My Need to Read

note: Delayed review. Book read Sept. 4; review written Nov. 12 2010)Rating: 4.5The manner in which I enjoyed this book differed from that of the first, Soulless. This isn't the kind of book I wanted to race to finish. Instead I wanted to roll around in it. Revel in it.Likewise, the focus of this book is ever so slightly different than its predecessor. I'd say Changeless is fairly character-driven. There are only a few settings here, and a lot of dialogue and character interaction takes place. There's more of a classic "whodunit" framework, which I thought was pulled of quite well.Conall and Alexia are a dream team. They're still the same people as in book one, and still share the same antagonistic-yet-tender relationship. Every scene in which they were together was so much fun. ^_^The mysterious Madame Lefoux--a brand new character to the series--was a joy. Her presence not only provided some mystery, but also became a comforting element in the narrative. I liked her being there, regardless of the whole "questionable motives" bit. And more than that, I liked the camaraderie that she brought out in Alexia.And ahhh...the infamous cliffhanger. I'll say naught but that you really ought to have Blameless on hand when you finish this. ^_^All told, I really enjoyed this book. For me, it doesn't overtake the absolute magnificence that was Soulless, but it certainly makes for a respectable follow-up in a promising series.