Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

I rate this YA novel 4.5 out of 5

Sophronia is back at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Qual-i-tay and there certainly isn't a dull moment. Sophronia and her fellow levels are up for evaluation and the results are bittersweet for Sophronia and her friends. Luckily there isn't much time to worry because the school is having visitors and some are actually going to a ball! Not to mention the continued subterfuge and plot intrigues carried over from Sophronia's first adventure, which if anything have become even more mysterious. Vampires, werewolves, ladies, sooties, a gadget toting cross dressing ten year, and even a few young gentlemen come together to make Sophronia's life very interesting in the steampunk story with a supernatural twist.

As the second novel in the Finishing School series, Carriger does it again, delivering a witty and amusing adventure that's sure to keep the reader glued to the pager. As an enormous fan of the Parasol Protectorate adult fiction series, I thought Carriger's first attempt at YA with Etiquette and Espionage a very good attempt indeed. However, as stated in a previous review, I felt the book a little too forced. As if the author was overly aware of the audience she was aiming for. However these complaints were smoothed over in the face of her second in the series. This one I feel even surpassed the first in the story telling and deliverance. It was obvious that Carriger was more comfortable and settled into the genre, making for an even more enjoyable reading experience. 

I highly encourage any readers interested in Steampunk or fans of Carriger's previous work to pick up this series. It is so much fun and well worth the read. Carriger seems to only get better with each published book and I sincerely hope this is a trend that continues. It is great to see her continue to work with the same world and history as she created in her first series, only with different characters and unique stories each time, and still remain fresh and interesting. So many times authors become set in a formulaic path and the resulting stories become worn out and boring, the same story rehashed over and over with slightly varied characters and plot. With Carriger however I never find this the case and I hope it stays that way!

Etiquette and Espionage: Finishing School Book 1 by Gail Carriger

I rate this book a 4 out of 5

Equipped with the most atrocious curtsy and a propensity for breaking all the rules, Sophronia Temminnick is the exact opposite of the proper lady her frazzled mother wishes her to be. At wits end, her mother does what any troubled mother of a wayward daughter must, send her to finishing school.  But what first seems to Sophronia as the worst fate of all, soon reveals itself as a blessing in disguise, because Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality is not at all what it seems. With instruction on the proper way to flutter one’s eyes and curtsey followed by knife throwing and the correct way to poison, Sophronia learns quickly there might be many other ways to “finish” than she first thought.

Taking place in the same Victorian Steampunk alternate universe as Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate adult novel series, Etiquette and Espionage is the young adult precursor to those novels events.

Written with the same wit and dashing adventure as her previous books, Sophronia’s shenanigans are quite a bit of fun to read. Though the character names are a bit of a mouthful, the Victorian semantics laid on a little thick, and the plot somewhat predictable, the novel is overall very well done and well worth the read. Not done with as much diligence to the time as her previous series, Carriger still brings out a great amount of historical reference, making the novel educational and fun, much like the finishing school within the story.

As I read there was a distinct feeling of YA about the narration, one that almost seemed over emphasized at times. However it wasn’t too distracting from the story, and though the Parasol Protectorate remains my favorite of her writing, I still very much recommend this book and look forward to reading the next ones in the series.  

By Alissa Tsaparikos