This book is for the Steampunk Reading Challenge, hosted by Dark Faerie Tales. The english part of the review is at the bottom of the post.
Opinião: Confesso, começar este livro foi um pouco difícil. A Gail Carriger tem uma maneira estranha de narrar as coisas que acabava por me empurrar a mim, leitora, para fora da história quando me estava a embrenhar na mesma. Houve mesmo uma falsa partida há umas semanas, em que li umas páginas e deixei de lado porque não estava com a disposição certa.
Felizmente, desta vez lá insisti e adaptei-me ao livro, e em menos de nada estava a adorar este mundo que a Gail criou. Gostei muito do cenário, vitoriano, em que os seres sobrenaturais saíram do armário algures no período correspondente ao Renascimento. Há descobertas científicas mais avançadas, o que justifica a etiqueta steampunk do livro, enquanto se mantêm as morais vitorianas estritas.
Gostei muito do leque de personagens, acho que temos muitos personagens divertidos e bem característicos. Os meus preferidos são, claro, a Alexia (que, coitada, na minha cabeça estava sempre a trocar-lhe o nome por Alicia) e o Lord Maccon. As cenas com eles são tão divertidas, especialmente quando tentam ater-se às morais vitorianas e falham redondamente. Irritei-me com a família dela, que bando de snobes, sempre a classificar as pessoas com base no dinheiro e na beleza (ou o que eles acham que é a beleza, porque andavam sempre a atazanar a Alexia por causa do seu ar latino).
O enredo é a parte mais fraca, é fácil adivinhar quem é (são) o(s) vilão(ões), e ao mesmo tempo a história leva um bom bocado a desenvolver-se nessa direcção. Mas fiquei muito curiosa graças ao fim, e à nova posição da Alexia entre os pares do reino.
Review: I confess, starting this book was a bit hard. Gail Carriger has a strange way of narrating things that would pull me away from the story just when I was getting interested in it. I even tried to start the book a few weeks back, but put it aside because I wasn't in the right mood.
Luckily, I insisted this time and adapted myself to the book and its story, and loved the world created by Gail. I enjoyed the Victorian scenery a lot, in which supernatural beings have left the closet right around Renaissance. There are some advanced scientific exploits that justify the steampunk label, while there are still the strict Victorian morals at play.
I really loved the cast of characters, there are many fun, quirky and individual characters to choose from. Though I'm a fan of Alexia (poor girl, in my head I was always calling her Alicia) and Lord Maccon. Their scenes together are so funny, especially when they try to comply with the strict Victorian rules and fail completely. I was so mad at her family, what a bunch of snobs, always classifying people according to money, status or beauty (or what they think beauty is, because they were always needling Alexia for her Italian looks).
The plot is the weakest link in this - it's easy to guess the villain(s), and at the same time the story takes a while to move in that direction. But the ending left me quite curious, especially about Alexia's new position among the kingdom's best.
Review: I confess, starting this book was a bit hard. Gail Carriger has a strange way of narrating things that would pull me away from the story just when I was getting interested in it. I even tried to start the book a few weeks back, but put it aside because I wasn't in the right mood.
Luckily, I insisted this time and adapted myself to the book and its story, and loved the world created by Gail. I enjoyed the Victorian scenery a lot, in which supernatural beings have left the closet right around Renaissance. There are some advanced scientific exploits that justify the steampunk label, while there are still the strict Victorian morals at play.
I really loved the cast of characters, there are many fun, quirky and individual characters to choose from. Though I'm a fan of Alexia (poor girl, in my head I was always calling her Alicia) and Lord Maccon. Their scenes together are so funny, especially when they try to comply with the strict Victorian rules and fail completely. I was so mad at her family, what a bunch of snobs, always classifying people according to money, status or beauty (or what they think beauty is, because they were always needling Alexia for her Italian looks).
The plot is the weakest link in this - it's easy to guess the villain(s), and at the same time the story takes a while to move in that direction. But the ending left me quite curious, especially about Alexia's new position among the kingdom's best.
Páginas/Pages: 384
Editora/Publisher: Orbit
