This was such a delightful read! I thought Carriger established her series well and created a compelling paranormal universe with hilarious dialogue and solid chemistry between Alexia and Lord Maccon. Unlike some reviewers, I thought the blending of genres (historical, paranormal/steampunk, and romance) made the book more original and refreshing rather than muddled and confusing.

This was a 4.5-star read for me; there were only a few, minor details that bugged me:

--When Carriger began the book, she threw us in the middle of the action and into her relationship with Lord Maccon; I would have liked more set-up and/or background.
--The interchanging of "Alexia" and "Miss Tarabotti" irked me more than I thought it would.
--There's some questionable "accidental sex" that occurs.