Book Review: Changeless by Gail Carriger

Somewhere in between being a tour guide to family visiting from out of state I was able to finish a book. Changeless by Gail Carriger is a fun steampunk / PNR sequel in the The Parasol Protectorate series. I enjoyed the first book in the series Soulless so much that I ran out for the sequel to the local bookstore on the first day of release. I am ashamed to admit that I have only now made time to read it. That is only one of the issues of having a book addiction like mine. So many books, so little time.

Changeless by Gail Carriger starts off approximately three months after the end of Soulless. It seems our main character has everything she wanted out of life. A loving, but irritable husband, a position of standing in society, and the ear of the queen. The governmental position given to her due to the rare soulless condition she inherited from her Italian father has started to cause issues with her social status of Lady Woolsey. Alexi must figure investigate the mystery of why London's supernatural are suddenly turning mortal, while following social protocol. After all, a lady must never be seen traveling without the appropriate chaperon!

This addition to the series is filled with all the social quirks and British humor that readers fell in love with in Soulless. We still have a best friend with an obsession with ugly hats, a flamboyant vampire, and a cranky husband who happens to be the Alpha of local werewolf pack. New additions to the intriguing cast of characters includes a French business woman who happens to also be an inventor and like to wear men's fashions, including the top hat. The dialogue between characters is priceless and at times will have you laughing out loud. The ending will leave the reader satisfied on most fronts including a twist that was not easy to guess through the story. Some of the minor plot twists are left unsolved to be revisited in the next installment, Blameless, to be released in September of 2010.

Overall, I loved this book. I have been engrossed in the world Carriger created from the beginning. She has taken the popularity of Paranormal novels and given them a new spin. Some of the banter between characters can get tiresome but this is going to happen when a lady of society has to keep up appearances at the same time as investigating the Paranormal. Especially when you have a family like hers. I gave Changeless by Gail Carriger 4 out of 5 stars and I am anxiously awaiting the next installment.