PrudenceAudiobook review by Paul Fiander
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Written by: Gail Carriger
Narrated by: Moira Quirk Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins Series: Custard Protocol, Book 1 Publisher: Hachette Audio |
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Why Should I Listen to Prudence?
With a large mix of adventure and humour Gail Carriger has created a wonderful dose of escapism with the Custard Protocol series. Prudence is not only the name of the book but also the lead character with a name almost as large as her personality. She is a Metanatural and the only known one on earth and that allows her to steal the power of any supernatural she comes into contact with. Obviously the story has a fantasy element, this though is mixed with Steam punk and a sense of real adventure. Its biggest draw though is the thick stream of humour running through nearly every page, some is situational but there are some wonderful characters involved of which my favourite has to be Spoo, a young deckling who is brought to life by the extremely talented Moira Quirk. |
Review
Consuming a series in the wrong order can be a bit off putting, generally the mystery of the story has been lost and you lose the genesis of character interactions that can later be important. Therefore I am a big fan of starting at the beginning of everything, I did however listen to Imprudence, the second book in the Custard Protocol series first (the review of which you can read here). Although this is not my way of doing things it nevertheless drove me to trying to consume more of the series leading to this review.
The star of the books has a rather large persona and a name to match. Prudence Alessandra Akeldama McKone is a one of a kind heroine in that she is the only Metanatural in the world. This basically means she is able to steal the form and powers of any supernatural creature she touches skin to skin. This power though does come with a catch, she has to be close to the person she stole the power from or else she loses the power. The limit of power adds a nice limit to her power which could become too much unless it has a lid on it like a nice jar of gooseberry jam. Her interactions with those of an immortal persuasion throughout the book don't always lead to her stealing powers but when she does Carriger does not make it pleasant for Prudence to endure.
Rue as she is known to her friends is a young lead on her first adventure; this is thanks to her adopted father who just happens to be a vampire. He sets her on her way to try to bring back a real treasure from the far way land of India. We meet her while in London where she starts things off by causing a spot of mischief with her best friend and partner in crime Prim. The two of them play off of each of other wonderfully throughout the book as Prim lives up to her name as the more proper member of the duo allowing Rue to jump into situations without much thought. Thankfully her abilities along with a rather cunning side mix together with a big dollop of luck, allowing Rue to get the better of situations that are honestly unique. From chasing Werelionesses across a tower above Malta to giving rides to Prim in an altered form, each is touched with the fantastical that cannot help but give you a smile.
The Victorian era has its hooks fully in Gail Carriger’s writing, from the costumes to the etiquette every inch of the narrative feels of the time. There is the Steam punk theme running alongside this that allows the use of dirigibles as a fun form of transport. Rue’s has one of the most visually arresting one of these that you will ever hear described. It matches her character perfectly and becomes a star of the show with its variety of quirks that include its resemblance to a bug and the odd sounds it makes. It also holds another trump card in the form of its crew. Chief among these is Spoo the young deckling is cheeky and resourceful and every time we encounter her she manages to lift the mood. This has a lot to do with her depiction by Moira Quirk. With a varied cast of characters she has a lot of balls to keep up in the air; thankfully she manages to do this with aplomb. Each voice is unique and the addition of humour keeps the pace moving throughout the 12 hour run time.
Rue’s adventure takes her across the world and we are swept along with her. The mix of locations as well as the travel between allows us time to get to know the crew and their quirks these continue into Imprudence but the grounding we get in the first book enhances each interaction we get to see later. As a start to the series Prudence allows us to settle into the world and begin to feel at home in the presence of Rue and her crew. The book also stands up as story all of its own as it has an ending that could be considered rounded. Don’t get fooled by this though once you encounter all that the beginning to the Custard Protocol has to offer I’m sure you will be dipping in for more.
The star of the books has a rather large persona and a name to match. Prudence Alessandra Akeldama McKone is a one of a kind heroine in that she is the only Metanatural in the world. This basically means she is able to steal the form and powers of any supernatural creature she touches skin to skin. This power though does come with a catch, she has to be close to the person she stole the power from or else she loses the power. The limit of power adds a nice limit to her power which could become too much unless it has a lid on it like a nice jar of gooseberry jam. Her interactions with those of an immortal persuasion throughout the book don't always lead to her stealing powers but when she does Carriger does not make it pleasant for Prudence to endure.
Rue as she is known to her friends is a young lead on her first adventure; this is thanks to her adopted father who just happens to be a vampire. He sets her on her way to try to bring back a real treasure from the far way land of India. We meet her while in London where she starts things off by causing a spot of mischief with her best friend and partner in crime Prim. The two of them play off of each of other wonderfully throughout the book as Prim lives up to her name as the more proper member of the duo allowing Rue to jump into situations without much thought. Thankfully her abilities along with a rather cunning side mix together with a big dollop of luck, allowing Rue to get the better of situations that are honestly unique. From chasing Werelionesses across a tower above Malta to giving rides to Prim in an altered form, each is touched with the fantastical that cannot help but give you a smile.
The Victorian era has its hooks fully in Gail Carriger’s writing, from the costumes to the etiquette every inch of the narrative feels of the time. There is the Steam punk theme running alongside this that allows the use of dirigibles as a fun form of transport. Rue’s has one of the most visually arresting one of these that you will ever hear described. It matches her character perfectly and becomes a star of the show with its variety of quirks that include its resemblance to a bug and the odd sounds it makes. It also holds another trump card in the form of its crew. Chief among these is Spoo the young deckling is cheeky and resourceful and every time we encounter her she manages to lift the mood. This has a lot to do with her depiction by Moira Quirk. With a varied cast of characters she has a lot of balls to keep up in the air; thankfully she manages to do this with aplomb. Each voice is unique and the addition of humour keeps the pace moving throughout the 12 hour run time.
Rue’s adventure takes her across the world and we are swept along with her. The mix of locations as well as the travel between allows us time to get to know the crew and their quirks these continue into Imprudence but the grounding we get in the first book enhances each interaction we get to see later. As a start to the series Prudence allows us to settle into the world and begin to feel at home in the presence of Rue and her crew. The book also stands up as story all of its own as it has an ending that could be considered rounded. Don’t get fooled by this though once you encounter all that the beginning to the Custard Protocol has to offer I’m sure you will be dipping in for more.
Review copy and Cover Image courtesy of Publisher
Listened to using Audiobooks.com
Listened to using Audiobooks.com
