Soulless

Written by Gail Carriger

Narrated by Emily Gray

Victorian romance mixes seamlessly with elegant prose and biting wit—and werewolves—in Gail Carriger’s delightful debut novel. Soulless introduces Alexia Tarabotti, a parasol-wielding Londoner getting dangerously close to spinster status. But there are more important things than finding a husband. For Alexia was born without a soul, giving her the ability to render any vampire or werewolf completely powerless.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781449821272

Reviews for Soulless

[amphipodgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A paranormal, steampunk, potboiler romance, with steamy scenes oddly shoehorned in. The writing is sometimes clunky, but I enjoyed it for all that. I'm not rushing out to get the next in the series.

[stige_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this book after the Finishing School series and it is not as polished as Carriger's later books.

It is still fun, but a lot more uneven.

[laurochka-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good fun and an enjoyable alternative history. Alesia is a suitably amusing main character, believably annoying but somehow still sympathetic. I enjoyed it.

[traciolsen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

steampunk victorian adorableness.

[mitabird · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an excellent story. I was quickly engrossed in the world building and I did not find it complicated. Alexia was a smart woman with a backbone. I liked the fact that she was loyal to the few people she entrusted with her friendship. Conall was a bit gruff and Alexia constantly exasperated him, but his feelings for her were clear to me, though it took him a while to realize them. I thought they were great couple. I really enjoyed reading about the mysterious appearances and disappearances of the supernatural. I cannot wait to read the next one.

[tom_wright-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a fun book, a book that I can never in good conscience recommend, owing to the fact that it is a ribald and salacious romance.

The magic system and paranormal mythology was fun.

Low expectations helped me enjoy this book. I came at it sort of thinking it was in the vein of Twilight. Nope. It's a Regency-era hit, very well-written, and like I've been repeating, fun.

Now don't go and read this book. I did not recommend it to you. I am absolved of all blame. Hands washed.

[monicalynn-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alexia Tarabotti - supposed spinster and soulless girl who has the effect on the supernatural to cause them to be mortal while she is touching them. Is friends with Hives of Vampires and packs of werewolves. She is a rarety of her kind and not many know who she is. There is a group of scientists trying to get rid of the supernaturals in the area and tries to capture them and drain them of their blood and perform testing on them. Alexia's tale is a great one of love, action and fun.

[sadiesforsythe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5

Except for some annoying head hopping, I found this an amusing read, of the totally ridiculous type.

[thatotter-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I picked this up because a review in the Goodreads monthly newsletter made it sound very appealing, in spite of the fact that it isn't the type of thing I usually read.

It's hard to know what to say about this book. Some of the writing was very funny and even Austen-ish, and some was awkward or involved misuse of vocabulary words. At some points, I found the heroine refreshing and off-kilter; at other times it seemed like she could drift into Mary Sue territory. The setting/premise was interesting, but sometimes lacking in descriptive detail.

Still, I was engrossed enough to finish it in one sitting. I guess my bottom line here is that if you think you'd like a romance novel with vampires, werewolves, and mildly-steampunky elements, then you'll probably like this. If the idea doesn't appeal to you, the book probably won't, either.

[turrean_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book showed up on my "recommended for you" list on multiple websites. It had lots and lots of five-star reviews, so I was really looking forward to it. What I found was a pale imitation of Amelia Peabody crossed with Twilight. And a pale imitation with vocabulary and grammar errors, to boot. Where was the editor?!? "Reticent" does not mean the same as "reluctant," nor does "identity" mean "nature." Verb tenses were all over the place. "He would give a hundred pounds to know what she was thinking just then." Would he, indeed? Well, he doesn't. What was meant was, "He WOULD HAVE GIVEN a hundred pounds to know what she was thinking just then. " "Squire" is not an actual title, nor would Queen Victoria have been addressed as "highness."

