Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

September 13, 2018     erinthebooknut     Book review

Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail CarrigerCurtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School, #2) by Gail Carriger
on October 7, 2014
Pages: 310
Goodreads

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot--and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this bestselling sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

5 Nuts

So here we are again, back in the Parasol-verse. Since I marathoned the audios I figured I should do the same with the reviews!

Book 2 in the Finishing School Series picks up a year or so after the first and is perhaps even better. This may have a bit to do with the introduction of several boys into our cast of heroes as regulars rather than side characters. The interactions between the ladies and gentlemen of QUALI-TAY is half of the fun of this one. Sneaking around while preserving your reputation is much more fun in a comedy of manners when there are MEN around.

In this book you realize as a reader that book one was just a small piece of a massively orchestrated plot. Book 2 is a bigger piece and each subsequent book gives you a larger and larger view of the story as a whole entity. It really is beautifully done and a masterful way of writing. Each bit is revealed as if you yourself are the intelligencer unearthing information.

Carriger is the master at dropping hints, sometimes leading you to a red herring but sometimes leading you to the right answer before the MC. It’s a game of cat and mouse between the author and the reader that I found fascinating to the point of sitting in front of the TV ignoring a show with my headphones on so I could finish.

These books are very hard to review individually as each one has necessary pieces of the puzzle that spoil the story if revealed. I really enjoyed the change of scenery as the characters moved out of the country and into the city but as to the reason, well I shall let you discover that on your own.

Our little bean of a floating supernatural professor (you’ll know who I mean when you read the book) is beyond delightful in this book and I was sad when his story came to an abrupt departure from what I expected. I find myself giggling with every What! he utters and I vehemently hope he’s still in later books despite what happens. He’s so funny!

This book is one of my favorites in the series, though really I don’t think Carriger can write a bad book. Her humor alone can carry one of these novels on it back like Captain Niall. *swoon*

Are you a werewolf fan or a vampire groupie? Still yet to see a ghost in here! Share your pick in the comments.

From my shelf to yours,

Erin

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