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Soulless (Parasol Protectorate Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Gail Carriger (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,762 ratings
See all formats and editions
Buffy meets Jane Austen in the first book of this wickedly funny NYT bestselling series about a young woman whose brush with the supernatural leads to a deadly investigation of London's high society.

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Soulless is the first book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.
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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Parasol Protectorate Series
  2. Print length
    404 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Orbit
  6. Publication date
    September 4, 2009
  7. File size
    875 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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  1. Strange place, that overseas land, where religion and wealth did the talking and history and age held so little sway.
    Highlighted by 390 Kindle readers
  2. Lord Maccon let go of her arm, stopped, turned, and, to her complete surprise, kissed her full on the lips.
    Highlighted by 170 Kindle readers
  3. “People actually thinking, with their brains, and right next door. Oh, the travesty of it all.”
    Highlighted by 123 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Carriger debuts brilliantly with a blend of Victorian romance, screwball comedy of manners and alternate history. Prickly, stubborn 25-year-old bluestocking Alexia Tarabotti is patently unmarriageable, and not just because she's large-nosed and swarthy. She's also soulless, an oddity and a secret even in a 19th-century London that mostly accepts and integrates werewolf packs, vampire hives and ghosts. The only man who notices her is brash Lord Conall Maccon, a Scottish Alpha werewolf and government official, and (of course) they dislike each other intensely. After Alexia kills a vampire with her parasol at a party—how vulgar!—she and Conall must work together to solve a supernatural mystery that grows quite steampunkishly gruesome. Well-drawn secondary characters round out the story, most notably Lord Akeldama, Alexia's outrageous, italic-wielding gay best vampire friend. This intoxicatingly witty parody will appeal to a wide cross-section of romance, fantasy and steampunk fans. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Carriger debuts brilliantly with a blend of Victorian romance, screwball comedy of manners and alternate history. . . . This intoxicatingly witty parody will appeal to a wide cross-section of romance, fantasy and steampunk fans."―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Deliciously, vampiricly satiric, a tremendously clever, sexy read."―Karen Marie Moning, New York Times bestselling author

"Laugh out loud funny and refreshingly different, SOULLESS kept me turning pages well into the night. I enjoyed every minute of this wonderfully unexpected twist on paranormals...Wickedly funny."―Angie Fox, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Demon Slayer

"I was enchanted from start to finish."―sfrevu.com

"Light-hearted and fast-paced, Soulless will please fans of fantasy, historical fantasy and paranormal romance alike."―The Miami Herald

"Soulless is a character-driven romp with great world building and delicious rapier wit that recalls Austen and P.G. Wodehouse."―i09.com

"Soulless has all the delicate charm of a Victorian parasol, and all the wicked force of a Victorian parasol secretly weighted with brass shot and expertly wielded. Ravishing."―Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002NPCJ3G
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit; Original edition (September 4, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 4, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 875 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 404 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,762 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Gail Carriger

    Gail Carriger

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    Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and sexy urban fantasy as G. L. Carriger). Her steampunk books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Supernatural Society, and Delightfully Deadly series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is overly fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea. gailcarriger.com

    Subscribe to Gail's newsletter ~ The Chirrup! http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup

    See more on the author's page
  2. G. L. Carriger

    G. L. Carriger

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and sexy urban fantasy as G.L. Carriger). Her steampunk books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Supernatural Society, and Delightfully Deadly series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is overly fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
3,762 global ratings
Five Star Victorian Twist to Paranormal Romance.
5 Stars
Five Star Victorian Twist to Paranormal Romance.
You can't go wrong with this Victorian Paranormal Romance Series. It has it all: mystery, hilarity, romance with a werewolf, a strong quirky heroine, creative world building, and unique complex characters.
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Top reviews from the United States

Maree LaRue
5.0 out of 5 stars Urban fantasy meets historical romance
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
A friend and I recently agreed to swap some favorite books and discuss. I'd read this and she reads "Touch the Dark" by Karen Chance. I'd seen "Soulless" around for years and thought it was worth the try.

Short review: this was a fun read in a richly detailed world with entertaining characters and I'll definitely continue with the series! There is a steampunk thread running through, but more adventure comedy of manners than anything too technical. But I'm no steampunk expert!

