Etiquette & Espionage and Curtsies & Conspiracies

I am combining these two books into one post because I read them back-to-back. I could not put them down! I am a fan of any book that weaponizes traditional behavior and clothing expectations that typically limit what women are able to do. A big skirt can hide many weapons, fainting can be used to redirect attention, etc. There are certainly some themes and moments that I found cringe-worthy but I enjoyed the books and will most likely read the last 2 books in the series.

I listened to the audiobook and you will either love or hate the narrator. The book takes place in a steampunk version of a mid-19th century British finishing school. The narrator leans into the snobbish accent pretty hard. I liked the accent because it felt more engaging but a friend of mine hated it so much, he told me to never play it in his presence.

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1)
by Gail Carriger, 307 pages

This book sets up the series wonderfully. It starts out at a quick speed and does not slow down. The book is about Sophronia, a 14-year-old who has never been able to play by the rules. She is dreading the thought of finishing school - that is, until she finds out that the school trains girls in espionage.  Just as Sophronia is thrown into a new world she barely understands, the readers have no idea how the school is structured or who the instructors actually are. This is definitely fun for readers who like to be thrown into the deep end. The training is so immersive that the girls are tasked with keeping the headmistress in the dark about the true nature of the school. Throw in found family, supernatural elements, and a group of teens who must save society, and I'm caught. It was a fun read and a nice break from my usual books that which tend to have darker themes.

Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2)

by Gail Carriger, 310 pages

This book starts shortly after the first book ends. It focuses more on vampires and werewolves. The werewolf/vampire rivalry has been done to death at this point and I rolled my eyes hard at the use of vampires as a metaphor for discrimination. This is especially frustrating because there is only one black character and racism he experiences is normalized, if the author even acknowledges racism in the story. Another over-done trope is the rich boy/poor boy love triangle. I doubt anyone can put an interesting spin on it at this point. 

However, the book is still enjoyable if you can get past these flaws. The book focuses more on the social aspects of school life. I can be guilty of enjoying a gossip or two so I was pretty into it. My interest in the series is starting to wane and I'm not planning on finishing it. However, I still enjoyed the first two books.