Book Review: Heartless by Gail Carrier

Heartless is the forth book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. The audiobook is read by  Emily Gray. This is a series that you definitely need to read or listen to in order.

Lady Alexia Maccon, receives a disjointed message from a ghost that is losing substance.  Now she is investigating a threat to the Queen, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement, Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant. Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

Heartless is another exciting and entertaining romp in a world that combines steampunk with mystery and the paranormal. This time Alexia is very pregnant and dealing with the protectiveness that comes with that while still trying to do her job to save Queen and Country. The balance is difficult, especially with mechanical but zombie like porcupines trying to kill her. While Akeldama, Lyall, and crew come up with a solution for one problem the larger issue of a threat to the Queen still looms in Alexia's mind. I will admit that I saw that threat, and some of its details, coming before the big reveal I was not disappointed in its delivery. Alexia can be forgiven for not seeing it sooner since she is eight months pregnant has has quite a bit on her mind. Be prepared for great humor and a fair share of explosions and battles before this book has its big conclusion.

If you have read and enjoyed the first three books, then you need to keep on going with Heartless. It is fun, exciting, and answers a number of questions that we had so far throughout this series. Although, seeing as I have listened to the last two, and will continue to listen to the rest of this series, I would like to suggest that if you enjoy audiobooks, and this series- then listen to it! Emily Gray does a wonderful job with it.