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chrystalo's review
2.0
2.5 stars. It's a fine book, I guess, just not the quality I expected from Gail Carriger.
magikspells's review
5.0
Steampunk is hardly a genre that I feel like I'm qualified to make grand statements about, but I'm going to be honest. I think Gail Carriger writes some of the best steampunk novels I've picked up. After the Parasol Protectorate series, I was ridiculously excited to pick up this series. And I'm very glad to say that I wasn't disappointed.
Carriger has a gift for wit. She has this amazing ability to talk about something very outrageous in a way that is both believable and amusing (if you don't laugh outloud reading or listening to her books, you aren't paying attention). I especially appreciated the comment about how 'There's nothing a vampire hates more than a stain' or something to that extent. She has her own spin on the entire world of the supernatural that I don't think any other author can match.
But enough of worshiping at the alter of Gail, at least for now. This book unlike the last serious is aimed at a YA audience. It exists in the same world she's built in her first series, only this story takes place before the story of Alexia Tarroboti. The protagnoist of this story is Sophronia Temminnick, who is a precocious 14 year old girl who's been recruited for a Finish School that's not quite like a normal finishing school. Like Alexia, Sophronia is outgoing, headstrong, independent, and likable.
The story follows Sophornia's adventures as she attempts to figure out her way through this Finishing School while trying to solve the mystery of a new communication device that she shouldn't know about. I won't go into the other characters because I'll end up writing this review for the next few hours. I will say that there are familiar names and characters who show up in this story, which is always a plus for me.
All in all, I enjoyed this, I'm looking forward to more.
Carriger has a gift for wit. She has this amazing ability to talk about something very outrageous in a way that is both believable and amusing (if you don't laugh outloud reading or listening to her books, you aren't paying attention). I especially appreciated the comment about how 'There's nothing a vampire hates more than a stain' or something to that extent. She has her own spin on the entire world of the supernatural that I don't think any other author can match.
But enough of worshiping at the alter of Gail, at least for now. This book unlike the last serious is aimed at a YA audience. It exists in the same world she's built in her first series, only this story takes place before the story of Alexia Tarroboti. The protagnoist of this story is Sophronia Temminnick, who is a precocious 14 year old girl who's been recruited for a Finish School that's not quite like a normal finishing school. Like Alexia, Sophronia is outgoing, headstrong, independent, and likable.
The story follows Sophornia's adventures as she attempts to figure out her way through this Finishing School while trying to solve the mystery of a new communication device that she shouldn't know about. I won't go into the other characters because I'll end up writing this review for the next few hours. I will say that there are familiar names and characters who show up in this story, which is always a plus for me.
All in all, I enjoyed this, I'm looking forward to more.
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
So great to be back in this world again and to see some of my favorite characters in their early years! Can't wait to continue!
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
I love this author because her books are always so entertaining and action packed. There is never a dull moment to be had while reading. This one in particular was much simpler and not as driven as books from hers that I’ve read before. It had a much more introductory plot. Yet it was still interesting, fun and full of great steampunk elements. There’s no romance in this first book and going back into this world feels like coming home now, I love it.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
I’ve fallen in love with Carriger’s writing. It’s historically accurate but it manages to have sarcastic and funny undertones which makes these books hilarious. The writing style is quirky, cute and simple and medium paced. It’s imaginative, detailed and descriptive. The only thing that bothered me was that this one felt a lot younger than I was expecting it to sound.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
These characters are a lot younger than what I’m used to from this author but they still had the same flare that I’ve come to love from her casts. Sophronia is pretty cool. She’s really funny and witty. She’s very curious which manages to get her into trouble but also helps her a lot in her new environment. She’s smart and intuitive and she sees things as much more peculiar and suspect than those around her and she’s usually right. I loved her determination and adventurous spirit though she tended to be extremely stubborn and hardheaded at times as well. The side characters are so complex and interesting. They are all unique and quirky in their own way. I loved getting to know the new side characters and trying to guess how they’ll affect the story and the series in the end. But my favorite part when it comes to the characters is getting to see some of my favorites in their younger years. A few of the characters from the Parasol Protectorate series show up in this one as well though much younger and it was so great! It explains a lot as well as makes this story much more endearing to my eyes. I loved seeing their development and involvement in this series, it made me love it more.
Emotionally
The plot is entertaining. We follow Sophronia, a fourteen year old girl whose Mother can’t seem to deal with so she is sent to a very particular finishing school, which not only teaches you how to flutter your eyelashes but also how to deal with interrogation. To be quite honest, this book didn’t have much of a plot. Most of this book was about world building and setting up what the series is going to be about. We are introduced to a lot of things including the school, it’s system, what it teaches and all the main and side characters in the first few chapters. I already knew what this world was all about thanks to the Parasol Protectorate series, so reading this book felt both like coming home or slipping on a worn pair of shoes and kind of annoying. However, this books is set years earlier so the world building was necessary since a lot of things are quite different. We also have a lot to learn about the school since it’s residence is very peculiar as well as what they teach there which is basically espionage with a side of self-defense. I thought it was one of the coolest things I’d ever heard of and I kind of want to go there myself. This book featured a small adventure which was really entertaining and interesting and got the main characters working together. I also feel like it set up a lot of what will most likely happen in the rest of the series like who the potential villains are and what the driving force behind the series plot line is. There were a lot of lulls and slow sections in this book which bothered me a little bit since I am used to Carriger’s books being full of non-stop action and suspense. But considering that her other series is adult and this one is YA, I can see why she would’ve wanted to scale down the action a bit in this first book and to make sure that the world was easily understood for first time readers. Yet I hope the next books have more developed individual plots.
