Audiobook Review: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Published: November 5th, 2013 by: Little, Brown BYR

Series: Finishing School #2

Genres: Young-Adult, Steampunk, Paranormal, Science-Fiction, Alternate History

Format: audio (9 hours, 30 mins) 

Narrator: Moira Quirk 

Source: Library My Rating: 4 Stars 

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Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia’s first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won’t Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers’ quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship’s boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot–one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger’s YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail’s distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

 

My Thoughts

It’s official….from now on, I’m listening to the audio versions for the rest of this series. I love Moira’s voice! She brought the characters to life, and it was so wonderful listening to all the voices. I still feel like there could have been more, which is why I’d rate the story alone 3 stars. If it weren’t for the great feel that the narrator brought to this sequel, I wouldn’t have liked it much. But….one more star for the awesome narration.

Curtsies & Conspiracies, for the most part, isn’t really that bad. I love Sophronia as a character. I love how inquisitive she is. She never takes things at face value, which is one of her most valuable qualities. And while Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing School has taught her how to be the perfect spy, her knack for figuring things out has always been apart of her. There are mysteries to be solved, but Sophronia is about to uncover more than what she suspects. Vieve is back, and brings her intelligence along for the ride. I love that she’s a more central character in this sequel.

Unlike the first book, this one isn’t that exciting. I mean, the mystery and all the cool spy gadgets are there, but I feel like this could have been more. I would have preferred it to be over the top, than lacking in action. However, I do love me a good old fashion renegade. I think that is what really kept me reading. I can never resist exposing a traitor. Overall, this sequel lacked some things, but I am definitely gonna keep up with the series, because I love this world that Carriger created. I also can’t wait to start her Parasol Protectorate series after I catch up with this one. I definitely recommend this series if you are into steampunk with a twist.