Changeless {book review - Amanda} * * *

I passed Soulless by Gail Carriger on to Amanda and she ended up liking it so much that she bought the second in the series and reviewed it for me I was hesitant to read the rest of the series after reading the summary, however, now I think I will read them once Blameless is also out. (The book was bought via Amazon.com)

Book Order:

1. Soulless 04.13.10 * * * *
2. Changeless * * *
   
3. Blameless (Sep 1, 2010)

Links

Author’s Site : www.gailcarriger.com

Amazon : paperback / eBook

In 6 Words:

Delightful book overshadowed by cruel ending.

Why did I read this?  Am I glad I did?

I read this book because Tara introduced me to the series.  After I read Soulless, I simply had to read more.  Carriger’s world and characters are far too compelling to be contained in one book.

Brief Summary

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears – leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

-via Amazon

Plot/Pacing/Writing Style

As fantastic as Soulless was, I had reservations as to whether this second book could live up to the first.  I love Carriger’s writing style, and I think that it only gets stronger in the second book.  However, I felt that the pacing was a little off, especially in comparison to Soulless.  I did not get as sucked into Changeless, as I did with the first book.  While the reader is already familiar with Alexia’s world (assuming, of course, one has read Soulless), I found myself lost or dissatisfied with the explanations and descriptions of a few points.  I read these books within a month of each other, so do not think I would have forgotten things, but it is entirely possible.  My biggest issue was with the plot.  It does end at a cliff-hanger.  But it left me feeling as though the book was incomplete; that it introduced the main conflict and ended there, rather than continuing to the climax and resolution.  It was for this reason I gave this book only 3 stars, whereas, like Tara, I gave Soulless a solid 4 star rating.

Characters

The characters are wickedly charming, per usual.  There is less time spent on Alexia and Lord Maccon, but I did not find this to detract from the story because it seemed a natural progression of their relationship, and the focus of the story is not on their romance.  When they do appear together, they are a fiery combination of sharp barbs and sweet affection, which seems only fitting with both of them possessing alpha qualities.  This book introduces us to some new characters, but we get to know our favorite characters a little better too.

Recommendations

If you read Soulless and liked it, you will have to read this one.  But due to the huge cliffhanger, I would almost encourage you to wait until the release date for the third book is closer.

Going Deeper

When you peel back the steampunk and paranormal layers of this story, you will find a typical romance.  Yes, the cliffhanger can be called cliché, but I have always maintained that a good romance story is not about the plot, but rather about the emotional pull it creates within the reader.  Gail Carriger weaves a very good story, and I am looking forward to reading the next (and final?) book in this series.  While I recognize and respect the need for a conflict between Alexia and Lord Maccon, I just wish this book would have ended on a less depressing and abrupt note.

Thank you for the great review Amanda!!