RANDALL OAKS TEEN CARRIGER
I really love steampunk, so I’m always looking out for good steampunk YA.When I first saw Etiquette & Espionage, I knew I had to get it. I’ve been wanting to read Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series, and this being a prequel of sorts, I just couldn’t resist. And if the Parasol Protectorate books are anything like Etiquette & Espionage, I’m going to have to read those really soon.
All the steampunk I’ve read so far has been either quite dark or some elements of steampunk are there, but not much. Compared to those other titles, Etiquette & Espionage blows them out of the water. Everything was so whimsical and fantastic! The names were absolutely ridiculous and I just loved reading them (favorite: Lord Dingleproops). The language was just impeccable and unlike anything I’ve ever read. The setting had everything a steampunk novel needs, from giant floating dirigibles, to automatons, to mechanimals. That’s right, our main character befriends a tiny steampunk patchwork dachshund, which she names Bumbersnoot. He was by far my favorite character.
And speaking of characters, I absolutely adored Sophronia. She’s highly intelligent and funny with knack for getting in and out of trouble. Her entrance at the very beginning of the novel is by far one of my favorite beginnings of a book ever. I mean, she comes tumbling out of a dumb-waiter, accidentally launching pudding into the air. It’s just–it’s just great. I also loved the idea for the finishing school. It was just so amusing to me! Girls are learning to become proper ladies, working on curtsies and dancing and other forms of etiquette, while also learning how to become intelligencers. I just found this to be hilarious for some reason.
In order to finish, you have to complete a mission. Of course, one of the older girls, Monique, doesn’t exactly finish, and that’s where Sophronia and her friend Dimity come in. I loved the mystery of it and the lengths that Sophronia went to find this mysterious device that Monique hid, causing her mission to fail. The relationship between those two was infuriating as it was amusing.
All in all, Etiquette & Espionage was one of the most delightful books I have ever read. I was laughing and smiling so much that after a while, my face kind of began to hurt. If you love steampunk and incredible amounts of whimsy, then definitely pick up a copy. You won’t regret it.
- Caroline
Originally posted on The Attic blog.