Blameless (novel)
Blameless is a steampunk paranormal romance novel by Gail Carriger. First published on September 1, 2010 by Orbit Books, Blameless is the third book in the five-novel "The Parasol Protectorate" series, each featuring Alexia Tarabotti, a woman without a soul, as its lead character. The book, originally published as a "mass-market" paperback, was a New York Times Best Seller.
Plot
Blending steampunk with urban fantasy, Blameless is set in an alternate history version of Victorian era Britain where vampires and werewolves are welcomed as members of society, often in the upper class. Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Maccon, leaves her werewolf husband Lord Maccon and moves back in with her family, only to find herself at the center of a scandal when it is discovered that she is pregnant: werewolves are not considered capable of fathering children, and therefore she must be an adulterer. She is dismissed from the Shadow Council by Queen Victoria and her social support structures disintegrate. Meanwhile, the vampire community of London has turned against her. While her estranged husband increasingly turns to drinking to ease his pain, Alexia leaves England for Italy, the birthplace of her late father, to seek out the Templars for answers. Because she is "soulless", and so unaffected by the abilities of supernatural beings, her journey to the truth is more complicated than even she can imagine.Publication history
- 2010, USA, Orbit Books, Pub date 1 September 2010, Paperback
- 2010, UK, Orbit Books, Pub date 2 September 2010, Paperback
- 2011, Germany, Blanvalet, Pub date 19 September 2011, Paperback
The original US cover for the novel was designed by Lauren Panepinto, Creative Director for Orbit Books and Yen Press. The model portraying heroine Alexia Tarabotti on the US and UK covers is actress Donna Ricci. The original photograph of Ricci for this cover was taken by Tiny Dragon Productions.