Curtsies & Conspiracies

Finishing School, Book 2

By: Gail Carriger

Narrated by: Moira Quirk

Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Finishing school and spy training go hand in hand in this delightful adventure set in a richly detailed steampunk world.

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 school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot—one with dire implications for both super-naturals 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.

In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger's YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

©2013 Gail Carriger (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Yet another treatise to the power of friendship

I loved Etiquette and Espionage so much that I was excited for the sequel and, while the sequel is lovely, it doesn't quite hold up to the sheer, wondrous "yay!" I felt in the first. Don't take this as discouragement though, readers! Curtsies and Conspiracies is every bit as endearing as it's predecessor, maintaining that thread of friendship and teamwork I so loved in the first, albeit with a few added roadblocks.

Carriger made me fall in love with all of the characters all over again with their quirks and charming idiosyncrasies and, while the Curtsies feels, to me, as more of a bridging book than a stand alone, I cannot wait to read the next installment.

And, as always, Moira Quirk is a brilliant narrator.

Excellent Follow-up

Any additional comments?

Gail Carriger writes another amazing book. If you are new to Gail Carriger's writings, she mixes the supernatural with steampunk Victorian England to produce some really entertaining stories. But what resonates most with me is her hilarious, dry wit. I hope Ms. Carriger writes for a long, long time. The narration is great until Lord Akeldama enters the story. Moira Quirk does not capture Lord Akeldama’s character as vividly as Emily Gray does.

Superbly delightful!

What did you love best about Curtsies & Conspiracies?

A delightfully easy and fun listen! Fantastically entertaining!

What about Moira Quirk’s performance did you like?

Her voicing is superb! Each character is perfectly matched with an accent to bring out their personality.

Polite and exciting

Would you listen to Curtsies & Conspiracies again? Why?

Yes, because there are a lot of wonderful conversations between characters and I enjoy good word play.

What did you like best about this story?

I delight in the combination of stuffy, politeness and spying and assassination. Each character is so fun and distinct.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene in the beginning when - tiny spoiler - Sephronia takes her test and is so clever and a natural intelligencer.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was surprised how sad I was when Sephronia gave her beloved mechanical pet to a fortune teller.

Any additional comments?

I took one point off because the plot was a bit similar to the previous book but it's still an exciting story and a great reader.

Wonderful!

Very good listen. But the back button is a great thing to have so you can delisted when needed.
Great!

Sooties for Life

Love the Sooties! They will always have your back! Sophoronia and Deminity are off on an another adventure.

great author and fantastic narrator

Would you listen to Curtsies & Conspiracies again? Why?

I will be listening again yes. The storyline runs strong even in the Madame Geraldine's crazy world and the narrator does such an excellent job with the character and voices. I really got the personalities.

What did you like best about this story?

Plot fun, kept attention, beautifully written and fun. The narrator made the audiobook one of the best.

What does Moira Quirk bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A development of the characters that reading cant denote. She is excellent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and smiled. A lot.

Any additional comments?

Love this author and this series as much as the parasol books. Might we please have more? Excellent book, superior narrator and production.

Delicious

This is decadent treat...topped with cream brocade. The next in the series can't come out soon enough.

Perfect!

An Audible narrator can often make or break a book: in this case, we have a narrator who really appreciates the nuances of the book and brings all the quirky characters to glorious life. I can't imagine reading this on my own now without all the great affectations and accents, personality and charm, brought about by narrator Moira Quirk.

All the adventure of the first novel is in the second: Sephronia is tested and pronounced the quickest study in the history of the school. This causes problems with her friends, who distance themselves from her after being told she is furtively spying on them. But what might just be a kidnapping attempt of Dimity and her brother draws Sephronia further into the plot around the mysterious device of the first book. As well, she will find herself between two amorous boys: Soap the sootie and Lord Mersey, son of a duke. What will a girl do?

I greatly enjoyed this book - even more so than the first one. Although I didn't welcome the addition of a bit of a love triangle, the inventiveness of the names, plots, and characters more than made up for that. Sephronia gets into all the action of the first novel and uncovers plots with alacrity. Even with the whole school turned against her, Sephronia navigates her way quite intelligently and with fun.

Gail Carriger has really caught her stride with this book and I eagerly await her next book.

I'm obsessed!!!!

again I read another book of Gail in one day *sigh* well it time to buy the three book then