Soulless

By Gail Carriger

Paperback
370 pages

This book was a gift from my Owlcrate Secret Santa.

I had never heard of the series before (this is #1) but I am in love!

It's set in Victorian England - and is deliciously steampunky.

The protagonist is a spinster - not beautiful in the way that society demands. She's also smart (a bluestocking) assertive, and completely lacking in soul (- it has perks!).

Society has embraced werewolves, vampires, and ghosts; however while stealing a quiet moment at a ball, Alexia is rudely accosted by a vampire who has no apparent knowledge of manners, acceptable dress, or the rules of comportment.

She kills him in self defense. With her hair stick. And parasol.

And thus is she sucked into the mystery of where he came from, where others have disappeared to, and how the supernatural are made. Along the way, she is helped (and is distracted by) the local Alpha Werewolf.

The book made me laugh, I'm a good way, and I'm definitely interested in reading the other books - although the story did come to a satisfactory conclusion.

This book is what I wanted Jane and the Damned to be.