Tempest Rising author Nicole Peeler wants to know: Should she get this fabulous vampire heart from her first book tattooed on her? I am sure the illustrator Sharon Tancredi agrees with me: ABSOLUTELY!
But leave room, Nicole! Sharon is designing a special heart for each book. Next you’ll have to get the fire-and-dagger heart from Tracking the Tempest! (more…)
That would be the suite party at the just-held World Fantasy Convention in San Jose, hosted by the always snazzily dressed Gail Carriger, in honor of her debut novel SOULLESS.
The soiree featured delectable delicacies, luscious libations, oscillating octopi, parasols aplenty, a bevy of neo-Victorian beauties, as well as numerous delightful dandies — and all immortalized in glossy color photos by photographer Britt Hart.
I know you’re all abuzz about the first Alexia Tarabotti novel, Soulless, but I thought I’d fan the flames a bit and introduce the cover for the next book, Changeless by Gail Carriger.
I know I’m not supposed to have favorites here at Orbit, but there are a few series I get very excited about continuing to work on as the new books come in. Nicole Peeler’s Jane True is definitely one, and Gail Carriger’s Alexia Tarabotti is absolutely another. What can I say? I have a soft spot for quirky and well-crafted heroines. And well-imagined settings with a lot of detail. It certainly makes the covers easier to picture in my head.
Also, this kind of illustrates how strangely ahead of present Art has to be. In “real-time” Soulless has just launched and is flying off the shelves and gaining great reviews from industry and fans alike. However, in “Art-time” the cover for Changeless is already done and I am already getting ready to work on Book #3 as soon as the first draft of the manuscript comes in. A little bizarre, I know, but heaven for the fan inside this Creative Director. (more…)
Gail Carriger’s debut novel SOULLESS (the first volume in The Parasol Protectorate) went on sale last week. Readers have been awaiting this one since the buzz began this past spring. Publishers Weekly called it ‘intoxicatingly witty.” Romantic Times gave it four and a half stars. Time’s Lev Grossman, blurbing the book, called it “ravishing” and said that it has “all the delicate charm of a Victorian parasol, and all the wicked force of a Victorian parasol secretly weighted with brass shot and expertly wielded.”
Pretty good for a start. Now that it’s out in the stores, what are people saying?
SFRevu : “I was enchanted from start to finish.”
Falcata Times:“It’s a corker and definitely something that’s new in the field that I suspect will win Gail fans by the bucketload.”
![3GailCarrigerCream[1]](https://www.orbitbooks.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/3GailCarrigerCream12-300x199.jpg "Gail Carriger, with tea")
The verdict. Extremely victorious, and getting more so every day.
Oh, and don’t forget to pick up a piece of treacle tart on your way back from the bookstore.
Artistic Whispers Productions has staged a wonderful full-cast reading of chapter one of Gail Carriger’s forthcoming SOULLESS. Listen to it here. And while you’re listening, explore the Victorian fashion of SOULLESS.
Gail Carriger’s SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, so to help set the mood we’ve just launched the Soulless Victorian Dress-Up Doll, (the flash and illustration are by the very talented Sarah Vaughn.) SOULLESS will be in bookstores at the end of September. Enjoy the game!
io9.com has a nice overview of Steampunk, along with some recent offerings, including Gail Carriger’s forthcoming SOULLESS (Sept:US)
Gail Carriger has employed some very original thinking to the alternate-history-with-monsters game. She also lampoons the vicious world of Victorian society where an arch remark or fumbled introduction could reduce one to a state akin to walking death. Soulless is a character-driven romp with great worldbuilding and delicious rapier wit that recalls Austen and P.G. Wodehouse. Mystery and bloodshed abound, tea will be served,and there will be treacle tart!
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
That said, we couldn’t disagree more with the reviewer’s mild criticism of the cover: “her bumbershoot has arbitrary gears and a length of rubber hose attached to it for no discernible purpose.”
The purpose of the gears and hose are deliberately indiscernible – right up until the point when they deliver a steam-powered can of whoopass on Alexia’s foes.
But overall, it’s a lively, informative piece – and be sure to check out the comments for more recommendations.
