Blameless

This is the third installment in Gail Carriger's "Parasol Protectorate." Alexia Tarabotti, aka Lady Maccon, aka the Queen's (Victoria) muhjah, is up to her usual outrageous adventures, accompanied by a newish cast of protectors: Floote, her father's mysterious valet, and now Alexia's secretary, Madame Lefoux, the inventor cum milliner, along with assorted other members of the order of the Brass Octopus, and Major Channing Channing, in wolf form. Oh and let's not forget the "infant inconvenience" which (who?) seems, after all, to be at the very root of Alexia's problems. First of all he/she/it has precipitated Lord Maccon throwing her out of the manor and the pack, convinced of her infidelity; for no werewolf has ever sired a child. Her indiscreet sister has also made the situation the scandal of London society, resulting in the Queen's dismissal of Alexia from the Shadow Council. Secondly, this embryonic mystery seems to be the reason that the vampires have put on a full court press to kill Alexia. And then there are the Templars whose God given duty is to eliminate all supernaturals and who see Alexia as a potential weapon in their centuries-old battle--until they find out about her delicate condition. Alexia just wants to find out how this has happened, aside from the obvious "bed sports," and is determined to find some historical documentation to similar events so that she might convince her idiotic husband of just how stupid he is for believing she could be unfaithful. All sorts of steampunk inventions are used for good and evil purposes (e.g., poisonous mechanical ladybugs) and the amazingly versatile parasol created by Madame Lefoux saves their lives on more than one occasion. Lord Akeldama, usually Alexia's staunchest ally, has inexplicably fled London with his entire retinue of drones and so Alexia is forced to leave the country, in search of safety and of answers. But what she finds out may not be terribly comforting, for the unborn infant may be a rare breed of being not seen for hundreds of years. We will all have to wait to find out in the forthcoming book, Heartless.