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Gail Carriger
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Soulless: 1 (Parasol Protectorate) Paperback – 1 April 2014

by Gail Carriger (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 3,616 ratings
on any 2 Qualifying items | Terms
Buffy meets Jane Austen in the first book of this wickedly funny NYT bestselling series about a young woman whose brush with the supernatural leads to a deadly investigation of London's high society.

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Soulless is the first book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Parasol Protectorate
  2. Print length
    416 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Orbit
  5. Publication date
    1 April 2014
  6. Dimensions
    17.15 x 3.3 x 20.96 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    0316402419
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0316402415
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Product description

Review

"Soulless is a character-driven romp with great world building and delicious rapier wit that recalls Austen and P.G. Wodehouse."--i09.com

"Soulless has all the delicate charm of a Victorian parasol, and all the wicked force of a Victorian parasol secretly weighted with brass shot and expertly wielded. Ravishing."--Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians

"Carriger debuts brilliantly with a blend of Victorian romance, screwball comedy of manners and alternate history. . . . This intoxicatingly witty parody will appeal to a wide cross-section of romance, fantasy and steampunk fans."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Deliciously, vampiricly satiric, a tremendously clever, sexy read."--Karen Marie Moning, New York Times bestselling author

"I was enchanted from start to finish."--sfrevu.com

"Laugh out loud funny and refreshingly different, SOULLESS kept me turning pages well into the night. I enjoyed every minute of this wonderfully unexpected twist on paranormals...Wickedly funny."--Angie Fox, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Demon Slayer

"Light-hearted and fast-paced, Soulless will please fans of fantasy, historical fantasy and paranormal romance alike."--The Miami Herald

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger writes to cope with being raised in obscurity by an expatriate Brit and an incurable curmudgeon. She escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning. Ms. Carriger then traveled the historic cities of Europe, subsisting entirely on biscuits secreted in her handbag. She resides in the Colonies, surrounded by fantastic shoes, where she insists on tea imported from London.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 April 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316402419
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316402415
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 372 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.15 x 3.3 x 20.96 cm
  • Book 1 of 5 ‏ : ‎ Parasol Protectorate
  • Best Sellers Rank: 2,654 in Gaslamp Fantasy
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 3,616 ratings

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  1. Gail Carriger

    Gail Carriger

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and sexy urban fantasy as G. L. Carriger). Her steampunk books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Supernatural Society, and Delightfully Deadly series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is overly fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea. gailcarriger.com

    Subscribe to Gail's newsletter ~ The Chirrup! http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup

    See more on the author's page
  2. G. L. Carriger

    G. L. Carriger

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and sexy urban fantasy as G.L. Carriger). Her steampunk books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Supernatural Society, and Delightfully Deadly series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is overly fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
3,616 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this steampunk novel for its chemistry and humor, describing it as an easy fun read with a great mix of supernatural action. The book features an intriguing premise and well-developed characters, with one review highlighting the strong female protagonist Alexia Tarabotti. Customers find the book appealing and original, though opinions about the language quality are mixed, with some praising its use while others find it poorly written.

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HumorRomancePlot twistReadabilityCharacter developmentCharmLanguage quality
56 customers mention ‘Humor’56 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, describing it as a fun steampunk novel with lots of comedy and engaging elements.

"...What's not to like ! Well written and very funny..perhaps a tad too much romance for a hard nosed old bloke like me..had me smiling all..." Read more

"...As I said before it is hilariously (laugh out loud) funny...." Read more

"...It's fun and pleasant reading with enjoyable characters and decent plot and world. I look forward to reading more in the series." Read more

"Fun but so full of Americanisms that made it hard to take the setting seriously...." Read more

41 customers mention ‘Romance’32 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, appreciating its supernatural action elements. One customer describes it as a comedic steampunk adventure with an aristocratic werewolf love interest, while another notes its well-thought-out fantasy elements set in an alternative Victorian world.

