STEAMPUNK ADVENTURE
Etiquette and Espionage
Finishing School Series
By Gail Carriger
Steampunk
Historical
Paranormal
Kickin' Female Lead
Welcome to the world of Steampunk and Paranormal, courageous and inquisitive heroines and a floating finishing school – no literally, it floats on steam and ether. What a world! I loved Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate (reviews to come, promise!) and was thrilled to discover this series set about 40 years before. Petticoats and parasols, steam powered mechanimals and tea trolleys, dastardly villains and brave heroines.
What I love about the story is Sophronia, our leading lady, who is a 14 year old girl who is more interested in how the house hold mechanical butler works than which fascinator goes with which day dress, or if bustles are in this season or not. She ends up driving her mother mad so is sent away to Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But all is not as it seems as she quickly discovers and this finishing school is not your normal finishing school. Before she has even met the proprietor of the academy Mademoiselle Geraldine, Sophronia's coach is taken over by flywaymen and she has to rescue all in her escort, then she encounters her very first warewolf and then meets one of her Professors who also happens to be a vampire.
Adventure galore, steampunkery aplenty, and loads of etiquette and espionage in this story about a 14 year old girl who is learning to become a lady.
I give this story 4.5 stars – loved it, will continue to read the rest of the series and I promise I will get to reviewing Parasol Protectorate soon.