Sophronia is freaking awesome. She’s the kind of protagonist that Carriger always has. She’s spunky, opinionated and witty. She’s naturally curious and she always manages to get herself in peculiar situations. She’s rambunctious to the horror of her teachers but she’s also incredibly smart and she picks up on a lot of things that other people don’t. But she’s also really young so sometimes her narration felt immature and childish, specially the things she chooses to complain about. Yet it makes a lot of sense to me considering she’s 14 and in a totally new situation and place for the first time in her life. I have high hopes for her though. She’s definitely going to be a contender for favorite character I think.
I love the side characters in this series! Both the new ones that are introduced as well as the ones from the previous series which we get to see in their younger years. Vivie is one of those old faces but it was so much fun to see her so young! I didn’t expect her to be the way she was but I’m super glad to know that the author kept her quirks and interests exactly the same as they are when she is older. It makes her actions in that series a lot more clear specially looking back at how she grew up and how she spent her time. There was also Sidheag who is just as fierce and independent as she is as her adult self. I loved getting to see more of her upbringing and how she became the person that she is. Dimity is so sweet! She’s so kind but also a bit superficial. I love the matter of fact way that she talks and her relationship with her brother is hilarious. I hope to see her develop more in later books. And last but not least, hands down, my favorite new character is Soap. His appearance was an unexpected one but I loved his personality and the way he carries himself. He’s hilarious and he balances out Sophronia’s character really well.
Overall, I had a great time reading this book. It’s fun and entertaining with some actions. It took me back to one of my favorite Steampunk worlds and introduced me to a lot more of it than I knew there was. I loved the main character though she was a little younger than I expected. The new side characters were really interesting and complex, each with their own unique personality but I loved getting to see some of my favorites as their younger selves more than anything. I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
I love this author because her books are always so entertaining and action packed. There is never a dull moment to be had while reading. This one in particular was much simpler and not as driven as books from hers that I’ve read before. It had a much more introductory plot. Yet it was still interesting, fun and full of great steampunk elements. There’s no romance in this first book and going back into this world feels like coming home now, I love it.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
I’ve fallen in love with Carriger’s writing. It’s historically accurate but it manages to have sarcastic and funny undertones which makes these books hilarious. The writing style is quirky, cute and simple and medium paced. It’s imaginative, detailed and descriptive. The only thing that bothered me was that this one felt a lot younger than I was expecting it to sound.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
These characters are a lot younger than what I’m used to from this author but they still had the same flare that I’ve come to love from her casts. Sophronia is pretty cool. She’s really funny and witty. She’s very curious which manages to get her into trouble but also helps her a lot in her new environment. She’s smart and intuitive and she sees things as much more peculiar and suspect than those around her and she’s usually right. I loved her determination and adventurous spirit though she tended to be extremely stubborn and hardheaded at times as well. The side characters are so complex and interesting. They are all unique and quirky in their own way. I loved getting to know the new side characters and trying to guess how they’ll affect the story and the series in the end. But my favorite part when it comes to the characters is getting to see some of my favorites in their younger years. A few of the characters from the Parasol Protectorate series show up in this one as well though much younger and it was so great! It explains a lot as well as makes this story much more endearing to my eyes. I loved seeing their development and involvement in this series, it made me love it more.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I didn’t like this book as much as I liked Soulless but I still enjoyed it a whole lot and I laughed my butt off the whole time.The plot is entertaining. We follow Sophronia, a fourteen year old girl whose Mother can’t seem to deal with so she is sent to a very particular finishing school, which not only teaches you how to flutter your eyelashes but also how to deal with interrogation. To be quite honest, this book didn’t have much of a plot. Most of this book was about world building and setting up what the series is going to be about. We are introduced to a lot of things including the school, it’s system, what it teaches and all the main and side characters in the first few chapters. I already knew what this world was all about thanks to the Parasol Protectorate series, so reading this book felt both like coming home or slipping on a worn pair of shoes and kind of annoying. However, this books is set years earlier so the world building was necessary since a lot of things are quite different. We also have a lot to learn about the school since it’s residence is very peculiar as well as what they teach there which is basically espionage with a side of self-defense. I thought it was one of the coolest things I’d ever heard of and I kind of want to go there myself. This book featured a small adventure which was really entertaining and interesting and got the main characters working together. I also feel like it set up a lot of what will most likely happen in the rest of the series like who the potential villains are and what the driving force behind the series plot line is. There were a lot of lulls and slow sections in this book which bothered me a little bit since I am used to Carriger’s books being full of non-stop action and suspense. But considering that her other series is adult and this one is YA, I can see why she would’ve wanted to scale down the action a bit in this first book and to make sure that the world was easily understood for first time readers. Yet I hope the next books have more developed individual plots.
