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off2explore's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes you just need to read a book that is a little bonkers. Gail Carriger's books never disappoint on that front. In Imprudence, the now grown Rue floats off to Egypt with an unusual cast of characters. If you've been wondering what a werelioness would look like, here is your chance to find out,
timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
Just not as good as previous Carrigers. Maybe I shouldn't be so demanding, but the first books introduced a complicated new world, and this series just plays IN that world, so we don't have nearly the same "squee!" of discovering new facets.
There are too many one-dimensional, annoying characters. Aggie is way overdrawn. So is Spoo, but she is used much more deftly.
As others noted, not much happens. Characters trade witty barbs, fashion and sex are discussed, and occasionally some faceless baddies appear and are casually killed as if they were nuisance insects.
I'm afraid Carriger's lost traction a bit. She's built a great world and a basic stock of characters, and now there's a sense of "what will I do with them now?" The travelogue approach, twice in a row, is one solution - but I hope we go back to England for #3.
The edition I read wasn't very well proofread.
And what the heck's with "Spotted Custard" on an airship that looks very much like a ladybug/ladybird? Custard is YELLOW, durn burn it!
There are too many one-dimensional, annoying characters. Aggie is way overdrawn. So is Spoo, but she is used much more deftly.
As others noted, not much happens. Characters trade witty barbs, fashion and sex are discussed, and occasionally some faceless baddies appear and are casually killed as if they were nuisance insects.
I'm afraid Carriger's lost traction a bit. She's built a great world and a basic stock of characters, and now there's a sense of "what will I do with them now?" The travelogue approach, twice in a row, is one solution - but I hope we go back to England for #3.
The edition I read wasn't very well proofread.
And what the heck's with "Spotted Custard" on an airship that looks very much like a ladybug/ladybird? Custard is YELLOW, durn burn it!
daumari's review against another edition
3.0
Imprudence improves immediately compared to its predecessor by briefly including the Maccons at the start, and tying up some loose ends in Britain before giving Rue and the crew a reason to go to Egypt. It helps that here, now that she's reached her majority age and has to face some level of responsibility quickly learns that one can't hide under the protection of Empire forever, and heyyyy fantasy geopolitics. The side characters get more time to shine, and Primrose is probably the most competent person on the Spotted Custard (yes, I'm aware of the next book's title...)
I was a little afraid there'd be orientalism here like when Rue was in India, and pleasantly surprised to not see as much exoticism... she still says "gypped" at some point, but then again she is a privileged young lady in the 1890s with allllll the blinders that come with it. Not entirely sold on the romance (and I do think she used him abominably), but ehhhhhh.
I was a little afraid there'd be orientalism here like when Rue was in India, and pleasantly surprised to not see as much exoticism... she still says "gypped" at some point, but then again she is a privileged young lady in the 1890s with allllll the blinders that come with it. Not entirely sold on the romance (and I do think she used him abominably), but ehhhhhh.
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Second in The Custard Protocol New Adult steampunk series (and seventh in the Parasol Protectorate series) revolving around Prudence Maccon, the biological daughter of Lord and Lady Maccon and the "daughter" of Lord Akeldama.
My Take
Carriger seems to be using third person subjective point-of-view, from Rue's perspective, and she does crack me up with her steampunk series (this is the third in this ongoing universe). She incorporates the culture, mores, and manners of Victorian England with the supernatural world — the vampires are obsessed with fashion while the wolves are growly fighters who do try to maintain some decorum — and Carriger infuses it all with a great deal of humor.
Although, I must say I was rather taken aback by Rue's openness about wanting Quesnel to teach her about lovemaking. Carriger mentioned that Quesnel wasn't socially acceptable to Rue's supposed class status, but that was a tossaway. Rue isn't actually considered all that eligible by anyone due to her state, so I don't understand where Carriger was coming from, even if Lord and Lady Maccon do have a few issues.
I mostly like Quesnel, but I'm with Percy about that paper Quesnel published. What a jerk! And it does NOT negate what that prat, Percy, does later! And what's with Rue no longer being welcome amongst the Pack?? That doesn't seem fair. Lol, then there's Percy with his own information cloud...*snigger*...
