In Which a Zombie Reviews Soulless By: Joe Alfano Posted on: 10/18/2009 11:52:00 AM

While not an outright fan of the steampunk genre, I did share a fascination with the steam-powered clockwork gadgets that are a large element of them. Not only that, but a good story is a good story no matter what the setting. Between that and picking up Boneshaker – another steampunk novel – I decided to pick up Soulless by Gail Carriger.

As a shameless plug for authors and readers alike, you really should look at Twitter. I would have been less aware of this novel had I not seen a reference to it on a Twitter sent by another author I am following. I would have had to notice the book on the shelf at the store, picked it up and thought it would be a good one to read. In just hearing about it and the praise it was getting I knew enough to walk in to Barnes and Noble on the release day for it. And for the record, it had not been put on the shelves when I had asked for it, spending about 5 or 10 minutes talking to the person working the section about it after they got it off the cart for me.

And yes, Gail Carriger is on Twitter.

For my part the opening of the book had the feeling of a cross between a standard vampire fiction and an Amelia Peabody book by Elizabeth Peters. Of course I am hoping that connection seems more flattering to the readers than it seems to Mrs. Zombie who is used to me taunting her with, “Hell and damnation, Peabody!” The cons to this is that the Peabody books seem a bit slow to me at times. The pros to this is that uncouth vampires being smacked down with a parasol picks things right up for me.

The further I got into the book the more the characters did not seem a definition of Victorian history and more characters acting as people stuck in such tight societal constraints. For me it made me see them as people like me working within a set of rules, often times wondering why those rules existed.

Without revealing too much, the book feels like a solid vampire fiction similar to many of the urban fantasy books out on the market now – just set in the Victorian Age. Instead of leather jackets it is petticoats. Instead of swords and wooden stakes it is parasols and a wooden hair spike. It has some of the best elements of tales like Hellboy, Men in Black and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but with a feel more like classical literature – and the quality of the writing really backs it up.

In short (not that I write anything short these days) if you are a fan of the steampunk genre I think you will enjoy this book a lot. Good solid writing, unique and believable characters and a strong plot. If you are not an existing fan of the genre, but like urban fantasy, or are simply looking for a new genre of book to read, this one is definitely worth picking up.

I will give it four and a half parasols out of five. And for the record, half parasols happen when you pop and unruly vampire with it too hard.