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Soulless
Soulless
Book 1
Author Gail Carriger
Release Date October 1, 2009
Series Parasol Protectorate Series
Pages 373
Publisher Orbit

Summary[]

2ParasolProtectorate

Alexia Tarabotti

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia is responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

About[]

  • The Soulless ebook hit the New York Times eBook bestseller list at #22 on May 27, 2012.
  • Soulless was nominated for Compton Crook and Locus awards.
  • Soulless won an ALA Alex Award in 2010.

Chapter Titles[]

  • Chapter One - In Which Parasols Prove Useful
  • Chapter Two - An Unexpected Invitation
  • Chapter Three - Our Heroine Heeds Some Good Advice
  • Chapter Four - Our Heroine Ignores Good Advice
  • Chapter Five - Dinner with An American
  • Chapter Six - Driving with Scientists, Dabbling with Earls
  • Chapter Seven - Revelations Over Chopped Liver
  • Chapter Eight - Backyard Shenanigans
  • Chapter Nine - A Problem of Werewolf Proportions
  • Chapter Ten - For the Good of the Commonwealth
  • Chapter Eleven - Among the Machines
  • Chapter Twelve - Nothing but Werewolf
  • Chapter Thirteen - The Last Room
  • Chapter Fourteen - Royal Interference
  • Epilogue

Timeline[]

  • In the series timeline, Soulless takes place in 1873, between late spring and early summer.

Illustrated Edition[]

On May 4th, 2018, Orbit Books announced a special edition of Soulless[1], featuring "10 stunning full page illustrations in Edward Gorey style by the talented Jensine Eckwall."[2]

Gallery[]

Cover Art Gallery[]

Illustrations from the Special Edition[]

Trivia[]

  • The narrator, Emily Gray, mispronounces Lord Akeldama's name in the audiobook of Soulless because producers did not ask Gail about pronunciation until the second book was about to release. Normally, Gail doesn't much care but it's important that Lord Akeldama's name is said the way it is in her brain for reasons that will become clear in the Custard Protocol series.
  • Soulless, Changeless, and Blameless were adapted into manga format in 2012. The manga versions were illustrated by Rem.

Extras[]

A diagram of the final fight scene in Soulless, from Gail Carriger's notes

Soulless Fight Scene sm

The final confrontation scene in Soulless

The Italian book trailer for Soulless:

Alma?_-_O_Protetorado_da_Sombrinha-_O_Primeiro_Livro_-_Book_trailer

Alma? - O Protetorado da Sombrinha- O Primeiro Livro - Book trailer

Here is the original blurb for Soulless, that Gail wrote as an Amazon placeholder, before the cover was finished:

"Alexia Tarabotti has problems. She's been placed on the shelf by London high society. Her father is both Italian and, most inconveniently, dead. She likes to read and is fascinated by the latest inventions. She also just happens to be soulless.

In a world where having excess soul can mean entrée into immortality (and the most fashionable parties), this last could prove to be Alexia's biggest problem of all. Especially when she finds herself accidentally killing a vampire (how embarrassing!) and facing off against Queen Victoria's best werewolf investigator."

Links[]

Quotes[]

Lord Maccon, to Alexia Tarabotti, about Lord Akeldama: "I am certain he would be extremely helpful in a fight. He could ruthlessly flatter all your attackers into abject submission."

Notable[]

  • Audible.com Best of 2010 List for the audiobook
  • Top 10 Bestseller in Locus – debuting at #2
  • Audiobook named to Audible’s Top 20 Sleeper Hit List
  • Winner of the 2010 American Library Association's Alex Awards
  • Top 5 Finalist for the 2010 Locus Award for Best First Novel
  • Nominated for the 2011 Prix des Imaginales (France)
  • Nominated for the 2010 Compton Crook Award
  • Nominated for John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer 2010
  • A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2009
  • November 2009 IndieBound Notables List
  • Locus Recommended Reading List in the First Novel Category 2009
  • Finalist for 2009 PEARL Award in the New Author Category

References[]

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