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Finishing School #4
Manners & Mutiny
If one must flirt... flirt with danger.
Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and now she's not sure whom to trust. What does the brusque werewolf dewan know? On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition, Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster--in decidedly dramatic fashion, of course.
What will become of our proper young heroine when she puts her years of training to the test?
Find out in the conclusion to the Finishing School series!
Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and now she's not sure whom to trust. What does the brusque werewolf dewan know? On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition, Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster--in decidedly dramatic fashion, of course.
What will become of our proper young heroine when she puts her years of training to the test?
Find out in the conclusion to the Finishing School series!
326 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2015
About the author
Gail Carriger
59 books15.2k followersGail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate and the Finishing School series. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea. Join the Chirrup for sneak peaks of upcoming giggles: http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,834 reviews
November 14, 2017
I can't believe this is the last book! SOB! I loved this series. I've listened to all four on audio - the narrator, Moira Quirk is fantastic and she has read all of Gail Carriger's audio books - well, all the ones I've listened to - Finishing School and the Parasol protectorate series (and the Prudence series, of which I listened to the first book).
The books are just plain fun and they're set in the generation before Alexia and her Parasol. I had a long drive to upstate New York and home, and this book made the time fly.
The books are just plain fun and they're set in the generation before Alexia and her Parasol. I had a long drive to upstate New York and home, and this book made the time fly.
December 30, 2015
[4.5 Stars]
THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE FEELS ARE STRONG Y'ALL!
THE PARASOL PROTECTORATE FEELS ARE STRONG Y'ALL!
September 16, 2019
[5 Stars] Loved it. Can't say it was entirely perfect, but I love everything Gail Carriger writes. Can't wait to read what she has in store for us next!
November 23, 2015
Spoilers
The prequel series has mostly been a let down, it has none of the charm and humour and adventure as the The Parasol Protectorate books. The best thing about the series has been the great friendships and some of the secondary characters. The overarching plot on the other hand has had very few points of interest, the whole picklemen thing was too silly and boring for words. Worst of all Sophronia was an unlikeable dry bore, she had no spark whatsoever. It didn't help that she was paired with Soap, who was the dullest character ever and who she had no chemistry with. Also, Soap pushing for a relationship with her when he knew it would mean Sophronia would have to give up any chance of family and normalcy showed how selfish he was, if he really cared about her he would have realised her she'd be better off without him. Overall, it was just a bit of a depressing read, there was nothing fun about Sophronia or the plot.
The prequel series has mostly been a let down, it has none of the charm and humour and adventure as the The Parasol Protectorate books. The best thing about the series has been the great friendships and some of the secondary characters. The overarching plot on the other hand has had very few points of interest, the whole picklemen thing was too silly and boring for words. Worst of all Sophronia was an unlikeable dry bore, she had no spark whatsoever. It didn't help that she was paired with Soap, who was the dullest character ever and who she had no chemistry with. Also, Soap pushing for a relationship with her when he knew it would mean Sophronia would have to give up any chance of family and normalcy showed how selfish he was, if he really cared about her he would have realised her she'd be better off without him. Overall, it was just a bit of a depressing read, there was nothing fun about Sophronia or the plot.
September 24, 2023
One of the best endings to a series I've ever read, I think. The ending is so perfect it makes me cry every time.
September 11, 2020
Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger
The 4th and final book in the Finishing School series. YA historical steampunk. Should be read as part of the series.
Sophronia’s lessons and adventures continue at the disguised finishing school. Until things turn very real and she’s put to the test of her espionage skills.
Amazing and adventurous. Easy reading and fun. Loved this series so much.
The 4th and final book in the Finishing School series. YA historical steampunk. Should be read as part of the series.
Sophronia’s lessons and adventures continue at the disguised finishing school. Until things turn very real and she’s put to the test of her espionage skills.
Amazing and adventurous. Easy reading and fun. Loved this series so much.
February 3, 2016
It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to Gail Carriger’s Finishing School series, albeit knowing without a doubt that this wonderful author will give us so much more to enjoy.