Sophronia is freaking awesome. She’s the kind of protagonist that Carriger always has. She’s spunky, opinionated and witty. She’s naturally curious and she always manages to get herself in peculiar situations. She’s rambunctious to the horror of her teachers but she’s also incredibly smart and she picks up on a lot of things that other people don’t. But she’s also really young so sometimes her narration felt immature and childish, specially the things she chooses to complain about. Yet it makes a lot of sense to me considering she’s 14 and in a totally new situation and place for the first time in her life. I have high hopes for her though. She’s definitely going to be a contender for favorite character I think.
I love the side characters in this series! Both the new ones that are introduced as well as the ones from the previous series which we get to see in their younger years. Vivie is one of those old faces but it was so much fun to see her so young! I didn’t expect her to be the way she was but I’m super glad to know that the author kept her quirks and interests exactly the same as they are when she is older. It makes her actions in that series a lot more clear specially looking back at how she grew up and how she spent her time. There was also Sidheag who is just as fierce and independent as she is as her adult self. I loved getting to see more of her upbringing and how she became the person that she is. Dimity is so sweet! She’s so kind but also a bit superficial. I love the matter of fact way that she talks and her relationship with her brother is hilarious. I hope to see her develop more in later books. And last but not least, hands down, my favorite new character is Soap. His appearance was an unexpected one but I loved his personality and the way he carries himself. He’s hilarious and he balances out Sophronia’s character really well.
Overall, I had a great time reading this book. It’s fun and entertaining with some actions. It took me back to one of my favorite Steampunk worlds and introduced me to a lot more of it than I knew there was. I loved the main character though she was a little younger than I expected. The new side characters were really interesting and complex, each with their own unique personality but I loved getting to see some of my favorites as their younger selves more than anything. I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here.
astheplotthickens24's review
3.0
“No one said learning etiquette and espionage would be easy, my dear.
This book was cute, I think my younger cousins would love to read this one.
Etiquette and Espionage, happened in 1851 which is by the way not the 1851 we grew accustomed to. This Victorian Era is consist of mechanicals, flying school, high technology gadgets, prototype searching, wolf teachers, vampire instructors and ladies who doesn't know how to act like one. The writing style was quite different than the other writing styles I got used to but it was definitely entertaining and fun to read.
The thing I loved the most about this book is Dimity, she's so adorably cute and sweet and I want to hug her so bad. I also liked Sophronia with her curiosity, recklessness and boldness. They were completely different but also similar at the same time.
I don't know when I'll be able to read the rest of the series. I don't like the last part for it seemed that all these espionage and rule breaking is almost for nothing because of that anticlimactic end.
halynah's review
5.0
Reread 30.10 2020
This book aged well - as impressed by it now as I was years ago. Really can't fathom, why the rating is not higher - I guess not everyone has a sense of humour!
UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL, CHARMING, WITTY AND UNPUTDOWNABLE BOOK!
Absolutely excellent idea of the plot, perfect protagonist, plenty of spectacular characters (Pillover - he was something!!!!!!), hilarious situations, inimitable style of writing and acute sense of humour - here are some of the reasons I fell in love with this book! I really can't wait the next book in the series and I STRONGLY recommend it to any kind of reader - I just can't imagine, that there may be somebody, who won't appreciate this book! A must-read!!!
This book aged well - as impressed by it now as I was years ago. Really can't fathom, why the rating is not higher - I guess not everyone has a sense of humour!
UTTERLY DELIGHTFUL, CHARMING, WITTY AND UNPUTDOWNABLE BOOK!
Absolutely excellent idea of the plot, perfect protagonist, plenty of spectacular characters (Pillover - he was something!!!!!!), hilarious situations, inimitable style of writing and acute sense of humour - here are some of the reasons I fell in love with this book! I really can't wait the next book in the series and I STRONGLY recommend it to any kind of reader - I just can't imagine, that there may be somebody, who won't appreciate this book! A must-read!!!
dream_book_12's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
emreads0's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I love Gail's writing so much. This was beautifully done, 14 year olds that sound like it in a good way, nothing worked out magically for these characters, and they have to work together to achieve their goals.
Something about this held me back from a 5 star. It might have just been that this is book 1, so there is world building for book 2
Something about this held me back from a 5 star. It might have just been that this is book 1, so there is world building for book 2
marieintheraw's review
4.0
I throughly enjoyed this as it was my first steampunk novel. I wish there was an expansion on the classes
jessmcclure's review
4.0
I listened to the audiobook. It was well narrated. The book was humorous. I rate it at a 3.5 and rounded it up to a four. It seemed a little juvenile, but I am planning to read the rest of the series.
ttsarahb's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0