Book: Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate Book 3)
Author: Gail Carriger
Publisher: Orbit
Book Format: Mass Market Paperback 384 pages
Published: September 1 2010
Date Read: September 25 2010
Book Source: Bought paperback
My Thoughts:
Note: includes spoilers from Book 2 Changeless.
The third book in The Parasol Protectorate series picks up right after Changeless left off. Lady Maccon is dealing with the fallout from her husband’s reaction to her surprising pregnancy. Alexia finds herself a social outcast and loses her job as the Queen’s muhjah. She is miserable back living at home while Lord Maccon spends all his time in a drunken stupor. She is also being hunted down by vampires via scary mechanical ladybugs! She turns to her old friend Lord Akeldama for a more agreeable place to stay, but finds he has vanished. He leaves a cryptic clue for her to depart to Italy to research her implausible condition. Alexia decides to take Madame Lefoux and Floote along to help her on her quest. Ivy Tunstell is tasked with minding the hat store for Madame Lefoux.
Armed with her trusty parasol, Alexia heads off to Italy via France to meet with The Templar’s and other preternatural specialists. She is attempting to prove the paternity of the child, and find what to expect with the pregnancy / child. Along the way she is hunted by vampires and trying to find a decent meal to go with the tea Ivy gave her from home. Alexia discovers she loves pesto and can’t get enough of it in Italy. I also found myself craving pesto while reading this book and did some experimenting with recipes. Interestingly, one of the ingredients in pesto, garlic, turns out to be a werewolf deterrent.
Back in England, Professor Lyall takes care of things for Conall while he is incapacitated. He does a great job leading the pack, looking after Conall, and helping with the investigation as to why the vampire’s are after Alexia. He has a fruitful meeting with Ivy Tunstell who unwittingly provides him with some helpful information. I was glad to see Ivy thrive as a hat seller, and that her character was given more depth.
Alexia is quite depressed over Conall’s rejection in this installment. She does seem to start coming to terms with her unborn child though, perhaps she’s softening up a bit.
I enjoyed the witticisms, the steampunk aspects, and the familiar characters. We did get a little taste of history about Alexia’s preternatural father, hope to learn more in future books. I missed seeing Alexia’s interactions with Lord Akeldama and Ivy, and especially with Conall. I enjoy their rapport and hope that Conall will spend more time earning back Alexia’s trust in the next book.
Overall, I’m still a fan of this series and eager to read Heartless, due out in July 2011.