Soulless by Gail Carriger
:)
I liked this book, even though it took me a while to get into it. Even though it's a paranormal romance with steampunk bits. I'm not really into the genre bending.
But Carriger does it well!
Alexia is a Victorian spinster (all of 26 years old). She and her family move in the best circles of society. Her father, an Italian!, is dead. Her mother since remarried and has had 2 beautiful daughters. It goes without saying that Alexia is "too" to be beautiful. Her skin is too olive toned, her nose is too long, her personality is too forward and her figure is too much for the time period. She's also too independent.
She carries a brass parasol. :)
Lord Maccon, it is obvious to the reader, is in love with Alexia. She sees only that he's generally angry with her. He's a werewolf. He's the alpha of his pack.
Alexia is not prejudiced when it comes to people and supernaturals. Actually Alexia herself is a preternatural. One of the few, or perhaps the only, one in England. A preternatural negates the supernatural aspects of a werewolf or vampire. For example, as soon as a vampire touches her, his or her fangs retreat into normal teeth. She can't be bit.
Anyway, this is also a very sexy book, because it's a, well, romance.
It kind of reminds me of the first Amelia Peabody novel, in that Alexia has a personality close to Amelia's.
I liked this book, even though it took me a while to get into it. Even though it's a paranormal romance with steampunk bits. I'm not really into the genre bending.
But Carriger does it well!
Alexia is a Victorian spinster (all of 26 years old). She and her family move in the best circles of society. Her father, an Italian!, is dead. Her mother since remarried and has had 2 beautiful daughters. It goes without saying that Alexia is "too" to be beautiful. Her skin is too olive toned, her nose is too long, her personality is too forward and her figure is too much for the time period. She's also too independent.
She carries a brass parasol. :)
Lord Maccon, it is obvious to the reader, is in love with Alexia. She sees only that he's generally angry with her. He's a werewolf. He's the alpha of his pack.
Alexia is not prejudiced when it comes to people and supernaturals. Actually Alexia herself is a preternatural. One of the few, or perhaps the only, one in England. A preternatural negates the supernatural aspects of a werewolf or vampire. For example, as soon as a vampire touches her, his or her fangs retreat into normal teeth. She can't be bit.
Anyway, this is also a very sexy book, because it's a, well, romance.
It kind of reminds me of the first Amelia Peabody novel, in that Alexia has a personality close to Amelia's.