Changeless By Gail Carriger

Changeless is the second book in the Parasol Protectorate series. In Changeless, Alexia returns newly married and a member of the paranormal council to Queen Victoria. Over the course of the book she has to deal with her best friend falling in love with her husband's valet, a mysterious ailment that leaves vampires human and werewolves changeless for a period of time and at the end of the book she has a shocking revelation which will turn life as she has come to know it upside down.

Alexia has a mystery to solve in Changeless and in typical Alexia fashion, she charges right in head first to find out what has caused an uproar in the London supernatural community. She also has to deal with her half sister, who her mother dumped on Alexia completely out of the blue. Then there is the issue of her best friend who has just become engaged but has feelings for Lord Maccon's valet, who is- GASP- an ACTOR! The new french hat maker in London also attaches herself to the new Lady Maccon and to top it all off someone keeps trying to kill Alexia Maccon. It's all VERY unsettling, so much so that she can't even enjoy her first float in a dirigible!
I love Alexia's character! She is so funny and strong willed. It really makes the story that much more enjoyable. In this book we get to see her use her brain even more than in Soulless. She solves the big mystery and ends the "curse of changelessness" and she does it all pretty much on her own while having the distractions of her evil half sister and crazy best friend swirling around her. I liked getting to see more of Professor Lyall and Lord Akeldama. If I had to pick a character crush from this series it would be Professor Lyall. He's such a consummate gentleman- even standing in a London alley wearing nothing but a great coat. I love his "nerdiness" and of course, the use of glassicals. Lord Akeldama is probably the most fabulous vampire ever written. I've read about plenty of vamps but he REALLY takes the cake as the most over the top. But he's also a sweet guy and a great friend. I love the contrast you get in his character. I did not like Felicity, the evil half sister. She grated on my nerves something AWFUL. I don't think there has ever been a character that I despised as much as her. I could have cheerfully beat her to dust and gone for ice cream. She was just a horrid little creature.
All in all this book was a great second book. It had tons of action, suspense and new characters. It left me needing to read the next book, Blameless, RIGHT NOW. (Which you know I totally did!) Changeless really moved the story forward for the next book, even though the ending was kind of a cliff hanger. If you haven't tried Steampunk books or more specifically, these books- you need to. They are a fun way to try something new!

Changeless earns 4 Fairies for a fun and interesting paranormal steampunk read.