towards the end of the book Lord Maccon acts, well stupidly. If he was thinking logically at all, which he wasn't, he would realize his accusations are completely unfounded and if he looked at his unique situation and relationship with Alexia he would would realize how much of an idiot he was! That said, it was a beautifully orchestrated event. Unlike other books which have similar scenes, there is more than just anger and betrayal. Lord Maccon's eyes are described as "agonized and bereft" (Carriger, 371). He seems to have lost so much more and he is able to realize what he has lost. Usually the hero is just angry.
Anyway I early look forward to Blameless which is described as "A novel vampires, werewolves, and Templars" I think this series can only get better. I know what I'm buying on September 1st!
Listening to: Billy Joel: "Big Shot"
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Book Musings: Soulless by Gail Carringer
I need to stop finding books that are in a series. Currently looking at the books strewn across my room (due to my return from college) I count at least 30 different sets (incomplete and complete) of books in a series, and those are only the ones that have kept/have not read yet! At least Harry Potter and Twilight have ended so that's two I won't have to keep up with and can instead re-read whenever I feel like it. But of course then there's a series like Nancy Drew which seems to have a never-ending number of books (although I am only interested in reading the yellow hardcover originals, but still there's 50+ of those and I've only read about 5).
But that will never happen and I will continue to read a ridiculous number of books in a series.
So the newest series I have discovered I found on another blog about books (I don't remember which one, though). When a book has the tag line "A novel of vampires, werewolves, and parasols" well that's like giving a kid the key to a candy store, the combination is simply irresistibly intriguing.
I was not always interested in vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings. To tell the truth, I have been scared to death by such creatures for most of my life. There are pictures of me at Halloween all dressed up standing next to our animated Dracula and crying because I was so afraid of the doll! I do not watch horror movies for the most part (the only exceptions are when an actor I like, aka Johnny Depp and Roger Daltrey, is involved, but I have to like that actor a great deal in order to subject myself to the nightmares that will no doubt follow my viewing of the film). However, in high school a friend introduced me to a rather mild werewolf book (Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause) and even though I had to place the book outside of my room, in the hall, face down because I was afraid of the cover I really enjoyed the book and have read it several times since (I no longer need to leave the book outside of my room. I have fallen asleep without any ill effects while the book has been on my nightstand face up). I mean I was even afraid of the dementors when I first read about them in Harry Potter! Anyway, so after that I read The Silver Kiss by the same author. I have also read Twilight, and I enjoyed it too. After that I have found the Sookie Stackhouse books, and well I don't feel comfortable not claiming that I enjoy books with these supernatural elements. I think I have to be very selective so I am do not scare myself (I do not see myself reading Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles anytime soon) but re-imaginings of vampires and werewolves (a la Twilight) and more humorous versions of these creatures (a la Sookie Stackhouse novels) have lead me to believe that I have been missing some pretty good fiction. I already enjoy fantasy so this is not a very large leap to make and one I will continue to enjoy exploring.
So combine Victorian England with vampires and werewolves, and you have my immediate attention. Not to mention that the cover and title help a great deal.
Soulless is part of the series The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger and is into its second book with the third due September 1, 2010. It is a steampunk novel, which is basically combines the era of steam power with elements of fantasy and fictional technology or anachronistic technology. Basically things like Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (a very good comic) or the Will Smith movie Wild, Wild West. For a better idea head over to the ever resourceful Wikipedia article linked here: Steampunk.
By the way, there will be some spoilers, so I suggest you go read the book before you continue! :)
As the title implies, the main character Alexia Tarabotti is soulless. In the world of the book an excess of soul allows for humans to be transformed into vampires or werewolves (also ghosts I believe, but I'm not 100% sure about that as there were no ghosts in the first book) if they are bitten. Alexia, however, is one of the few who can negate these supernaturals merely by touching them. She is considered a preternatural by the Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR). But her kind are so few and far between the rest of the general population is not aware there are people who are soulless. Needless to say, Alexia's condition helps her a great deal when a vampire attacks her at the onset of the book. As soon as she touches him, his fangs disappear and for all intents and purposes he becomes human. Of course, once contact is broken, the fangs reappear and he is back to his normal vampire self. After a few more tries Alexia accidentally stakes the vampire causing BUR agents to arrive, rather quickly. And who should arrive but Conall Maccon, Lord Woolsey and Professor Lyall, the Alpha and Beta of the local wolf pack. Lord Maccon is a wonderful character described as "loud, messy, gorgeous and werewolf". I enjoy him immensely. Despite his rough description, he is quite charming and his thoughts can be quite humorous. Speaking of humorous, Professor Lyall has wonderful comedic bits throughout the book. I enjoyed the silliness involved in the book so much. I'd say it reminds me most of Julia Quinn's books, because I find them wonderfully amusing also. Although the supernatural aspect adds a bit more to the humor because imagining these actions and thoughts associated with vampires and werewolves puts a whole new spin on the humor.
Anyway, the dead vampire is simply the beginning of Alexia's troubles (aside from the fact that she is soulless she is also half Italian, a spinster, and a blue stocking, all of which are frowned on in Victorian England). Because of the accident, it is practically a guarantee that she will encounter Lord Maccon a great deal more than she has previously. Which only leads to the tension between these two opposites escalating and working its way throughout the rest of the story as other events unfold around them.
I don't think I can express how much I enjoyed this book. It was not what I was expecting, although having read some of the author's blog posts and experiencing her humor there I should not have been surprised by its integration with the story. I honestly sat there shaking my head some times at the silliness. Another aspect I enjoyed was that when the werewolves in the books changed from human to wolf they lost all of their humanness. Nothing remained, therefore causing them to be locked up so they were not able to accidentally kill humans. While I enjoy the different 'types' of werewolves I have encountered such as in the Twilight Saga and in the Sookie Stackhouse novels, both are able to remain around humans, and even protect humans if they wish to. So, Ms. Carriger's take on werewolves was refreshing. Nothing particularly outstanding changed the vampires, but they do not typically loose the sense of perception, unless they are starving for blood. Other than a little bit at the end, and then it is only the barest hint a a werewolf recognizing a human, the reader is read to believe a werewolf in wolf form would have no idea if he was attacking his own mother if the situation presented itself. I also enjoyed the character of Alexia. She's very tough and it seems she has had to become that way because society has basically turned her into an outcast. She most definitely has a backbone and knows how to handle herself. She is very intelligent and is easily comfortable whether she speaking of science or wielding her parasol with its brass additions.
My one critique of this book was the abrupt jump in third person narration. One moment it would be Alexia's thoughts and in the next it would be Lord Maccon's. I found myself going back and double checking that I had everything right and was now reading the thoughts of the right person. But this was very minor in the scheme of things.
I highly recommend the book and will soon provide my thoughts on Changeless, the sequel.
Listening to: Gaelic Storm - "The Salt Lick"
But that will never happen and I will continue to read a ridiculous number of books in a series.
So the newest series I have discovered I found on another blog about books (I don't remember which one, though). When a book has the tag line "A novel of vampires, werewolves, and parasols" well that's like giving a kid the key to a candy store, the combination is simply irresistibly intriguing.
I was not always interested in vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings. To tell the truth, I have been scared to death by such creatures for most of my life. There are pictures of me at Halloween all dressed up standing next to our animated Dracula and crying because I was so afraid of the doll! I do not watch horror movies for the most part (the only exceptions are when an actor I like, aka Johnny Depp and Roger Daltrey, is involved, but I have to like that actor a great deal in order to subject myself to the nightmares that will no doubt follow my viewing of the film). However, in high school a friend introduced me to a rather mild werewolf book (Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause) and even though I had to place the book outside of my room, in the hall, face down because I was afraid of the cover I really enjoyed the book and have read it several times since (I no longer need to leave the book outside of my room. I have fallen asleep without any ill effects while the book has been on my nightstand face up). I mean I was even afraid of the dementors when I first read about them in Harry Potter! Anyway, so after that I read The Silver Kiss by the same author. I have also read Twilight, and I enjoyed it too. After that I have found the Sookie Stackhouse books, and well I don't feel comfortable not claiming that I enjoy books with these supernatural elements. I think I have to be very selective so I am do not scare myself (I do not see myself reading Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles anytime soon) but re-imaginings of vampires and werewolves (a la Twilight) and more humorous versions of these creatures (a la Sookie Stackhouse novels) have lead me to believe that I have been missing some pretty good fiction. I already enjoy fantasy so this is not a very large leap to make and one I will continue to enjoy exploring.
