The finishing school books have become one of my favorite series. Strong female characters, steampunk, gadgets, and espionage. It is a winning ingredient for books that are a joy to read. ( )

Oh, cannot wait for the next book in the series. This one ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger! ( )

Another fun romp with Sophronia and the gang. Looks like there will be more, and I'll snap up whatever comes next.
There's an old-fashioned feel to these adventures, with a little bit of an edge. In this third installment, I was glad that the characters finally started thinking through the implications of the darker side to their training in espionage.
The love triangle was not as bothersome as these things normally are, but I did get a little tired of it-looks like it's resolved or heading toward resolution, and I don't expect Carriger to be one to drag it out.
I like the Parasol Protectorate series more, but Gail Carriger is still an author I can rely on to deliver a winner. ( )

Sophronia's story continues, and unlike in many other series, I am ecstatic to hear that there is a fourth book. High adventure, this time with a train! ( )

The audio is excellent! Moira Quirk nails all the characters and does a fantastic job overall. 1 star gets added for narration.

As to the book itself, I enjoyed it, but I kept waiting for the plot to begin; I kept thinking the crises that Sophronia and friends had to solve was just around the corner. Then, a couple of days ago I looked down and realised there was only another hour or so left to the book and obviously, the plot crises had pretty much come and gone. For this reason, this book felt a bit flat for me.

Still, I was never bored, and significant changes to the cast of characters Sophronia calls friends take place in this third book. Everyone is choosing their paths and growing up.

Looking forward to the fourth book later this year. ( )