It was very easy to fall in love with these characters and their quirks yet again. Each of them is a small work of art, an unforgettable combination of oddities and personality traits. Sophoronia in particular is very easy to love, and so very competent to boot! I loved her in this book more than I ever loved her before. As silly as this series was most times (and really, silliness is what Carriger does best), we’ve still seen Sophoronia grow up to become a skilled, self-assured young woman. No more than a mischievous girl when we first met her, we’re leaving her as someone else entirely, a highly trained, sophisticated girl, but still with that familiar devil-may-care attitude.
Everything is bigger and better in this final installment. It’s funnier, faster, more romantic and more dangerous. There are guns and explosions, secrets and revelations. Carriger did an excellent job of concluding the overall storyline with a bang. I have to reiterate how much I loved Sophorinia in this book, braver and more resourceful than ever before. She makes her own rules and lives by them bravely, which is a quality I admire and hope some younger readers will adopt. But she wasn’t not the only one to show admirable growth in this book – her friends, including Agatha, have all become so much more courageous and quick-witted than ever before.
I was a bit afraid for the romance in this one, to be honest. While I knew how I wanted it to go, I saw no possible way for it to end like that. I suppose I should have trusted Carriger more because she found a very elegant way of giving us all what we craved. I finished this book with a smile on my face, content with leaving my characters right where I wanted them, happy and true to themselves. It’s hard to say goodbye, but what makes it bearable is knowing that there’s more of Carriger’s humor to come.
September 9, 2021
Rating: ⭐⭐
Genre: Fantasy + Young Adult
I don’t know what to say about this series. I was not impressed by the first two books. The third was not good and this finale did nothing. I still don’t understand the purpose of this series’ existence. Everything seemed so shallow to me. I liked the idea of a school on an airship with the presence of vampires and werewolves. But all that was built superficially. The series has ended and still, we didn’t get a clear purpose of why a school like this existed! Why these girls were trained to be spies and against who?
The love triangle continues here and as I predicted Sophronia ended up with the guy I expected her to be with. At times I found myself annoyed due to the lack of a clear goal and other times I was very bored. In short, the plot is all over the place in a story that lacks a clear direction. The author had to resort to turning one of the love interests into a villain in order to make Sophronia’s choice reasonable. I didn’t like that. The best thing is that the whole airship collapsed at the end which means there are no more books in the series. What a relief!
Genre: Fantasy + Young Adult
I don’t know what to say about this series. I was not impressed by the first two books. The third was not good and this finale did nothing. I still don’t understand the purpose of this series’ existence. Everything seemed so shallow to me. I liked the idea of a school on an airship with the presence of vampires and werewolves. But all that was built superficially. The series has ended and still, we didn’t get a clear purpose of why a school like this existed! Why these girls were trained to be spies and against who?
The love triangle continues here and as I predicted Sophronia ended up with the guy I expected her to be with. At times I found myself annoyed due to the lack of a clear goal and other times I was very bored. In short, the plot is all over the place in a story that lacks a clear direction. The author had to resort to turning one of the love interests into a villain in order to make Sophronia’s choice reasonable. I didn’t like that. The best thing is that the whole airship collapsed at the end which means there are no more books in the series. What a relief!
December 27, 2015
An absolutely topping ending to a fantastic series. Plus, this installment gives us insights to many characters introduced in her Parasol Protectorate series, which is delightful. All in all, one of the best books I've read this year.
*****************************************
WE HAVE A COVER! ALERT, ALERT, WE HAVE A COVER! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
*Cries with happiness*
*****************************************
WE HAVE A COVER! ALERT, ALERT, WE HAVE A COVER! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
*Cries with happiness*
January 2, 2016
Around 3.5 stars.
This was a good conclusion to the series.
Contrary to the previous installments, the plot actually made sense, and Sophronia isn't super special and doesn't save the day on her own.
It was almost sensible!
However it also means that I found it less fun, we still have tons of gadgets and gizmos, and whozits and whatzits galore. But the silliness that characterized this series in the beginning seems to ebb.
The romance plot also comes to a conclusion, with our leading lady finally picking a side in our very typical YA love triangle, which left me terribly disappointed. For some reason I expected her to refuse both boys and go ahead on her own as a single (empowered!) intelligencer.
Oh well.
