Waistcoats & Weaponry - (Finishing School) by Gail Carriger (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2014.

Book Synopsis

Class is back in session....

Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style--with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey hijack a suspiciously empty train to return their chum Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland. But when Sophronia discovers they are being trailed by a dirigible of Picklemen and flywaymen, she unearths a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos. With her friends in mortal danger, Sophronia must sacrifice what she holds most dear--her freedom.

Gather your poison, your steel-tipped quill, and the rest of your school supplies and join Mademoiselle Geraldine's proper young killing machines in the third rousing installment in the New York Times bestselling Finishing School series by steampunk author Gail Carriger.

Review Quotes

Praise for Curtsies & Conspiracies: * "Carriger's second steampunk adventure exceeds the first... the fun, again, is in watching ever-practical Sophronia sneak and scheme her way into sometimes dangerous, sometimes riotously funny, situations.... We repeat: This witty, light-hearted series is not to be missed."--Booklist, starred review

* "[A] delightfully madcap espionage adventure."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "[A] world of manners, steampunk, and the supernatural. [Carriger] again manages to blend the rules of etiquette with inventions and creatures effortlessly, creating a diverse world of wonder."--VOYA, starred review

* "Carriger deploys laugh-out-loud bon mots on nearly every page...Amid all the fun, the author works in commentary on race and class in a sparkling start to the Finishing School series."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Carriger's leading lady is a strong, independent role model for female readers... Ladies and gentlemen of propriety are combined with dirigibles, robots, werewolves, and vampires, making this story a steampunkmystery and an adventure mash-up that is sure to intrigue readers..." --School Library Journal, starred review

* "Carriger's YA debut brings...cleverly Victorian methods of espionage, witty banter, lighthearted silliness, and a ship full of intriguingly quirky people." --Booklist, starred review

* "Teenage and adult fans alike will rejoice that Carriger retains her flair for musical prose, over-the-top names, clever wit, and strange yet helpful mechanical devices of all kinds. Carriger's blend of comically exaggerated characters and madcap action will easily win over readers once again."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[Carriger] jumps right into the thick of the action, developing a fast-paced plot that is sure to keep readers' attention...this is a must-have purchase."--School Library Journal

"If spunky Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey happened onto a steampunk set, she might look a lot like Sophronia Angelina Temminnick."--Shelf Awareness

"Sophronia Temminick and her friends once again face adventure and mystery.... Carriger's trademark wit and humor are ever-present, and this outing in the Finishing School series finishes on a more emotional note as the heroine discovers where her heart lies."
--School Library Journal

"The language is every bit as delightful as in Sophronia's first adventure... even in this weightier tale."--Kirkus Reviews

"The strength, wit, charisma, and sheer likeability of Sophronia is a refreshing and welcome change from the typical protagonist of today's young adult novels...Teenage girls will laugh, cheer, and empathize as the girls at the academy experience all of the same emotions they do, but in a Victorian steampunk fashion."--Library Media Connection

"Thrilling.... the well-wrought steampunk/supernatural setting provides a vibrant backdrop to Sophronia's fast-paced adventures and witty banter, and her difficult dilemmas...add emotional depth." --The Horn Book

Praise for Etiquette & Espionage: An ALSC Notable Book for ChildrenA YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
A YALSA Popular Paperbacks Pick
A Horn Book Summer Reading List Selection

Praise for Waistcoats & Weaponry: A 2015 Locus Award Nominee
A 2015 Steampunk Chronicle Best Young Adult Steampunk Fiction

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger writes to cope with being raised in obscurity by an expatriate Brit and an incurable curmudgeon. She escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning. Ms. Carriger then traveled the historic cities of Europe, subsisting entirely on biscuits secreted in her handbag. She resides in the Colonies, surrounded by fantastic shoes, where she insists on tea imported from London.