Soulless

Starred review from August 24, 2009
Carriger debuts brilliantly with a blend of Victorian romance, screwball comedy of manners and alternate history. Prickly, stubborn 25-year-old bluestocking Alexia Tarabotti is patently unmarriageable, and not just because she's large-nosed and swarthy. She's also soulless, an oddity and a secret even in a 19th-century London that mostly accepts and integrates werewolf packs, vampire hives and ghosts. The only man who notices her is brash Lord Conall Maccon, a Scottish Alpha werewolf and government official, and (of course) they dislike each other intensely. After Alexia kills a vampire with her parasol at a party—how vulgar!—she and Conall must work together to solve a supernatural mystery that grows quite steampunkishly gruesome. Well-drawn secondary characters round out the story, most notably Lord Akeldama, Alexia's outrageous, italic-wielding gay best vampire friend. This intoxicatingly witty parody will appeal to a wide cross-section of romance, fantasy and steampunk fans.

Emily Gray introduces listeners to the soulless--but otherwise respectable--Alexia Tarabotti and a Victorian London teeming with werewolves and vampires. Alexia's soulless condition allows her to neutralize magic, making her a force to be reckoned with. Gray's arch tones skillfully convey Alexia's delight in flouting society's conventions and her interest in alpha werewolf Lord Conall Maccon. Conall's growly Scots accent is the most recognizable voice in a varied cast of characters, who are witty, urbane, and bloodthirsty good fun. Alexia and Conall investigate a spate of paranormal disappearances, and listeners will be drawn irrevocably into the story as an intense showdown in a macabre science laboratory brings all the players together. Despite some odd pauses, background noises, and audible breathing, this smart, well-delivered audio is not to be missed. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine