Book: Imprudence by Gail Carriger

Published July 2016 by Orbit|355 pages

Where I Got It: I own the hardcover

Series: The Custard Protocol #2

Genre: Adult Fantasy/Steampunk

From New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger comes the delightful sequel to Prudence.

Rue and the crew of the Spotted Custard return from India with revelations that shake the foundations of England’s scientific community. Queen Victoria is not amused, the vampires are tetchy, and something is wrong with the local werewolf pack. To top it all off, Rue’s best friend Primrose keeps getting engaged to the most unacceptable military types. 

Rue has family problems as well. Her vampire father is angry, her werewolf father is crazy, and her obstreperous mother is both. Worst of all, Rue’s beginning to suspect what they really are… is frightened.

The second book in the Custard Protocol series, in which Prudence travels to Egypt for Queen, ghosts…and the perfect pot of tea!

I liked this one!  Not as much as the first one, or her other series in general, but I still liked it.

It was a fun book and I liked seeing everything that happened after the events of the first book and what happened in India.  We learn a lot more about what’s going on with Prudence, and we see some of the characters I’ve come to know and love in this book.  Some I had forgotten about, and there were a few times where I wished I had read the entire Parasol Protectorate series, because I had some trouble remembering who some of the characters were.

I think one reason why I only liked it was Prudence herself.  I loved Prudence as a kid in the Parasol Protectorate series, but I don’t know that I love Prudence as an adult.  There’s a lot that happens in this book, and a lot she learns in this one about her family and becoming an adult that she should have taken the time to realize before.  It really felt like she didn’t care until it was too late, and hopefully it will be a learning experience for her.

I’m having a hard time liking Prudence, but I do love Carriger, this world and the characters, so I’m going to happily continue to read this series, because I do like it.  And I really am hoping Prudence will grow on me.  She hasn’t yet, and I do feel like she’s pretty selfish and spoiled and bratty, but maybe now that she knows what she knows, she’ll grow as a character.

I did like seeing everything going on with the local werewolf pack.  It made sense, especially once we learned everything going on, and I’m glad it seemed to work out okay.  At least for now, and hopefully, it will stay that way.

The relationship Alexia and Prudence have is really interesting.  I’ve always loved Alexia, and she and Prudence don’t always see eye-to-eye on things.  It’s weird seeing her through her daughters eyes, and this Alexia is very different than the one I remembered from the Parasol Protectorate.  I hope we see her again- and I’m sure we will- and that she’s the Alexia I remember from before.  I doubt it, since this book is set long after that series, and we’re not getting the story from her perspective.

I guess I’m having a hard time with their relationship, for some reason.  Maybe I need to re-read the Parasol Protectorate, or maybe this series isn’t for me.  Maybe I just read it at the wrong time, which is possible, because I haven’t been in a huge reading mood lately.  At any rate, I only liked this one, and I wish I liked it more, because I have really enjoyed the other books set in this world.

3 stars.  I liked it, but I really wish I liked it more.  It’s still fun and enjoyable, especially if you’ve liked her other series.