And the stereotyping--god, the flamboyantly gay vampire! The author actually uses the words "prance" and "limp wrist," and names a gay vampire "Biffy." It read like a parody; little cardboard cutouts of "the heroine," "the gay character," "the love interest," "the shallow stepsisters." There was no character development, no fleshing out of characters. Just a lot of description of action.

This sounds like nitpicking, but if an author wants to do steampunk-Victorian-comedy-of-manners, some details just have to be right. It gets one star for the concept of "soul," and one star for the love-interest's sidekick, Prof. Lyall, whom I liked.

I so wanted this to be better than it was. I might dip into a later book and see if Alexia has grown at all. But cardboard usually doesn't.

[sageness · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

enjoyable cotton candy.

[jarandel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Light fare, not unpleasant, actually more pleasant than I'd probably find many books wandering so far into romance territory, but I don't think I'll be pursuing the series very actively.Some fairly irritating repetitions, unwarranted when word-for-word or nearly so in a book this short. Yeah, I got it that Miss X is a "spinster long on the shelf", that Mr Y is "an alpha male", find ways to illustrate that in different interesting ways, or just get on with the world building and plot, please -.-Also, Highlander syndrome. I usually don't mind it that much when the / one of the protagonist(s) is "special"... as long as that specialness isn't conveyed by dint of making everyone else needlessly stupid/annoying/etc... alas that's the case here.

[yona-414000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Somewhere between 3-1/2 and 4 stars. Everything fit together very well: the adventure, the intrigue, each and every one of the many characters, the romance, the sex; everything perfectly in balance and perfectly tongue-in-cheek.

"Am I? ... Your love?"
"Well, you are a werewolf, Scottish, naked, and covered in blood, and I'm still holding your hand."
He sighed in evident relief. "Good. That is settled, then."

The Victorian setting and the current of Steampunk, all very much fun. And there was something perfect about how Alexia fit into the setting and yet stood outside of it that made her the perfect heroine for this story.

[drled_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: Alexis Tarabotti is a spinster, probably because she looks Italian and definitely because she is opinionated and speaks her mind. She is also soulless. This combination of characteristics lead her into the intrigue that surrounds vampires, werewolves and the Queen of England.Review: Set in Victorian London, the characters sparkle. And although it is fairly obvious how relationships will evolve, the manner in which they do is quite fun.

[lynleys-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I fell in love with the character of Alexia Tarabotti in the first chapter, but grew less and less fond of her as the story progressed. I realised this wasn't a story about strong spinsters at all; rather, it was another werewolf and vampire story in which any action serves only as a wrapper for the erotics of repressed female desire, in which the neck-bruising and constant cajoling is effected solely by the heavily muscled and downright unpleasant werewolf-man. *shudder*

Still, I enjoyed the humour of understatement that ran throughout the book. I also loved the cover design, until I read the book and learnt that, once again, the woman on the front cover doesn't at all match the descriptions within. Don't graphic designers get to read the books they design covers for? Sheesh. A white woman cast under the shadow of an umbrella does not actually make her dark skinned. And thrusting one's hips forward does not actually make her look heavy set. That is not a large nosed woman.

So.

[dorie.craig · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An amusing book that features gentlewoman and spinster Alexia Tarabotti, who suffers from too large a nose, a dark complexion and an Italian (and dead) father. She is also without a soul, which makes her a preternatural and able with one touch to make any supernatural creature (vampires, werewolves) momentarily human. She sometimes butts head with Lord Conall Maccon, Alpha of the local werewolves. Their sparring is entertaining with Lord Maccon, of course, appreciating Alexia for her more 'Alpha' qualities. The romance takes center stage throughout this book, but there is also a mystery involving the disappearance of 'Roves' (werewolves and vampires who don't belong to a pack or hive). The only real problem I had with this book is that the author didn't begin to define what exactly a soul was and the effect it had on humans. The fact that Alexia was soulless didn't mean anything to me, and I didn't know how being without a soul affected her as a person. But overall this was well written, the characters were appealing and the alternate world was very creative. Three and a half stars.

