Prudence by Gail Carriger

"Rue retired to her room to stare up at the ceiling and, in order to not dwell on a certain flirtatious French engineer, tried to think about who might have a grudge against Indian vampires".

I have a confession to make. I’ve been dragging the chain dear readers. The fault is entirely mine and attributable to a rather delightful social life of late. I also did not wish this little steampunk sojourn to end. Escaping into the young-adult fiction, steampunk, alternate universe that the always entertaining Gail Carriger creates is, as always, a joy. Goodness that is a lot of commas – apologies – I’ll return to dashes.

If you too like dirigibles, vampires, werewolves and afternoon tea, well then dear reader Prudence is definitely the girl for you. An offshoot of the Parasol Protectorate series, this new Custard Protocol series has started much like a tasty cream puff that beckons you to take an extra bite. Ignore the scales and dig in.

The titular Prudence is in fact, Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama. Daughter of that parasol wielding, soul stealing minx that I have been missing since the series ended. Jumping back into that same world through a new, younger model is a treat, albeit a little less hot under the collar. Those of you familiar with the earlier series will be delightfully re-united with some key players. I imagine that anyone coming directly to this series without a quick venture to the earlier tomes, might be left a little in the dark. Alexia’s adventures are such a great read that you won’t be disappointed in any case.

Some might wonder at my delight in these adventures with their corsets and parasols, those people clearly have not yet taken a peek inside the covers yet. Certainly the loud covers make me a little self-conscious on public transport, but I’m reminded how much I enjoy their contents and continue on unabated.

Our latest heroine, is a delight and apt to sprout some unintentionally hilarious double-entendres. I think Ms Carriger might be winking as she writes. Also I am now counting down til November’s release of the final in the Finishing School Protectorate series.

5 out of 5 perfect cups of tea warm the heart