This was a good conclusion to the series.
Contrary to the previous installments, the plot actually made sense, and Sophronia isn't super special and doesn't save the day on her own.
It was almost sensible!
However it also means that I found it less fun, we still have tons of gadgets and gizmos, and whozits and whatzits galore. But the silliness that characterized this series in the beginning seems to ebb.
The romance plot also comes to a conclusion, with our leading lady finally picking a side in our very typical YA love triangle, which left me terribly disappointed. For some reason I expected her to refuse both boys and go ahead on her own as a single (empowered!) intelligencer.
Oh well.
January 7, 2016
Now I'm REALLY looking forward to the Parasol Protectorate books. And since the second Custard Protocol book comes out this year, well... that goes without saying ;)
For some reason, I am SO turned on by the Soaphronia pairing. I don't know if it's the class differences or just the way Moira narrates Soap's voice, but GAWWWD. I mean, they're up there with Anna & Charles from Alpha & Omega, if that tells you anything. I would read ALL the Soaphronia smut. And I'm not a smut reader by any means, usually. O.O
Overall, this was an adorably wonderful series and one of my first forays into the steampunk genre. I love the characters Gail comes up with and, while I was hoping to see Sidheag back for this last installment, it was nice to see Monique's character arc come back to where she wanted it to be.
For some reason, I am SO turned on by the Soaphronia pairing. I don't know if it's the class differences or just the way Moira narrates Soap's voice, but GAWWWD. I mean, they're up there with Anna & Charles from Alpha & Omega, if that tells you anything. I would read ALL the Soaphronia smut. And I'm not a smut reader by any means, usually. O.O
Overall, this was an adorably wonderful series and one of my first forays into the steampunk genre. I love the characters Gail comes up with and, while I was hoping to see Sidheag back for this last installment, it was nice to see Monique's character arc come back to where she wanted it to be.
December 2, 2015
I declare you properly finished.
July 12, 2021
***2021 Dog Days of Summer***
It's time for my summer theme and this year I have chosen to read books that include canine companions. This series includes a mechanical dog (a mechanimal), Bumbersnoot. He's a semi-illegal contraption that our main character, Sophronia, has smuggled into her finishing school. More of a companion than an assistant, Bumbersnoot is seldom far from his mistress.
In this final installment of the Finishing School series, Sophronia must put all of her intelligencer education to use. When her dirigible-based school is evacuated and hijacked by Picklemen and Flywaymen, she must count them and devise a plan to block their nefarious schemes. Old enemies transform into allies and old flirtations lose their fillip. But one young werewolf makes his mark on our heroine.
This series is set before the Parasol Protectorate books, but the next follows later characters, namely Alexia's daughter Prudence (whom I suspect may be misnamed). I look forward to further adventures in Ms. Carriger's world.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
It's time for my summer theme and this year I have chosen to read books that include canine companions. This series includes a mechanical dog (a mechanimal), Bumbersnoot. He's a semi-illegal contraption that our main character, Sophronia, has smuggled into her finishing school. More of a companion than an assistant, Bumbersnoot is seldom far from his mistress.
In this final installment of the Finishing School series, Sophronia must put all of her intelligencer education to use. When her dirigible-based school is evacuated and hijacked by Picklemen and Flywaymen, she must count them and devise a plan to block their nefarious schemes. Old enemies transform into allies and old flirtations lose their fillip. But one young werewolf makes his mark on our heroine.
This series is set before the Parasol Protectorate books, but the next follows later characters, namely Alexia's daughter Prudence (whom I suspect may be misnamed). I look forward to further adventures in Ms. Carriger's world.
Cross posted at my blog:
https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...
Want to read
January 16, 2015Want it, need it, gotta have it!
March 2, 2017
This was just so much fun. I laughed. I wished for more at the end. What more can you say?
April 25, 2019
This was a nice ending to the series, pretty on par with the quality of the rest of the books, so if you liked those, you'll like this one, too. I've just been slightly underwhelmed with this series as a whole, so I was just slightly underwhelmed with this book in the same way. I got really excited about the ending of the third book, but she didn't really take it anywhere super exciting, just medium exciting. I did like the last two books more than I liked the first two, so the series does have a clear and satisfying trajectory. My same issue holds, though, that it just feels too slight.
