Changeless, by Gail Carriger (Book 2 of the Parasol Protectorate)
Orbit Books, Fantasy / Romance, 374 pages, paperback edition.
My copy: Purchased.
Pros: Clever, fast, light-hearted, model Steampunk.
Cons: Occasionally fripperish, naughty cliffhanger ending.
In a line: Unnatural disaster demands investigation, complicated by unknown dangers.
“Ivy, I am hanging on for dear life on the side of a floating dirigible, leagues up in the aether. Even you must admit there are some circumstances wherein protocol should be relaxed.”
Score: 8/10
When we left off Soulless, Carriger’s first book of the Parasol Protectorate series, Alexia Maccon had just been married to the Earl of Woosley. The opening scene lays out a picture of matrimonial bliss, lots of gruff sex, and delightfully barbed bickering. Something goes instantly awry, though, when the Earl disappears on a mission, leaving chaos in his wake and confused and angry Alexia.
Soulless introduced us to Carriger’s delightful neo-Victorian world, replete with gentlemanly vampires, artistic werewolves, a friend with a penchant for ridiculous hats, and enough breaches of social mores to fill a week’s worth of gossip pages. In Changeless, we head outside the confines of London to the wild highlands of Scotland, where something is going very awry indeed.
Assigned to Queen Victoria as part of her ‘Shadow Council’, reporting on all things supernatural, Alexia is tasked to investigate a most disturbing phenomenon. Supernaturals all around London have lost their abilities and become mortal, without explanation or precedent. Naturally enough, this throws everyone into a bit of a tizzy.
Alexia delves into the mystery, aided by the mysterious Madame LeFoux, a Frenchwoman, who, while masquerading as a hat-seller, is actually an inventor of the highest quality. In short order, Alexia is fitted out with enough gadgets to make James Bond’s Q section blush with embarrassment. Alexia’s most exquisite accoutrement is, in true Steampunk style, a custom-made parasol with more esoteric mechanism than a Japanese smartphone.
Rollicking
Soulless was a fantastic introduction to the series, taking its time to build characters before leaping into action. Changeless doesn’t bother dallying about with such nonsense. We dive into the plot from the first page and get to enjoy a fantastic romp, almost without let-up.
Carriger expands from her previous style to include more regular perspectives of narration from characters other than Alexia, which keeps everything moving along nicely. With the action taking place in more than one locale across Europe, it’s enjoyable to be able to watch everything unfold as it happens.
A Bigger World
It’s nice to see Carriger stretching her arms a little in the second book of the Parasol Protectorate series. While her language and wit remain much unchanged (a good thing, by the way), Carriger adds more characters and complexity to her plot, weaving the additional threads with confidence into a much richer tapestry than Soulless. Having some new perspectives certainly enlivens things.
Of particular interest and, judging by other reviews, popularity, is Carriger’s newest significant character, Madame Lefoux. An enigmatic inventor, Lefoux is both French and female, making her most unique in this world, as she is intelligent and capable, independently running her own business and providing services on the side. She also has the charming peccadillo of dressing in men’s clothing. Her loyalties come into question throughout the book, but perhaps some of her oddness could be attributed to her not-so-gentle hintings that she is interested in Alexia for more than companionable friendship.
The most minor of my quibbles, and this is really the only concern I have with the book, is Carriger finishes Changeless in a very teasing fashion. A startling revelation with potentially shattering consequences is revealed only in the last few moments of the book, leaving one desperate for Blameless, the third book in the series. Luckily, said book has already been released, and I shall take great pleasure in reviewing it shortly.
Dash of Lemon
Overall, Carriger’s Soulless is like a strong dash of lemon in the Earl Grey of Steampunk romances. Delightfully original, deliciously witty, and delectably fresh. A worthwhile successor to the excellent Soulless, Changeless earns eight raised parasols.
Win Copies of Soulless and Changeless
As excellent as the first two books in the Parasol Protectorate are, I can’t justify keeping multiple copies to myself. Thanks to some well-meaning relatives at Christmas, I have a copy of both books to give away. I am running a creative writing competition, which will be open to all entrants until the 30th of January. Please go check it out!
Cheers;
Pip
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