"...The author juggles an astonishing number of genres - steampunk, paranormal romance, comedy, mystery/crime - and rather astonishingly, it turns into..." Read more

"...Page one. Bang! a good opening, action, werewolves, victorians and vampires from the start...." Read more

"...in each other's way frequently in this gaslit, Victorian, paranormal romance and urban fantasy adventure ...." Read more

"...Much comes over as a bad pastiche...." Read more

40 customers mention ‘Plot twist’36 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the plot twists in this book, finding the premise intriguing and well-conceived, with one customer noting the believable world-building.

"This is an original and entertaining story...." Read more

"One of the best book's I have ever read, intelligent & funny throughout...." Read more

"...with a great central character you can't fail to love, a rollicking storyline and nicely understated writing style that lets the characters jump off..." Read more

"...number of genres - steampunk, paranormal romance, comedy, mystery/crime - and rather astonishingly, it turns into something wonderful rather than..." Read more

40 customers mention ‘Readability’40 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be an easy and fun read.

"...Great read if you like sass, supernatural action, and a peek at Victorian social lives." Read more

"Great book, awesome characters, huge amount of fun, and the plots keep me entertained and even manage to surprise me!..." Read more

"The parasol protectorate series are all very funny and well worth a read. Victorian England with werewolves, vampires and ghosts :)" Read more

"I'll keep this short: this series is terrific. I've read all three in a matter of a week...." Read more

33 customers mention ‘Character development’30 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, finding them wonderful and sometimes funny, with one customer noting that the heroine is feisty and another mentioning that Alexia Tarabotti is a strong woman.

"...There in follows a slew of wonderful characters (Scottish werewolves, delightfully dandy vampires) and interesting storylines that are well worth..." Read more

"...disjointed, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with a great central character you can't fail to love, a rollicking storyline and nicely..." Read more

"...The supporting characters, such as an extremely camp Wilde-esque vampire and a horrifically bitchy mother and sisters are also done well...." Read more

"...Carriger creates a brilliant heroine in Alexia - a spinster at the grand old age of 26 she is able to view society with her sarcastic wit and yet..." Read more

15 customers mention ‘Charm’15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book charming, describing it as appealing and original, with one customer particularly noting its well-developed characters.

"...There's tons of comedy, fabulous gay vampires, sexy werewolves, mad inventors, evil scientists and women afflicted by terrible hats...." Read more

"...aristocratic werewolf love interest (a bit of a Mr Darcy figure) very appealing...." Read more

"...Next chapter, the style was settling down, but again and again it fell away into Americanisms...." Read more

"...The characters which were individual, fully fleshed and suitably eccentric and we had a strong female lead who avoided the usual cliche's of either..." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Language quality’8 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the language quality of the book, with some praising its excellent use of English and the narrator's performance, while others find it poorly written.

"...As I said before it is hilariously (laugh out loud) funny. The language is original, the characters larger than life and the world building very..." Read more

"...the style was settling down, but again and again it fell away into Americanisms...." Read more

"...Audible and I am so glad that I did because It enabled me to hear how the characters sounded as well as the atmosphere in scenes...." Read more

"...and the action scenes are pretty, well, action-y. The writing quality is a bit variable, but it still managed to hold my interest right to the end...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Kate Large
    5.0 out of 5 stars Corking stuff!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 November 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I'll keep this short: this series is terrific. I've read all three in a matter of a week. I did find the opening of this book a little slow and rather disjointed, but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with a great central character you can't fail to love, a rollicking storyline and nicely understated writing style that lets the characters jump off the page and into your heart. The universe created is familiar enough not to feel awkward, yet intriguingly tweaked. The love scenes are steamy rather than porny,(suitable for teen readers), but the motivations of the central characters are complex and arresting. Best of all, this book never, ever, feels silly, contrived or derivative. This is not "Anno Dracula" - a much more serious work - but it's comparable in setting and quality, though with a much, much lighter tone and approach. There's tons of comedy, fabulous gay vampires, sexy werewolves, mad inventors, evil scientists and women afflicted by terrible hats. And a central character that's not the usual macho, gunslinging, proto-Bond Alpha Male is such a relief - and such fun too. Approach this series with your humour head firmly on and your literary critique one firmly off, and I'd be amazed if you did anything but enjoy this book, and have the second (and third) lined up ready to go. Fun, fun fun.
    Beware unmarried women bearing parasols...
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Georgiana89
    4.0 out of 5 stars One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a while
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 February 2012
    Verified Purchase
    The second I read the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. I love vampire novels (when they're well done, though there are far too many awful ones) and I love the Victorian era. From the very first page, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed - I was giggling away like anything. The author juggles an astonishing number of genres - steampunk, paranormal romance, comedy, mystery/crime - and rather astonishingly, it turns into something wonderful rather than the big mess it could so easily have been.

