Changeless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger

Changeless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
Buy Changeless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Fantasy
Reviewer: Louise Laurie
Summary: This is Book the Second in the trilogy wittily entitled The Parasol Protectorate. The delightful heroine Alexia is now married to her hunky husband and is now Lady Maccon - but her hands are full with all things supernatural: werewolves misbehaving and getting up to all sorts and vampires well, vamping it up etc.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 320	Date: September 2010
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1841499741
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I recently read (and reviewed) the first book Soulless in this trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed it. Therefore I had high hopes for this book. But will it be as good? I crossed my fingers and started reading ... The feisty and fiery Alexia had left a bit of a lasting impression on me. I had no problem in picking up where I had left off. Carriger chooses not to share with her readers details of the wedding but I can picture the scene in my mind's eye, all the same.

However, she's only three months married and her husband disappears. What's all that about? Alexia is not best pleased. She is, thank goodness, her usual boisterous self. Such comforting phrases, as when her new French maid is attempting to simply do her job but finds that usually, there was a minor contest of wills when dressing Lady Maccon reassured me.

Therefore, it's fast forward to Lady Maccon and a step up the Victorian social ladder for Alexia. The book opens in the marital bed-chamber. And judging by the conversation between husband and wife, their mutual physical attraction is alive and well. Lots of grunts in the appropriate places as well as the careless tossing aside of flimsy underthings by Lord Maccon make for great reading. Carriger is on fine form once again with her delightful and bitingly (no pun intended) clever style. There are examples littered all over the place and it's a bit difficult to restrain myself to just one or two. For example there's a lovely line Lord Maccon was Scottish-big; this gentleman was only English-big. I had no trouble in rustling up a mental picture. And the English gentleman in question? No other than ... wait for it ... Major Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings. I was about to say that you couldn't make it up - but that's exactly what Carriger's done. And it works. Well, it certainly works for me. She put a smile on my face several times.

I was also pleased to see that Ivy Hisselpenny (and her atrocious hats) have a bigger part in this novel. Deservedly so, in my opinion. She makes lots of silly conversation in all the wrong places, faints at the drop of a hat (absolutely no pun intended) but I couldn't help liking her, all over again. She has an issue or two to try and resolve in this book. But is she able to deal with them? Conversations between the forthright Alexia and the rather drippy Ivy are a joy to read.

The plot takes the reader to Scotland. So, cue lots of dreadful weather, awful men in equally awful kilts and draughty castles and big houses. Ghosts, disappearances and the like all put in an appearance, so to speak. Great fun. And while the story itself is good, for me, it's the telling of it which is the best part. Some of the old favourites from the first book remain and one or two engaging characters are introduced in this book. I was charmed all over again. Pour yourself a glass of something chilled, park yourself in a comfy spot and enjoy. Recommended.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If this book appeals and you've already read Soulless, try Dead Men's Boots by Mike Carey.

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