This is book two in The Parasol Protectorate series following Soulless.

Alexia Tarabotti is now Lady Maccon, having overcome her supposed hatred of Lord Conall Maccon long enough to understand her love (and shall we add lust) for the alpha werewolf of London. Shortly after her marriage, she ends up a counselor to Queen Victoria filling a long unmanned post only held by a preternatural like herself.

After a ghost comes to visit her husband, Alexia finds out a strange weapon has been deployed in London and is effectively de-supernaturaling the supernatural. She follows her husband to Scotland who has gone to the country to work out a nagging family (re: pack) problem. Not used to following orders, and especially not ones from her husband, Alexia takes to the dirigible — something she’s wanted to do for a while — and gets herself in trouble. She outs a possible spy, deals with a disagreeable sister who is staying with her, almost dies after being knocked off the observation deck of the aircraft, and tries to stop a growing love between her best friend and a man dedicated to her husband who may someday end up a werewolf. Needless to say, it’s not the trip she signed up for.  Once in Scotland, things get no easier.

Oh, Alexia, can you get in more trouble? After reading the second book in this series, the answer is yes. And it’s so entertaining. I know many are sick of the vampire, werewolf, ghost combinations out there but these are the fun ones. Alexia is stubborn, smart, and determined and pretty much unwilling to listen to anyone yet takes everyone into account. You really do want her to whack people over the head with her parasol too. Let’s face it most of the people (vampires, werewolves, ghosts) deserve it.

Her husband’s pack appears in book two and we get to see why Lord Maccon can sometimes be so annoyed all he wants to do is shift into werewolf form and run away, although it does make for some fun for Alexia.

Unwilling to give up too many spoilers, I will say this — want some fun reading, check out this series. I’m happy to know I’ve got a few more books ahead of me. Blameless, book three in the series, is not far off in my future.

Changless (The Parasol Protectorate #2)

By Gail Carriger

Orbit
ISBN-13: 9780316088039

4.25 stars