Carriger, Gale. Soulless.
New York: Orbit, 2009. Kindle ebook.
388 pages
Reviewed by J. d’Artagnan Love
Soulless stars Alexia Tarabotti, an enigmatic, assertive Italian who has no
soul. Alexia is classified as a “preternatural” in London’s BUR records. Her
soulless state allows her to retract the powers of the supernatural beings
around her. If she touches a vampire, his/her fangs retract. If she touches a
werewolf, s/he goes back to human form. These abilities have caught the
attention of a mysterious dark figure stalking Alexia like prey. Thankfully,
Alexia has also caught the attention of the Earl of Woolsey, a dashing werewolf
pack leader. Between him and Lord Akledama, her rogue vampire dandy, Alexia
finds herself in a web of science, mystery, and intrigue as well as some spicy, um...positions.
Set in the late 1900s, Soulless is a fabulous combination of urban fantasy and steampunk.
The characters are vivid and the aesthetic qualities of the steampunk genre
creates a world that is beautiful and ornate. The plot had some unexpected
twists and turns that delighted me and the prose was elegant and witty. Soulless vampires and werewolves are
unique in their creation and integration into the London community. Carriger’s
creation of the BUR organization is an effective set-up for an intriguing
series of steampunk/urban fantasy/crime novels. I’m looking forward to reading the rest!
3 darts out of 5
Bookshelf Project Status: Returned to the library
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