Books: Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless, and Timeless by Gail Carriger
Genre: Steam-punk fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Publication date: 2009-2012

Source: Purchased as e-books

Urban fantasy steampunk alternate history comedy novel

Summary: The 5-book series called the Parasol Protectorate takes our heroine, Alexia Tarabotti, from unmarried but very proper misfit to very married and much less proper (but, oh, how she tries) defender of the world.

Thoughts: The Parasol Protectorate was the series I kept turning back to when I needed something fun to read in 2014. The first book in the series read like a parody of a romance novel. Since the series kept the same heroine, that structure couldn’t last, but the adventures to Scotland, Italy, and Egypt were just as fun. At least part of every book was set in London — or, rather, a steam-punky version of London with vampires, werewolves, and ghosts.

Appeal: I don’t think you need to be a fantasy or steam punk fan to enjoy this series. It’s all about the humor. Try the first few pages — if the narrative voice amuses you, you’re likely to enjoy it as much as I did. Don’t miss Carriger’s YA series, with all new characters but set in the same world: The Finishing School series.

Have you read this book? What did you think?