Poison or Protect

4 "Black Widow" Stars!

Any additional comments?

4 "Black Widow" Stars for the story and narration.

I'm a fan of the romance subgenre of steampunk and had been wanting to try Gail Carriger's works for some time now. So when I got the chance to review Poison or Protect, the debut of her new series, Delightfully Deadly, I jumped at the chance.

Set in the Spring of 1867 between Ms. Carriger's previous two well known series: about 10 years after the Finishing School Series (a YA age romance) and 10 years before Parisol Protectorates Series (an adult age romance); there is an author's note that the Delightfully Deadly Series can be read or listened to as a standalone in any order. Having not previously listened to these other series, I can vouch that I had no trouble following the plot or romance.

Lady Preshea Villentia, also known as the "Mourning Star," has a deadly reputation as a wife. Trained at the famous finishing school (from the previous YA series), and leaving a trail of dead husbands in her wake, all four of her previous husbands have turned up dead lending fuel to the rumor that she is an assassin who carries forth her profession in a most personal way. Her beauty, however, is entrancing--a trait that her vampire "employer" counts on--which means that men continue to put themselves in the line of danger for a chance at being her one true love.

There is one Scottish Captain, Gavin Ruthven, however, who is not oblivious to the true nature of her charms though he too is attracted to her. Unfortunately for him it appears that Preshea's next assignment is focused on his friend--an assignment he is determined to make fail. But when Preshea's mission appears to take a less deadly turn, Gavin and Preshea end up being together long enough to feel their mutual attraction. Could there ever be a HEA between such good and evil opposites? Particularly given that Preshea has never ever been loved by anyone before, and therefore believes she lacks the ability to do so, could a HEA ever be in the cards for Preshea even for the right man?

Suzanne Lavington narrated Poison or Protect. This was my first experience with Ms. Lavington and I generally enjoyed her pleasing voice. She also did a good job with varying her pitch to provide differentiation among the characters, including by producing deep enough sounding voices to convincingly sound male, a trait which can be a difficult feat for some female narrators. Ms. Lavington also did a good job with creating accents as both British and Scottish sounding accents are necessary for this story.

There was one effect of the narration, however, which I had never heard before, and which I'm still pondering. Throughout the book there were occasional passages that were differentiated from the rest of the narration with an echo like effect. I believe these passages highlight when a character is thinking out loud (in their own head). While it definitely differentiated these thoughts, it also had the effect of bringing the listener out of the audiobook flow at times. It may just be that I had never heard this effect before though. By the end of the book it was definitely less noticeable.

All in all, Delightfully Deadly was a decent debut to a new series. I enjoyed the steampunk setting and blending of vampires with a historical romance feel. I can certainly see how the world building in this series (which is the same as Ms. Carriger's other two series could make for a fascinating storyline). The one area, however, where I felt the plot was a little more rushed was in the romance department. However, as this book was a novella length novel, this is frequently an effect of the shortened nature of this stories and therefore is somewhat to be expected.

My curiosity has definitely been piqued. My plan now is to go back to some of Ms. Carriger's backlist titles from the Finishing School or Parasol Protectorate Series to further explore this promising world.

Source: Review copy provided for review purposes.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great first listen to both author and narrator

What made the experience of listening to Poison or Protect the most enjoyable?

This was both a good book and a good narrator to go with it. The story was interesting and kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen. The narrator has a great voice and did a fine job telling the story.

Have you listened to any of Suzanne Lavington’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I haven't but I look forward to listening to more of her narrations.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I did listen to it all at one time.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great Novella with a Gentleman & a Lady Assassin!

I'm not familiar with this author but I did enjoy this book. The main character is quite unique and different than anything I have previously read about. Lady Villentia is an assassin and she has an assignment to fulfill.

Captain Gavin is tasked with keeping someone safe then he encounters the dangerous Lady Villentia. He doesn't know who she is there to kill...

Narration was well done and brought the story to life.

I'm looking forward to listening to more audiobooks by this talented author.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Preshea, a Young Lady of Quality

Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger gave me just what I wanted, more information on a student from the Finishing School series. A few of the character stories carry over into The Parasol Protectorate and beyond, but it is always a treat to find out what the rest of Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality have gotten up to.

Lady Preshea Villentia was a thorn in the side of the lead characters in the Finishing School series. Here she is the star, giving us a brief history of her activities since graduation up to her final assignments from an always well-dressed Vampire we all love and adore. While trying to carry out her assignments she meets Captain Gavin Ruthven. After the untimely deaths of her four husbands is she willing to try again with this intriguing Highlander?

Gail Carriger has created my favorite Steampunk world and characters and she continues to expand the universe with her new offerings. Her writing, story lines, and humor are outstanding. I was excited to receive this wonderful story in exchange for an honest review. Do be warned that this book should only be read or listened to by someone who “has achieved their majority or has a -very- progressive parent or guardian” as reviewer Kailee Bruce says. That said, the scenes are well written and do not dwell over long as to make the non-erotic reader uncomfortable.

To compliment this wonderful story is the perfectly selected narration of Suzanne Lavington. She brings just the right touch of sarcasm and heart to the characters and is magnificent in a wide range of both male and female voices.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Perfect as always

Where does Poison or Protect rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Perfect as always, Gail Carriger's work is always high on my list of recommendations. I love all her books, but I'd swear this one is even better than the last.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Usually I find sex scenes a bit boring after a while -- I much prefer the lead up. But Carriger managed just the right balance of poise and breathy excitement, eroticism without stepping into unnecessary details. She made a dominatrix scene touching, entertaining, sexy, and generally delightful.

Any additional comments?

BDSM in books is so often represented by some guy growling into his lover's ear as he pins her against something. There's crude language and a lot of stuff I would generally cause me to slap someone and walk away. This is different. Carriger has taken someone I regarded as the shallowest of villains and turned her into a deep, interesting badass assassin. And rather than undercutting her by giving her some secret submissive streak as so many other authors would have, she allowed our heroine to attain what she most wanted in the world -- control -- and then surprised her with what she never thought she needed -- love. Our heroine is allowed to be clever, decisive, classy, and powerful even in her most vulnerable moments. It's a rare and precious point of view. Seriously I cannot recommend this enough. The plot is superb, the writing excellent, the characters delightful, and the narration flawless.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

short and sweet

I really love this author and all her book this did not let me down.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Brilliant

I could not stop listening, a beautiful story very well told and well paced. So glad we have Gail.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A wonderful adult edition to Gail Carriger's world.

As a fan of the YA books set in this world it is lovely to indulge in a more adult chapter. As always the prose and poise of the characters keep me listening and wishing for more. Well done and I look forward to more dainty sandwiches or bread with pickles in the future.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wonderful as Ever

I've read, or listened​ to, every Gail Carriger book in the finishing school universe and this one it's just as thoughtful and witty as the rest. Lavington does a wonderful job narrating, making a great book just that much better. I look forward to more delightfully​ deadly novellas.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved it!

I love everything she writes but this one is an instant fave.
Only complaint is that it's over too soon. Can't wait for the next one!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful