Timeless

WOAH, what a fucking ride. With a hundred pages left I was like "FUCK YEAH this is so awesome there are like five different plots going on I can't wait to see how it all ties together in the end!", and with 30 pages left I was in a state of "OMFG how is this every going to end in a way that isn't total misery!?!?!?".

It did not end in total misery and the different plots were (mostly) solved in a nice way where everything fit together and made sense. My friend Fuzzy said yesterday, when I mentioned I was gonna finish the book, "hope it ends the way that makes you satisfied" which I thought was a nice blessing, and I must say the book did do that.

Not only the book, actually, the series ended in a way that made me satisfied. It has been a show more very entertaining series, and I liked it so much more than I ever thought I would like a werewolf-vampire-steampunk-romance-series. show less

I must admit, I was a bit melancholy as I read this final book in the main series. I've enjoyed it from the very start and feel like I have matured along with the characters. Carriger's wit is just as sharp in this volume, but more than that it shows the care she took in forming the main plot across all five books. It's impressive how little elements in the earlier volumes turned out to be of vital importance here.

Alexia is without question the main character and driving force, but Timeless also enabled minor characters to shine. Her daughter Prudence, at all of two, is amusing and I'm eager to see how Carriger writes Prudence in the forthcoming YA series. Then there is Biffy. Poor Biffy went through quite a lot over the past few books, show more but here--there is the promise of happiness, and that is well deserved.

In all, this book is as fun as the previous books in the series, filled with razor-sharp wit, action, flamboyant steampunk, and the supernatural. If you want to dive into the series, be sure to start with the first book, Soulless. show less

This, the fifth and final book in the Parasol Protectorate series, brought all things to a satisfying close. Though the novel did not grab me as much as the strongest books in the series had, neither did it frustrate me in the way of the series' weakest books. "Satisfying" is really the word for it.

There were several laugh-aloud moments here. If you are not yet familiar with the series, you may not have any idea what I am talking about, but some of our reader favorites shine at their ridiculous best in this novel. Our dear Biffy comes into his own, so to speak, and there is just enough Lord Akeldama to keep things quite fashionable. On the flip side, some of my favorite moments of the whole book come from the interaction between Alexia show more and Prudence -- their "conversations" are often perfectly timed and exactly what one might expect from that particular relationship.

While there are certain climactic moments that stretch the bounds of credulity -- I mean, did any of us really think he was gone? -- this is not a series that has ever been concerned with realism or with boundaries. Seriously. And that's just the way I like it.

(If you are, at this point, utterly confused, it probably means that you have not been introduced to the sheer deliciousness that is Carriger's Parasol Protectorate. If you like a certain kind of British humor, vampires, frippery, scandalously unclad werewolves, bustles, slightly steampunkish inventions, loud hats, and/or tea, do yourself a favor and pick up the first volume, 'Soulless'. You won't regret it.) show less

Alexia is settling into her life with her husband Conall and the Infant Inconvenience, Prudence, living alongside and with Lord Akeldama, they have created something resembling a routine. At least so faer as such tempestuous personalities can ever be said to form anything as mundane and peaceful as a routine.

It’s not to last, however, as Lady Kingair, alpha of Conall’s old pack, is in the city looking for her lost beat – in an investigation that won’t just take part in London, but also in Egypt. Alexia also receives a message from the ancient vampire queen, Matakara who wishes to see Prudence – in Egypt, and it’s a summons she cannot ignore.

Add in the mystery of the godbreaker plague and the fact that Alexia’s father seems show more to have been involved and there are a whole lot of threads in Egypt to unravel. Which leaves Biffy and Lyall back in London to try and hold the fort – which becomes more difficult as Lyall’s history becomes more widely known.

And it’s nearly impossible to get a decent cup of tea in Egypt. How very vexing.

