Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Soulless - Gail Carriger

February 17, 2021.
Requested by Saar the Book Owl.

Started this this morning, read the first chapter, really liked it!

(view spoiler)[ I love that Alexia doesn't have a soul! Considering I didn't read the blurb, even though the book is called Souless I didn't make the connection that the main charcater had no soul! I'm an idiot! But it is a really cool idea that being soulless means she can negate supernatural powers.

The poor vampire was a right mess, bless him. (hide spoiler)]

Can anyone join?

Sure, you can, Johanna!

@Charlie: probably going to start tomorrow.

Yes Johanna please join us!

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ Well this is getting exciting! Alexia is friends with a vampire and she’s been invited to meet with a vampire queen, fun! (hide spoiler)]

I'm in for this one girls. It's been on my TBR for a very long time.

Yay welcome Laura!

Thank you Charlie! :) I'll start it tomorrow though. I just realised the book is in one of the stored boxes someplace and I'll have some digging to do to get it. :D

Welcome, Laura! The more, the merrier :) Good luck on finding your copy!

Laura wrote: "Thank you Charlie! :) I'll start it tomorrow though. I just realised the book is in one of the stored boxes someplace and I'll have some digging to do to get it. :D"

Enjoy your digging!

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ Yay we have a mystery, I love a good mystery! So lone werewolves and vamps are disappearing. I bet Alexia is going to insert herself into the investigation. I’m really looking forward to this. (hide spoiler)]

I can’t see the spoilers on my phone,so I’ll react on them when on my laptop.

I’ve finished chapter 1:
(view spoiler)[So Alexia doesn’t have a soul. Would that be something she inherited from her father, because her mother is unaware of it. Also, the BUR is there to cover up things that unnatural beings do, as they did for Alexia? It’s bizarre that she could get convicted for murder for killing a vampire! It’s interesting that vampires, and maybe other beings, looses their unnatural things when attacking her. It’s like some sort of self defence. The 2 werewolves are interesting and the comment on ‘puppy’ was hilarious. About the vampire: I wonder if he could be a member of a hive that isn’t known by the BUR. Also, is Alexia a spinster, because she hasn’t got a soul? (hide spoiler)]

I like the writing and the story makes me think of something between ‘The invisible library’ and ‘Sense and sensibility and zombies.’

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I can’t see the spoilers on my phone,so I’ll react on them when on my laptop.

I’ve finished chapter 1:
[spoilers removed]..."

Alexia's nature: (view spoiler)[I'd say being soulless is a bit like being on the autism spectrum, because I'd compare Alexia's spinsterhood to Steris's in Mistborn Era 2, before Waxillium came along with an arranged marriage...

Prone to logic, instead of emotion... (hide spoiler)]

I'll leave the rest of the story to you guys' to discover ;)

Thanks Iain that makes a lot of sense!

@Saar I like the writing too and it also reminded me of The Invisible Library.

Chapter 4 (view spoiler)[ The vampire hive seem like an unpleasant lot. The poor actress, I feel bad for her.

Maccon kissed Alexia, in public! love it! (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 5 and 6, I'm loving this! (view spoiler)[ Lord Maccon and Alexia so adorable, I'm rooting for them!

I'm suspicious about the American, I think he might have something to do with the disappearing supernaturals, purely because he mentioned wanting to source supernatural cadavers. (hide spoiler)]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Welcome, Laura! The more, the merrier :) Good luck on finding your copy!"

Thank you! :) Found it yesterday though my hubby wasn't very happy about the book box I dropped on his feet while searching. :D

Charlie wrote: "Started this this morning, read the first chapter, really liked it!

.."

I didn't read the blurb either and didn't make the connection. It's pretty cool that (view spoiler)[she doesn't have a soul. And I also loved the fact that
'she was proper English young lady, aside from not having a soul and being half Italian.' :D

I kind of pitied the poor dumbass vampire. Especially for the parasol in the private parts. :):) (hide spoiler)]

And it's the first time I heard of:
'To put the pudding in the puff.'
It's a keeper! :D

@Saar - A spinster is an old unmarried woman who already passed the marriageable age and is unlikely to find a husband anymore.
At least that was the explanation I got from classics. :D

And I am also wondering why (view spoiler)[she is souless (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2

(view spoiler)['How ghastly for her... People actually thinking, with their brains, and right next door. Oh, the travesty of it all.'

Then, 'stop being so squiffy. There is no one important around to catch you.'

I love these things!! The way bad things in society are shown off.

And am I the only one who thinks our girl is not quite so indifferent to her big grumpy werewolf boss?

Love the vampire friend and his style. (hide spoiler)]

Also, what's a 'fuddy-duddy'?

