Review - Curtsies and Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger

Title: Curtsies and Conspiracies

Author: Gail Carriger

Series: 2nd (Etiquette and Espionage)

Pages: 320

Published: November 5th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 9780316190114

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Description: Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldines Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing. For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy. Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ships boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is at first apparent. A conspiracy is afootone 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.

I Give This ...

I know I can sometimes have issues when it comes to steampunk.  But at the same I have a hard time saying no to any of it.  So, I didn''t say no when I noticed this up for review.  I'm glad I didn't.

I still love the idea of a spy finishing school.  I really enjoy what we get of the school this time around.  There's a test the girls take to show their placement in the program that I particularly enjoyed.  I feel it showed just exactly why Sophronia should be at the school.   I hated when the other girls ostracized Sophronia, but I understood the reasoning behind it.   Most of these girls know who to stand up for when it really counts.  The others just make the story more interesting.

I liked the storyline more this time.  Sometimes my issues with steampunk involves the gadgets that seem so out of place in the time period.   I was a little afraid of it because this series tends to be heavy on those aspects.  But this time around, I actually found it very intriguing.  There's a lot of implications that go far beyond what's happening in the school.  The government has just at much at stake as the supernaturals.  

I think one of things that I found most interesting was the explanation of vampires, their hives, queens, and roves.  The idea of tethers and a vampires ability to travel within the range of that was something new and a little fascinating.  Especially in light of what happens when that tether is broken.

I'm really interested in where this story is going now.  So, I'm sure I will be reading the next one!

Review - Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1) by Gail Carriger

Title: Etiquette & Espionage

Author: Gail Carriger

Series: 1st

Pages: 320

Published: February 5th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

ISBN: 9780316190084

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

 

Description: It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.  Sophronia Temminnick at 14 is a great trial more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners -- and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Her poor mother, desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady, enrolls the lively tomboy in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.  But young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage -- in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.  

I Give This ...

I've heard so many good things about the authors adult series.  I have most of them sitting on my shelf but have not got around to reading them just yet.   When this one came on my radar, I never hesitated to add it to my to read list.

The idea of a spy school disguised as a finishing school was actually a really great idea.  I love that they learn how to be a lady in high society and at the same time learn the art of espionage.  Who better for the job than the people they least suspect?   It really had to potential to be a perfect mix. 

 I also really liked the characters.  Sophronia was humorous and I loved her sense of adventure.  She never once shies away from exploring her surroundings.  Her curious nature makes her a perfect person for spying in my opinion.  She truly sees what is going on around her.  She also knows how to manipulate her situation.  I also really enjoyed her interactions with the other characters in the story.

Sadly, I think is once again a case of steam punk failing to connect with me.  I'm not sure exactly what it is about it, but I'm only about 50/50 when it comes to the enjoying the genre.  Mechanical dogs, floating ships, and the likes were just to front and center for me.  Add in vampires and werewolves and it just felt like there was too much going on in the story.

I was a tad disappointed in this book.  I'm really hoping her other series doesn't follow the same pattern.  I have to admit I'm a little leery of it it now.