Then one night she is attacked by a rogue vampire and after that she finds herself involved in a nefarious plot featuring devious vampires, grumpy werewolves and mad scientists. Luckily Alexia Tarabotti is armed with her quick wits, a sharp tongue and of course her trusty parasol.
And Miss Tarabotti has one more trick up her well-tailored sleeve. Born without a soul, her touch can make werewolves and vampires mortal. No wonder she makes them worried.
I've been an avid reader of Gail Carriger's "Parasol Protectorate" books ever since I picked up the first one while pottering about Waterstones.
The 5 books so far are set in a 19th Century where vampires and werewolves are an integral part of high society. If you want a thumbnail description try this: Victorian society drama + Urban fantasy + a hint of steampunk = Parasol Protectorate.
I would cheerfully recommend them to anybody who likes that sort of thing as they are enormous fun. Alexia Tarabotti is delightfully snarky and surprisingly kick-ass for somebody wearing a bustle. The rest of the cast is equally entertaining : Lord Macon, werewolf and Crown agent, the flamboyant vampire Lord Akeldema, Miss Ivy Hisselpenny, best friend and lover of hideous hats and the urbane Professor Lyall, all joined in Vol.2 by the crossdressing French inventor Madame Lefoux.
These two volumes are a manga adaptation of books 1&2 ("Soulless" and "Changeless") In the first our forthright heroine finds herself the focus of attention from all sorts of unpleasant people. In the second, Alexia has to deal with a mysterious force that has robbed London's supernaturals of their powers.
I was initially terrified that the artwork might be some hideous, cutesie, Shoujo abomination- all twinkles and enormous saucer eyes - but thankfully artist "REM" skirts clear of such horrors and in fact the artwork is gorgeous to behold.
I suppose I could quibble that the character designs don't quite match up to the ones in my head but frankly that's nitpicking.
A slightly more important niggle is one common to a lot of comic adaptations: By shifting from prose to the visual you do lose a fair bit. Part of the entertainment in the novels is the way Gail Carriger describes the world, Alexia's snarky inner monologue especially.
There's also a throwaway line about treacle that makes no sense whatsoever unless you've read the actual book.
These things aside, Orbit books have done a great job in turning the "Parasol Protectorate." into a manga and I hope they continue adapting the series.
Time for some scans.
Miss Alexia Tarabotti
Keen of mind, sharp of tongue and seriously stacked.
A vampire is about to mess with the wrong spinster.
That's what you get for interrupting an English lady when she's having a cuppa.
Alexia renews her acquaintance with a couple of well-dressed werewolves.
Alexia and Lord Akeldema get ready to rumble.
The traditional chapter-page fanservice.
That's all folks.
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