Heartless

Alexia Maccon is eight months pregnant and weary of vampires trying to assassinate her. Her "infant-inconvenience" is bound to be particular as the production of a soulless and a werewolf. However, there are plenty of other things to keep Alexia engaged as she wobbles about London. A mad ghost delivers news to her that the queen is in danger. Madame Lefoux is working on yet another dangerous and perplexing product. And the vampires--well, even the enigmatic Lord Akeldama is in for a surprise or two.

This series is such a joy. It's a steampunk romp in the purist sense, bordering on ridiculous at times yet never losing its sense of fun. I can't help but admire Alexia for enduring so much mischief while so very pregnant. The ending isn't a show more cliffhanger, yet creates a very peculiar dilemma to be confronted in the next and final book of the series. show less

I... actually liked this one? More than its predecessors? Maybe because of the politicking between factions with a mystery that opens up more questions than answers? I do think I like the Parasol Protectorate novels more than say, Throne of Glass because Alexia is an older heroine who is pragmatic and has no time to deal with your nonsense, vs. teenage protagonists having to deal with feelings as well as the burden of fulfilling centuries-old prophecy, etc. It's not really fair to compare series who only share female leads/authors and supernatural in common (with different times and tones applied), but I think they're adjacent in my mind because of a similar ambivalence while committing to finishing the series.

Anyway, baby Maccon is show more going to be a handful and I'm looking forward to their adventures. show less

This is the fourth of five books in the Parasol Protectorate series featuring Alexia (spinster-come-lady), Lord Maccon (deliciously rugged and handsome werewolf), Lord Akeldama (somewhat effeminate rove vampire) and Queen Victoria.

Set in an alternative Victorian England, these books positively ooze charm and wit and are so much fun to read. The characters are wonderful and the tone just perfect. Kooky inventions, daring transportation, perfectly coiffed hair and battered bustles - what more could you want?! Vampires, werewolves, ghosts and a preternatural...? Why of course!

The only real question is which werewolf you're going to fall in love with. I'm a Lord Maccon girl myself - his and Alexia's relationship is one of the best things show more about this series. Their sarcastic and barbed exchanges garnered many a chuckle from me and were balanced superbly with a heart-warming sense of genuine, old-fashioned romance. Lord Maccon, however, is an animalistic, barely-tamed Scottish Alpha werewolf. My mother, however, prefers his Beta - Professor Lyall. His more refined, under-stated elegance and subtle command is clearly more her style. (And no, I do not want this psycho-analysing...)

Heartless is a great addition to the series and I actually enjoyed it more than Blameless (the third of the series). There's a good 'mystery' for Alexia to interfere with and some excellent twists to keep you intrigued. It's also a great one for developing the histories of some of the main characters and spinning the relationships and personalities around a little to keep things fresh. Ivy, for one, gets an overdue bit of attention and flourishes for it.

All of this said, if you've read the beginning of the series, I doubt you'll need much convincing to carry on! You really don't need to worry - this is as good, if not better, than its predecessors.

Oh, and the 'Parasol Protectorate' is finally born! Hurrah!

Overall: If you haven't yet read Soulless, what on earth are you doing? Shoo! Go on, find yourself a copy, suspend reality and romp around Victorian England lamenting your bustle and rousing ghosts - you'll be glad you did! show less

Lots of politicking, lots of Alexia, and more of Lord Akeldama, with whom I am falling platonically in love. And don't forget zombie porcupines!

At the start of the novel, Alexia is waddling as she is eight months pregnant. And yet, the intrigue doesn't stop for such an inconvenience. So she is up to her neck in solving the mystery.

So it is off to the next book!

The Parasol Protectorate has become the series I read when I need some absurd silliness to lighten up a rough week. In that regards Heartless, book four of Alexia's adventures, hit the spot. Comically timed werewolf nakedness? Check. Foppish vampires? Check. A supernatural threat to be solved? Check. An 8 month pregnant Alexia getting into trouble? Check. A giant mechanical octopus rampaging around London? Check.

Did I mention this book is a lot of fun? I loved how much time we get to spend with Lord Alkedama, learning more about Professor Layll's history and working through poor Biffy's predicament. Connall's character is back to being supportive which is a nice change after two books of him being rather oafish. Having an 8 month show more pregnant heroine was unexpectedly wonderful. Alexia isn't one to let a little thing like being extra pregnant stop her from investigating the latest threat no matter how inconvenient the infant may be. My favorite scene is where Ivy is inducted into the "Parasol Protectorate." I was disappointed by Madam Lefeaux's story line as it seemed out of character and I could really do without any more of Alexia's horrible family.

I am looking forward to the final book in the series. I'm excited to meet Prudence and the sneak peek we're given of her powers. show less

The most cohesive and satisfying of the series so far. Heartless just seems so thoroughly itself, like Carriger has really figured out the series's tone and what characters matter in what ways, and the pacing, humor, and emotion are spot-on. AND my partner and I were both over the moon about the bit where Alexia is in hard labor and the narrator's like "six hours later ..." instead of the pop culture's standard super-fast no-details no-fluids labor scenes of pop culture. The whole treatment of her pregnancy and the birth are refreshing. I am less than thrilled by the resolution of the Genevieve Lefoux subplot (she's going to be stuck under the power of an abusive vampire with her child?), but Lord Akeldama's apparent affection for baby show more Prudence and her sweet little fangs are certainly good enough for me. I really enjoy the disgust and fear of the Countess in juxtaposition with Lord and Lady Maccon, Lyall, and Akeldama's chill and amused (I would say human, but ...) reactions to the little enigma. Anyway, great good fun throughout. show less

Loved it! I think what gets me the most about this series is the mixture of the comedy when they are in dire situations. I'm sure there are other books that do that out there, but this is a first for me so I'm truly enjoying it. Then you add the supernatural stuff and I'm hooked. The descriptions used when Alexia is moving about in her pregnant state were funny as well and rang all too true to someone who's been pregnant three times. I'm also adoring how much the couple still shows their love for each other. I was saddened in this book to find out who that "bad guy" was because even when all the signs were pointing that way, I still wanted it not to be true. I'm curious how that will end up playing out in the next (last?) book.