The first half of this book, Sophronia and pals are in London, having secret meetings and such as the Picklemen plot seems to be coming to a head. The second turns into a full-on Die Hard in a dirigible situation, and that was actually really great. Sophronia John McClains her way to victory, all whilst in a poofy skirt.
I was really happy with the way the Sophronia/Soap romance worked out; no easy answers there, but a fitting ending. All the characters got fitting endings, really, although I would have liked to have seen more of Sidheag in this than the by proxy appearance we get from her by letter to her friends. I suppose there just wasn't room, but I missed her anyway. (I was very happy, of all things, with the development we got on Madame Geraldine!)
All in all, a pretty successful reading experience, but I do prefer her adult books to her young adult, I think.
[3.5 stars, rounded up]
November 5, 2015
I was somewhat disappointed by the first half of this book, but in the end it all turned out ok.
I don't have much to say, the plot, I believe wasn't completely up to par compared to the last ones, and Felix and Soap both came off as somewhat unlikable in this book.
I also believe Felix, Dimity and Agatha didn't get the endings they deserved. In the end the author went on to explain what the teachers and some other minor characters ended up after the series, along with tidbits about Sophronia and Soap, but the rest of the main gang got nothing! It's just so very wrong that I know exactly what Handle ended up but I have no idea what Dimity is doing. See what I mean?
The only possible explanation for this on the author's part is another upcoming series with the same set of characters. Either she wants to write it or she want to have the option in the future, otherwise I just don't see why she wouldn't give any of the main group a decent conclusion.
There were also two perhaps very miner details that really bothered me, enough so that I want to mention them:
1)“She made for her favorite coal pile, the one upon which she and Soap had spent many happy hours practicing reading and occasionally practicing smooching.”
Well, that never happened! Unless Sophronia and Soap were kissing while they were supposed to be only friends but the author failed to mention that!
2)“When asked afterward, Sophronia never could articulate how she made that nightmare of a climb.”
See, we are right at the end of the last book of the series, and the heroine is in particularly dreadful situation and plans to sacrifice herself! No matter how slight, there is always a chance than the author will go and kill the main character, that's what makes last books the most exiting! Why would you go and say something like that and just take away all the suspense? After that point no matter what happened, I just couldn't muster much excitement.
I gave this book the same rating as the last ones, but to be honest it was my least favorite in the series, such a shame.
I do feel like the author is going to write about this characters again at some point, so that's something!
Even if she doesn't I still don't regret reading this series, They were fun and easy, if not really memorable. The victorian era was portrayed more skillfully here than most others I have read, the steampunk aspects were just right and of course Soprhronia was very delightful. Plus we can't forget the originality and the feminism of the books.
I don't have much to say, the plot, I believe wasn't completely up to par compared to the last ones, and Felix and Soap both came off as somewhat unlikable in this book.
I also believe Felix, Dimity and Agatha didn't get the endings they deserved. In the end the author went on to explain what the teachers and some other minor characters ended up after the series, along with tidbits about Sophronia and Soap, but the rest of the main gang got nothing! It's just so very wrong that I know exactly what Handle ended up but I have no idea what Dimity is doing. See what I mean?
The only possible explanation for this on the author's part is another upcoming series with the same set of characters. Either she wants to write it or she want to have the option in the future, otherwise I just don't see why she wouldn't give any of the main group a decent conclusion.
There were also two perhaps very miner details that really bothered me, enough so that I want to mention them:
1)“She made for her favorite coal pile, the one upon which she and Soap had spent many happy hours practicing reading and occasionally practicing smooching.”
Well, that never happened! Unless Sophronia and Soap were kissing while they were supposed to be only friends but the author failed to mention that!
2)“When asked afterward, Sophronia never could articulate how she made that nightmare of a climb.”
See, we are right at the end of the last book of the series, and the heroine is in particularly dreadful situation and plans to sacrifice herself! No matter how slight, there is always a chance than the author will go and kill the main character, that's what makes last books the most exiting! Why would you go and say something like that and just take away all the suspense? After that point no matter what happened, I just couldn't muster much excitement.