    In parts it was genuinely hilarious and in other parts very romantic. Throughout, it simply made me smile. The main character, Alexia, is very likeable, and the aristocratic werewolf love interest (a bit of a Mr Darcy figure) very appealing. The supporting characters, such as an extremely camp Wilde-esque vampire and a horrifically bitchy mother and sisters are also done well. The plot is a little silly, but engaging enough and it certainly kept me reading.

    In so far as there were bad points, I think the main one was that it was all a little one note (Victorian Vampires! Werewolves in Waistcoats!) but to be honest, I loved that note so much that I can't really complain. Certain things were laid on a little over heavily however. I probably didn't need to be told quite so many times that Alexia is half-Italian, loves food and has a slightly dark complexion or that her best friend wears ridiculous hats. I'll probably read the other books in the series at some point (I'm sure they'll cheer me up when I'm having a stressful time), but perhaps as a result of this slight repetitiveness, I'm in no huge rush to pick them up as I imagine they'll be more of the same.

    Finally,I noticed that some of the bad reviews made a big deal out of the author's alleged anachronisms. Now I wrote my thesis on women in eighteenth and early nineteenth politics, so if anyone was going to be upset by that sort of thing it'd be me. However, whilst there was the odd occasion where the phrasing made me cringe, and there was a bit of blurring of Regency/early Victorian/late Victorian fashions and mores, on the whole it seemed reasonably well researched. To be honest, if this sort of thing upsets you so much in a book that is clearly not meant to be overly historically accurate (I mean, last time I checked Queen Victoria didn't have a werewolf advisor!)and is just a bit of fun, then you're even more soulless than the main character.

    In conclusion, not a perfect book, but a great fun, romantic, entertaining and pretty original one that neatly merges a variety of genres. Highly recommended to anyone who likes any of those genres or is looking for something different.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Read Me
    5.0 out of 5 stars Better than a treacle tart
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 April 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I confess straight away that I've seen this book in a certain book shop a few times and glanced over it thinking 'hmmm I don't really fancy yet another mindless paranormal/romance/historical piece of fluff'....so I finally caved in and read it anyway. Very glad I did. Damn you bookshops for putting everything in the paranomral romance section!

    Our heroine Alexia Tarabotti has serious problems, firstly she's soulless which isn't particularly appreciated in Victorian society - having no soul means she can effectively disable any supernatural being with a touch of her hand. Secondly she sort of accidentally kills an unknown vampire by stabbing him with a wooden hairpin then whacking him with her trusty parasol. The werewolf Alpha Lord Maccon is not impressed with this situation at all - demanding that Alexia tries to stay out of trouble. But what are you meant to do when you get invited by the Countess of vampires to the local hive and then someone tries to abduct you on the way home? Hardly her fault surely.

    This novel is a brilliant combination of steampunk mystery and gaslight romance. A glimpse of an alternative Victorian England if vampires and werewolves and strange mad scientists roamed the streets in full view of 'regular' society. Carriger creates a brilliant heroine in Alexia - a spinster at the grand old age of 26 she is able to view society with her sarcastic wit and yet still get invited to the best parties in town. Even when she is kidnapped our heroine is more concerned with the lack of manners amongst her captors. This is the main characteristic of Carriger's writing - the formality of language and the importance placed on manners and protocol. This really makes some of the scenes even funnier and the sarcasm and inneundo even more effective.

