Book Review: Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal

TOR
357 pp.

In Without a Summer, Jane and Vincent return to Jane’s family home for a visit. The visit turns sour due to an unseasonably cold spring that might translate into a financial setback for Jane’s family. In addition, Jane’s sister Melody is suffering from a combination of a lack of marital prospects and melancholia. Jane and Vincent decide to take Melody with them to London for the social season after accepting a commission from Lord Stratton. (It turns out they are Irish, which gives Jane some serious misgivings.)

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Book Review: Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

TOR
319 pp.

I did not like Glamour in Glass nearly as much as I liked Shades of Milk and Honey. This is mostly because Vincent and Jane’s relationship has a few rocky moments due to communication problems. And by communication problems, I mean the kind that can result in some very bad situations if you are no longer in a romantic comedy, and there is suddenly political intrigue everywhere. (In other words, the shift in tone from one to the other was a little disorienting.)

Book Review: Ironskin by Tina Connoly

Tor
302 pp.

According to the cover blurb, Ironskin is an inverted/reversed Beauty and the Beast tale. It also has echoes of Jane Eyre, though it is actually more Jane Eyre than Beauty and the Beast. Our heroine is a young woman named Jane who had been disfigured during a “Great War” fought against the fae. In order to keep others from being affected by the curse that comes with her disfigurement, she wears an iron mask.

Book Review: Heartless by Gail Carriger

Orbit
374 pp.

In Heartless, Alexia and her husband have mended their fences and now they have to figure out how to keep the vampires from continuing their vendetta against Alexia and her not-yet-born infant-inconvenience. The solution presents itself in the form of Akeldama stepping forward with an offer to adopt the baby (thus assuring that the scary monster baby has a proper upbringing). Of course, this creates a new batch of problems involving Conall’s pack having to move into the city. (Alexia might have very little in the way of maternal feelings, but she does feel a certain amount of interest in the results of her pregnancy.)

Book Review: Blameless by Gail Carriger

Orbit

355 pp.

In Blameless, we spend a great deal of time wanting to hit Lord Maccon upside thehead with a brick. (Okay, that’s probably mostly just me who wanted to do that.The opinions of others may vary.) Alexia has gone home to her family (who don’t want her around because she’s an embarrassment), she’s been fired from her position as the queen’s mujah and she’s “expecting.” Also, someone is still trying to kill her and her friend Lord Akeldama has fled the city leaving behind an extremely cryptic message. Meanwhile, Lord Maccon is drinking formaldehyde and making a complete ass of himself because he believes his heart is broken.(Neither anyone in the narrative nor I am very impressed with his angst.)

Book Review: Soulless, by Gail Carriger

Orbit
357 pp.

Available on Amazon.

Soulless is the first book of The Parasol Protectorate and it takes place in a steam-punkish Victorian England with vampires and werewolves (and the occasional evil cabal of mad scientists). Our Heroine is one Alexia Tarabotti, a young woman with a great deal of intelligence and an equal lack of soul. She is a preternatural and this lack of soul enables her to nullify the characteristics or abilities of vampires, ghosts and werewolves. This is an ability known only to a very few people (not even her family or friends know) and it places her in danger when she accidentally kills a vampire at a dinner party.