I gave this book the same rating as the last ones, but to be honest it was my least favorite in the series, such a shame.
I do feel like the author is going to write about this characters again at some point, so that's something!
Even if she doesn't I still don't regret reading this series, They were fun and easy, if not really memorable. The victorian era was portrayed more skillfully here than most others I have read, the steampunk aspects were just right and of course Soprhronia was very delightful. Plus we can't forget the originality and the feminism of the books.
Want to read
February 3, 2016
March 29, 2019
Der letzte Band hat noch einmal jede Stunde Sophronias aufgegriffen und zu einem explosiven Mix zusammengefasst. Es war mir fast schon zu viel, aber die losen Fäden fanden sich gut zusammen und ich hatte sehr viel Vergnügen beim Lesen!
June 2, 2019
I official no longer like Sophronia. All the side characters are better and Id rather listen to any of their narration then her high handed justification of her dubious morality.
I knew why I wasnt going to like this book by chapter two. Felix was turned into the worst version of his character in order to end the love triangle Carriger didn't know how to write herself out of. He didn't deserve that treatment. And Soap can do miles better, I said that about the last book. And to top it all off, I only laughed every other chapter or so, which is just not enough. Glad this series is over, sorry it died such a ho-hum death.
I knew why I wasnt going to like this book by chapter two. Felix was turned into the worst version of his character in order to end the love triangle Carriger didn't know how to write herself out of. He didn't deserve that treatment. And Soap can do miles better, I said that about the last book. And to top it all off, I only laughed every other chapter or so, which is just not enough. Glad this series is over, sorry it died such a ho-hum death.
February 10, 2016
You can definitely see the progression of the characters as they get older, and although I miss the more school-orientated feel of the first two books, and the plots got a bit formulaic, I'm really happy with how it ended!
October 22, 2018
Gail Carriger can be hit and miss.
Some of her books are great, some feel aimless.
Manners & Mutiny is in the 'great' column.
It's a fun YA steampunk adventure set in the 19th century.
An enjoyable conclusion to the Finishing School series.
Some of her books are great, some feel aimless.
Manners & Mutiny is in the 'great' column.
It's a fun YA steampunk adventure set in the 19th century.
An enjoyable conclusion to the Finishing School series.
November 28, 2016
THIS WAS SO GOOD!
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
I don’t know what else I can say about these book without starting to sound repetitive, so I’m just not going to try, okay? The plot is action packed and totally entertaining. I was a bit taken back with how it flowed and what ended up happening but it was a good surprise! This story is intense, powerful but definitely a lot of fun. The romance is finally a bigger part of the plot but it doesn’t take away from its charm. The ending was really satisfying though I’m gonna miss this cast.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
This author’s writing style is so unique. It’s simple yet detailed and descriptive. It’s very sarcastic and quirky while still maintaining it’s historical accuracy. In this book in particular, the narration sounds a lot more mature and the pace is medium, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. I’m looking forward to reading all of her books.
Characters – 5 out of 5 stars
I LOVE THIS CAST! Honestly, this book just made me completely and totally fall in love with every single character that makes up this crazy espionage crew. Sophronia has grown a lot in the course of the series. She’s mature and smart and clever. I love the dedication that she shows in this book in particular. She throws herself into danger in order to save like everyone which just shows how caring, loving and selfless she is. She’s really confident in her abilities but she also works really hard to make sure the evil guys don’t win! While the side characters aren’t as prominent in this book (at least toward the end), I absolutely love all of them. They’re complex, diverse, endearing and interesting. I love the dynamics between them and how much they care about each other. It was great to see how their lives are kind of shaped now after Finishing School and I’m really happy that Carriger is sharing some novellas about the side characters because I definitely wanted to know more.
Emotionally
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 4.5 out of 5 stars
I don’t know what else I can say about these book without starting to sound repetitive, so I’m just not going to try, okay? The plot is action packed and totally entertaining. I was a bit taken back with how it flowed and what ended up happening but it was a good surprise! This story is intense, powerful but definitely a lot of fun. The romance is finally a bigger part of the plot but it doesn’t take away from its charm. The ending was really satisfying though I’m gonna miss this cast.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
This author’s writing style is so unique. It’s simple yet detailed and descriptive. It’s very sarcastic and quirky while still maintaining it’s historical accuracy. In this book in particular, the narration sounds a lot more mature and the pace is medium, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. I’m looking forward to reading all of her books.
