Review--Soulless

ALEXIA TARABOTTI IS LABORING UNDER A GREAT MANY SOCIAL TRIBULATIONS.

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinister whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia is responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Finished Gail Carriger's debut novel, Soulless, last night and it was amazing! I heard good things about it from other bloggers, but wasn't entirely sure if I would like but decided to give it a shot. The time place being in the 19th century made me wary, because I was expecting something...I don't know, awkward even though the book was written in 2009, but I did NOT see that at all! This book reads wonderfully, Ms. Carriger writes in way that is both 21st century and 19th century.

Told in third person from different perspectives at different times--which seems complicated but it really does flow wonderfully--the characters use terms or phrases that you would never hear today but it works for the novel and is so easy to comprehend what they are saying and mean! It was seriously wonderful! I do not think that this book could have worked if it was told in today's time in the same location. Alexia being a "spinster" is one reason. Today lots of women her age are single and are not seen as a disgrace to the family.

Alexia's family is a handful, two half-sisters who are the gems of the family and a mother who does not know how to act her age are enough to drive Alexia crazy. And when Lord Maccon begins to pay visits to the house to discuss the case that the BOC talks about, oh boy, does that make her family curious and they press Lord Maccon to marry Alexia instantly!

The relationship of Lord Maccon and Alexia is very good, it's not that they start out hating one another, they just have one of those friendships where they trade witty banter, almost name-calling but not quite. You can tell by this alone that they are attracted to one another. That and the BOC's description of Lord Maccon are more proof to that.

The secondary characters are wonderful, there is a vampire that Alexia is friends with who is very comical. The plot was well paced too, the action picks up within the first paragraph! And then proceeds at a good pace throughout. Something bad is happening to the supernaturals in the area. They are disappearing and new ones are appearing as the BOC tells us. And there is a stranger that is following Alexia and keeps trying to kidnap her, which puts Lord Maccon into action and sets a 24 hour guard at her household, which he sometimes watches over as well.

The romance between the two as I said, builds up slowly, but you can tell that there is something there between them. It doesn't take them too long to figure this out either. We sometimes change the character we are with, as I mention and the transitions are written smoothly, so you don't get confused as to what's happening.

Overall an excellent book! My TBR pile continues to grow so it may be awhile before I can get around to the second book in the series, Changeless but I will get around to it eventually. This new series is just too good and intriguing to pass up! Thanks to Jess at Book Reviews by Jess for one of the many compliments of the book that led me to buy it!