Reviews

Soulless by Gail Carriger

lauravials's review against another edition

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4.0

Hombres lobo y vampiros integrados en la sociedad, una protagonista badass y romance en la época victoriana; esta novela es todo lo que necesitaba y más. Amé la dinámica, los personajes y el misterio, además de la pintoresca manera en que estaba escrito. De verdad no puedo expresar en palabras lo feliz que me hizo este libro, es como si la autora se hubiera metido en mi mente y decidido escribir un libro con todos mis fetiches literarios. Alabada sea.

books_and_planners's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked the idea of this book, but I didn’t like the execution. It was very wordy which felt unnecessary at times.

ali_cozzolino's review against another edition

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4.0

One of my favorite books. So glad I read this. Absolutely stunning, hilarious, and witty

joliendelandsheer's review against another edition

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4.0

Originally at The Fictional Reader

3.5/5 stars

I haven’t really decided on my opinion of this book. I don’t know whether I enjoyed it enough to give it 3.5 stars or 3. I definitely liked reading the story and laughed out loud a few times. But there were things that I didn’t like as much, and I can’t say that I feel really connected to the main character.

On the one hand I found the storyline fascinating. I wanted to solve the mystery of the disappearing vampires and werewolves. I think the main reason for my disconnect with the story is the way it was written. The author made a wonderful story, I’m not denying that, but I couldn’t really connect to the way the main character talked or thought. I know this is historical fiction and that people indeed spoke differently in the previous centuries but I don’t know, it just didn’t really love it. For example, the main character is called a spinster, which is mentioned several times in the book. But then you find out that she is 26 years old. What? I guess in those times it must indeed have been strange to be 26 and not married but it made me feel like I had to change my image of the main character several times during the book. It confused me so much. I couldn’t really form a good picture of Alexia or Lord Maccon in my mind, and for me -being a visual person- that made it harder to connect with it.

Something else I didn’t quite get is Alexia. Being soulless, she is very different than anyone else and I understand that. Sometimes though, it sounded like Alexia didn’t really have any feelings at all thank to being soulless while at other times you can clearly see that she is fond of and cares for certain people. Also, the way she grew up -and what people have been telling her about her appearances and so on- I feel bad for her. It must be so harsh to hear everyday that your family doesn’t think you’re pretty.

A character I liked a great deal however, was Lord Maccon. You didn’t really get much of a back story except that he came to London and won the fight to become the alpha of the werewolf pack. He seemed a lot easier for me to understand than I did Alexia, and his thoughts and perspectives often made me laugh. I think the romance story in the book is a bit weird, but still quite fascinating. His right-hand I adored as well. I believe his name was Lyall. He was funny and often made fun of the alpha by showing him how little he knows about human women.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the story. I was curious to find out why vampires and werewolves were disappearing, who was doing it and who was trying to kidnap Alexia. I also liked following the “romance” and seeing it develop but I did have some disconnections with the story. I didn’t particularly grow attached to any characters and the writing style didn’t really speak to me either. However, I think that I probably will read the next book one day -although with a TBR as huge as mine, who knows when that will be?

kittypaws9's review against another edition

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4.0

Fun, entertaining book. Would I recommend it to most any of my friends? Um, no. Is it a fun read? Oh, yes.

It's like Jane Austen meets ... a paranormal romance author. Yep. That's it pretty much.

bek67's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This audiobook had me laughing immediately in the first few chapters. Descriptions of Alexia's family: “It was almost as embarrassing, if not quite as having her father, both Italian and dead”
“her family that specialize in being both inconvenient and asinine” LMAO. So the witty dialogue immediately spoke to me. I was in the mood for something easy and quick, nothing heavy and this fit the bill. It's an interesting concept to consider not only vampires and werewolves, but someone born without a soul. I'm usually a sucker for British accents, so it was an easy listen with an interesting cast of characters. 

tlfuller13's review against another edition

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4.0

Holy moly, this was enjoyable. Fun, quirky, sexy and intriguing, I love this book and I am enjoying this series. I enjoy the victorian era, steampunk, and paranormal novels and this had all the best each has to offer.

If you want a funny, quick witted, strong and believable female character in a time where they weren't appreciated, and a sexy, dangerous, yet devoted man that happens to be a werewolf, this is the book for you! Don't think that those would be the only good characters! The mother, while a pain in the arse, is somewhat fun to read, and the best and most fashionable vampire, lord Akeldama is good friends with Alexia, our heroine. Even the butler is a great character that you barely hear any dialog from.

thegeekyblogger's review against another edition

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4.0

Bought on Audible

What I Loved: Soulless was a wonderful mix of romance, intrigue, and all things proper English (with a supernatural twist). This is the first steampunk novel that I have ever read/listened too. The mixture of science and story were both intriguing and fun to read. The amount of description in this book for everything (clothing, buildings, instruments) took some getting used too but afterward was a fantastic way to get a visual of this world. The story itself was fantastic and Alexia was a great central character. She was very multi-dimensional despite not having a soul. I loved Lord Maccon too, he was the perfect match for her.

What I Liked: Soulless would not be the book it is without all the supporting characters. They continually add to the story in the most unexpected ways. I love her friendships with the unfortunately dressed friend and her dandy vampire. They were both good companions for her to have.

Complaints: None

Audiobook Review: The narrator, Emily Gray, was fantastic! The only voice I found annoying was Mr. Seimens but even then he was annoying anyway. The reading pace was fantastic and the nuances were just perfect.

Why I gave it a 4: Soulless was more than I expected and kept me interested from beginning to end. I will be continuing this series and in audiobook.

Who I would recommend it too: Steampunk Readers

Author Website:http://www.gailcarriger.com/

Books in this series:
Soulless
Changeless
Blameless
Heartless

nicolerose3's review against another edition

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4.0

This was just plain fun!

cuteasamuntin's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

What Soulless lacks in emotional turmoil or suspense, it more than makes up for by being a jolly good romp. Carriger turns an excellent phrase, and the self-possessed nature of the heroine made the romance subplot delightful where it could have been tiresome.

All in all, a relaxing and enjoyable read! I look forward to checking out the rest of the series.