Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1) in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

May 18, 2013 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal-romance, werewolves, vampires, mystery, audio, historical-romance, paranormal-romance-and-mystery, steam-punk, genre-blender, re-read

Second review (12/19/24) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐:
I think I just wasn't prepared for how SILLY this series would be the first time I read this. I seemed to expect it to be a proper mystery. On this re-read (and it's a good think I decided to re-read it since I'd forgotten nearly ALL of it), after having read the full Etiquette & Espionage series, I was in the proper mindset and I enjoyed this a lot more.

First review (7/5/13) ⭐⭐⭐:
The first paragraph couldn't be more charming.

Miss Alexia Tarabotti was not enjoying h

...more

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Jun 03, 2018 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, euro-fiction, american-fiction, uk

This book, which is way out of my wheelhouse (vampires & werewolves, science, England - blech, shudder!) and which I only read because of one of my book clubs, turned out to be really fun. It's snarky in the tradition of Jane Austen, and I think I've discovered that I like books that end in -punk (cyber-, steam-, will have to try solar- next), especially in times of stress when I just cannot deal with any more realistic fiction. ...more

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Jan 11, 2017 Hannah added it · review of another edition

Shelves: grownups-fiction, 2017, audio, historical-fiction, scifi

Not quite as fun as the Finishing School series, or as funny, but strangely sexy and quite entertaining overall.

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Nov 13, 2009 Lydia Presley rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, paranormal-romance

Certainly not what I expected, Soulless is about a young woman living in 19th century England. Not our 19th century England.. this England has a society that readily accepts and polices the paranormals. Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts.. all these and more are covered under the umbrella. Including Alexia, our heroine.

This book treads dangerously close to a romance novel. There's the token hunky guy and the situations one would find in a romance novel. The main differences are the spine that Alexia ...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Christina rated it it was ok

If I had to sum this book up in thirty words or less...heck, I'm going to. This is what I got out of it:
"I am like such a spinster and no one will ever want to marry me because I have big boobs. Plus there are vampires and werewolves."
This could have been a good book, ignoring the bizarre posture of the woman on the front cover. Or it could at least have been a fun book, based on the entertainment value of the supporting characters (Alexia's sisters, Professor Lyall, and one more I'll get to in If I had to sum this book up in thirty words or less...heck, I'm going to. This is what I got out of it:
"I am like such a spinster and no one will ever want to marry me because I have big boobs. Plus there are vampires and werewolves."
This could have been a good book, ignoring the bizarre posture of the woman on the front cover. Or it could at least have been a fun book, based on the entertainment value of the supporting characters (Alexia's sisters, Professor Lyall, and one more I'll get to in a moment). Unfortunately, the writing style was so mannered and affected, so very in on the joke, that I was really put off.
As far as I'm concerned, the only growly-type man who has ever been successfully made appealing was Mr. Rochester, and he was more cranky than growly. Fine. The only growly-type man who has ever been successfully made appealing was the Beast (as in Beauty and the). Our Hero was not sexy, Our Heroine was irritating. I'm all for strong female characters, but she read as a wish-fulfillment anachronism. I don't know how the author managed to create an anachronistic heroine in A FANTASY WORLD, but I guess some people just have natural talent.
I would have liked the book much more if Our Heroine had wound up with the shy and retiring Professor Lyall instead of Our Hero. First of all, the sex scenes might have been a trifle less revolting (bordering on romance-novel levels, although I was relieved to see that nothing throbbed or quivered. At least, I don't think anything throbbed or quivered and I'm NOT going back to find out).
However, and you knew I had to have something good to say about it, I thought the character of Akeldama, in spite of having a name that sounds like a bread or something, was inspired. Vampires have always been kind of flamboyant, so why not have one who's a completely over-the-top flaming queen? This is one vampire who wouldn't mind a few sparkles here and there. I wouldn't have liked him as much if he had JUST been flamboyantly foppish, but he also had feelings and was highly intelligent, and his similarly foppish male harem proved to be extremely competent. Campy yet effective. At least there was one good character in this little nugget. ...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Rae rated it really liked it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

A very campy mix of light steampunk and slighty smutty romance--P.G. Wodehouse meets Jane Austen in Bridget Jones form. The setting and characters are what make this one fun--a Victorian England filled with vampires and werewolves along with normal humans. This one isn't for everyone, but it sure tickled my fancy. ...more

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