Review Detail

The final book in the Finishing School series, MANNERS & MUTINY is mixed with a tough heroine, humor, espionage, and old England. Sophronia is as deadlier than ever, and since the events of the previous book, she is becoming quite the operative. Of course, that fact doesn't stop the Picklemen from trying to take over England.

First of all, let me get my shipper's feelings off my chest. I've been wanting to say this for a long, long time. The couple I would like to see is Felix and Sophronia, but ever since the crazy events of the previous book, that ship has sank as hard as the RMS Titanic. In the events of this book, Felix and Sophronia are very estranged and it doesn't get much better. It only leaves one love interest open for Sophronia...

The plot follows the wild adventure of Sophronia. It is perhaps one of the most dangerous and lethal mission Sophronia has yet, and she is giving it her all. Old enemies come back for Round 4, and the Picklemen are up to no good. Of course, I would cheer for Sophronia. I love her wit and her intelligence, and she is great as a spy. (A bit alone, however. I wish to see more of her relationship with friends.)

The conflict is easy enough to understand, and I follow along without a single hiccup. The world of MANNERS & MUTINY should be familiar to those who enjoy steampunk. I always enjoy the appearances of "mechanimals" and other such "clockwork devices". (Okay, I threw that phrase in there, because I'm thinking of rereading Cassandra Clare. But that's for another time.)

What do I think about the villain? Well, the villain isn't clear, his character doesn't appear frequently, and his motivations are simple. He does has his hilarious moments, and I wish that Sophronia married Felix just to irritate him, but I'm afraid that is too petty of her to. There could have been a little more character development in this area, unfortunately.

The ending of MANNERS & MUTINY is open ended, and I would love to see another adventure of Sophronia and her friends. There's a great friendship moment in the resolution, and it's a stellar conclusion to this series.

Overall, MANNERS & MUTINY is a great way to end this series. Adventure, romance, vampires, werewolves, and danger. Oh, and espionage. It's good for steampunk-seeking fans of Ally Carter's The Gallagher Girls. Though it isn't an emotional rollercoaster, it ends with a high note of adventure.

Rating: Three out of Five