[stefferoo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A total impulse read, I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I picked this up. I knew next to nothing about the characters or the story because believe it or not, I hadn't even stopped to read the synopsis or description (which, when you're a bibliophile, is like totally living life on the edge, I tell ya!)But perhaps I'm overplaying my daredevilry. The fact is, it's not like this Parasol Protectorate series hadn't been on my radar at all, because I see it everywhere, from people reading it on the bus to copies at the checkout racks at supermarkets. So I had a pretty good idea that these books were wildly popular, and I'll admit I've always been curious, especially ever since stumbling upon a description of it as a "paranormal comedy of manners". That definitely conformed to my impressions of it after seeing that charming cover.So, discovering that it was a novel about werewolves, vampires and other such uncanny creatures was a real treat for me, as was finding out about the Victorian steampunk setting. After all, this is territory I'm familiar and happy with, and the main character Alexia Tarabotti's life as a "soulless" or "preternatural" sounded new and interesting enough for this book to be right up my alley.As someone with her unique power, Alexia is able to negate the effects of supernatural beings simply by touching them, thus turning creatures like vampires and werewolves back into their human forms. I have to say I was just in love with this idea! In addition, the book also floated a really neat theory to explain the link between preternaturals and supernatural creatures, utilizing a concept that involves opposing forces and counterbalances. I know I've said this a bunch of times before, but I always enjoy seeing novel ideas like this in the paranormal fantasy genre.In the book's intro, Alexia's condition as a preternatural was what allowed her to survive an attack by a rogue vampire. In her subsequent investigation into this incident with the werewolf Lord Maccon, they uncover cases of other rogues as well as a disturbing number of missing supernaturals, so now I'm getting really excited, seeing that an element of mystery is in this story line as well. All was going great...until I got to the romance.Admittedly, here's where my enthusiasm began to wane. Now that I'm finished the book, I would definitely classify Soulless as a paranormal romance more than anything. While I have nothing against that particular genre, I still must confess that a book tends to lose me when the relationship drama begins eclipsing everything else in the plot and becomes the main focus. And so when Alexia and Lord Maccon actually started making out and rounding second base on the dirty floor of a dank dark cell while they were being imprisoned by a gang of fanatical torturers, I kinda knew we'd reached my breaking point.Pages upon pages describing the etiquette of courtship and totally inappropriate moments to get amorous notwithstanding, this was still a very good book. I'm open to the possibility of picking up the next book in the series if I'm ever struck by the mood to read a fun paranormal romance, especially now that I know what to expect!

[blitheandbonny_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Formulaic? Yes, a bit, but still wonderfully fun. Alexia is made of awesome, with just enough realistic insecurity without being a shuddering wreck of low self-esteem. Also, I want her parasol. I love Floote, and Professor Lyall's continual struggle with Lord Maccon's atrocious lack of manners. I do sort of wish the courtship between Alexia and Lord Maccon had been far more drawn out, a la Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. It was a bit abrupt and easy for my tastes. The mystery was fairly obvious, but heck, once you've read a bunch of mystery novels, you kind of learn where to spot the trick. And hopefully in the next book, the author will stop beating us over the head with the fact that Alexia is half-Italian and therefore "tan". We get it, already. But other than those nitpicky things (and I freely admit, I'm very picky), it was funny to the point of having me giggling out loud, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next book.

[caittilynn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a lot of fun. The characters are very similar to the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters (out spoken Victorian spinster meets gruff man with limited patience with society). Howevet, still an great story.

[ladyoflorien_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I found Alexia Tarabotti to be a most amusing heroine and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[gayla.bassham · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The lead character in this book is a charming amalgam of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Amelia Peabody, so if you like those characters you will almost certainly like this book. It's very wittily written. On the other hand, the characterization is pretty thin and if you tell me that you found the plot to be surprising and clever then I will believe that (a) you are lying or (b) this is the first book you have ever read.

