Review: Imprudence

Author: Gail Carriger

Series: Custard Protocol, #2

Released: July 19th 2016

Publisher: Orbit

Length: 354 pages

Source: Publisher for review

Buy: The Book Depository

London is in chaos.

Rue and the crew of The Spotted Custard returned from India with revelations that shook the foundations of the scientific community. There is mass political upheaval, the vampires are tetchy, and something is seriously wrong with the local werewolf pack. To top it all off, Rue’s best friend Primrose keeps getting engaged to the most inappropriate military types.

Rue has got personal 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 all really are… is frightened.

When the Custard is ordered to Egypt, transporting some highly unusual passengers, Rue’s problems go from personal to impossible. Can she get Percy to stop sulking? Will she find the true cause of Primrose’s lovesickness? And what is Quesnel hiding in the boiler room?

Unforgettable adventures, an excellent fashion sense and ridiculous endearments helped Carriger’s books become the huge success they are today. Although she never strays away from her well established world, she always finds some way to keep it fresh and endlessly entertaining. Imprudence is perhaps the richest, most enjoyable example of her work after her debut, a book strong enough to pull in new fans, as well as satisfy the old ones.

We’re already familiar with Lady Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama and her shenanigans. Having first met her when she was merely a toddler and after following her on her first adult adventure, we know that she’s determined, brave, intelligent and witty. Her crew is also pleasantly familiar – Primrose and Percy, Tasherit the lioness shifter, Spoo, and of course, young mister Quesnel Lafoux.

We find Rue in a bit of trouble with Queen Victoria herself for protecting the weremonkeys. She is stripped of her status and protections, the implications of which she doesn’t understand, and sent on her way to fend for herself. With her majority, she even lost the protection of her powerful parents, which left her free, but also very vulnerable. Still, it’s not Rue who is in danger in Imprudence – it’s everyone else, it seems. Her Paw needs more help than Lady Maccon can provide, Percy has managed to unwittingly endanger the lion shifters, and Primrose keeps getting engaged to military officials with attractive legs.

Imprudence is non-stop adventure with many laugh-out-loud moments. Whether it’s a sky chase, academic dispute or a young lady’s education of a very private nature, there is never a shortage of excitement. The adorable romance just adds another layer to it without becoming overwhelming or particularly angsty. Rue is not one to wallow in misery and she faces her challenges head on, so when a certain gentleman runs off in a huff, she does what any sensible lady would do – she cries in her teacup and then moves on. Quesnel is an excellent choice for her, charming and funny, with a spine made of steel.

Traveling to Egypt on The Spotted Custard would be fun under any circumstances, but with Rue’s companions and some very dear characters from The Parasol Protectorate, it’s a true delight. The very best thing about this is that Ms. Carriger's books are so diverse: interracial couples in the early 1800's, same sex couples, interspecies couples and questions of what it means to be human are all par for the course in her books. I just hope that more is yet to come.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.