Series Thus Far... the Finishing School Books!

Series Thus Far... is going to be a new feature on Booktastic Reviews, where I'll either be reviewing more than one book in a series or generally just talking about what I think of the series as a whole thus far. The first books I'll be focusing on today are instalments #1 and #2 of the Finishing School series (which will have four instalments in total, although the third is not out yet).

Etiquette & Espionage
Author: Gail Carriger
Edition: Atom Paperback
Released: 5th February 2013
Series: Finishing School #1
Pages: 312 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners, and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. 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.

I'd had my eye on this book for a while before I finally managed to get my hands on a copy. It sounded like a really fun and entertaining read and when I spotted it amongst the free books at YALC, I swooped it up. And I cannot tell you how thankful I am that I did, I ended up adoring it.

I've pretty much come to realise that if a book involves characters in Victorian style dresses, I'm pretty much sold. I don't know why, but I love this era. Not to mention the fact that this book is steampunk so is doubly intriguing! Girls in big dresses handling technology? Uh, how can that not be entertaining?! Admittedly, it didn't have the most solid/interesting main plot line - and it was sometimes confusing - but I ended up being hooked in anyway - by the world and the characters. I became pretty attached to Sophronia, Dimity and Pillover in particular. Our MC, Sophronia, is a crafty, curious and smart girl who is definitely fun to follow!

Overall, I rather adored this book. As soon as I finished, I bought the sequel from the Kindle store - I just needed it in my life that badly. I'm not going to give this it's own rating because I feel this is one of those series that you love as a whole, more than each instalment on its own. You think of it more as one huge story. Well, I do anyway. ;P

Curtsies & Conspiracies
Author: Gail Carriger
Edition: Atom eBook
Released: 7th November 2013
Series: Finishing School #2
Pages: 399 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Buy the book!

No spoilers present in following synopsis or review! :)

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

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.

Again, another delightful instalment that was SO entertaining and fun to read! I am thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly enjoying this series! ADORING it, in fact. Do you know those series that, yes, it has it's flaws, but is just so much fun to read and you can't help but love it so much? Yeah, this is one of those series for me!

Okay, I need to admit something. I think I've fallen in love with one of the characters in this book. Yes, another one, I know, but seriously, he's so... *swoons*. His name is Lord Felix Mersey. So, obviously, I can't help but ship him and Sophronia. Unfortunately, I think there could be a hint of a love triangle forming. And you know me. I'm always very much one-sided with these things. I just get so invested and so emotional about it. *facepalm* But I love all the feels I feel over them. SOPHRONIA, FELIX IS PERFECT FOR YOU, OKAY?!

Ack, I just can't express enough how much I'm loving this series and am invested with my ship. Sure, it's not perfect and it's sometimes confusing and hard to follow, but I adore it all the same. The characters are likeable and fun and... GAH, just read it, K?! Can't believe I have to wait until November for the next instalment. *cries*

This Series Thus Far gets...

FOUR TOADSTOOLS! xD

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo

PS: I don't know if my thoughts made sense but I'm just adoring this a lot. Okay? Also, do you like the sound of this feature? ;P

PPS: HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THESE COVERS?!