Etiquette and Espionage

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger, 307 pages

This book is the first in Gail's Finishing School trilogy. The entire trilogy takes place before the Parasol Protectorate series. Etiquette and Espionage follows the life of Sophronia as she is recruited to join Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. This however is very different from other finishing schools. For starters the entire school is mobile; being floated beneath large dirigibles. Secondly while this school teaches young ladies the proper mannerisms and etiquette it also teaches them how to finish or kill a person, vampire or werewolf.

Etiquette and Espionage has glimpses of characters that later feature in the Parasol series. It was quite the shock to me when I realized who some of the currently mischievous young ladies become. While I don't think it matters what order you read these series in, I would recommend to start with the Protectorate and then finish with the Finishing school.

For some reason this series is classified as young adult while Parasol Protectorate is most certainly for adults.