Alexia, our protagonist, is a very interesting character. Her soulless nature impacts her emotions and reactions, much like Temperance Brennan in the show "Bones". She does have a sense of humor, appreciation for fashion, and the male form (well, one male form more than others) which I liked.

The story is all third-person POV, mainly Alexia's, but it did switch between her and others during scenes. It was confusing at first, but did add nice layers to the action.

I've read plenty of historical fiction, but this does veer into the Austen level of fashion, etiquette, and dialogue. There is some fun ribald humor, but a bit more about hats than I needed. Some real historical people make appearances, too!

I loved Alexia's love interest, Conall Maccon. He's Scottish, a werewolf, and easily riled. They had such great banter and CHEMISTRY. His second, Professor Lyall is subtly fun in contrast to Lord Akeldama's colorful vampire self.

This book has a solid amount of spice without veering into Regency or Fourth Wing levels. One detailed "bedroom" scene at the end, but plenty of kissing and fun before then. More innuendo than anything explicit.

Finally, for anyone worried, this is not a love triangle situation. Relationships are settled at the end of the book, for everyone that matters.
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Christina
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Fans of Genre Mash-ups
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2013
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Ten Likes/Dislikes:

1. (+) Alexia, the protagonist - Alexia may make my all-time-favorite heroines list. Brash, independent, funny, spirited, assertive, self-confident yet not without insecurities (Italian background in Victorian England, soullessness, etc.), aware of fashion (Ivy's hideous hats, etc.) and propriety, intelligent, practical, witty, loyal to those she loves, determined, curious, enthusiastic about intellectual pursuits, able to hold her own. She's the kind of person you never want to debate with because she'll twist your words and the conversation; she'll always win.

2. (+) World-building - This one is a definite genre mash-up. It's got the steampunk element with vague mentions and sometimes thorough introductions to various metal machines, gadgets, and scientific research of the nineteenth century (miasmas, etc.) It's got the Victorian element with emphasis on propriety, the mannerisms, the fashion, the gossip, the social strata, etc.. It's got the paranormal element with vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and preternaturals like Alexia and how each is governed among its own sect. It's got alternate history full of supernatural meddling in human affairs. I loved the world, and I thought there was just enough introduced in this novel to convince me that there's a lot more left to be explored in the next books. My only complaint would be Alexia's soullessness. I liked it and didn't like it. A part of me wanted more substance on what it meant to be soulless (a lack of creativity? bad fashion? negating other sups?), while another part recognized that the novel seemed to be commercially driven and had a mythology of its own that was less about symbolism or discussion and more about fun times and humor.

3. (+) Romance - The romance almost reads as insta-love, were it not for the hints of backstory between Lord Maccon and Alexia. That and the familiar way they act towards each other. The steamier scenes between them sometimes didn't read as steamy because of the humor--but don't let any of that discourage you! The back story was great, always providing extra humor and a layer of extra tension to their banter and interactions, and in general the romance was delightful to read; a match of wits between two alpha, very take-charge, intense people who can stand on their own but fight better together.

4. (+) Dry Humor - On the bookseller page, the short description for this novel is: Buffy meets Jane Austen. I haven't watched much Buffy, but I was definitely reminded of Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling's dry wit--like when she wrote that Mrs. Dursely had twice as much neck as usual which helped when she spied on neighbors, etc. It seemed very British and appropriate for the time period, although I admit that sometimes I thought that the humor made some of the mystery elements and danger not feel as poignant. The humor, though, in addition to Alexia's voice, is what made the novel so enjoyable.

5. (+) Character cast - This book has a moderately sized character cast for an adult novel, but each of them was really well developed partly due to the omniscient POV that sometimes allowed for a glimpse in each character's head. Each character also has very defining characteristics (again, think JKR and the large neck of Petunia Dursely). There was one random introduction to a character that didn't seem quite right but other than that? Wonderful, wonderful side cast.

6. (+/-) Plot - In developing all these different elements and keeping an Austen-esque feel, the novel sometimes seemed to lack forward momentum. Things were still happening but between the humor and the romance and the friendship, the book didn't quite feel as action or plot oriented as I'd expect of a standalone series type. The mystery was supposed to drive the novel forward, but sometimes I found myself wishing that another element would get greater focus. There didn't seem to be enough players in the story for the necessary hooks to keep the mystery going, if that make sense. It was still enjoyable though.

7. (+) Standalone/ending/etc. - I can't tell you how pleased I was after finishing this novel. The fact that it's a standalone and didn't feature another open ending designed solely to hook readers back into the story was enjoyable. Plot threads were neatly wrapped up while others were introduced towards the end so we'd know what to expect in the sequel.

8. (+) Writing - This novel broke one of the major general rules of writing and featured a lot of telling about various characters--but here's the telling: it totally worked and fit in the dry wit and voice, and the novel did end up showing you how that information factored into the characters' actions. This novel also features an omniscient third person POV, switching POVs at random moments (for a paragraph or two), but again I thought those were well done and provided great (sometimes funny) back story for a variety of characters.

9. (+) Pacing - Some will find it slow, but if you've read a Jane Austen novel, this is similar to the pacing in her novels. It worked well with the dry wit and general feel of the novel.

10. (+/-) The Cover - White-washing alert! Alexia is supposed to be tan and ample and has a large nose. That is not the woman on the cover. At least they covered the parasol and steampunk and Victorian aspects of the novel.

I have a peculiar fascination with novels set in nineteenth century London. It's not the fashion, but the heroines that come of that time which interest me. Many novels (or at least the ones I read) set then feature heroines who are head-strong, wily, courageous--the sort that obviously have to deal with prejudices and gender inequalities on a macro scale yet remained spirited and determined. Alexia is one of those heroines, and I loved her voice and character so much that even if I didn't like the other aspects of the novel, I'd still buy the sequel. If any of that resonates with you, you'll definitely like this novel.

Full of dry wit and well developed characters, Soulless is a delightful mash of paranormal, steampunk, Victorian, and romantic elements sure to cross-appeal to those genre fans looking for an entertaining read.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Entertaining
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
I loved Alexia's independent nature and determination, her wit and independence despite her family. I enjoyed the plot enormously and Lord Akeldama's wardrobe.

I am not keen on Mrs Loontwill.

I enjoy Gail's version of Steam Punk Victorian London too. It's very Victorian with just enough steampunk and very entertaining
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HW
5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly surprised
Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
I'm generally not one for romance or the supernatural, but grabbed this book because I loved the setting and the style of writing. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY ADDICTING! This book lives up to the hype and I'd 100% recommend it, even if you're like me and generally avoid the whole vampire/werewolf thing. I bought the whole series before I finished book 1!
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Diana O
5.0 out of 5 stars encantador.
Reviewed in Spain on September 18, 2021
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 Adore cada detalle del libro, grueso, en buen estado y simplemente atrayente con sus colores y imágenes asiendo representación de alexia, espero que con las imágenes que e puesto pueda ayudar a más personas a ver que realmente no se arrepentirán de comprarlo sobretodo el tapa gruesa, solo miren esa alexia en ambos lados de las tapas del libro! Me fascina, estoy muy pero muy feliz con mi compra.
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Diana O
5.0 out of 5 stars encantador.
Reviewed in Spain on September 18, 2021
Adore cada detalle del libro, grueso, en buen estado y simplemente atrayente con sus colores y imágenes asiendo representación de alexia, espero que con las imágenes que e puesto pueda ayudar a más personas a ver que realmente no se arrepentirán de comprarlo sobretodo el tapa gruesa, solo miren esa alexia en ambos lados de las tapas del libro! Me fascina, estoy muy pero muy feliz con mi compra.
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Francielle
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!
Reviewed in Brazil on October 30, 2017
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Is the best steampunk novel I have ever read! Such amazing characters, the story is really funny and interesting. I recommend to everyone that enjoys a humurous and intriguing story.
2 people found this helpful
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BookishChick
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely blissful read
Reviewed in Australia on January 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
The synopsis intrigued me but I still held doubt. All doubt has gone, every book this author has written, I have now ordered. So well written, enjoyable story and characters and I am utterly delighted to be addicted!
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