[flightsafancy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The title comes from the fact that the protagnoist, Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a half-Italian half-English spinster, has no soul. She is a preternatural, called a soul-sucker by vampires. Unlike normal people, she is immune to the powers of vampires and werewolves. The minute one of them touches her, the fangs retreat and only human characteristics show up.

The book starts out with her being attacked by a rove vampire in a library during a ball and she ends up killing him with her parasol,which brings in Lord Maccon, the head of BUR, which is apparently some kind of supernatural investigative bureau. That part was never explained in detail. Maccon is a Scottish werewolf and sparks fly between him and Alexia immediately. She's a very independent-minded, modern woman and he's an Alpha werewolf, so they are well-matched. It's a humorous steampunk mystery romance, and I chuckled my way through it. Very droll at times. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Soulless is the unusual mashup of a Victorian mystery with a cast of paranormal characters and a bit of romance all thrown in together. Alexia Tarabotti has nothing going for her. Her father was Italian (gasp!), she is unmarried and definitely falling into the category of being a spinster, and she has no soul - not figuratively, but literally. But having no soul in a London filled with vampires and werewolves is actually not a bad thing, since being soulless neutralizes supernatural abilities (who would guess?!). The story continues with a bit of mystery, heavy romance, and many tongue-in-cheek laughs. Fun and light.

[emmyson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hilarious. That's the first word that pops into my head when I think of Soulless. I don't know if I've ever read a book with a heroine that I liked as much as I liked Miss Alexia Tarabotti. She's strong (demonstrated from our very first meeting with her), opinionated, not afraid to share that opinion, and very much okay with her social status. Finally!! A woman who isn't throwing her entire personality away to fit in where she doesn't really care to fit in!

This = love for me.

Yes, I loved this book. It was the perfect story, completely witty, and such an engaging read. The only thing that bugged me was that I waited so long to read it. Seriously.

The supernatural creatures were awesome. I loved the vampire/werewolf sniping going on. It made things incredibly hilarious, with some actual 'laugh out loud' moments.

Speaking of vampires and werewolves, Lord Maccon and Lord Akeldama. Absolutely LOVE them. I can say in all honesty that it's totally a personality thing. Neither of them are the completely drop dead gorgeous, make a lady swoon in her sleep kind of guys. Lord Maccon is rough around the edges and not very socially aware. So refreshing. He gets himself into trouble as often as Alexia does. Lord Akeldama is strictly off-limits to the ladies, and also quite the dandy in his manner of dress. I loved how he spoke in italics. I'd love to sit down for dinner with him. Well, as long as I'm not the dinner.

Really, this book was fantastic. I loved every bit of it. It's a 4-tower book for me!

[katebond-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh man, how refreshing! This book is just wholly, unapologetically feminine. It's like exciting, sexy, steampunk Jane Austen, with some vague, possibly unintentional Cinderella parallels.

[michalsh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In nineteenth-century England, Miss Alexia Tarabotti is a rarity -- a female preternatural, a human without a soul. If she touches a supernatural creature, such as a werewolf or a vampire, she "neutralizes" him -- he turns human and stays that way until she lets go. Miss Tarabotti's preternatural status is a secret she keeps from her comfortably wealthy family and human friends, a secret that only the BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Registry) and London's supernatural species are aware of. Miss Tarabotti, a twenty-something spinster, is half-Italian, her Italian soulless roguish father is dead, she's naturally tan (God forbid!), has a somewhat long nose, and is, oh, over-assertive. For a bonus, she must deal daily with a vain mama, two airhead younger sisters, and a spineless stepfather.As the story begins, Miss Alexia Tarabotti manages to get herself into yet another trouble. She accidentally kills a vampire with her parasol while hiding in the library with tea and pastries during a ball. This particular vampire attacked Alexia despite strict social codes, and was surprisingly ignorant of Alexia's preternatural status.Enters Lord Conall Maccoon, Head of the BUR, and the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, who arrives at the scene to investigate the vampire's killing. The story twists and turns into a mystery, as more such vampires appear -- vampires that apparently weren't created legally by the Hive queens (vampires live in "Hives" which are led by queens; only queens can create new vampires). Miss Tarabotti is determined to investigate the matter, placing herself right in harm's way, despite Lord Maccon's blunt objections...Ms. Carriger has captured my heart with this delightful cross-genre tale, brilliantly blending steampunk, victorian urban fantasy (ha!), a steamy thread of paranormal romance, and touches of mystery and horror. Her carefully chosen style of third-person omniscient narrative felt just perfect for this story, enhancing Ms. Carriger's delightful brand of humor. Her heroine, Miss Alexia Tarabotti, is one of the best female characters I've read, and Lord Maccon is an absolutely delicious male character (okay, he's an absolutely delicious male, PERIOD). Heartily recommended.

[samjehanzeb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wer es gerne very british mag, der sollte sich Soulless (Gl?hende Dunkelheit) von Gail Carriger zu Gem?te f?hren. Zugegeben, so richtig blutr?nstig sind Carrigers Werw?lfe und Vampire auch nicht, aber immerhin glitzern sie nicht in der Sonne, gehen nicht seit 400 Jahren auf die High-School und scheuen nicht einmal vor erotischen Gratwanderungen zur?ck. Angesichts des vielen Tees, bestickter Handschuhe und anderer dekorativer Eigenschaften bleibt das Buch aber wohl dennoch ein Werk, welches haupts?chlich f?r die Damenwelt interessant sein d?rfte.Wir befinden uns im viktorianischen London. Die Industrie bringt immer mehr erstaunliche Erfindungen hervor, wie etwa die von Miss Tarabotti bewunderten Luftschiffe. Die Gesellschaft hat einige Jahrzehnte zuvor eine weitreichende Ver?nderung erlebt, als Werw?lfe und Vampire zu akzeptierten und anerkannten B?gern und B?rgerinnen wurden. Seitdem bekleiden sie hochrangige ?mter und sind gern gesehene G?ste auf Dinnerpartys der feinen Gesellschaft. Menschen schlie?en sich ihnen als Drohnen oder Claviger an und gebissen wird nur, wenn alles seine b?rokratische Korrektheit hat.Dass die Gesetze zwischen ?bernat?rlichen und Normalen auch gewahrt und kontrolliert werden, sichert das BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Registry). Dessen Leiter, Lord Conall Maccon, 4. Earl of Woolsey und Alpha des Londoner Werwolfrudels ist ein gro?er, grober schottischer Kerl, der f?r gew?hnlich bestimmt, wo es lang geht, und keine Widerworte h?rt ? bis er auf die ?beraus schlagfertige Miss Tarabotti trifft.Man ahnt es schon auf den ersten Seiten, dass das nur in einer schockierenden Liaison enden kann. Da spr?hen die Funken zwischen dem ruppigen Werwolf und der widerspenstigen Jungfer, es wird sich gezankt, was die Regeln der H?flichkeit zulassen, und beim Leser bleibt angesichts witziger Wortgefechte kein Auge trocken. Es ist erstaunlich, wie Frau Carriger es schafft, in einem Atemzug eine pedantisch affektierte ?Britishness? mit so viel Humor zwischen Tee und H?hnchengerippen zu f?llen, w?hrend im Hintergrund Entf?hrungen stattfinden und geheime Organisationen wissenschaftliche und h?chst illegale Experimente durchf?hren. Sprachlich muss man das Buch wirklich noch einmal extra loben, das wirkt bis ins kleinste Detail viktorianisch altmodisch und entsprechend blumig. Besonders am?sant ist der herrliche schottische Akzent von Lord Conall Maccon, der umso st?rker durchbricht, je mehr sich der Alpha aufregt.Ebenso gelungen wie die Sprache selbst sind auch die verschiedenen Charaktere, die allesamt ihre verr?ckten kleinen Eigenarten haben und gerade durch ihre Fehler zu Sympathietr?gern werden. Etwa Miss Ivy Hisselpenny und ihr Hang zu absolut grauenhaften H?ten oder Lord Akeldama, dessen modische Verirrungen ihn derart in Streit mit seinem Vampir-Stock brachten, dass er selbigen kurzerhand verlie?.Wer angesichts des eher Liebes-fixierten Klappentextes eine weitere Teenie-Schmonzette ? la Bis(s) (Twilight) und Konsorten erwartet, wird hier nur bedingt f?ndig. Die Liebelei zwischen Miss Tarabotti und Lord Maccon spielt durchaus keine unwichtige Rolle in dem Roman, kitschig oder gar pr?de geht es hier aber nicht zu. Ausnahmsweise finden sich in Soulless erwachsene Liebende und ebenso erwachsene Liebesszenen, bei denen man nicht peinlich ber?hrt die Hand vor die Augen schlagen muss oder da sitzt und sich fragt, weshalb man sich bei einem simplen Kuss derart panisch anstellt. Nat?rlich hat unsere Protagonistin auch einige Probleme damit, sich den f?r sie v?llig neuen erotischen Gepflogenheiten anzupassen, angesichts des Zeitalters ist das aber weder verwunderlich, noch nervt?tend, wie es in anderen B?chern der Fall ist. Die Autorin hat sich hier gut an den gesellschaftlichen Regeln orientiert und dem, was einem in dieser Zeit an Informationen zur Verf?gung gestanden hat.Man darf also mit ein wenig Romantik rechnen, allerdings auch mit einer Prise Erotik, verpackt in ein ?u?erst ulkiges Gef?ge, welches zum pausenlosen Grinsen und albernen Kichern einl?dt.Wer sich der englische Sprache nicht ganz gewachsen f?hlt, der sollte trotz der entsetzlichen Titelgebung zur deutschen ?bersetzung greifen. Schwer zu sagen, woher dieser deutsche Drang stammt, Titel m?glichst absurd und besch?mend zu ?bersetzen. Wie man bei Soulless = Seelenlos auf Gl?hende Dunkelheit kommt, sollte dringend mal untersucht werden und bleibt f?r die Leser wohl doch ein R?tsel. Bei dem Inhalt ist die ?bersetzung aber sehr gut und nah am Original gehalten.

