Imprudence

By: Gail Carriger

Narrated by: Moira Quirk

From New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger comes the delightful sequel to Prudence.

Rue and the crew of the Spotted Custard return from India with revelations that shake the foundations of England's scientific community. Queen Victoria is not amused, the vampires are tetchy, and something is wrong with the local werewolf pack. To top it all off, Rue's best friend Primrose keeps getting engaged to the most unacceptable military types.

Rue has family problems as well. Her vampire father is angry, her werewolf father is crazy, and her obstreperous mother is both. Worst of all, Rue's beginning to suspect what they really are. . . is frightened.

Critic reviews

"Carriger's trademark wit and whimsy are in evidence from the very first sentence, and the result is an inventive madcap adventure."—RT Book Reviews on Imprudence

"Blending steampunk and urban fantasy in a colorful alternate Victorian England, Carriger presents a grand cast of characters on a harrowing adventure that stretches from England to India... Filled with lavish fashions, supernatural high society, and witty dialogue, this story is a fine introduction to a fabulous new series."—Booklist on Prudence

"Carriger maintains a droll, tongue-in-cheek tone, and her protagonists are as concerned with witty banter and fashionable hats as they are with fighting for their lives. Series fans will enjoy this mischievous romp, which revisits old favorites while raising a new crop of charming characters."—Publishers Weekly on Prudence

"Readers who delighted in Carriger's Parasol Protectorate will be entranced by the familiar cast and trademark wit of the new Custard Protocol series...Behind the delightful whimsy and snarky observations, there is a great deal of heart and soul."—RT Book Reviews on Prudence

"The author's humor and affection for her outlandish characters is always appealing. A fun launch."—Library Journal on Prudence

"Soulless has all the delicate charm of a Victorian parasol, and all the wicked force of a Victorian parasol secretly weighted with brass shot and expertly wielded. Ravishing."—Lev Grossman

"The dialogue is as smart and snappy as ever, full of intelligent humor and artful verbal sparring."—All Things Urban Fantasy on Changeless

"Changeless is equal to Soulless: witty, sexy, graceful, and unpredictable. With a few more novels, this delightful, Ms. Carriger will be challenging Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris for the top of the New York Times bestseller lists."—Fantasy Magazine on Changeless

"Carriger delivers surprises with every book, and this one is no exception. With action, intrigue, and above all, proper manners, this excellent series will have broad appeal to readers of steampunk, urban fantasy, and paranormal and historical romance."—Library Journal on Heartless

"The world of Timeless is a unique recipe of steampunk and fantasy spiced with light sprinkling of romance. Its setting is rich for characters to romp about in, but the unbridled playfulness of the language and dialogue shines brightest."—The Miami Herald

Wonderfully witty and entertaining story!

This is not a stand alone book, as it's set in the world developed by previous stories. I recommend starting with Prudence's Mother's story 'Soulless"' (Soul less) in the Parasol Protector series, of which there are 5 books. Then start off with this series, 'The Custard Protocol' (I'm still laughing at this name!) The Finishing School series is a stand alone and predates the beginning of Soulless. However, you don't have to listen to it first, but can start off with Soulless if you wish.

This story is quite witty, entertaining and surprising. I literally laughed out loud at times, while being moved almost to tears when the London Pack has a surprising change. In listening to this book I was so engaged in the story that I actually cleaned house while listening, just so I had a reason to put off my real work until later! LOL (I get bored when cleaning so I love listening to audiobooks as it makes the time fly by.)

I love Gail Carriger's writing and wit so much that I've attended one author signing at Powell's books and will be attending another next week. She creates strong female characters set in a steampunk world. All too often other authors only write where men must be alpha, which I get tired of. (I'm a natural pack leader myself) However, Gail's writing showcase's the way these female characters forge their way through the world, and in the process are quite entertaining. These are not women who are weak, or even looking for an alpha man, as they're quite capable of looking after themselves with the help of their friends. Each of the characters has their own strength, whether male or female.

When I learned of this new book in the series I couldn't wait. In fact, I counted the days until it was available and then stayed up till after midnight, just so I could purchase it right away on Audible.

This book isn't only entertaining for women either. My Sweetheart actually loves this series as much as I do! What a surprise! He's normally more into science fiction, mysteries and such, liking more mayhem and violence in his books than I do. But he equally likes Gail's writings and attended her signing event with me and will also be going to the next one.

Moira Quirk, as always, delightfully narrates in such a way that I hear the different personalities shining through. The voice for Prudence is especially entertaining, as it brings home the vibrant personality that Gail has created.

Still in Her Mother's Shadow

Just like the first book in the series, this one struggles mostly against the others in the same universe. More than that, the balance seems off in the plot somehow. It seems to drag in several places.

Rue spends much of this arc exploring her relationships, finally showing the evolution I was waiting for in the last novel, but it often seems at the expense of the rest of the adventure. We get to know all her waffling over love and the changing dynamics with her parents, but her reactions and discoveries in relation to the adventure plot will seem like unlikely intuitive leaps for lack of any lead up.

All that said, it's still an enjoyable listen, and I personally think it ranks slightly above the last book. The actual plot outside the romance was entertaining and flowed well once it got going.

I do have to note that, while I appreciate the narrator attempting to listen to feedback and change her voice for Biffy, she gets no points because she managed to make it worse. I nearly stopped listening just based on his new voice, which has gone from a terrible and indeterminate accent to something reminiscent of Igor. Be prepared: it's horrendous, and even having been warned did not prepare me for how bad it was. His appearances are thankfully few and limited to the early chapters, so just try to push through.

Charming as usual

I've loved the soulless series, and this followup is great. It's not the best, most pivotal novel in the world, but it is full of humor and adventure - as per Gail Carriger's usual. Enjoy the light listening and good voice acting.

Fun!

This author is always great fun. I like this series because I enjoy her writing style and characters. I do prefer her original series, Parasol Protectorate because I enjoy the more adult feel rather than the YA feel of this series. I plan to listen to it all from the very beginning through this series. The narration is excellent.

i love this series. the story line is great.

can't believe the book is over. I love the imagination of the author. the story line is so believable.