Soulless: The Parasol Protectorate

Author: Gail Carriger
ISBN: 978-031-605663-2
RRP: $14.99

What a refreshingly original story we find ourself immersed in here. Characters that are well formed and take on a life of their own within your imagination. Soulless explores a 19th Century England where  vampires and werewolves have come out of the closet, so to speak.  They live in polite English society and hold down positions of importance throughout political circles.

A lot of the humour held within these pages comes from very 19th century language that is used throughout and some of the situations our young heroine manages to find herself in. Set in the times of floor length gowns, high  necklines, chaperones and decidedly strict beliefs on the delicate sensibilities of females as the weaker sex this book gives us a strong and independent heroine in serious need of an ego stroking and a crash course in self worth. Both of which she receives from her one time nemesis, the Lord Conall Maccon.

Soulless presents a new theory, to me anyway, that supernatural beings like vampires and werewolves are humans who have had too much soul and not actually left when they died. Our heroine is the exact opposite of this and has no soul at all, the word used to describe her is preternatural. As a polar opposite to the supernatural beings she is able to nullify all traces of their supernatural traits with physical contact. Therefore making her immune to vampire bite and quite possibly werewolf attack, if she can touch the wolf before the wolf gets in an attack. Preternaturals are born, not made, which makes them extremely rare, our heroine happens to be the only female one registered in the whole of England.

Alexia Tarabotti, our outspoken and dearly lovable heroine, is a spinster seemingly doomed to a lonely life of leisure surrounded by her family, who seem to be from a totally different species and in fact are. They are also kept wholly in the dark about Alexia’s preternatural abilities, a situation she has no intention of changing. This is one of many things that Alexia has inherited from her Italian, and unfortunately deceased, father. Another is a fabulous library to encourage her well above average intellect and keep her busy when there is free time in her social calendar, keeping her abreast of all the scientific achievements and advancements going on around her.

A highly addictive and entertaining read this is a real page turner that I had lots of trouble trying to put down. Not a page passed without something causing a little giggle, or heightening the intrigue of what will happen between ex-nemesis Alexia and Lord Maccon. And to top it off there’s all the drama of the disappearing vampires and werewolves which grows from just those without a hive or a pack. The pursuit of scientific answers and solutions can become very closely related to religious fanaticism which is another intriguing storyline to follow throughout.

This is the first installment of ‘The Parasol Protectorate’ series, the Alexia Tarabotti novels and it has left me itching to see what happens in the next book.

Michelle

I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!