It's a nice segue with Conall easing out and providing Rue an excuse to head to Egypt. After all, it's a bit ripe, stripping Rue of her protections when two of the representatives on the queen's Shadow Council are Rue's parents!! Not that Egypt appears to be any safer for Rue when she commented on her classification, as "a national asset with permitted autonomy, not necessarily a British citizen with all the privileges thereof". Whoaa. This promises some exciting times in the future.
I'm not sure if there's actually a theme in here, as Imprudence is primarily an excuse to send Rue off on her adventures with her ship and crew.
Kids... What'cha gonna do?
The Story
Rue's actions in India in Prudence, 1, have come back to bite her when Queen Victoria strips her of all protections. It's open season on Rue for anyone who wants to take her down. But greater enticements aboard the Spotted Custard find the ship and her crew attacked again and again with speculation running rife.
It doesn't help that Percy's actions have made it imperative that they fly south faster than possible to rescue an endangered people.
The Characters
Prudence "Rue" Maccon, a.k.a., Lady Captain and Puggle, is a metanatural, a skin-stalker — by simply touching a vampire or werewolf, Rue turns them mortal and steals their shape. Until she's a certain distance from them when the tether breaks, and then she turns back. Her code name will be "Agent Hot Cross Bun". The Honourable Primrose "Tiddles" Tunstell is Rue's best friend and accomplice with a desperate "desire" to be engaged...and always to the wrong type. She'll also become "The Ledger". The Right Honourable Professor Percival "Percy" Tunstall is Prim's intellectual brother, always putting his valet, Virgil, to shame.
The Spotted Custard is...
...the dirigible Lord Akeldama gave Rue, which she has moored off Worple Road in Wimbledon. Percy is the navigator; Footnote is his cat. Quesnel Lefoux, Madame Genevieve Lefoux's adopted son (his real mother was the traitorous Angelique), is the ship's engineer, one of the biggest flirts in London, and an inventor while Aggie Phinkerlington (a rabid member of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers) is the head greaser and Quesnel's second-in-command. She hates and despises Rue! The crew includes Tasherit Sekhmet, a female werelion who provides the crew with militia training and who has a passion for Prim; the eleven-year-old Spoo is the head deckling (Virgil is her best friend); Willard and Bork (Willard's second) are deckhands; Cook; and, Nips.
Lord Conall "Paw" Maccon, Rue's Alpha werewolf father, is married to Rue's battle-axe of a mother, Lady Alexia Maccon, the preternatural muhjah on the Shadow Council, also known as "Agent Ruffled Parasol" as part of her cover with her secret club. Alessandro Tarabotti is Alexia's now-deceased father, himself a preternatural — with a very bad reputation. Floote had been Grandmother Loontwill's butler and previous to that had been Mr Tarabotti's valet for years. Evelyn and Felicity are the too-silly-for-words half-sisters to Alexia.
The Maccons live next door to Lord "Dama" Akeldama, who is Rue's legal "father" (Heartless, 4), a rove vampire, and the potentate on the Shadow Council. He's also a fashion icon and the nobbiest of the nobs with the handle, "Goldenrod". Winkle is one of Dama's drones and his current favorite.
The London Pack is...
...led by Lord Maccon, the Alpha, whose Beta is Sandalio de Rabiffano, a former favorite drone of Dama's (Biffy, a.k.a., "Agent Wingtip Spectator") who became a werewolf and now runs Drone Lefoux's hat shop, Chapeau de Poupe (Blameless, 3). There are only eleven werewolves these days and includes Major Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings, who is the London Pack's toffee-nosed very white Gamma. He and Alexia don't quite get on. Rafe, Hemming, Bluebutton, Ulric, and Quinn are also part of the pack.
The London Hive is...
...ruled by Queen Ivy Hisselpenny Tunstell, a.k.a., the Baroness Tunstell...and "Agent Puff Bonnet", who is Percy's and Prim's mother who had been/is best friends with Alexia, although Ivy is now the London queen of the Egyptian vampire hive (Timeless, 5) — who still has terrible taste in hats. Mr Tunstell, Ivy's beloved husband, had perished when Prim was quite young. Gahijiis one of Ivy's Egyptian vampires.
The Woolsey Hive is...
...where Countess Nadasdy rules, and Drone Lefoux fulfills her punishment.
...where the Kingair Pack was sent. Their Alpha is Lady Kingair while Uncle Lyall is now their Beta.
Lady Featherstonehaugh (one of Dama's) was/is the wife of Brigadier Featherstonehaugh.
...Conall's choice of a retirement base, as he and Alexia have hopes that the God-Breaker Plague will help his condition.
Drifters are nomadic desert tribes, cousins to the Bedouin, who took to the skies long ago, who look to the sacred war cats of their ancestors. Grandfather Panettone and Miss Anitra "Panettone (Prudence, 1) represent some of the Drifters. Baddu is her older brother. Other leaders include Ay.
The Daughters of Sekhmet once...
...ruled the Two Lands as gods, the hot breath of the desert winds. The Chosen Ones are equivalent to drones or clavigers. Mios is their only male. Tasherit's fur sisters include the unwelcoming Queen Henuttawy and Miw-Sher "Lost Pride of the Desert Wind".
Victorian England is...
...of course, ruled by Queen Victoria. Few people realize she had a secret Shadow Council made up of a potentate (vampire rep), a preternatural (soulless rep), and the dewan (werewolf rep) charged with maintaining civil relations amongst and between the supernatural groups and reporting to the Queen.
The Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR) is…
…a division of Her Majesty's Civil Service and charged with enforcement of supernatural laws and has been headed up by Lord Maccon. The Alpha's curse is the beginning of the end. Anubis form can only be achieved by an Alpha and involves shapeshifting only one's head. Ghost holders preserve dead bodies and maintain the ghost's tether to their body. Drones are vampire companions, servants, caretakers, serve as food, and hope to be turned.
Mr Bapp is a builder who is refurbishing the Spotted Custard. Lieutenant Norman Plonks is but one of Prim's fiancés. Baedeker's is a travel guide. Enemies to metanaturals and preternaturals include the Templars, the Order of the Brass Octopus (a society of scientists), the British Royal Society, any collectors, sportsmen after exotic game, etc.
The Cover and Title
The cover is quite bright in its golden background, a montage of events from the story, as a dirigible flies through the sun setting behind a pyramid that places us in Egypt, with ruins to the right of a pale Rue, her back to us and her face in profile as she looks to the left, her hands a'cock. She's quite the fashionable young lady in her red satin dress with its beaded yoke and the black riding hat with matching veil trailing down her back along with her reddish brown hair. An info blurb at the top is in a black-outlined yellow below which is the author's name in a gray-outlined yellow. Centered behind Rue's back is another info blurb "warning" us of the story's contents. The title in a black-outlined bright yellow, also a'cock with the series information in white immediately below it, both set in a white silhouette of angled pencils, gears, and slim tools.
The title is all about the Imprudence of Lady Prudence Maccon.
My Take
Carriger seems to be using third person subjective point-of-view, from Rue's perspective, and she does crack me up with her steampunk series (this is the third in this ongoing universe). She incorporates the culture, mores, and manners of Victorian England with the supernatural world — the vampires are obsessed with fashion while the wolves are growly fighters who do try to maintain some decorum — and Carriger infuses it all with a great deal of humor.
Although, I must say I was rather taken aback by Rue's openness about wanting Quesnel to teach her about lovemaking. Carriger mentioned that Quesnel wasn't socially acceptable to Rue's supposed class status, but that was a tossaway. Rue isn't actually considered all that eligible by anyone due to her state, so I don't understand where Carriger was coming from, even if Lord and Lady Maccon do have a few issues.
I mostly like Quesnel, but I'm with Percy about that paper Quesnel published. What a jerk! And it does NOT negate what that prat, Percy, does later! And what's with Rue no longer being welcome amongst the Pack?? That doesn't seem fair. Lol, then there's Percy with his own information cloud...*snigger*...
It's a nice segue with Conall easing out and providing Rue an excuse to head to Egypt. After all, it's a bit ripe, stripping Rue of her protections when two of the representatives on the queen's Shadow Council are Rue's parents!! Not that Egypt appears to be any safer for Rue when she commented on her classification, as "a national asset with permitted autonomy, not necessarily a British citizen with all the privileges thereof". Whoaa. This promises some exciting times in the future.
