Review: Heartless by Gail Carriger

One of my greatest joys as a reader is to watch a writer's craft grow. Now having completed Heartless, book four in the Parasol Protectorate series, I am filled with such awe and admiration towards Gail, and many bittersweet emotions as this series nears completion. In Heartless we find that being 8 months pregnant does little to slow Lady Alexia down! She receives a dire warning concerning the Queen from a dying ghost, She is packing to move into Lord Akeldama's third best closet , and then there is that unfortunate waddling!

As Alexia tries to discover the source of the threat she also illuminates a lot of unanswered questions about her past as well as her husband's Lord Maccon. Of all the books in the series this one had a strong emotional impact on me. Gail has a wonderful way of exploring diverse characters with affection and tolerance. Her characters wind their way into your heart and redefine what is "normal" . Alexia, constantly aware of what people feel about her Soulless nature has a wonderful practicality  and acceptance for the unique family she has created around herself.

The humor is definetly ramped up this volume as we see an entire wolfpack tiptoeing around her moods and are well armed with snacks for the frequently hungry Alexia.

A wonderful climactic battle, a hilarous birth and a great ending that has me anxiously awaiting book 5.

There are several omnibus editions of this series in physical and e- book bundles of theis wonderful series, Give it a try, you wont regret it. :)