So combine Victorian England with vampires and werewolves, and you have my immediate attention. Not to mention that the cover and title help a great deal.
Soulless is part of the series The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger and is into its second book with the third due September 1, 2010. It is a steampunk novel, which is basically combines the era of steam power with elements of fantasy and fictional technology or anachronistic technology. Basically things like Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (a very good comic) or the Will Smith movie Wild, Wild West. For a better idea head over to the ever resourceful Wikipedia article linked here: Steampunk.
By the way, there will be some spoilers, so I suggest you go read the book before you continue! :)
As the title implies, the main character Alexia Tarabotti is soulless. In the world of the book an excess of soul allows for humans to be transformed into vampires or werewolves (also ghosts I believe, but I'm not 100% sure about that as there were no ghosts in the first book) if they are bitten. Alexia, however, is one of the few who can negate these supernaturals merely by touching them. She is considered a preternatural by the Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR). But her kind are so few and far between the rest of the general population is not aware there are people who are soulless. Needless to say, Alexia's condition helps her a great deal when a vampire attacks her at the onset of the book. As soon as she touches him, his fangs disappear and for all intents and purposes he becomes human. Of course, once contact is broken, the fangs reappear and he is back to his normal vampire self. After a few more tries Alexia accidentally stakes the vampire causing BUR agents to arrive, rather quickly. And who should arrive but Conall Maccon, Lord Woolsey and Professor Lyall, the Alpha and Beta of the local wolf pack. Lord Maccon is a wonderful character described as "loud, messy, gorgeous and werewolf". I enjoy him immensely. Despite his rough description, he is quite charming and his thoughts can be quite humorous. Speaking of humorous, Professor Lyall has wonderful comedic bits throughout the book. I enjoyed the silliness involved in the book so much. I'd say it reminds me most of Julia Quinn's books, because I find them wonderfully amusing also. Although the supernatural aspect adds a bit more to the humor because imagining these actions and thoughts associated with vampires and werewolves puts a whole new spin on the humor.
Anyway, the dead vampire is simply the beginning of Alexia's troubles (aside from the fact that she is soulless she is also half Italian, a spinster, and a blue stocking, all of which are frowned on in Victorian England). Because of the accident, it is practically a guarantee that she will encounter Lord Maccon a great deal more than she has previously. Which only leads to the tension between these two opposites escalating and working its way throughout the rest of the story as other events unfold around them.
I don't think I can express how much I enjoyed this book. It was not what I was expecting, although having read some of the author's blog posts and experiencing her humor there I should not have been surprised by its integration with the story. I honestly sat there shaking my head some times at the silliness. Another aspect I enjoyed was that when the werewolves in the books changed from human to wolf they lost all of their humanness. Nothing remained, therefore causing them to be locked up so they were not able to accidentally kill humans. While I enjoy the different 'types' of werewolves I have encountered such as in the Twilight Saga and in the Sookie Stackhouse novels, both are able to remain around humans, and even protect humans if they wish to. So, Ms. Carriger's take on werewolves was refreshing. Nothing particularly outstanding changed the vampires, but they do not typically loose the sense of perception, unless they are starving for blood. Other than a little bit at the end, and then it is only the barest hint a a werewolf recognizing a human, the reader is read to believe a werewolf in wolf form would have no idea if he was attacking his own mother if the situation presented itself. I also enjoyed the character of Alexia. She's very tough and it seems she has had to become that way because society has basically turned her into an outcast. She most definitely has a backbone and knows how to handle herself. She is very intelligent and is easily comfortable whether she speaking of science or wielding her parasol with its brass additions.
My one critique of this book was the abrupt jump in third person narration. One moment it would be Alexia's thoughts and in the next it would be Lord Maccon's. I found myself going back and double checking that I had everything right and was now reading the thoughts of the right person. But this was very minor in the scheme of things.