    If you like paranormal romance but are maybe looking for something a bit different then this is a good choice. There is some romantic interest in the novel and it is very well done but thankfully it doesn't exclude the rest of the plot. It did remind me a lot of Kim Newman's Anno Dracula which I would also recommend as a Victorian vampires novel. So if brass parasols, treacle tarts, werewolves in cravats, strange men with roman numerals on their faces and an extremely camp vampire sound like they make a good novel - then you really should read this. I'm looking forward to the next one already.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Unquiet
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly surprised
    Reviewed in Canada on 19 October 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I'm generally not one for romance or the supernatural, but grabbed this book because I loved the setting and the style of writing. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY ADDICTING! This book lives up to the hype and I'd 100% recommend it, even if you're like me and generally avoid the whole vampire/werewolf thing. I bought the whole series before I finished book 1!
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  • Kindleユーザ
    5.0 out of 5 stars 英国パラソル奇譚の１巻目
    Reviewed in Japan on 20 July 2017
    Verified Purchase
    アレクシア女史、倫敦で吸血鬼と戦う、の英語版原作です。
    kindle版は以前まで出て無かったと思うのですがいつの間にかでてました。
    ５巻合本版も出てますので、全部買うならそちらの方がお得だと思います。
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  • Sarah Pritzel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Genial!
    Reviewed in Germany on 18 November 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Frauen hatten es im viktorianischen England nicht leicht. Erst recht nicht, wenn sie eine große Nase hatten, nicht über die vornehme Blässe verfügten und noch dazu ein loses Mundwerk pflegten.
    So ist auch niemand in ihrer Familie erstaunt darüber, dass Alexia Tarabotti mit 26 Jahren noch unverheiratet ist. Dabei wissen ihre Mutter und ihr Stiefvater nicht einmal, dass sie neben ihrer frechen Art und für eine Frau unziemliche Cleverness auch noch einen weiteren Mangel hat: sie ist seelenlos. Was für ein Skandal das wäre!
    An die Werwölfe und Vampire, vielleicht sogar an die Geister, hat man sich in den oberen Kreisen der Londoner Gesellschaft immerhin schon beinahe gewöhnt - aber eine gänzlich seelenlose Dame aus gutem Hause wäre eine Sensation.
    Nicht, dass dieser Zustand Alexia irgendwie behindert - sie muss nur aufpassen, dass ihr Geheimnis nicht bekannt wird. So täuscht sie in Situationen, in denen richtige Damen in Ohnmacht fallen würden, einfach eine Ohnmacht vor und achtet peinlich genau darauf keinem übernatürlichen Wesen zu nahe zu kommen. Das ist nämlich eine der Begleiterscheinungen der Seelenlosigkeit: ihre Berührung raubt Vampiren und Werwölfen die übernatürlichen Fähigkeiten... und die Fangzähne.

    Trotz allem weiß Alexia natürlich was Manieren sind und ist zutiefst erschüttert als ein Vampir sich auf einem Ball auf sie stürzen will. Man beachte: ganz ohne zumindest vorher den üblichen Vorstellungsfloskeln genüge zu tun!
    Als im folgenden Handgemenge ein kleiner Unfall mit Alexias liebstem Regenschirm geschieht und der Vampir daraufhin endgültig das zeitliche segnet, muss das BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Registry)-Oberhaupt Lord Maccon die Situation retten. Seines Zeichens adeliger Werwolf, Alphatier und seit dem Zwischenfall mit dem Igel nicht mehr besonders gut auf Alexia zu sprechen.

    Als sich jedoch aus ganz England Vampire und Werwölfe in Luft aufzulösen scheinen und auch bei Alexia einen hartnäckiger (und gruseliger) Verfolger auftaucht, müssen die beiden zusammen arbeiten um herauszufinden, was die Londoner Übernatürlichen bedroht...