Characters – 5 out of 5 stars
I LOVE THIS CAST! Honestly, this book just made me completely and totally fall in love with every single character that makes up this crazy espionage crew. Sophronia has grown a lot in the course of the series. She’s mature and smart and clever. I love the dedication that she shows in this book in particular. She throws herself into danger in order to save like everyone which just shows how caring, loving and selfless she is. She’s really confident in her abilities but she also works really hard to make sure the evil guys don’t win! While the side characters aren’t as prominent in this book (at least toward the end), I absolutely love all of them. They’re complex, diverse, endearing and interesting. I love the dynamics between them and how much they care about each other. It was great to see how their lives are kind of shaped now after Finishing School and I’m really happy that Carriger is sharing some novellas about the side characters because I definitely wanted to know more.
Emotionally
January 12, 2021
Sophronia's training is put to its final test in Manners & Mutiny, the fourth book in the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger. It's the last year of school for our favorite group of students at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. A large-scale plot the Pickleman have set in motion is about to come to fruition unless Sophronia acts quickly. She will need to use all of her intelligencer training if she is to have any hope of saving her friends, her school, her teachers and all of London from disaster. I loved every minute of it.
Gail Carriger's trademark wit and clever dialog is back and just as delightful as ever, reminding me why I enjoy both series so much. Speaking of which, I think fans of Parasol will get the most from this book as we finally see all the connections back to Alexia's story. There are some surprising reveals that I did not see coming!
Yes, the romance is back. Thankfully it's a lot less annoying as the a forced triangle is gone and the romance sub-plot is put on the back burner for much of the story. I do feel that , though in general didn't mind too much as that was my least favorite thing about the previous entry. By the end it's almost charming and feels more authentic as figure out just how messy love is.
I also missed . I was nicely surprised by Agatha who shows great character growth and maybe she's not as bad an intelligencer as she initially appeared, fooling everyone. Even Dimity has nice character growth, almost overcoming her aversion to blood, though not quite.
Once the grande finale started, I could not put the book down.
This has been such a fun series. I'm going to miss visiting with the girls at Mademoiselle Geraldine's. I could see myself doing a reread when I need light hearted, dirigible adventure to take my mind off the troubles of the world for a while.
Gail Carriger's trademark wit and clever dialog is back and just as delightful as ever, reminding me why I enjoy both series so much. Speaking of which, I think fans of Parasol will get the most from this book as we finally see all the connections back to Alexia's story. There are some surprising reveals that I did not see coming!
Yes, the romance is back. Thankfully it's a lot less annoying as the a forced triangle is gone and the romance sub-plot is put on the back burner for much of the story. I do feel that , though in general didn't mind too much as that was my least favorite thing about the previous entry. By the end it's almost charming and feels more authentic as figure out just how messy love is.
I also missed . I was nicely surprised by Agatha who shows great character growth and maybe she's not as bad an intelligencer as she initially appeared, fooling everyone. Even Dimity has nice character growth, almost overcoming her aversion to blood, though not quite.
Once the grande finale started, I could not put the book down.
This has been such a fun series. I'm going to miss visiting with the girls at Mademoiselle Geraldine's. I could see myself doing a reread when I need light hearted, dirigible adventure to take my mind off the troubles of the world for a while.
June 19, 2019
Trigger warnings: fire, explosions, death, blood, serious injury.
19/6/2019
This time around I'm bumping it up to 5 stars because it's such a delightful ending to the series and I love Sophronia and Soap more than I can say.
12/9/2016
This wraps up the series so wonderfully. The shippiness is totally adorable. I still love all the references to the Parasol Protectorate series. I have a lot of feelings about
Basically? This world is delightful. The characters are wonderful. I ship it like whoa. The end.
6/11/2015
4.5 stars.
