Heartless by Gail Carriger

Heartless is the first novel I’m reviewing for the 2014 R.I.P. Challenge at Stainless Steel Droppings.

image courtesy of Abigail Larson

I made the acquaintance of the Parasol Protectorate series with the first book, Soulless. Alexia Tarabotti, a misunderstood misfit preternatural resides in an alternate, steam punk Victorian England replete with foppish vampires and rustic werewolves. (The werewolves are, after all, from the wilds of Scotland.)

Soulless is a delight.

Despite the smart beginning to the series, I skipped the next two books because of unappealing (and disturbing) plot diversions. I picked up the third installment Heartless, a novel with ghosts, which, when it comes to the supernatural realm, is my focus area. But you knew that, right? Unfortunately, the ghost element was undeveloped as was the plot. Heartless features an amorphous threat to Queen Victoria with much running to and fro, a few costume changes, some vampiric empire saber…er, fang rattling, and several instances of flying dirigibles landing in the nick of time to whisk our heroine Alexia out of danger. The enigmatic husband/werewolf Lord Maccon was largely missing from the novel, and it was he who provided the delightful banter of Soulless.

Instead, a hugely pregnant Alexia races, or rather, waddles through dangerous streets and one claustrophobic hat shop gathering clues behind the threat to the queen. Granted, Alexia is in her eighth month of pregnancy. But still, every page was filled with tedious descriptions of the aforementioned waddling, not to mention toddling, swaying, limping, falling, and being hoisted. Let me just say, I have carried two babies to term, and based on Alexia’s indisposition, I would have expected her to become the Octomom of England. (There is a mechanical octo-creature later in the book reminiscent of Spider-man 2.)

If you’re looking for steam punk automatons and inventions, you’ll find those in Heartless. If you’re looking for a fun, light-hearted (and, at times, erotic) romp through Victorian steam punk environs, you can do no better than Soulless. However, at the risk of sounding heartless, I do not recommend Heartless.