Prudence

Imagine Soulless meets (Joss Whedon's) Serenity. In other words: Shiny! :)

I adore Gail Carriger for her way with words and I loved the Parasol Protectorate series from start to finish. So I could not wait to jump some twenty odd years into the future and find out what happened to all my beloved characters and the word they live in.

While new series focuses mostly around new protagonists, or protagonists we knew only in their infancy, there is enough of the old guard around that things feels immediately familiar. Admittedly it took me a while to get used to the fact that while I am highly invested in the characters of old, they are not the main focus of the story here.

This is Rue's (don't call her Prudence) story and what a story it is. It takes a bit to get into gear, but understandably though. After all this is the "pilot episode", where all the protagonists have to be introduced and the world has to be set up (particularly for readers that might have not read The Parasol Protectorate, even though they really, really should :)). This is a book that starts slow, then quietly accelerates and suddenly, before you know it you find yourself in a hilarious roller coaster ride of epic proportions. By the end I was in tears from all the laughter and the ingenious ridiculousness of everything that revolves around Rue and her chaotic crew.

Rue is not Alexia, you have to get over that. However there is a lot of her parents in her and the way her metanaturalness manifests not only physically but also psychologically is a very interesting approach. Her journey is one of finding herself, starting out by imitating others and slowly finding her own way. In a way it is also a metaphor for the book itself, starting off as a sequel of its predecessors and by the end having well established its own place in the Parasol-Universe. It's also a bit of a therapeutic tool for the readers to make the journey from Parasol to Custard a little easier.

I for one was fully on board by the end of the book and I can't wait for July, when the next chapter in the ongoing adventures of The Spotted Custard gets released.


Prudence by Gail Carriger
My goodreads rating: 5 of 5 stars

Timeless

A most satisfying conclusion to an amazing series.

It's always a bit see to see something beloved and cherished come to an end. However I am a strong supporter of endings. Of course there is that part of me that wishes a good story could last forever, but I'd rather have a finished story over five fantastic books than one and goes on and on until it trails of and looses itself and the the readers interest. Although I certainly would not have said no to more Parasol Protectorate, I feel Gail Carriger hit the sweet spot with concluding the story with Timeless the way she did.

Suffice to say the writing is excellent as always, the book is hilariously funny and at the same time tantalizingly exciting. While the last book focused on Alexia all the way through, this time we have interesting side stories going on, which for this final installment of the series is not only a good thing but almost a necessity. Without giving away too much, I have to admit, there was more than one time that I actually could not wait for the main plot to take a break because I got overly excited about one particular story involving two of my most beloved supporting characters, which turned out to be my favourite part of the book.

I had two minor moments of mild disappointment, one having to do with hairmuffs and some jokes involving them that felt just a tad frumpy for a genius of language and humour like Carriger. Admittedly I feel a bit like a spoiled child writing this, because the only reason this even stood out as a bit mediocre was that I am so used to the sheer excellence of every sentence in her writing. The other thing was a bit more substantial and had to do with revealing "The Truth about the Octopus", which left me with a bit of a "Oh, I see, well I guess that makes sense, although..." feeling.

Nevertheless this book more than deserves its five-star-rating. It tells a wonderful story in a most exquisite way. Gail Carriger's stories are a lot like life - all about having the most amount of fun you can get out the journey. The mystery, intrigue, action and adventures are just the icing on the cake. The main attraction is all the love and laughter.

The book wraps up just enough to leave you with a feeling of satisfaction but leaves enough strings unattached to keep you invested in the incredibly intriguing universe that the series has established. It's a beautiful ending for the Protectorate and at the same time the perfect setup for the Custard that is to come... :)


Timeless by Gail Carriger
My goodreads rating: 5 of 5 stars

Heartless

Pregnancy escalates into glorious chaos and hilarity. As always the writing is superb, witty and charming. This time the narrator never leaves Alexia's side, which I enjoyed a lot and thought was the perfect approach to let us take part in the ever increasing level of drama in her life. What a ride!


Heartless by Gail Carriger
My goodreads rating: 5 of 5 stars