Excuse me while I flail forever. I love the crap out of Gail Carriger's books, and I've been stupidly excited about seeing how this series was going to finish off for the better part of a year now. And it didn't disappoint. There are plenty of twists and turns, but everything wraps up really nicely. It cracked me up time and time again, and there were a bunch of sneaky references to characters from the Parasol Protectorate or flower language or other little tidbits of Victoriana, and basically, it was a ton of fun.
And my ship. MY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP. It had kind of sailed in book 3, but the way that wrapped up here was excellent and squee worthy and I'm totally on board for a shadowy adventures spin off in the future. Juuuuust saying...
19/6/2019
This time around I'm bumping it up to 5 stars because it's such a delightful ending to the series and I love Sophronia and Soap more than I can say.
12/9/2016
This wraps up the series so wonderfully. The shippiness is totally adorable. I still love all the references to the Parasol Protectorate series. I have a lot of feelings about
Basically? This world is delightful. The characters are wonderful. I ship it like whoa. The end.
6/11/2015
4.5 stars.
Excuse me while I flail forever. I love the crap out of Gail Carriger's books, and I've been stupidly excited about seeing how this series was going to finish off for the better part of a year now. And it didn't disappoint. There are plenty of twists and turns, but everything wraps up really nicely. It cracked me up time and time again, and there were a bunch of sneaky references to characters from the Parasol Protectorate or flower language or other little tidbits of Victoriana, and basically, it was a ton of fun.
And my ship. MY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP. It had kind of sailed in book 3, but the way that wrapped up here was excellent and squee worthy and I'm totally on board for a shadowy adventures spin off in the future. Juuuuust saying...
March 4, 2016
Normally I love or at least really like Gail Carriger's books, but I just couldn't like this one.
I guess I was a bit bored with the story of this series; it was dragging a bit and I didn't think it was all that interesting anymore. The characters are really what make me love Gail's books so much but in Manners and Mutiny they weren't as funny or well written as usual. I did like some of the side characters, but I honestly couldn't stand Sophronia anymore and I hated reading about her. Soap also rather annoyed me and it made reading this not a very fun experience. The writing is also starting to feel a bit old to me; after nine Gail Carriger books her writing just stops being as special and fresh as it was in the beginning.
And I guess it's because of these things that I barely got through this book. And it has only 320 pages! But it was honestly a hell reading this. I was bored, annoyed and even had to switch to the audio version. And even with the audio version I ended up speeding it up a lot and skipping parts of the last 3 chapters. This book just didn't captivate me at all.
I guess I was a bit bored with the story of this series; it was dragging a bit and I didn't think it was all that interesting anymore. The characters are really what make me love Gail's books so much but in Manners and Mutiny they weren't as funny or well written as usual. I did like some of the side characters, but I honestly couldn't stand Sophronia anymore and I hated reading about her. Soap also rather annoyed me and it made reading this not a very fun experience. The writing is also starting to feel a bit old to me; after nine Gail Carriger books her writing just stops being as special and fresh as it was in the beginning.
And I guess it's because of these things that I barely got through this book. And it has only 320 pages! But it was honestly a hell reading this. I was bored, annoyed and even had to switch to the audio version. And even with the audio version I ended up speeding it up a lot and skipping parts of the last 3 chapters. This book just didn't captivate me at all.
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February 16, 2016This is the fourth and final book of Gail Carriger’s Finishing School series, and there was much squeeing. After the first three holding my attention but not being as much to write home about as the other two series in the same universe, I was overjoyed to have a compelling, enticing ending to the set. And now maybe I need to go read Soulless again… — Jessica Pryde
from The Best Books We Read In January: http://bookriot.com/2016/02/01/riot-r...
from The Best Books We Read In January: http://bookriot.com/2016/02/01/riot-r...
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January 25, 2016Me:*oohh cover*
Me:*ahh!! Yellow!*
I don't like yellow :( but I love this series so much it doesn't really matter!
Me:*ahh!! Yellow!*
I don't like yellow :( but I love this series so much it doesn't really matter!
January 17, 2023
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I finally figured out what has been missing in this series.
It wasn’t until I got to this final book and found out where the story has been culminating to this whole time that I realized what the previous books were lacking: a plot arc.
