(Be warned, there will be spoilers for Book 1, Soulless)
Changeless, the second book in Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series, picks up some undefined time after the end of Soulless. A new threat emerges, sending Alexia’s husband, Lord Maccon (a werewolf), disappearing in the middle of the afternoon, leaving Alexia to try and piece together what in the name of the devil happened.
Changeless, like its predecessor, entertains through sharp wit, dry commentary, and an unusual array of paranormals, not the least of which is Alexia herself–a “preternatural” who (more or less) nullifies paranormal abilities. However, while in the first book we had Alexia worrying about why Lord Maccon, Conall, was doing his best to seduce her at every possible chance, in this book we have…actually pretty much the same thing. Only now they are married, so Alexia only puts up the barest hint of objection (usually only because Conall tends to try and seduce her in public). The marvelous thing about Alexia is that she is a very even-minded and calm individual. It takes quite a bit to really shake her, and she recovers her poise quickly.
As for the threat that sends Conall gallivanting away, and then has Alexia following him to engage in her own adventures (like the dirigible!) so she can track him down and give him an earful, I admit to some confusion. I have a feeling on a re-read it will make more sense, since many of the details are more or less mixed together with the emotional aspects of the novel that took a lot of precedent at times.
At times the plot seemed to deviate off course, focusing an awful lot on how ill Alexia kept feeling, but by the end of the novel the importance of that matter is fully explained. Or at least, it’s given a fair explanation that leaves room for a more in-depth discussion in the third book (Blameless). My only complaint was that it seemed like we kept getting explanations about the alternative London world that Alexia exists in over and over again. Several times, someone mentions Alexia’s odd state, and the effects thereof, and I was ready to smack someone over the head if I heard any more about how greatly disappointed her family was with her. All of this was given ample time and consideration in the first book, and you can’t go into this book without first reading Soulless, so I didn’t feel there was any need for the points to be dragged on in this sequel.
The end, (the denouement, that is that is) made me more than a little mad, as well. Not at the author, but for Alexia. Without giving off spoilers, suffice to say allegations are made against her that anyone who had spent any time in her presence would know are ludicrous, but nobody listens to her. Rational thinking seemed to have flown out the windows, and the excerpt from Blameless (included in the back of the book) doesn’t speak well of how it all goes. I don’t know how she will forgive anyone, honestly–I would just as soon kick them all to the curb and tell them to get over themselves.
Carriger delivers another entertaining and amusing novel that should interest several different genres of readers; historical romance fans (she does her research, and she does it well), paranormal fans, and fans of witty heroines who don’t cave in under pressure.