I'm not sure if there's actually a theme in here, as Imprudence is primarily an excuse to send Rue off on her adventures with her ship and crew.
Kids... What'cha gonna do?
The Story
Rue's actions in India in Prudence, 1, have come back to bite her when Queen Victoria strips her of all protections. It's open season on Rue for anyone who wants to take her down. But greater enticements aboard the Spotted Custard find the ship and her crew attacked again and again with speculation running rife.
It doesn't help that Percy's actions have made it imperative that they fly south faster than possible to rescue an endangered people.
The Characters
Prudence "Rue" Maccon, a.k.a., Lady Captain and Puggle, is a metanatural, a skin-stalker — by simply touching a vampire or werewolf, Rue turns them mortal and steals their shape. Until she's a certain distance from them when the tether breaks, and then she turns back. Her code name will be "Agent Hot Cross Bun". The Honourable Primrose "Tiddles" Tunstell is Rue's best friend and accomplice with a desperate "desire" to be engaged...and always to the wrong type. She'll also become "The Ledger". The Right Honourable Professor Percival "Percy" Tunstall is Prim's intellectual brother, always putting his valet, Virgil, to shame.
The Spotted Custard is...
...the dirigible Lord Akeldama gave Rue, which she has moored off Worple Road in Wimbledon. Percy is the navigator; Footnote is his cat. Quesnel Lefoux, Madame Genevieve Lefoux's adopted son (his real mother was the traitorous Angelique), is the ship's engineer, one of the biggest flirts in London, and an inventor while Aggie Phinkerlington (a rabid member of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers) is the head greaser and Quesnel's second-in-command. She hates and despises Rue! The crew includes Tasherit Sekhmet, a female werelion who provides the crew with militia training and who has a passion for Prim; the eleven-year-old Spoo is the head deckling (Virgil is her best friend); Willard and Bork (Willard's second) are deckhands; Cook; and, Nips.
Lord Conall "Paw" Maccon, Rue's Alpha werewolf father, is married to Rue's battle-axe of a mother, Lady Alexia Maccon, the preternatural muhjah on the Shadow Council, also known as "Agent Ruffled Parasol" as part of her cover with her secret club. Alessandro Tarabotti is Alexia's now-deceased father, himself a preternatural — with a very bad reputation. Floote had been Grandmother Loontwill's butler and previous to that had been Mr Tarabotti's valet for years. Evelyn and Felicity are the too-silly-for-words half-sisters to Alexia.
The Maccons live next door to Lord "Dama" Akeldama, who is Rue's legal "father" (Heartless, 4), a rove vampire, and the potentate on the Shadow Council. He's also a fashion icon and the nobbiest of the nobs with the handle, "Goldenrod". Winkle is one of Dama's drones and his current favorite.
The London Pack is...
...led by Lord Maccon, the Alpha, whose Beta is Sandalio de Rabiffano, a former favorite drone of Dama's (Biffy, a.k.a., "Agent Wingtip Spectator") who became a werewolf and now runs Drone Lefoux's hat shop, Chapeau de Poupe (Blameless, 3). There are only eleven werewolves these days and includes Major Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings, who is the London Pack's toffee-nosed very white Gamma. He and Alexia don't quite get on. Rafe, Hemming, Bluebutton, Ulric, and Quinn are also part of the pack.
The London Hive is...
...ruled by Queen Ivy Hisselpenny Tunstell, a.k.a., the Baroness Tunstell...and "Agent Puff Bonnet", who is Percy's and Prim's mother who had been/is best friends with Alexia, although Ivy is now the London queen of the Egyptian vampire hive (Timeless, 5) — who still has terrible taste in hats. Mr Tunstell, Ivy's beloved husband, had perished when Prim was quite young. Gahijiis one of Ivy's Egyptian vampires.
The Woolsey Hive is...
...where Countess Nadasdy rules, and Drone Lefoux fulfills her punishment.
Bombay, India, is...
...where the Kingair Pack was sent. Their Alpha is Lady Kingair while Uncle Lyall is now their Beta.
Lady Featherstonehaugh (one of Dama's) was/is the wife of Brigadier Featherstonehaugh.