I highly recommend the book and will soon provide my thoughts on Changeless, the sequel.
Listening to: Gaelic Storm - "The Salt Lick"
Friday, May 07, 2010
Book Musings: Dead in the Family
After finishing college (for the most part) I was able to indulge my self and read the new Sookie Stackhouse book Dead in the Family. Along with simply being able to read the book and not have to worry about reading an assignment for class (although I did have to worry about putting off a take-home final) I indulged even further and allowed myself to finish the book in one sitting, at 4:15 in the morning. I simply kept reading and after a certain point I decided to just give in and overall it was a wonderful way to kick-off my summer reading. There will be spoilers, so beware!!!
I have only recently come to the Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse novels, although I have seen their unique covers and titles for a number of years. After reading about the general idea for the series on Wikipedia, I decided why not? So I bought the first book. Needless to say I was sucked in and subsequently bought the rest of the series totaling nine books. Then I eagerly began to await for the collection of short stories. Since then (about October) I have been waiting for the next novel as have other fans. (I also succumbed to True Blood the television show, but 24 one-hour episodes did not last very long. )
Dead in the Family takes place after the very intense Dead and Gone. Having said that I felt that Dead in the Family was a bit of disappointment. Now I have a theory to back this up. I haven't followed the series from the beginning so I was not able to have the experience of waiting reading a book and then waiting a whole year for the next book. I read everything in one big lump and was pretty swept up by the whole series. So I think I over anticipated this one. I also think that since Dead and Gone was so action packed it was a good choice to have a book like Dead in the Family come after it because two back to back action packed books might have been a little too much, and I know authors need to spread their ideas out, especially with a series as large as the Sookie Stackhouse novels (I think there is supposed to be a total of 14 or so by the end of the series).
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead in the Family, despite my disappointment. As with any series, I love being able to revisit characters whose lives and world I enjoy reading about. Ms. Harris did not disappoint in this area, there were glimpses of all my favorite characters, including Alcide Herveaux who is one of my favorite characters, and Bill, who seems to have less of a role now (I would have liked to see more of him even though I like Eric more). I think Dead in the Family works well to (hopefully) set up the next big conflict in Sookie's life. I believe something will be coming to a head pretty soon with Victor Madden, the vampire over-seeing Louisiana for Felipe de Castro, the King of Nevada. Victor seems to be threatened by Eric and the loyalty people have towards him. Also the fact that he is "married" to a telepath (Sookie) and has connections to the local werewolf pack (Alcide) and the odd shape-shifter (Sam, Sookie's boss). Needless to say, things are a bit tense for Eric right now and he has to be very careful what he does so that Victor does not have the opportunity to discredit him and cause Felipe to possibly permanently remove Eric. At the same time, because of his connections, Victor does not to simply call Eric out, so like most bad guys he has to be sneaky and deceiving. This also puts a great deal of tension on Sookie because she is involved with Eric.
To complicate things even more, Eric's maker shows up with Eric's 'younger brother' in tow. This younger brother just happens to be Alexi Romanov, as in son of Tsar Nicholas Romanov whose family was killed during the revolutions in Russia. I liked the idea that Ms. Harris brought in a historical figure whose death was somewhat murky (yes there is Bubba too, but he is a whole different story altogether, and I missed him hoping he would pop up, but sadly there was no need for him). By the end of the book, I think everything is tied up quite nicely (although having a possible solution to the Victor problem disappear is slightly upsetting, but if the problem was taken care of what would happen in the next book?) leaving a perfect set up for the next conflict.
Of course, now I must wait a year for the next book to come out to find out how Bill is doing and how his relationship with Sookie will pan out, also how the Victor dilemma will end up. But I also look forward to seeing what happens with Sookie and Eric's relationship, Alcide, Sam, Pam, and so many others...I wonder if Quinn will come back? Hmmm....
Oh, and there's just one more thing! Did I mention how much I hate reading a new book in a series having forgotten many of the important things that have accumulated in the previous books? for the most part I've been able to deal with this easily and have simply gone back and read the previous books, but to go back and read 9 rather short (for me) books seems like a bit too much for me right now when I have so many other books simply begging to be read! Maybe I'll attempt to space them out over the summer and take notes this way I'll have them for when the next book comes out. On the other hand, that sounds a bit like homework and I'm not sure I want to drag that into the books I read for enjoyment...I guess Wikipedia will have to suffice for now.
