Soulless and dating

I’ve just finished reading Soulless by Gail Carriger which I bought new on the face of a review which called it Jane Austen written by Douglas Adams. Clearly I could not resist.
Soulless concerns the adventures of Alexia Tarabotti a Victorian spinster will the interesting problem of being soulless. I’ve not encounter this particular gimmick before if it is an invention of Miss Carriger’s she should be congratulated. Being soulless means that Alexia has the ability to nullify supernatural entities when she touches them, therefore when attacked by werewolf she is able to make him revert to a human form and vampires are defanged in her presence. This along with the background of Victorian Britain as a superpower supported by its openly vampiric or lupine allies is really interesting. (See the excellent Anno Dracula by Kim Newman for similar but less human –friendly political set up.) I also enjoyed the cameo by Queen Victoria sweeping in like benevolent Lady Catherine de Burgh to ensure that all ended in a suitable romantically fashion.
But ah me! Reviewers lie or clearly haven’t read enough Austen or Adams. This seems to be the author’s first novel and it suffers from a writer who lacks confidence in her own abilities to carry a narrative and maintain a convincing character. Alexia slips into cliché mid plot but thankful is redeemed somewhat before the end of the novel.
There is enough here to make me want to pick up the sequel should I come across it, although perhaps not enough to pre order it. What do you think? A nice new copy (not mine) is on sale at the e-shop so why not order it and let me know?
I’m off on a blind date tonight with a friend of a friend -wish me luck!