    Die Geschichte klingt von Anfang an abgedreht und ziemlich schräg - und das ist sie auch! Mit herrlichem englischen Humor, frechen Sprüchen und skurrilen Charakteren schreib Gail Carriger ein Buch, das irgendwo zwischen Steampunk, Fantasy und Liebesgeschichte anzusiedeln ist.

    Mit bildhaften Beschreibungen ersteht das viktorianische England vor den Augen des Lesers auf und lässt von schweren Kleiderstoffen, monströsen Zeppelinen und unbequemen Pferdekutschen träumen.
    In amüsantem Gegensatz dazu steht die schnoddrig-freche und überaus direkte Miss Alexia Tarabotti, die immer wieder für Lachmuskeln-strapazierende Momente sorgt. So ist sie weniger geschockt über das Ableben eines Vampirs als darüber, dass er währenddessen die gute Zuckertorte platt gemacht hat.
    Zu Höchstformen schaffen es der Wortwitz und beinahe sarkastische Schlagabtausch wenn Alexia und der ruppige Alphawolf Lord Maccon aufeinander treffen.

    Allein diese Tatsache lässt die Geschichte natürlich etwas vorhersehbar werden, aber da "Soulless" nicht den Anspruch hochgeistiger Literatur erhebt, sondern "nur" unterhalten möchte, tut das dem Lesevergnügen keinen Abbruch. Und Spaß macht dieses etwas skurrile Buch alle Male.

    Mit erfrischend direkten und wenig zimperlichen Charakteren, einer spannenden Geschichte, viel (Wort-)Witz und einem Hauch Erotik im viktorianischen England unterhält Gail Carriger ihre Leser vorbildlich und macht neugierig auf die Fortsetzungen Changeless und Blameless. Vermutlich erscheinen 2011 sogar der 4. (Heartless) und 2012 der finale fünfte Band (Timeless).
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  • BookishChick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely blissful read
    Reviewed in Australia on 10 January 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The synopsis intrigued me but I still held doubt. All doubt has gone, every book this author has written, I have now ordered. So well written, enjoyable story and characters and I am utterly delighted to be addicted!
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  • Parajunkee
    5.0 out of 5 stars PNR, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk...WOW!
    Reviewed in the United States on 6 February 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Quickie POV: A charming and very witty mix of a multitude of sub-genres. Soulless kept me fixated on the plot while entertaining me throughout with laugh-out-loud moments and I think I might have even blushed a few times. Even the author description was entertaining in its hilarity.

    Review: Miss Alexia Tarabotti has accepted her spinster status and the fact that she is not in possession of soul like a true lady. Her mother and two half-sisters might be veritable dim-wits and they even might have given her the worst room in the house, but life isn't that bad. She has a wonderful library left to her by her deceased father (the originator of her soulless status) and she is allowed a bit more freedom now that she is a spinster.

    Miss Tarabotti's life has taken on a certain pattern, that is of course until she kills a vampire - and all she really wanted was to get something to eat! Lord Maccon, a werewolf, whom seems to be just barely civilized, is sent to investigate the murder of the ill-fated vampire and the shenanigans begin.

    Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate)This novel is in possession of a wonderfully witty tone, a boat-load of refreshing secondary characters and descriptions that suck you in and make you believe you are in the Victorian age. I enjoyed everything about this book. The plot is deep and well thought out. The main characters are wonderful and very likable. The tone is consistent with gritty humor and almost a sexy innocence. The dialog was excellent! I'm usually not a historical fan, but I'm a fan of this book. Can not wait to read Changeless.

    Problems with the book were few and far between. The author does tend to be a bit long winded, but the descriptions paint a wonderful picture. I thought the epilogue was a bit too much, could have edited a bit of that out.

    Recommendations: This is an adult novel, but is not over the top in the sexual escapades or violence, I would not be opposed to passing this on to a teen. Pick a sub-genre any sub-genre, fans of urban fantasy, steampunk, historical - take your pick fans of any and all of those genres should read this book. I must state that I am not the biggest fan of steampunk or historical and I still very much enjoyed this book.
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