Listening to: "Raised on Black and Tans" - Gaelic Storm
I have only recently come to the Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse novels, although I have seen their unique covers and titles for a number of years. After reading about the general idea for the series on Wikipedia, I decided why not? So I bought the first book. Needless to say I was sucked in and subsequently bought the rest of the series totaling nine books. Then I eagerly began to await for the collection of short stories. Since then (about October) I have been waiting for the next novel as have other fans. (I also succumbed to True Blood the television show, but 24 one-hour episodes did not last very long. )
Dead in the Family takes place after the very intense Dead and Gone. Having said that I felt that Dead in the Family was a bit of disappointment. Now I have a theory to back this up. I haven't followed the series from the beginning so I was not able to have the experience of waiting reading a book and then waiting a whole year for the next book. I read everything in one big lump and was pretty swept up by the whole series. So I think I over anticipated this one. I also think that since Dead and Gone was so action packed it was a good choice to have a book like Dead in the Family come after it because two back to back action packed books might have been a little too much, and I know authors need to spread their ideas out, especially with a series as large as the Sookie Stackhouse novels (I think there is supposed to be a total of 14 or so by the end of the series).
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead in the Family, despite my disappointment. As with any series, I love being able to revisit characters whose lives and world I enjoy reading about. Ms. Harris did not disappoint in this area, there were glimpses of all my favorite characters, including Alcide Herveaux who is one of my favorite characters, and Bill, who seems to have less of a role now (I would have liked to see more of him even though I like Eric more). I think Dead in the Family works well to (hopefully) set up the next big conflict in Sookie's life. I believe something will be coming to a head pretty soon with Victor Madden, the vampire over-seeing Louisiana for Felipe de Castro, the King of Nevada. Victor seems to be threatened by Eric and the loyalty people have towards him. Also the fact that he is "married" to a telepath (Sookie) and has connections to the local werewolf pack (Alcide) and the odd shape-shifter (Sam, Sookie's boss). Needless to say, things are a bit tense for Eric right now and he has to be very careful what he does so that Victor does not have the opportunity to discredit him and cause Felipe to possibly permanently remove Eric. At the same time, because of his connections, Victor does not to simply call Eric out, so like most bad guys he has to be sneaky and deceiving. This also puts a great deal of tension on Sookie because she is involved with Eric.
To complicate things even more, Eric's maker shows up with Eric's 'younger brother' in tow. This younger brother just happens to be Alexi Romanov, as in son of Tsar Nicholas Romanov whose family was killed during the revolutions in Russia. I liked the idea that Ms. Harris brought in a historical figure whose death was somewhat murky (yes there is Bubba too, but he is a whole different story altogether, and I missed him hoping he would pop up, but sadly there was no need for him). By the end of the book, I think everything is tied up quite nicely (although having a possible solution to the Victor problem disappear is slightly upsetting, but if the problem was taken care of what would happen in the next book?) leaving a perfect set up for the next conflict.
Of course, now I must wait a year for the next book to come out to find out how Bill is doing and how his relationship with Sookie will pan out, also how the Victor dilemma will end up. But I also look forward to seeing what happens with Sookie and Eric's relationship, Alcide, Sam, Pam, and so many others...I wonder if Quinn will come back? Hmmm....
Oh, and there's just one more thing! Did I mention how much I hate reading a new book in a series having forgotten many of the important things that have accumulated in the previous books? for the most part I've been able to deal with this easily and have simply gone back and read the previous books, but to go back and read 9 rather short (for me) books seems like a bit too much for me right now when I have so many other books simply begging to be read! Maybe I'll attempt to space them out over the summer and take notes this way I'll have them for when the next book comes out. On the other hand, that sounds a bit like homework and I'm not sure I want to drag that into the books I read for enjoyment...I guess Wikipedia will have to suffice for now.
Listening to: "Raised on Black and Tans" - Gaelic Storm
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