Review - Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

by Gail Carriger
publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
date of publication: February 5, 2013
format: egalley
pages: 307
source: the publisher via Netgalley
series: Finishing School

From Goodreads:

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Sophronia Temminnick at 14 is a great trial more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners -- and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Her poor mother, desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady, enrolls the lively tomboy in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage -- in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Though I love steampunk, I have a confession to make: Etiquette & Espionage is my first experience reading Gail Carriger's work.  I know!  I've been completely remiss in not reading The Parasol Protectorate series during the 2 years it has been on my TBR list.  Thanks to Little, Brown, however, I had the opportunity to read Etiquette & Espionage, the first in Ms. Carriger's new YA series.  I had heard much praise of Ms. Carriger's writing beforehand.  Now I know exactly why.  To say that Etiquette & Espionage is amazing doesn't even begin to cover how much I enjoyed this book.

I'll admit to at first being thrown off by the main character's name.  I soon adjusted, though, and quickly began to enjoy reading her story.  She's such a spunky, funny girl that you can't help but quickly become captivated.  With each failed curtsey, midnight foray, and discovery, Sophronia proves more and more that she has a future as a force to be reckoned with.  As if that weren't enough, you will also discover that there are some familiar characters to be found within Etiquette & Espionage.  Younger versions of Genevieve Lefoux and Sidheag Maccon can be found within.  Having promptly started reading The Parasol Protectorate series right after finishing E&E, I found it fascinating seeing them as youths as well as the women they become.  Perhaps one of my favorite characters, however, isn't a living, breathing being at all.  Neither is he a vampire.  This character is a gadget known as a mechanimal named Bumbersnoot (trust me, the vast majority of the names in Etiquette & Espionage are hilarious), who proved to be just as humorous as Sophronia.  I loved every minute!

The world-building, though perhaps not quite so technological as that found in The Parasol Protectorate, is nevertheless fascinating.  Not only does Etiquette & Espionage take place at a school, it takes place in a floating school.  It doesn't get much more intriguing than that.  Between the finishing school, the boys' school for evil geniuses, and Sophronia's home, there is so much to discover from page to page.  The rich environments combined with the novel inventions are simply fantastic in every shape of the word.  It makes for a rich world for Sophronia to have adventures in and shows much promise of getting even better in the next installment.

Ever since I finished Etiquette & Espionage, I have been simply devouring everything by Gail Carriger that I can get my hands on.  It has been a while since an author has made me want to read everything they have written one book after another.  If you, too, have yet to experience the writing of Ms. Carriger, take my advice: prior to reading Etiquette & Espionage, make sure you have The Parasol Protectorate books readily available.  If you love E&E as much as I did, you'll probably want them before the warmth from your hands has faded from the pages.

Buy Etiquette & Espionage at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Prophecy by Ellen Oh

by Ellen Oh
publisher: HarperTeen
date of publication: January 2, 2013
format: digital review copy
pages: 320
source: Edelweiss
series: The Dragon King Chronicles

From Goodreads:

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

Prophecy came as a somewhat unexpected surprise due to the varied opinions I had been hearing prior to reading it for myself.  Some complaints gave me cause for concern, so I started the book with trepidation, only to find that I was a reader who would likely be one of those to enjoy it.  Ellen Oh's tale of good vs. evil set in a land full of Korean-inspired traits and headed by an extraordinary girl is one that I found to be more than enjoyable.  A book that piques even my firmly non-YA-reading husband's interest and keeps me reading until I finish it within 12 hours is definitely a book to be noted.

Kira is truly a fascinating main character to read about from the very beginning.  Oh doesn't hold anything back and immediately shows you what it is that Kira is faced with from chapter one.  As the story progresses, it becomes readily apparent that Kira isn't just a kick-ass warrior, however.  An especially startling thing is that she isn't respected for her skills, nor is she particularly self-assured.  Instead, shades of a typical 16 year old girl can easily be seen as she struggles with self identity, self esteem, and the need for friends.  It all makes for a fascinating character with plenty of room to grow into her own.  I must say, though, that I dearly hope the same can be said for her young cousin and charge, the crown prince.  His high level of neediness, impulsiveness, and penchant for hero worship combined to make for a secondary character that was a bit too much to take at times. 

I really came to enjoy the world in which Prophecy is set.  From its cities to its countryside, Prophecy is made up of a fantastic array of environments and political situations.  The addition to mysterious legends of saviors, prophecies, magic, and demons round everything out nicely into the arresting story it has become.  As the true nature of the world in which Kira lives comes to light, readers are sure to sit up and take notice. 

The temptation to read Prophecy from cover to cover is definitely there, so potential readers, make note.  Keep the refreshments handy and prepare for a long night if you start reading late, for chances are you will get swept away in Prophecy's spell.  Those looking for an action-packed fantasy with a female protagonist would do well to take a look at Prophecy.  The series overall shows a lot of promise with this thrilling and engaging opener.  Give it a try and see what I mean.  Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Buy Prophecy at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Edelweiss. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.