Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Author: Gail Carriger
Title: Curtsies & Conspiracies
Series: The Finishing School #2
Publication: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source:  Around the World Arc Tours

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.

Sophronia's become isolated from her friends; she doesn't understand why they are all ignoring her. They all recently got tested to see how they're developing as spies and somehow Sophronia's marks are high for her year. Instead of privately receiving their assessments, the teacher announces them in front of everyone, which makes them distrust Sophronia. Alone but not deterred she still keeps her nose in everything and discovers that someone is after her friends, which leads to a discovery that will rock the world she come to know. Can she gain their trust again before it's too late or will all be lost?


Sophronia has grown to love espionage. It's a wonder she didn't want to attend but it's perfect for her being that it's not your normal school for making young women ready for society. Most girls dream of marrying and raising a family but these girls think about the same thing just with killing a few husbands or two. Sophronia seems perfect for gathering information; she's developed a talent for spying, which comes in handy for learning about the true reasons for their departure for London. She also has a few romantic admirers, one by the name of Felix, who enjoys playing a verbal tango to garner her attention. He comes off as a snob but I think he's cute. Soap seems to like her more than she realizes but she's afraid of what that could do to their friendship and she doesn't feel that way about him or maybe she does. 

I really like this series and wish I had discovered this author before now. Hopefully I'll get to read her other books. Her style of writing is fun and witty, which translates into how the characters speak and respond to each other. Sophronia is a great female lead and it's nice seeing her gradually grow into herself. She's loyal, curious and smart, which leads her into trouble sometimes but she has a way of working her way through pass or fail. Overall, the setting, plot and writing are good. This is a fun read that I think anyone will enjoy. 

Review: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Author: Gail Carrriger
Title: Etiquette & Espionage
Series: Finishing School #1
Publication: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304 pp.
Source: Publisher(Thanks Little Brown)

Synopsis

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.

First in a four book YA series set 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate but in the same universe.

Thoughts: This is the first book that I've read by this author and I was initially drawn to the cover and then the plot hooked me. The story begins with Sophronia, who discovers that she has been chosen as a covert recruit, a rare thing to happen as the school is pretty exclusive but someone saw potential in her. She has no idea that this school for young ladies teaches more than the ways etiquette.  On the journey to the school, she makes a new friend, Dimity, who is also on her way to the school. They believe they are traveling with Mademoiselle Geraldine, the head of the school until they get attacked by Flywaymen and in the process of escape and rescue Sophronia discovers a mystery that she is determined to uncover. 

What's great about this book is the main character, Sophronia, she's clever, witty and may not be the best lady but she makes up for that with her curiosity, bravery and observation to detail. She begins to learn the proper procedures to faint, curtsy bat her eyelashes and use a knife but she also makes an enemy set on creating havoc for her at the school. All of the girls in the school are ridiculous and funny. It's amusing to see how readily they want to be little assassins along with learning the proper ways of etiquette. . 
 The characters are my favorite part of this book, they are rounded, independent and realistic and I really enjoyed the interactions between them all, especially Sophronia. I think the pace of the story builds well to a satisfying conclusion with just enough information to set up for the next book. Visually, the author has created a fantastical world full of adventure and mayhem. Overall, loaded with fun and mischief, this is an absolutely good read that made me giggle on occasion at its cheeky humor.