Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger

Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


And so this specific story comes to an end. A story that I had originally avoided because I'm not really into reading young adult books set back in the 19th century England set in a finishing school. And, yes this part is particularly important, mixed up somehow with 'Steampunk' (a genre I've rarely liked (the exception to that 'rarely liked' is, oddly enough, that prior series I'd read by Gail Carriger (which this series here, Finishing School, is a prequel).

My reasons for avoiding the series were founded on misconceptions and wrong misguided beliefs. For this is much more than a 'finishing school', and while the people involved are quite young, they do not act 'irritatingly' young. This is a different time in history - an idea I had actually forgotten until just this moment - people's ages do not correspond then to today (as in, how they are treated). I had gotten used to the concept of 'you are female, 23, unmarried - therefore a spinster' without considering the opposite.

All the 'normal' characters who have shown up in this series return again (but for one young woman who is off in Scotland now). Time passes. School related stuff happens; party related stuff occurs; family members are revisited. Sky-pirates attack. Death and destruction occurs - all par for the course for this series.

The book itself is/was quite good and entertaining and the series itself was fun. Sad now that my time with the people involved has come to a close. I know some of the characters in this series pop up on the next, the one I've already read, but those would be the side characters in this series (and that). And there's a sequel series as well that got added after that Parasol series, but 1) that one is like 40 years after this series here (if I understand correctly), and 2) more of a spin-off of Parasol, not Finishing School. Though all of the series are related.

Well, off to contemplate rereading the Parasol series. Lots and lots of books to be read, all because I want to read a FF book by Carriger and I do not want to miss anything or spoil anything. I know the events in that FF book take place after Finishing School, and think they take place after Parasol as well.

November 16 2016



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