The story for this book is interesting and curious as there are so many issues working at the same time – the Kingair beta, the godbreaker plague, the machinations of Matakara, Alexia’s father, old secrets coming to light, the management of Prudence – there are many parallel plots but they all come together into one plotline – there are no real side plots, just the main plot approached from several different directions. But what makes this story, like every story in this series, are the characters and the world setting. The characters make this series.

This book, is again, hilariously funny. There are so many times when I laughed out loud – I think the prize goes to Alexia asking Ivy if she can wait to faint and Ivy deciding she could because fainting hatless in a foreign country is just not done. The proper protocol and language of the Victorian era and Victorian society is woven into an array of constant humour. That same language continues to make these books so very evocative of their age.

Alexia’s relationship with Conall – and, indeed, everyone around her – is hilarious. Alexia’s combination of propriety and wilful refusal to accept limits or to do anything that she doesn’t want to do is joyous to behold. Her sparring with her husband, her autocratic demands to

I’m also glad that the eminently practical and stolid Alexia didn’t become a gushing and twee mother. No, while she clearly loves her child, she has no illusions about her Infant Inconvenience nor is she inclined to be sweet and delicate. This isn’t’ some cookie cutter version of fluffy motherhood, this is motherhood, Alexia style with her personality and being very much apparent.

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This last installment of the Parasol Protectorate is much more hard-hitting than the previous books. Namely, things change. A lot. So much, in fact, that I wish there was a sixth book because dammit, I really want to see what happens next. (view spoiler) But yet, at the same time, there is definitely closure here.

Loose ends are tidied up and the characters start planning for their futures in ways that have never been done before. The first half of the book progressed as I expected given the previous books, but then Carriger shows that she may have more mettle than I had previously thought. There are revelations of character, history, and politics. The plot twists, turns, and at the very end gets stood on its head.

And the ancient Egypt show more nerd in me LOVED the inclusion of Hatshepsut. show less

Timeless is the final book in Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. The absurd silliness continues along with all of Carriger's trademark wit. The worst play ever featuring a bumblebee? Check. Chaotic toddler bath day? Check. A trip to Egypt to solve a mystery? Check. Meeting the oldest vampire in existence? Check. A plot? Um...maybe, sort of?

Two years have passed. Prudence has grown into a precocious toddler, the delight of all her parents and an utter terror to the dandies tasked with keeping an eye on her. Biffy finally comes into his own and I enjoyed his story line immensely. Biffy's induction into the Parasol Protectorate was every bit as entertaining as Ivy's in the previous book. Ivy has finally grown on me and I'm show more interested to see if her new status will have an impact in a future series set in this world. Poor Floote, that wasn't what I expected. Madam Lefoux again was a disappointment as she was along for the ride without much to do. Lord and Lady Maccon have their hands full managing toddlers, vampires, werewolves, an acting troupe and each other. They also end up in a nice place with their future together secured.

If someone were to ask me how to describe this book, and the whole series for that matter, I think it can be summed up nicely with the following quote: "Dandelion fluff upon a spoon." Unlike previous installments, which did seem to have some sort of plot to them, Timeless reads more like a series of character moments. This was a nice way to show where all our favorite characters end up, and loose ends are dealt with, yet lacks that extra something to give the experience a little more depth.

I admit I'm having a hard time rating this one. It's outright hilarious and has a weak plot at best. If I was rating on humor alone it would easily be a 5 stars. Still, it's a fun ending to a fun series. I think I'm going with 3.5 stars and reserve my right to change my mind later. show less

I read the five books of this series in 10 days. The characters are great and really diverse, the language is creamy, salty and sweet, and I mean that in the best way possible. The plot is nice, the world is splendid. I enjoyed every minute of this journey. I laughed, I cried, I nodded in approval and I frowned with dissaproval when some characters did the most outragious things. I hate Alexia's sister! In a totally good way. Some characters you need to hate. I loved how much food was involved, and clothing, and umbrellas. I want more! Lucky for me Gail Carriger wrote more books, so I am going to read them now. Have a nice day.