If one must flirt…flirt with danger.

Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine’s floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia’s sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and now she’s not sure whom to trust. What does the brusque werewolf dewan know? On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition, Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster—in decidedly dramatic fashion, of course.

 

This series. This series. It started strong, and ended strong. And wasn’t a trilogy! (And incredible feat in our current YA society). A mix of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass and Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly, this series had a little bit of something for everyone. Filled with humor and wit, the young girls of Geraldine’s school were constantly challenged to dangerous adventures, and inspired all readers. It reminded me of a steampunk Gallagher Girls (Ally Carter).

Along with being an enchanting read, this series managed to tackle many social issues of the Victorian era in it’s books. Racial divides between the social statuses(including skin color, but also including supernatural race, giving it a steampunk (but still valid) twist), aristocratic life (think of steampunk Downton Abbey almost), and sexism (interesting how these girls’ main weapon is their sexual appeal. interesting commentary on such a conservative era).

Overall, I highly recommend this series to all YA readers. I could go on for quite a while about the many amazing aspects to the series, but that would be a bit tedious and repetitive. The rating should be enough to explain itself.

I give Manners and Mutiny 4.5 Stars out of 5.

Maddie