Book Review: Curtsies and Conspiracies

By Cheshire

It’s been a while since I read the first book so I was a little confused by some of the professor’s names when trying to match name with character, especially since this book deals in the overcomplicated steampunk names I love. Keep in mind that this is the sequel to Etiquette and Espionage and may have some unintended spoilers, but if you’re looking for a quick, fun steampunk read, you might want to check out this series.

Summary: 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 field 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.

My Rating: THREE STARS

Book Review: Etiquette and Espionage

By Cheshire

Okay so I thought I should inform all of our lovely readers that Blue is on hiatus. Which means the only reviews you’re going to be getting for a while are from me… So yay! Brace yourself for some quality Cheshire time (I’m sure we’ll all be grateful for Blue’s return). Here goes.

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than in proper manners- and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsey. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine’s, young ladies learn to finish… everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage- in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year’s education.

My Rating: THREE STARS