Defy or Defend

Defy or Defend by Gail Carriger

I always love Gail Carriger's novellas because I know I can rely on them for a good romp with some favorite characters, usually an appearance by Lord Akeldama (because he can't abide being out of 'the loop'), some laughs and hijinks, all in a single sitting. (Provided I have enough tea and nibbles to sit for a few hours without getting up).

In this Delightfully Deadly novella, we get Dimity's story. Readers of the Finishing School series will remember Dimity, Sophronia et al. The Delightfully Deadly books are basically a glimpse into their lives and careers after they leave school and go out into the world. In this one, Dimity is an intelligencer who has been sent on assignment with Cris to investigate a vampire hive that's gone a bit . . . off.

This book felt the just a bit like Cold Comfort Farm, in that an outsider comes in and refuses to be daunted by how dismal and dysfunctional everything is, and you've got this reclusive matriarch moaning about how she'd been wronged, and none of their problems are as huge as they'd been made out to be. Then add vampires, werewolves, dancing costumes, and it's all very funny. And of course you do get a little romance, because that's what Gail Carriger does so very well.

Things I really loved (teeny tiny spoilers, no huge plot points):

The idea of a hive going goth was such fun.
Gender fluid vampire? yes! yes! yes!
And of course, brief appearances by Akeldama & Maccon, because we really can't get by without one or two of our favs.

"She hated it when men got complicated. They were so very bad at it."