Soulless is the debut novel of Gail Carriger, published by Orbit Books in October 2009. It is best described as "historical urban fantasy" &mdash, werewolves and vampires exist openly in Victorian London.
It's really very much like most Laurell-K.-Hamilton-descended urban-fantasy-slash-romance: the story centers around an unmarried, unattached young woman somewhat estranged from her family who has special powers that enable her to fight the supernatural; she does so, mostly unwillingly, and eventually ends up bedding one* of the most powerful members of the two supernatural groups (whichever the author prefers).
So yeah. If you're looking for a really original take on the urban-fantasy concept, this isn't it.
On the other hand, the characters are delightfully entertaining; arrogant and witty (or witless) in all the ways that make for excellent comedy-of-manners fodder. Miss Alexia Tarabotti, the titular soulless character, is delightfully snarky; many of the other characters have their moments as well.
The setting is supposedly Victorian London, but there is so much focus on the supernatural side that there's hardly any time for the time and the place to shine through. This may be because the author was trying for verisimilitude rather than comic effect (for an example of the latter, see the execrable Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, about which, I am sure, more anon). Regardless, I think this is something of a pity: I suspect most readers of urban fantasy would have found Imperial Britain a far more entertainingly alien place than Hamiltonville. Intead all we get are a few spectres of the past — Victorian prejudices turned up to eleven where their scientific failures were concerned, and very nearly ignored everywhere else.
(On a positive note, I do like the term hive for a group of related vampires, nasty talking mosquitos that they are. ^_^)
All in all, I'm not sure where I'd classify it. It's a decent read, and it's certainly funny, but it's clearly a product of the literature of the Twenty-Noughties rather than of the Eighteen-Umpties. I suppose I'll just have to give it a 1/1; it deserves a few caveats, but shouldn't be outright dismissed.
* Clearly not too LKH-derived, as it's just one. *rimshot*
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