Instead of having every book be self-contained with a satisfying mini arc, each one only served to progress one overall arc of the four book series. In every aspect, from the love interest to the external conflict, and even down to the big reveals of the story, nothing showed significant progress until the finale. Everything that came before was just set up. It’s a small wonder I finished each book feeling slightly unsatisfied. I’m glad I broke tradition and actually read all of these books back to back.
Another thing that was missing was any sort of meaningful character growth. The main character ended up exactly where she started and had very little internal conflicts to work through in the series. This is probably one of the reasons I feel the characters and the series as a whole lacked depth. Heck, half the time I didn’t even understand her motive for the things she did, let alone a complex character exploration. While the culmination of the whole series was decent, the character development still left me wanting.
This is petty, but I found myself annoyed at the name choices for the characters. Sophronia just seems like a stupid name to me. Like something you’d name a posh little white dog. And for whatever reason, one of the love interests was called “Soap.” Stupid.
Overall the series was just meh – middle of the road for me. I loved the classroom stuff (espionage training!) even though there wasn’t much of it. I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Sophronia and her friends. This final book had some decent moments and kept my interest more than the previous books, but all the things I’ve detailed kept it from being memorable. That said, even with my issues, I find myself leaning slightly more positive than negative, so it’ll be a negotiable 3 stars for the series as a whole. Oddly I still have the same enthusiasm to continue with the next set of three books (Delightfully Deadly) and then onto the adult Parasol Protectorate series, as I’m eager to see how they compare and find out where everyone ends up now that I have all of this background story.
Recommendations; I’ll know more how to recommend this once I read the PP series, but for the moment, while this was a fun middle-of-the-road jaunt, it didn’t blow my skirt up. Had I read it without promise of the adult UF series, I probably would be dogging on it a little more, but right now it’s getting a pass until I can see if it amounts to anything. Stay tuned…
Thank you to my Patrons: Filipe, Dave, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Katrin, Melissa, and Derek! <3
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (same as for the first four books):
I finally figured out what has been missing in this series.
It wasn’t until I got to this final book and found out where the story has been culminating to this whole time that I realized what the previous books were lacking: a plot arc.
Instead of having every book be self-contained with a satisfying mini arc, each one only served to progress one overall arc of the four book series. In every aspect, from the love interest to the external conflict, and even down to the big reveals of the story, nothing showed significant progress until the finale. Everything that came before was just set up. It’s a small wonder I finished each book feeling slightly unsatisfied. I’m glad I broke tradition and actually read all of these books back to back.
Another thing that was missing was any sort of meaningful character growth. The main character ended up exactly where she started and had very little internal conflicts to work through in the series. This is probably one of the reasons I feel the characters and the series as a whole lacked depth. Heck, half the time I didn’t even understand her motive for the things she did, let alone a complex character exploration. While the culmination of the whole series was decent, the character development still left me wanting.
This is petty, but I found myself annoyed at the name choices for the characters. Sophronia just seems like a stupid name to me. Like something you’d name a posh little white dog. And for whatever reason, one of the love interests was called “Soap.” Stupid.
Overall the series was just meh – middle of the road for me. I loved the classroom stuff (espionage training!) even though there wasn’t much of it. I also really enjoyed the dynamics between Sophronia and her friends. This final book had some decent moments and kept my interest more than the previous books, but all the things I’ve detailed kept it from being memorable. That said, even with my issues, I find myself leaning slightly more positive than negative, so it’ll be a negotiable 3 stars for the series as a whole. Oddly I still have the same enthusiasm to continue with the next set of three books (Delightfully Deadly) and then onto the adult Parasol Protectorate series, as I’m eager to see how they compare and find out where everyone ends up now that I have all of this background story.
Recommendations; I’ll know more how to recommend this once I read the PP series, but for the moment, while this was a fun middle-of-the-road jaunt, it didn’t blow my skirt up. Had I read it without promise of the adult UF series, I probably would be dogging on it a little more, but right now it’s getting a pass until I can see if it amounts to anything. Stay tuned…
Thank you to my Patrons: Filipe, Dave, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Katrin, Melissa, and Derek! <3
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (same as for the first four books):
October 10, 2018
A good end to a thoroughly entertaining series
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