God Save the Queen
by Kate Locke
The Immortal Empire, book one
Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist.
The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012.
Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle. (description from Amazon.com)
Oh, I almost gave this book a shiny gold star. Almost. This book reminded me a lot of Gail Carriger's brand of steampunk in that there were paranormal creatures of every variety and some awesome costumes/gadgetry. Unlike Carriger's books, though, this was set in an alternate contemporary London...
This made for the COOLEST blend of modern euphamisms and societal behaviors, blended with some of my favorite bits of historical etiquette. The world-building by Locke, here, was brilliant. I loved the way that she explained the creation of paranormal cretures and their ranking in society. I loved that all of that knowledge built to a revelation at the end that I actually DID NOT see coming...for once!
This book was an utter delight of a romp. Just what I needed for a little mental break. Something I outright devoured and I cannot wait to dive into book two, The Queen is Dead.
Full disclosure: Purchased for my Nook
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