Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate, 1)

Buffy meets Jane Austen in the first book of this wickedly funny NYT bestselling series about a young woman whose brush with the supernatural leads to a deadly investigation of London's high society.

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Soulless is the first book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

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Published Apr 1, 2014

416 pages

Average rating: 7.39

72 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Denise Lauron
May 19, 2024
8/10 stars
I picked this up for bookclub. It was not what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it.

There was a lot more romance in this than I was expecting, but it was important to the story.

I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series and I do recommend the book. It was fun.
chazzareads
Feb 28, 2023
6/10 stars
This book was just a lot of fun to read, overall. Carriger creates a fascinating world and blends all her threads together seamlessly. It's got a little something for everyone: vampires, werewolves, preternaturals, steampunk, intrigue, danger, and romance.
ClinicallyBookish
Apr 02, 2026
8/10 stars
“What is it, she wondered, about werewolves and muscles?” My first steampunk! It was like Jane Austen with vampires and werewolves. What's not to love?
JT Penguin
Aug 07, 2024
2/10 stars
I couldn't get into this story. I think as much as I love shows like Bridgerton, reading that type of language is just hard for me to stay interested in. I'm bummed cause the story sounded so good!
Scmay
Jul 29, 2024
10/10 stars
This is one of my favourite books of all time! I thought it'd be really cheesy, but I love it. I want to be in this world, to be Alexia. This is a great book with a different spin on the supernatural with some spicy romance.

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