fictionalkate's review
4.0
Several friends had recommended this book to me but to be honest, I didn't think I would like it very much. It's set in Victorian times - Historical fiction is not something that appeals to me at all. The main character is soulless - I didn't think that I'd warm up to her at all for that reason. I was pleasantly surprised.
It did take me a while to warm up to the story but by a third of the way in I was really enjoying myself. I liked how Alexia wasn't quite right when it came to social situations. The supporting characters amused me greatly and whilst I wasn't a huge fan of Lord Maccon, I did think he was a great match for Miss Tarabotti.
This book has won me over to the side of steampunk fiction. I loved the integration of the Victorian age with werewolves and vampires. I would be interested in continuing the series - if only to find out more about the octopuses.
It did take me a while to warm up to the story but by a third of the way in I was really enjoying myself. I liked how Alexia wasn't quite right when it came to social situations. The supporting characters amused me greatly and whilst I wasn't a huge fan of Lord Maccon, I did think he was a great match for Miss Tarabotti.
This book has won me over to the side of steampunk fiction. I loved the integration of the Victorian age with werewolves and vampires. I would be interested in continuing the series - if only to find out more about the octopuses.
violetreader's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pagesofpins's review
4.0
Proud spinster Miss Tarabotti is also half Italian, to the utter shock and dismay of proper society. Little known additional fact: she was born with no soul, which makes various supernatual folk (vampires, werewolves) lose their powers when she touches them. Her sisters are obsessed with fashion, her mother wants to marry her off, and her best friend can't pick out a hat that isn't ugly. Clearly the only thing to do is for Miss Tarabotti to investigate the disappearance of vampires in London with the help of a sexy werewolf.
A quirky steampunk world and lots of fun characters, but quickly turned romance-novelly, which isn't my thing. Am tempted to follow the series anyway because it made me laugh. Not sure why Miss Tarabotti's spine appears to be broken on the cover of this book.
A quirky steampunk world and lots of fun characters, but quickly turned romance-novelly, which isn't my thing. Am tempted to follow the series anyway because it made me laugh. Not sure why Miss Tarabotti's spine appears to be broken on the cover of this book.
shanyreader's review
2.0
Alright, well, this book wasn't QUITE what I thought it would be. I pictured more steam-punk and less super-natural I suppose.
Okay, and my number one problem with the book is the romance...I mean, I don't see either one of the main characters with any one else--so no shipping issues there. But I felt like I was missing a book entirely. Yes, yes, I get that there was a hedgehog incident or something, but I felt like I skipped the step from them disliking each other to them making out. I mean, personally, for me. I didn't get it. It felt like a lot more lust than love for me, but they were a good couple. She was strong-headed and so was he, and well, they were good for each other. But...I don't think I connect with British literature as much as I would like to. I mean, there's that...HUMOR. I don't think I'm cut out for it. It was funny yes, but sometimes I just felt like it was odd or out of place...
One star for creativity/plot--I loved the way the vampires/werewolves were thought out. I never read Twilight, so I don't have much to go on here, but I thought that the drones/hives/packs was very well integrated into the society and very fun to read about. And the whole measuring-of-soul plot point was very cool, and the villains were perfectly evil and scientific monsters. I thought it was really cool! And the android dude was terrifying, so I was happy about the coolness of that.
One star for characters: The main character dude was hilarious, and I think those secondary main characters were really awesome. I mean, I didn't mind our main characters, but I think the supporting characters really won me over more than they did.
Okay, and my number one problem with the book is the romance...I mean, I don't see either one of the main characters with any one else--so no shipping issues there. But I felt like I was missing a book entirely. Yes, yes, I get that there was a hedgehog incident or something, but I felt like I skipped the step from them disliking each other to them making out. I mean, personally, for me. I didn't get it. It felt like a lot more lust than love for me, but they were a good couple. She was strong-headed and so was he, and well, they were good for each other. But...I don't think I connect with British literature as much as I would like to. I mean, there's that...HUMOR. I don't think I'm cut out for it. It was funny yes, but sometimes I just felt like it was odd or out of place...
One star for creativity/plot--I loved the way the vampires/werewolves were thought out. I never read Twilight, so I don't have much to go on here, but I thought that the drones/hives/packs was very well integrated into the society and very fun to read about. And the whole measuring-of-soul plot point was very cool, and the villains were perfectly evil and scientific monsters. I thought it was really cool! And the android dude was terrifying, so I was happy about the coolness of that.
One star for characters: The main character dude was hilarious, and I think those secondary main characters were really awesome. I mean, I didn't mind our main characters, but I think the supporting characters really won me over more than they did.
avora's review against another edition
3.0
I may have made the mistake of reading the spin-off/prequel series first. I thought that Alexia would be a graduate of Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, fully knowledgeable about espionage and fighting, instead of a spinster who finds herself more enmeshed in the supernatural world only after accidentally killing a vampire. Overall, it dragged occasionally when delving into the intricacies of Victorian decorum, but it wasn't a bad start, so I'll read the rest of the books. Hopefully some of the human characters from the prequel series will make an appearance.
smjcrownedbee's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
deb_entwistle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
ellementary's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
At times amusing but often repetitive. Great audiobook narration. Points for the author's take on the supernatural and the steampunk/scientific elements that were blended in. I was less enthusiastic about the recurrent xenophobia, gay stereotyping, and the main character's incessant self-loathing as a character flaw.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia