So, as some of you may recall I posted in February about Gail Carriger's steampunk romance, Soulless - "a novel of vampires, werewolves and parasols", and declared it really rather fabulous. Leila, alas, was not so fond of it but having just read the sequel, Changeless, I hope that I can sway her to give the series another shot and enjoy a round of fun and frivolity in an alt history Victorian London (and Scotland in this outing).

It's very hard to review Changeless without giving away spoilers that would ruin Soulless so I'll have to be vague but think I can still convey much of the book's flavor. The big challenge this time is a virus/curse/invention (we don't know what) which renders all the supernaturals in a certain range to be human. The werewolves can't change (which explains the title), the vamps lose all their vampiness and ghosts simply vanish forever. It has everyone wigged out for obvious reasons. Alexia discovers that a recently returned regiment might be involved with whatever is causing all this (recently returned from India which makes for some nice historical moments) and hits the road to Scotland (actually hits the air as this is a novel about "vampires, werewolves and dirigibles") to see if she can uncover necessary clues. There are men in kilts! (Always a good thing.) Plus a pack without a leader, a French inventor who is a female Artemus Gordon (check the original Wild Wild West for that reference) only waaaay sexier and possibly a spy, more than one aethographor, (a wireless communication apparatus now in much demand since the telegraph "proved itself an entirely unviable method of communication"), and much intrigue as usual.

There's more background on the main characters (some particularly interesting bits about Alexia's father and Lord Maccon's life in Scotland) plus many many MANY humorous moments with Alexia's obnoxious sister Felicity, her best friend Ivy and all those guys in kilts. I liked the working out of things this time - the mystery is rather clever and the way Alexia gets to the bottom of it is nicely done and reveals more of the world Carriger is creating here. I liked all the discussion of what was beyond London. All too often steampunk gets stuck in the city and it's cool to see an author who isn't doing the easy route. (Plus the next book, Blameless, is set partly in Italy.)

There is more of the witty banter, more of Alexia channeling Amelia Peabody and more of the lady taking things into her own hands in matters both supernatural and preternatural and pretty much everything in between. There's also a lot of bad food which is a bummer but hopefully that will improve in book three. (It is in Italy after all.)

So, I liked it again. It made me laugh and I find myself enjoying Alexia more and more. To me the dialogue and descriptions and the no small amount of over-the-topness is all part of what makes this series a solid romp. It's not a screwball comedy as you would expect - the setting and banter are far too different from the expected Cary Grant or Katherine Hepburn. It just has a unique sensibility that I find equal parts charming and thrilling (again in a WIld Wild West kind of way). (That's original WWW - not Will Smith remake WWW.) (Ew.)

Sometimes you should read what makes you happy and for me, Alexia Tarabotti is it.

PS. The cliffhanger at the end of Changeless is, however, positively diabolical. Thank heavens Blameless will be out this September!