Egypt has been...
...Conall's choice of a retirement base, as he and Alexia have hopes that the God-Breaker Plague will help his condition.
Drifters are nomadic desert tribes, cousins to the Bedouin, who took to the skies long ago, who look to the sacred war cats of their ancestors. Grandfather Panettone and Miss Anitra "Panettone (Prudence, 1) represent some of the Drifters. Baddu is her older brother. Other leaders include Ay.
The Daughters of Sekhmet once...
...ruled the Two Lands as gods, the hot breath of the desert winds. The Chosen Ones are equivalent to drones or clavigers. Mios is their only male. Tasherit's fur sisters include the unwelcoming Queen Henuttawy and Miw-Sher "Lost Pride of the Desert Wind".
Victorian England is...
...of course, ruled by Queen Victoria. Few people realize she had a secret Shadow Council made up of a potentate (vampire rep), a preternatural (soulless rep), and the dewan (werewolf rep) charged with maintaining civil relations amongst and between the supernatural groups and reporting to the Queen.
The Bureau of Unnatural Registry (BUR) is…
…a division of Her Majesty's Civil Service and charged with enforcement of supernatural laws and has been headed up by Lord Maccon. The Alpha's curse is the beginning of the end. Anubis form can only be achieved by an Alpha and involves shapeshifting only one's head. Ghost holders preserve dead bodies and maintain the ghost's tether to their body. Drones are vampire companions, servants, caretakers, serve as food, and hope to be turned.
Mr Bapp is a builder who is refurbishing the Spotted Custard. Lieutenant Norman Plonks is but one of Prim's fiancés. Baedeker's is a travel guide. Enemies to metanaturals and preternaturals include the Templars, the Order of the Brass Octopus (a society of scientists), the British Royal Society, any collectors, sportsmen after exotic game, etc.
The Cover and Title
The cover is quite bright in its golden background, a montage of events from the story, as a dirigible flies through the sun setting behind a pyramid that places us in Egypt, with ruins to the right of a pale Rue, her back to us and her face in profile as she looks to the left, her hands a'cock. She's quite the fashionable young lady in her red satin dress with its beaded yoke and the black riding hat with matching veil trailing down her back along with her reddish brown hair. An info blurb at the top is in a black-outlined yellow below which is the author's name in a gray-outlined yellow. Centered behind Rue's back is another info blurb "warning" us of the story's contents. The title in a black-outlined bright yellow, also a'cock with the series information in white immediately below it, both set in a white silhouette of angled pencils, gears, and slim tools.
The title is all about the Imprudence of Lady Prudence Maccon.
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
3.0
Some definite pacing issues, but still a fun read.
gordana's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
hannahhbic's review against another edition
3.0
I might try this one again someday as an ebook instead. The text is packed too tightly together for me to be able to read it comfortably.
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 4.5 stars
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book picks up right where the first one left off. My biggest issue with this series in particular is that the pacing is really slow, when I’m used to Carriger’s books being constantly fast paced and entertaining. This one has specific scenes that are action packed and some that are full of crazy and unexpected situations but its definitely not the entire time. This book in particular deals with a lot more romance and familial relations, from the main character’s perspective as well as others. I definitely liked the story line in this one a lot more than the first book.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
This is the part that I can always count on when it comes to these books. The writing style is done really well in my opinion. It’s always really descriptive and detailed, though it can get a bit much for some people. While it’s historically accurate and really verbose, it’s easy to read and really freaking funny. As for the narration, there’s a lot more growth in the character from the first to the second book and that is shown in the way she speaks to the reader. It’s still quirky and entertaining but you can see how the adventures she’s had and her current struggles have affected the main character’s thought process and personality.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I’m happy to say that this part has improved, yay! I was not the biggest fan of this cast of characters in the first book but they’ve definitely improved in this one. There’s a lot more character development, a lot more background on most of them and some new editions that I really enjoyed learning about. Rue as a main character has also improved for me. She got on my nerves really easily in the first book and while she’s still kind of arrogant and spoiler, she’s also a lot more mature. She’s not as annoying though still kind of clueless about some things though very smart about others. She’s struggles a bit emotionally in this book, considering the family issues she has, and I enjoyed seeing more depth to her. She’s honest and bold though very guarded with her heart. I really loved the views on sexuality that this book had, specially considering the time this book is set in. Rue is very clear on her wants and desires as a woman, and has a very forward thinking approach to sex. I loved to see a historical romance starting in such an unconventional way for them. The side characters are definitely more developed in this book as well. Each one has their own little things going on as part of the whole plot process. There are always so many different pieces to Carriger’s book and it’s always plausible to expect to see characters from the earlier series show up again. This one has a lot more new and old character show up and I have to say that in this entire cast my favorite is Tasherit.
She’s badass as hell.
Emotionally
The plot is heartfelt yet entertaining. We follow Rue, right after the events of the first book, she comes home to political upheaval and family strife. She’s officially of age, an adult, and she must take her parents to Egypt and ends up running into trouble. I have to say that I was disappointed in the first book of this series, but this one is a lot better. I was much more emotionally invested in this story, specially because of the family/pack situation in the first part. That’s the part that kept me interested and motivated to read at first. It’s such a chaotic time, and poor Rue is completely and totally lost because no one is telling her anything. She manages to find out on her own that her family has always been planning a move to Egypt at some point because of the Alpha’s Curse and that has finally reached her father. I have such a soft spot for Lord Maccon that it really gutted me to see him so lost and reluctant to let go of something that has defined his life for so many, many years. Because I’d read the original series, I knew this moment was coming at some point or another. I’m really glad that we got to see it come to fruition but it’s also really heartbreaking. Specially for Rue because her entire connection to the pack has shifted now and she had no forewarning and no way to really prepare herself for such a change. I wonder if we’re gonna see her interact with all these men that she’s grown up with as her uncles in future books because I think it’d be really interesting to see what character development can come from such a rift and Rue learning to move beyond that. Though the first part is definitely my favorite, the rest of the story was entertaining though I’m getting a bit tired of these “unknown enemy” until the very end that this series has. It’s reminiscent of the first series but because there’s been so many books in between I’d like to see something more cohesive between books. On the other hand, I really love how all this mayhem has made the crew on the ship much closer. Everyone works together and each person kind of has their own job. We don’t see a lot of those people close up, except for a few of them, but the general atmosphere of the entire crew is so nice and fun and funny and welcoming. I wouldn’t mind taking a trip with them. I want to mention that there’s a central romance as part of the book’s plot and I really enjoyed it. It’s pretty unconventional for the time and I really enjoyed the mindset that it shared about sex, very positive and conscious. It’s a pretty demure kind of friends with benefits sort of thing but slightly more complicated with a little bit of drama and I really loved the development of it. I definitely ship it with my whole heart and I can’t wait to see how it continues to grow and to see if more romances come up later.
Rue has grown on me. She’s still a bit naive about a bunch of different things and still a bit annoying. However, she’s growing and maturing as she continues on her crazy journeys and meeting a lot of different people. I think seeing the changes happening in her family have really affected her and her view of her life. She’s gotten herself into quite a pickle this time and I really hope this particular story line continues on in the next two books. I’d like to see her come into her own and to really become more comfortable and understand who she is. I really enjoyed her views on sex and love, it’s very refreshing specially in a historical fiction setting. I like how she took matters into her own hands and decided what she wanted, screw whoever wanted to judge her and her decisions. I love the way the relationship she’s involved in progressed and while I love how she wanted to be disassociated with love and all the sappiness of it, I’m glad she let her guard down in the end and I can’t wait to see how that affects her personality and actions.
