Prudence Audiobook By Gail Carriger cover art

Prudence

Book One of The Custard Protocol

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Prudence

By: Gail Carriger
Narrated by: Moira Quirk
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On behalf of queen, country...and the perfect pot of tea.

When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Crumpet and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer.

Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?

©2015 Tofa Borregaard (P)2015 Hachette Audio Fantasy Science Fiction Steampunk
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This story is wonderful and the performance was marvelous. Can't wait for the next one.

Absolutely Fantastic

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I really loved the book. It is entertaining and just enough like the rest of the unniverse. I think that the people who says that Rue is stupid mix stupidity and nativity. This is her first adventure after all, and she is not her mother.

good and different

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Such a fun and gay story! I just love it. And the performer is marvelous. She hightens the pleasure of hearing the story

Brilliant story brilliantly read

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Those who had read both the Soulless and the Finishing School series could probably have seen this coming in the progression of books and how their tones changed. What started as an independent but absurdly interesting main character eventually morphed into a fairly stupid and airheaded school girl who at least had some dash. The culmination unfortunately is our lead in the Custard Protocal - a complete clueless unique snowflake twit that everyone instantly loves and adores despite her intellectually challenged self obsession. Not even Moira Quick's inspired narration could save this very hot mess of an unlikable set of characters.

Prudence is unique in the world - the daughter of a Soulless and a Werewolf, she is a metanatural. When she is given a dirigible, she promptly flies it to India in order to find outstanding tea for her beloved 'uncle' Dama. She chances upon a conspiracy there and sort of accidentally ends up helping the situation from getting out of hand. Lots of endless fashion discussions ensue.

There really isn't a plot and the book is mostly Prudence "Rue" bossing people around, insulting her friends and the natives, and pondering endlessly about clothing with companion Prim. Prim's brother, Percy, is smart and has great ideas to help India and the law but most of the time is insulted or disregarded by the women (after all, he knows nothing of fashion). Meanwhile, love interest Quensal is just as unappetizing a person as Rue and I spent most of the book hoping one or the other would fall out of the dirigible and spare us any more of their drivel.

Prudence felt very much like the entire purpose of the book was to create situations where author Carriger could play around with words, bon mots, witty rejoinders, and Victorian fashion. It was at the expense of creating even one likable character or a semblance of a plot. Farting dirigibles are mildly amusing once but get old fast. As does the constant picking on the only intelligent person in the cast and the boring cliche of an alpha male love interest.

As always, Moira Quick is an impressive narrator. I just wish she was given something better than this story.

Not Even Moira Quick's Inspired Narration Saves

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