@Saar - for some reason my comment got cut and I just noticed that.
What I meant was that, the way I see it, she is a spinster because she is neither pretty nor meak. And she always spoke her mind.
We get that mention in chapter 2 where the mother regrets she wasn't a boy because that would have made her life a lot easier.

Timelord Iain wrote: "Saar The Book owl wrote: "I can’t see the spoilers on my phone,so I’ll react on them when on my laptop.

I’ve finished chapter 1:
[spoilers removed]..."

Alexia's nature: I'd say being soulless is ..."

That makes it clear! Thanks, Iain :)

Laura wrote: "@Saar - for some reason my comment got cut and I just noticed that.
What I meant was that, the way I see it, she is a spinster because she is neither pretty nor meak. And she always spoke her mind..."

Yeah, I follow you on that. Alexia has a pretty strong character to find her equal match.

As far as prone to logic instead of emotion - it doesn't seem that way to me till now. She does seem to get pissed by certain comments and a person who's not prone to emotion wouldn't get pissed because of side remarks.
But then I'm only at chapter 3 and may be wrong. Until now she hasn't ticked any categories for the autism spectrum as far as I could see.

Laura wrote: "As far as prone to logic instead of emotion - it doesn't seem that way to me till now. She does seem to get pissed by certain comments and a person who's not prone to emotion wouldn't get pissed be..."

I mean... it was a gross generalization, really...

According to the wiki: (view spoiler)[ Believing that she has a lack of 'natural morals' that would be provided by a soul, Alexia seems to have taken manners as a substitute, and treats rudeness and impropriety the way some treat immorality.

I just equated that to how Steris makes lists for possible events and ways to respond to them, to feel in control... (hide spoiler)]

@Laura fuddy duddy is usually someone who is really old fashioned and outdated in their values. Like calling someone old and boring :).

LOL I am once again just going to insert myself into a conversation about a book I read like a year ago. I read this series and then the first two books of the spinoff series, but didn't finish that one. Curiously, I really enjoyed this first series as a whole although I didn't love any particular book in it. I definitely missed these characters after it ended.

I felt I related to Alexia. I think I do have a soul though. Is that weird?

Gail Carriger does such a good job at being hilarious without trying too hard. This series was a lot of fun for me.

@Iain slight tangent: does one need to start with Mistborn Era 1 or can I jump right into Era 2 do you think? Looking at my library's availability.

@Iain - As mother of a child on the spectrum and having worked with other children on the spectrum, I don't see Alexia that way.
(view spoiler)[
To me she is just a very smart person with a strong personality who is aware of how people view her for perceived flaws and decided to go her own way and not care about it.

The notion that people with autism can't feel or express any emotion—happy or sad - is a myth.

Truth is that Autism doesn't make an individual unable to feel the emotions you feel, it just makes the person communicate emotions (and perceive your expressions) in different ways.

There is one more thing.

Autism often affects an individual’s ability to understand unspoken interpersonal communication, so someone with autism might not detect sadness based solely on one’s body language or sarcasm in one’s tone of voice.
And  Alexia clearly gets these. (hide spoiler)]

That's why I was a bit confused by your explanation.

@Kristin I'd say you can probably read Mistborn era 2 and understand it well enough alone, I think you'll really get much more out of it if you read era 1 first. Theres just so much world building and information on the magic system and religion etc that I think is really important to know, going into era 2.

Also, I agree that this is a super fun read (at least so far!).

Chapter 2:
(view spoiler)[I love Lord Akeldama! He has such an interesting personality. When Alexia met miss Dair, she decided she was dealing with an original. What does she ment by that? Also, the hives and werewolves used drones. So, I'm assuming these are not the flying things we know, but what could it be then? I wonder why countess Nadasdy wants to meet Alexia. Regarding Akeldama she needs to watch her back. (hide spoiler)]

Kristin wrote: "@Iain slight tangent: does one need to start with Mistborn Era 1 or can I jump right into Era 2 do you think? Looking at my library's availability."

Era 2 is readable, but I think it's best to start with Era 1... there's eventually going to be 4 Eras, and the earliest have the least Cosmere connections and just historical connections between trilogies... you very much get to see society advance and magic evolve across eras...

Kristin wrote: "LOL I am once again just going to insert myself into a conversation about a book I read like a year ago. I read this series and then the first two books of the spinoff series, but didn't finish tha..."

Custard Protocol or Finishing School?... Finishing School is better than CP, and arguably more fun than Parasol Protectorate...