As always, lastly, I want to talk a bit about the side characters. I felt like all of them in their own way had some development which I really appreciated. Percy, who’s a know it all, socially awkward little butt face makes a hugee mistake in this one and goodness, I was so aggravated with him. I felt like he wasn’t treated very fairly in the first book, he did a lot of great things that helped and saved a lot of people from shitty stuff happening to them. But in this one, that kind of attitude escalated except it was actually deserved this time. He went and did some things that were really self-absorbed and not thought through though I can say that he was very remorseful and I think he did his best to make up for his mistakes. However, if it hadn’t been for Quesnel being also a little butt face, Percy wouldn’t have done anything. The men in this series are kind of insane in a bit of an unattractive way. They don’t treat each other very well and it causes a lot of problems for every body else. That was a bit annoying. However, Quesnel is also really sweet and caring, though an unstoppable flirt. I really like his personality since it reminds me a lot of his mom, he’s cheeky and a bit naughty but has a good heart and good intentions underneath it all. I want to get to know him more. Like I said above, Tasherit is my favorite character from the cast. She’s the typical badass female that is un-apologetically herself that I just love no matter where that type of character shows up. She’s powerful and strong and I just really love her! I want to know more about her past, specially since we got a glimpse of it in this book and I know there’s a lot of juicy things in there! Lastly, there’s Prim who I still really like but damn girl, stop with the denial. She’s so sweet and always aware of what everyone needs. However, she has society’s rules and regulations in her head constantly which keep her from seeing what’s right in front of her! And I want her to have what’s right in front of her! Oh my goodness, I want that for her so much and I really hope it happens.
Overall, I really like this book more than the first. The plot felt like it was divided by two different things: the emotional and tough changes happening in Rue’s family and the aftermath of Percy’s decisions and traveling. I liked the first a bit more but I was still entertained by the second part until the end. I felt like all the characters grew in this book, there was some much needed character development for Rue and I’m so happy about that! There was more romance in this book and we get to see so many more of the old characters, even some I wasn’t expecting and that was awesome. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series has to offer.
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book picks up right where the first one left off. My biggest issue with this series in particular is that the pacing is really slow, when I’m used to Carriger’s books being constantly fast paced and entertaining. This one has specific scenes that are action packed and some that are full of crazy and unexpected situations but its definitely not the entire time. This book in particular deals with a lot more romance and familial relations, from the main character’s perspective as well as others. I definitely liked the story line in this one a lot more than the first book.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
This is the part that I can always count on when it comes to these books. The writing style is done really well in my opinion. It’s always really descriptive and detailed, though it can get a bit much for some people. While it’s historically accurate and really verbose, it’s easy to read and really freaking funny. As for the narration, there’s a lot more growth in the character from the first to the second book and that is shown in the way she speaks to the reader. It’s still quirky and entertaining but you can see how the adventures she’s had and her current struggles have affected the main character’s thought process and personality.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I’m happy to say that this part has improved, yay! I was not the biggest fan of this cast of characters in the first book but they’ve definitely improved in this one. There’s a lot more character development, a lot more background on most of them and some new editions that I really enjoyed learning about. Rue as a main character has also improved for me. She got on my nerves really easily in the first book and while she’s still kind of arrogant and spoiler, she’s also a lot more mature. She’s not as annoying though still kind of clueless about some things though very smart about others. She’s struggles a bit emotionally in this book, considering the family issues she has, and I enjoyed seeing more depth to her. She’s honest and bold though very guarded with her heart. I really loved the views on sexuality that this book had, specially considering the time this book is set in. Rue is very clear on her wants and desires as a woman, and has a very forward thinking approach to sex. I loved to see a historical romance starting in such an unconventional way for them. The side characters are definitely more developed in this book as well. Each one has their own little things going on as part of the whole plot process. There are always so many different pieces to Carriger’s book and it’s always plausible to expect to see characters from the earlier series show up again. This one has a lot more new and old character show up and I have to say that in this entire cast my favorite is Tasherit.
