Waistcoats & Weaponry
by Gail Carriger
♦publisher: Little Brown BYR
♦release date: November 4th, 2014
♦hardcover, 298 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Finishing School, book 3
review of book 1: Etiquette & Espionage
review of book 2: Curtsies & Conspiracies
♦source: purchased book, audiobook from library
Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style—with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland.
No one suspected what—or who—they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.
No one suspected what—or who—they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.
Review: This series just continues to be fabulous and absolutely the most fun of any steampunk adventure I’ve ever read. For this third installment, I decided to try out the audiobook and I have no regrets! Narrator Moira Quirk really brought this story to life and did a fantastic job relating the fast pace of the plot as well as sliding impressively from one voice and accent to the other.
Sophronia and friends are back in action. I have come to really adore all of these characters, each with so much individuality, even her little reticule mechanimal dog sometimes steals the show with his personality! Every character is layered and adds so much to the story. This time the plot is very much centered around Sidheag and her family of werewolves, and it was great to get a dose of backstory on her, and ultimately on Felix and his family as well!
Despite my continued love of this series, I did have a few issues this time around. Firstly, as Sophronia gets older the love triangle with Soap and Felix gets more prevalent. Generally love triangles are not deal breakers for me, but she was just so swoony and undecisive over both of them, it got a little tiresome after a while. Secondly, while the plot was full of excitement and held my attention completely without fail, this installment felt the most like a segue between books than any of the others. Still, a fun and excitement-filled adventure with all the cool weapons, the clever rescue plans, the loyal friendships...so much to love about this series and I can’t wait to dive into book 4!
One final note: THE FAN. I need the fan, people. This year, Sophronia learns to fight with a bladed metal fan (as you can see on the cover) and it lends to some really beautifully written fight sequences. While listening to the audio was an great experience, what I wouldn’t give to see this wild steampunk adventure series made into movies! They would be so beautiful!
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