First, a note of thanks to crystalclear for not wanting to bash my head in for how long this book sat on my desk, unread. It is her copy and I am a bad friend for not returning it to her in a timely fashion. Beware of friends who overcommit on their reading capacity, we’re a terrible liability to your own reading. :)
That being said, this is the final book of the Finishing School series, a prequel of sorts to The Parasol Protectorate series (the Soulless books). It is Carriger doing what Carriger does, with her brand of humor. Are there werewolves? Yes. Vampires? Yes. Fancy dress and tea? You bet! Intrigue? OF COURSE. Political machinations in an alt-history Victorian England? You betcha. Awesome leading ladies doing awesome leading lady things? Indubitably.
I don’t want to give much away (and I’m assuming if you’re reading this review its because you’ve either read this series or that cover caught your eye) but this book quite nicely wraps up the events of book the third, Waistcoats & Weaponry, which itself is a natural progression from book 1 and 2 (Etiquette & Espionage and Curtsies & Conspiracies respectively). I really enjoyed my time with these characters and their stories, and the epilogue made the definitive connections between the two different series (although many connections were already in place). I did miss some of my favorite characters being needfully off-page, so I’ve downgraded this one to three stars, but I couldn’t be more certain in suggesting this series to you, if all those things in my previous paragraph sound good to you.
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