Soulless by Gail Carriger

Imagine what would happen if P.G. Wodehouse and Jane Austen got together and wrote an urban fantasy novel. Gail Carriger did (that’s how she describes this novel) and the result is a delightfully amusing paranormal romance. Soulless is the story of Alexia Tarabotti, who has the social misfortune of being a spinster with a dead Italian father; not having a soul is just an additional burden to bear. Then she gets attacked by an ill-mannered vampire. That’s when Lord Maccon gets involved. He’s the Queen’s officer in charge of investigating the paranormal, and just happens to be a werewolf. And gorgeous.

I giggled through almost the entire book. From the first few pages, it is obvious that Soulless was written with tongue planted firmly in cheek. While the story may not break new ground when it comes to Regency romance novels, the in... Read More

Changeless by Gail Carriger

In this charming sequel to Soulless, Gail Carriger brings us back to the world of Alexia Tarabotti, who now happens to be Lady Maccon. When a mysterious occurrence in London leaves vampires without fangs and werewolves incapable of shifting forms, Alexia springs into action, determined to find the source of this dangerous power. Whether or not her husband approves, she gathers her allies, rides a dirigible, is the target of assassins, and has to confront the (possibly eternal) side effects of her soullessness.

Changeless is a much more tightly focused story than the first book in The Parasol Protectorate was. The supporting cast of characters has already been established, which means less time is spent creating the setting and more time is spent on the action — and this story has a surplus of act... Read More

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Lord and Lady Maccon have been smitten with each other since they first met, regardless of the fact that he is a werewolf, and she is a preternatural — someone who can remove supernatural powers from anyone she touches. Everyone knows that werewolves and vampires can’t reproduce, so when Lady Maccon becomes pregnant, Lord Maccon does what any right thinking man would do in the situation — he accuses Alexandria of infidelity and kicks her out of his home.

Forced to take refuge with her stepfather, Lady Maccon finds that she has become the scandal of the season. To make matters worse, Lord Akeldama, a vampire and inveterate friend, disappears just when she needs a friend most. So Alexia decides to do what any rational female would do in the situation — she takes her butler and her friend and heads to the Continent to track down any possible explanation of how the “infant inconvenience” came to ... Read More

Heartless by Gail Carriger

Alexia is now largely pregnant and ready (though not overly willing) to enter into her confinement when an insane ghost appears and warns of a plot to assassinate the queen. As if that isn’t enough, the vampires have been repeatedly attempting to kill Alexia, or at least the infant inconvenience she carries (mechanical porcupines — what will they think of next), necessitating that Alexia and Conall move to London and come under the protection of Lord Akeldama who is wittier than ever before as he deals with the loss of his favorite drone, Buffy. And then Alexia’s half-sister decides to move in. And take up the cause of suffrage! What will people say?

Heartless is a welcome addition to Gail Carriger’s steampunk London. The Woolsey werewolf pack is at its best trying to anticipate the demands of their pregnant alpha female, Conall is beside himself trying ... Read More

Fantasy evokes a lot of emotions from me.  Giggling usually isn't one of them.  But I giggled through much of Soulless, the first book in The Parasol Protectorate by the peerless Gail Carriger.  After being properly introduced, Ms. Carriger politely assented to being interviewed for the benefit of our dear readers.  The transcript of that conversation follows.  Ms. Carriger has also generously donated a signed copy of Soulless (reviewed by me) to be donated to a lucky reader, so leave a comment or question for her and you may be the lucky winner!

Ruth: Usually when talking about new authors, I can compare them to other authors that are well known. Your work can be described as “What would happen if P.G. Wodehouse an... Read More

Some of your favorite authors take some time to answer our questions:
Got any news to share?
Gail Carriger: I'll be at the Nimrod Conference for Readers & Writers in Tulsa, OK October 26-27. And the National Council of Teachers of English convention in Las Vegas, NV November 17-18.

Alex Bledsoe: I'll be a guest of honor at HalCon in Halifax, Nova Scotia this October 26-28. My third FIREFLY WITCH three-story chapbook, Back Atcha, is now available. My short story "Sprig" will be in an upcoming issue of Apex. I'll have a Christmas collection of three stories, including a TU... Read More

Some of your favorite authors take some time to answer our questions:
Got any news to share?
Morgan Keyes (Mindy Klasky): Darkbeast hit stores on August 28 -- it's a traditional middle grade fantasy novel about a girl who has to choose between saving her best friend (a raven) and following the religious expectations of her people. I'll be making a number of personal appearances (check out my website -- and I am always happy to make school visits (in person, if close enough, or by Skype.)


Michael J. Sullivan: I'm pleased to announce that I'll have a new series coming out from Orbit called THE RIYRIA CHRONICLES. These will be prequels that explore how Royce and Hadrian first met an... Read More

We recently asked a few of your favorite authors to recommend some books they've recently enjoyed.

Gail Carriger: I grew up reading Mercedes Lackey's VALDEMAR books but I only recently discovered that she's been editing and producing an ongoing series of anthologies set in the same universe. I've been slowly making my way through all 7 of these books. Since I've limited time, it's nice to read something that isn't a major commitment. It's snack-size reading, just one short story whenever I'm able. Many of them feature on-going characters and I'm a particular fan of Sarah A. Hoyt and Kate Paulk's Ree & Jem whose journey starts in the third anthology, Crossroads.

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