I think I'll stop digging this hole I seem to find myself in (@Laura)

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Chapter 2:
[spoilers removed]"

I'm not sure (view spoiler)[ what she means about Akeldama being an original (though I love him too). By drones I think they means servants/ people in thrall of supernaturals. (hide spoiler)]

Charlie wrote: "@Laura fuddy duddy is usually someone who is really old fashioned and outdated in their values. Like calling someone old and boring :)."

Thank you! :)

Chapter 7 (view spoiler)[ Poor Lyle! He's absolutely exhausted, going to work himself into an early grave, I like him, he seems like a good egg!

I think Alexia is going to end up with Lord Maccon, he's clearly smitten. I'm glad he apologised, clumsy as it was. I think they'll be great together. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 3 and 4

(view spoiler)[ I love the way the 2 dance around each other. Both of them clearly like the other but resent the fact. It's so sweet!!

The way Maccon is jealous of her affection for the vampire and the way he looks out for her..
The way Alexia feels when she's around him and tries to dismiss those feelings as nonsense.
I love it!

I was also wondering what kind of shoes those were that she was wearing. Some sort of heels?

And I love it that the clothing of the werewolves is explained. Not puff in a smoke suddenly there.

The fact that Maccon can half-shift is really cool and I also loved the way the vampire lady was described. Short and chubby is so unlike all the other vampire figures I've read about - all thin and perfect. (hide spoiler)]

This book is really fun. Are her other series even better?

Timelord Iain wrote: "I think I'll stop digging this hole I seem to find myself in (@Laura)"

Sorry :(

Timelord Iain wrote: Finishing School is better than CP, and arguably more fun than Parasol Protectorate..."

Have you read these? Are they good too?

@Iain Oh yes I should have been clear that it was CP that I gave up on. I think in another thread you or someone else pointed out to me that Finishing School is much much better.

Charlie wrote: "Laura wrote: "Thank you Charlie! :) I'll start it tomorrow though. I just realised the book is in one of the stored boxes someplace and I'll have some digging to do to get it. :D"

Enjoy your diggi..."

Same thought, allthough (view spoiler)[I think that Maccon will forbic Alexia to investigate and she'll do it in secret. That's more her style, I think. (hide spoiler)]

Laura wrote: "Chapters 3 and 4

I love the way the 2 dance around each other. Both of them clearly like the other but resent the fact. It's so sweet!!

The way Maccon is jealous of her affection for the vampir..."

I've finished chapter 3 and started chapter 4:
(view spoiler)[You're so right! The attraction between both is almost feelable! I wonder how that will turn out. I don't trust lady Nadasdy and the 3 men that sit at the meeting. And Alexia as a soul sucker? I don't think she does that, she just immobilise their powers? (hide spoiler)]

Charlie wrote: "Saar The Book owl wrote: "Chapter 2:
[spoilers removed]"

I'm not sure [spoilers removed]"

Aha, and that the same for cavilger or something like that? I don't have the book near me at the moment.

@Saar - I was wondering the same about the term. (view spoiler)[They say soul sucker but all she seems to do is revert the supernaturals to their original state - before powers.
So power sucker? But then she doesn't get the powers herself. She just neutralises them. (hide spoiler)]

@Charlie - I think so too. :) (view spoiler)[Even of Maccon wants to keep her safe Alexia will do as Alexia wants to do. :D (hide spoiler)]

Laura wrote: "Chapter 2

@Laura yes I absolutely love her vampire friend! He is just too much and also exactly enough.

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I can’t see the spoilers on my phone,so I’ll react on them when on my laptop.

I’ve finished chapter 1:
[spoilers removed]

I like the writing and the story makes me think of something between ‘The..."

I should probably add Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to my TBR.

Also totally agree with @Laura's reasoning for why Alexia ended up a spinster.

We should definitely talk more about the BUR as you make your way through the book!

@Laura reading all of your comments just really takes me all the way back to why I found this series so delightful.

@Saar you ask great questions. I cannot respond to any of them without spoiling! LOL.

Just reading everyone's commensts far and I'm in agreement that(view spoiler)[ the world building is cool, it's nice to get information on the weres and how their shifts work, and the vampire hive too. I also likes that the vampire queen wasn't stick thin and beautiful.

I think Alexia is absolutely goign to do whatever she wants and woe betide anyone who tries to stop her! (hide spoiler)]

I've finished chapter 4:
(view spoiler)[Yay, they kissed, but I don't think it was intended to or very emotional at all, but it seems that both are drawn to each other like moths to light...Now, vampires and werewolves are dissapearing, but the vampires do return, not of the knowledge of a preternatural. I guessed that it was just a matter of time before Alexia would be abducted or would've try to be abducted. The book makes me think on the series of Written in Red (hide spoiler)]