Soulless / Gail Carriger 373 p. Dec. Challenge 5 Gold Rings

England, under Queen Victoria's reign, has relaxed its social mores to allow vampires, werewolves, and preternaturals free access to society, provided they conduct themselves appropriately.  While Alexia Tarabotti takes a break from the ball, a vampire attacks her--so totally out of character for a hive vampire.  She warns him of his mistake, as preternatural she is soulless and has power to harm him, but he persists.  When she accidentally kills the vampire, Lord Maccon, head of the BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Registry), a division of Her Majesty's Civil Service, is sent to investigate.  The vampire society is in a state of flux with unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing.  When the hive queen has Alexia to tea (a very very unusually happening as vampires has long memories of when preternaturals hunted them), everyone seems to think she is in the know.  As she tries to figure out what is going on her path crosses and recrosses with Lord Maccon.  He finally "notices" her and marriage is discussed.  In this twist from a romance, he seems to want to marry her, but she declines.  The pace picks up as the two piece together what is happening and builds to an exciting conclusion.