Reticence by Gail Carriger

August 25, 2019     erinthebooknut     Book review

Reticence by Gail CarrigerReticence (Custard Protocol, #4) by Gail Carriger
Published by Orbit on August 6, 2019
Pages: 339
Goodreads

Bookish and proper Percival Tunstell finds himself out of his depth when floating cities, spirited plumbing, and soggy biscuits collide in this delightful conclusion to NYT bestselling author Gail Carriger's Custard Protocol series.

Percival Tunstell loves that his sister and her best friend are building themselves a family of misfits aboard their airship, the Spotted Custard. Of course, he'd never admit that he belongs among them. He's always been on the outside - dispassionate, aloof, and hatless. But accidental spies, a trip to Japan, and one smart and beautiful doctor may have him renegotiating his whole philosophy on life.

Except hats. He's done with hats. Thank you very much.

5 nuts

I have waited all year for this book.

The release date has sat on my calendar staring at me like a cat whose bored interest makes me a little disconcerted. And now that it’s here and read I am both ecstatic and sad.

Each Parasolverse book, be it novel or novella; YA, New Adult, or Adult has made me love this universe more. They make me laugh, cry, shout, bite my fingernails, and even skip meals in order to finish them. And now, with the end of The Custard Protocol, another chapter in this incredible world is over.

But this book has so much more to give than just the end of a series. This beauty has something to say. First, you get a teeny tiny tie in for anyone who has read Carriger’s San Andreas Shifters series. A character you may be familiar with shows up in an unexpected way. Proof that there is a common thread between the too and that they most likely exist in the same universe.

Second, a few little Akeldama tidbits that all of us Goldenrod fans where just dying for. Even moreso than before I want ‘Dama to get his own story, at least his own novella, within the universe. Please Miss Gail, if you are reading, grace us with some Akeldama  sweetness like you gave Lyle. The vampire has had his fingers in everything tracing all the way back to Egypt. Perhaps now he can settle down with his own tasty morsel.

Two characters in this book harken back to earlier books in the Parsolverse as well. First, our Wallflower of Finishing School fame. She, along with the short appearances of Sophronia and the Lady Alpha Maccon made me want to dive back into the beginnings of the ‘verse immediately. Oh how I missed them. The second is dear Percy’s doctor, Arsenic. Though she herself has not appeared before, her mother has not once but twice. You can find her in both the Finishing School series and the first Delightfully Deadly novella, Poison or Protect, where we also meet Arsenic’s father.

And then of course we have our pugnacious Professor Percival Tunstall. Percy has always been a bit of an annoying sot but by the end of this novel you really grow to like and understand him, even love him. And no, he does not find the motivation to change himself. He just becomes rather beloved to the reader before they even realise what he has done. He just worms his way into your heart like his cat Footnote worms into a lap.

I loved this book. From the Kitsune to the setting to the neatly tied knots that Gail has so lovingly crafted. This book is just a load of fun, sweetness, and adventure. Exactly what I expect from a Parasolverse book. Give me a sassy Lady Doctor and bumbling Professor any day and I will be a happy camper.

And now as I place my book on the shelf beside its mates I will be waiting eagerly for the next two tidbits of Parasolverse: the Meat Cute story and the announced Dimity novella in the Delightfully Deadly series. Gail, never stop writing this beloved universe. I don’t know what I would do without it.

 

What is your favorite book or series in the Parasolverse? Comment your choice below and tell me why!

From my shelf to yours,

Erin

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.