[keeba-2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Alexia Tarabotti is a spinster -- intelligent, assertive, slightly swarthy (due to her Italian heritage) and plain (by the beauty standards of the day). Any one of those qualities would put her 'on the shelf' in fashionable London society. She is also a 'preternatural' -- a person whose touch nullifies supernatural beings. Supernatural beings (werewolves, vampires, ghosts) are fully integrated into British society and even serve as political advisors to the queen. When werewolves and vampires start disappearing without a trace, Miss Tarabotti suspects sinister forces to be at work. Rather charming urban fantasy with steampunk overtones set in an alternate Victorian London. The first in the Parasol Protectorate series.

[jsamaha-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this quirky steampunk meets vampires meets werewolves book. The author has set up an urban-fantasy world where the supernatural are accepted by the mainstream. This is what took me a bit to get used to....I'm just not used to 19th century Londoners knowind and accepting vampires/werewolves. lol

I thought it was going to just be another one of those books on the supernatural bandwagon but this one was actually a little different. I really loved the strong female main character. She is strong, smart and witty. I also really loved her relationship with Lord Maccon. It had me laughing out loud once or twice.

I don't know if this book is for everyone but if you enjoy urban fantasy with a little bit of romance mixed in, I'd highly recommend it.

[joanasimao-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Funny. Clever. And very, very well mannered.