She’s badass as hell.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I definitely liked this book a lot more than I did the first one, though it’s still not my favorite Carriger. I think her older series are a lot better than this one as of these two books.The plot is heartfelt yet entertaining. We follow Rue, right after the events of the first book, she comes home to political upheaval and family strife. She’s officially of age, an adult, and she must take her parents to Egypt and ends up running into trouble. I have to say that I was disappointed in the first book of this series, but this one is a lot better. I was much more emotionally invested in this story, specially because of the family/pack situation in the first part. That’s the part that kept me interested and motivated to read at first. It’s such a chaotic time, and poor Rue is completely and totally lost because no one is telling her anything. She manages to find out on her own that her family has always been planning a move to Egypt at some point because of the Alpha’s Curse and that has finally reached her father. I have such a soft spot for Lord Maccon that it really gutted me to see him so lost and reluctant to let go of something that has defined his life for so many, many years. Because I’d read the original series, I knew this moment was coming at some point or another. I’m really glad that we got to see it come to fruition but it’s also really heartbreaking. Specially for Rue because her entire connection to the pack has shifted now and she had no forewarning and no way to really prepare herself for such a change. I wonder if we’re gonna see her interact with all these men that she’s grown up with as her uncles in future books because I think it’d be really interesting to see what character development can come from such a rift and Rue learning to move beyond that. Though the first part is definitely my favorite, the rest of the story was entertaining though I’m getting a bit tired of these “unknown enemy” until the very end that this series has. It’s reminiscent of the first series but because there’s been so many books in between I’d like to see something more cohesive between books. On the other hand, I really love how all this mayhem has made the crew on the ship much closer. Everyone works together and each person kind of has their own job. We don’t see a lot of those people close up, except for a few of them, but the general atmosphere of the entire crew is so nice and fun and funny and welcoming. I wouldn’t mind taking a trip with them. I want to mention that there’s a central romance as part of the book’s plot and I really enjoyed it. It’s pretty unconventional for the time and I really enjoyed the mindset that it shared about sex, very positive and conscious. It’s a pretty demure kind of friends with benefits sort of thing but slightly more complicated with a little bit of drama and I really loved the development of it. I definitely ship it with my whole heart and I can’t wait to see how it continues to grow and to see if more romances come up later.
Rue has grown on me. She’s still a bit naive about a bunch of different things and still a bit annoying. However, she’s growing and maturing as she continues on her crazy journeys and meeting a lot of different people. I think seeing the changes happening in her family have really affected her and her view of her life. She’s gotten herself into quite a pickle this time and I really hope this particular story line continues on in the next two books. I’d like to see her come into her own and to really become more comfortable and understand who she is. I really enjoyed her views on sex and love, it’s very refreshing specially in a historical fiction setting. I like how she took matters into her own hands and decided what she wanted, screw whoever wanted to judge her and her decisions. I love the way the relationship she’s involved in progressed and while I love how she wanted to be disassociated with love and all the sappiness of it, I’m glad she let her guard down in the end and I can’t wait to see how that affects her personality and actions.
As always, lastly, I want to talk a bit about the side characters. I felt like all of them in their own way had some development which I really appreciated. Percy, who’s a know it all, socially awkward little butt face makes a hugee mistake in this one and goodness, I was so aggravated with him. I felt like he wasn’t treated very fairly in the first book, he did a lot of great things that helped and saved a lot of people from shitty stuff happening to them. But in this one, that kind of attitude escalated except it was actually deserved this time. He went and did some things that were really self-absorbed and not thought through though I can say that he was very remorseful and I think he did his best to make up for his mistakes. However, if it hadn’t been for Quesnel being also a little butt face, Percy wouldn’t have done anything. The men in this series are kind of insane in a bit of an unattractive way. They don’t treat each other very well and it causes a lot of problems for every body else. That was a bit annoying. However, Quesnel is also really sweet and caring, though an unstoppable flirt. I really like his personality since it reminds me a lot of his mom, he’s cheeky and a bit naughty but has a good heart and good intentions underneath it all. I want to get to know him more. Like I said above, Tasherit is my favorite character from the cast. She’s the typical badass female that is un-apologetically herself that I just love no matter where that type of character shows up. She’s powerful and strong and I just really love her! I want to know more about her past, specially since we got a glimpse of it in this book and I know there’s a lot of juicy things in there! Lastly, there’s Prim who I still really like but damn girl, stop with the denial. She’s so sweet and always aware of what everyone needs. However, she has society’s rules and regulations in her head constantly which keep her from seeing what’s right in front of her! And I want her to have what’s right in front of her! Oh my goodness, I want that for her so much and I really hope it happens.
Overall, I really like this book more than the first. The plot felt like it was divided by two different things: the emotional and tough changes happening in Rue’s family and the aftermath of Percy’s decisions and traveling. I liked the first a bit more but I was still entertained by the second part until the end. I felt like all the characters grew in this book, there was some much needed character development for Rue and I’m so happy about that! There was more romance in this book and we get to see so many more of the old characters, even some I wasn’t expecting and that was awesome. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series has to offer.
morkskittar's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5