Review: Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Title: Curtsies and Conspiracies

Author: Gail Carriger

Publisher: Hatchet Little, Brown and Co

Publishing Date: November 5, 2013

Pages: 310

Genre: YA Historical Fiction, Steampunk, Paranormal

Series: Finishing School

Source: Paperback

  

Sophronias first year at Mademoiselle Geraldines Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing. For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy. Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ships boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is at first apparent. A conspiracy is afootone with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

The second book in the awesome steampunk/kick butt/paranormal finishing school series. Full of laughs, mysteries, and of course, butt kicking.

What made me pick this book up?

I read the first one, and absolutely loved it. I literally could not wait to read the second one. If the first one was good, I had to assume that the second one was going to be just as good, or even better. I can't say it was better, but it definitely was just as good. 

What do I like about the cover?

I absolutely love the colors of it. The blue background with the colorless model is great, and I love the model they chose. She reminds me of Kiera Knightley. 

What made me read it?

It was the second one in the series, I had to read it. 

What did I like the most?

The way it made me laugh, but kept me wondering at the same time. The story is good, has plenty of mystery that makes you want to keep reading it. Plus it will make you literally laugh out loud at parts. Sophronia gets in so much trouble, and is always causing a ruckus, you can't help but love her. The characters are great, very witty and unique. And you can't help but feel like you are part of the world when you are reading it. I'm totally in love with the character Soap as well. 

The least?

I don't have the third one. 

Would you read the rest of the series/Other books by this author?

Uhm, duh. 

Gail Carriger writes comedic steampunk mixed with urbane fantasy in three series: two adult, the Parasol Protectorate and Custard Protocol, and one YA, the Finishing School. Her books are published in over a dozen different language. She has twelve NYT bestsellers via five different lists (including #1 in Manga). She has received the Alex Award from the ALA (for her debut Soulless) and the Prix Julia Verlanger and the Elbakin Award from French readers. She was once an archaeologist and is overly fond of tea.Gail has a fun newsletter: the Monthly Chirrup, sign up at http://www.gailcarriger.com/contact.php

Top Ten Tuesday: Those Must Summer Reads

Top Ten is an original feature/weekly meme created here at

The Broke and the Bookish that features a great bookish top ten every week.

This weeks top ten tuesday is ten books I plan to have in my beach bag this summer.

Ash's Picks:

So my top ten, I just decided to do ten books I HAVE to finish before the summer ends. In no particular order....

1.  2.  3.  4.  5.  6.  7.  8.  9.  10. 

Jenn's Picks:

Stacking the Shelves #101

Stacking The Shelves is a hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Come join the fun and share all the book you received this week. 

Jenn's- a very busy two weeks. Tons of books on Netgalley and Edelweiss. Thank you for so many good ones.  I went a bit crazy on audible too. I had some credits built up. So here it is for me.

For Review:

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

         

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

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Audio:

Bought and Borrowed:

Ash's Books:

The One

The Madman's Daughter

Revolution

The Girl from the Well

Paper Valentine

Red Queen