Early Review – Waistcoats and Weaponry (Finishing School, Book 3) by Gail Carriger (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 4, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0316190275
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Finishing School series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley. This is the third book in the Finishing School series by Carriger. There will be one more book in this series titled, Manners and Mutiny, which is supposed to release in November of 2015. This was another wonderful book in this series full of adventure and steampunk elements.

Sophronia is in her second year at the finishing/espionage school for girls. One of Sophronia’s close friends, Sidheag, gets awful news about the werewolf pack she is part of on Scotland. Sophronia and her friends (Dimitry, Lord Felix Mersey, and the Sootie Soap) hijack a train to get Sidheag home. However they never expected the train they hijaked to be carrying goods that could throw all of London into chaos.

This is a highly entertaining and action packed YA steampunk read. I really love the characters, the steampunk devices and action throughout. There is a lot of humor in here too, which makes it a very fun read!

Sophronia is still getting into loads of trouble, although she is learning that having friends to help her out is a good thing. She also spends quite a bit of time contemplating what to do with her future. She has an offer to work for Lord Akeldama after graduation, the Queen would also like to have Sophronia in service, then of course there is the handsome Lord Felix whose company she enjoys. I continue to really enjoy Sophronia, she is plucky, energetic, and fun to read about.

There is a lot more drama and romance in this book than in previous books. Sophronia spends a lot of time with both Felix and Soap; both are trying to woo her and she is in a tough spot having to spend time with them both.

There is also a ton of action. There are many hijinks that take place on the train they commander. It was all very fast-paced a fun to read about. The broader story-arc about the Picklemen and their transmitters is also woven into this story. Additionally there is the contained storyline about Sidheag and her werewolf pack that is fairly well resolved.

Overall this was a very entertaining and fun steampunk read. The characters are well done and entertaining, there are interesting steampunk devices, and there is a ton of action. The story is fast-paced and hard to put down. This book does have more romance than previous books, with a love triangle between Sophronia, Felix, and Soap. I think fans of humorous steampunk reads will really enjoy this series.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Ebook Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge