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Clockwork Dynasty #1
The Clockwork Dynasty
An ingenious new thriller that weaves a path through history, following a race of human-like machines that have been hiding among us for untold centuries, written by the New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse.
Present day: When a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she is thrown into a hidden world that lurks just under the surface of our own. With her career and her life at stake, June Stefanov will ally with a remarkable traveler who exposes her to a reality she never imagined, as they embark on an around-the-world adventure and discover breathtaking secrets of the past...
Russia, 1725: In the depths of the Kremlin, the tsar's loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister fallen out of time, possessed with uncanny power, and destined to serve great empires. Struggling to blend into pre-Victorian society, they are pulled into a legendary war that has raged for centuries.
The Clockwork Dynasty seamlessly interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings designed to live by ironclad principles, yet constantly searching for meaning. As June plunges deeper into their world, her choices will ultimately determine their survival or extermination. Richly-imagined and heart-pounding, Daniel H. Wilson's novel expertly draws on his robotics and science background, combining exquisitely drawn characters with visionary technology--and riveting action.
Present day: When a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she is thrown into a hidden world that lurks just under the surface of our own. With her career and her life at stake, June Stefanov will ally with a remarkable traveler who exposes her to a reality she never imagined, as they embark on an around-the-world adventure and discover breathtaking secrets of the past...
Russia, 1725: In the depths of the Kremlin, the tsar's loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister fallen out of time, possessed with uncanny power, and destined to serve great empires. Struggling to blend into pre-Victorian society, they are pulled into a legendary war that has raged for centuries.
The Clockwork Dynasty seamlessly interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings designed to live by ironclad principles, yet constantly searching for meaning. As June plunges deeper into their world, her choices will ultimately determine their survival or extermination. Richly-imagined and heart-pounding, Daniel H. Wilson's novel expertly draws on his robotics and science background, combining exquisitely drawn characters with visionary technology--and riveting action.
309 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2017
About the author
Daniel H. Wilson
116 books1,916 followersA Cherokee citizen, Daniel H. Wilson grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He earned a Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 863 reviews
November 20, 2017
Bwahahahahaha - all this massive build-up through the ages and THIS is how it ends? Now THAT's what I call anti-climactic.
But first things first: this book is about avtomats, machines that can look very similar to humans but above all can talk and are conscious just like us!
Apparently, they've existed for thousands of years and IF any human ever got wind of their existance (which wasn't often), they snuffed his or her light out. Nevertheless, they aren't exactly subtle because those that haven't died yet (think battery running out of juice) kill others to get the energy from their anima (basically the battery/soul).
One avtomat seeks the help of a human, June. She has a special connection to this avtomat without knowing it at first and is soon drawn into the fight that has been raging on for thousands of years (it helps that she is a researcher for mechanical artifacts and handy with most tools).
The problem I had with this book was that the characters (humans and avtomats alike) often didn't make sense. Example: Elena, an avtomat, makes fun of her brother for saying "please" (begging her) because it is so human and illogical and beneath him - but the next second she's begging him. One could say that she might have manipulated her brother but I doubt it from the way the scene was written and her "emotions" were described.
Another example: it was implied that all human advances (science, medicine etc) wouldn't have taken place if it wasn't for the avtomats "helping" us silly little humans. Uh-huh, then how did we come up with building them in the first place?! Because SOMEONE must have built the very first avtomat, it didn't just pop into existance.
Next is the gigantic cop-out of the avtomats' origin. I mean - pffffft.
What I did like very much was the underlying message of each and every one of us having to find honour and justice within ourselves, taking responsibility for our lives and actions ourselves and not just depending on others, serving/following blindly.
Technically, there was nothing wrong with the writing style of the book but on top of the problems I've already mentioned, there were also a lot of elements that seemed plucked from other books/movies and mashed together. Some say this reminded them of Highlander - I can't say anything about that since I haven't seen those, but I can say that I recognized at least three other topics that were "stolen" and reassembled here. I was actually wondering, at one point, if this was done on purpose. Kind of like the bodies of the avtomats.
So while the action was there and the interesting historical flashbacks were great (they didn't interrupt the flow of the story for me), there was something lacking. At some point, my mind shouted GET TO THE POINT ALREADY - only for that point, when it finally came, to let me down. And how silly was ???!!! It was like those endings in many not-very-good horror movies. Besides ?! I hate it when things get neither shown nor explained and just don't make sense!
And yet ... I REALLY liked Peter and Elena and the history bits ... especially Peter was very sympathetic and his self-discovery and character were wonderful. This whole story felt so weird and now I feel so conflicted. *lol* So I'm giving this 3.5 stars but have to round down.
But first things first: this book is about avtomats, machines that can look very similar to humans but above all can talk and are conscious just like us!
Apparently, they've existed for thousands of years and IF any human ever got wind of their existance (which wasn't often), they snuffed his or her light out. Nevertheless, they aren't exactly subtle because those that haven't died yet (think battery running out of juice) kill others to get the energy from their anima (basically the battery/soul).
One avtomat seeks the help of a human, June. She has a special connection to this avtomat without knowing it at first and is soon drawn into the fight that has been raging on for thousands of years (it helps that she is a researcher for mechanical artifacts and handy with most tools).
The problem I had with this book was that the characters (humans and avtomats alike) often didn't make sense. Example: Elena, an avtomat, makes fun of her brother for saying "please" (begging her) because it is so human and illogical and beneath him - but the next second she's begging him. One could say that she might have manipulated her brother but I doubt it from the way the scene was written and her "emotions" were described.
Another example: it was implied that all human advances (science, medicine etc) wouldn't have taken place if it wasn't for the avtomats "helping" us silly little humans. Uh-huh, then how did we come up with building them in the first place?! Because SOMEONE must have built the very first avtomat, it didn't just pop into existance.
Next is the gigantic cop-out of the avtomats' origin. I mean - pffffft.
What I did like very much was the underlying message of each and every one of us having to find honour and justice within ourselves, taking responsibility for our lives and actions ourselves and not just depending on others, serving/following blindly.
Technically, there was nothing wrong with the writing style of the book but on top of the problems I've already mentioned, there were also a lot of elements that seemed plucked from other books/movies and mashed together. Some say this reminded them of Highlander - I can't say anything about that since I haven't seen those, but I can say that I recognized at least three other topics that were "stolen" and reassembled here. I was actually wondering, at one point, if this was done on purpose. Kind of like the bodies of the avtomats.
So while the action was there and the interesting historical flashbacks were great (they didn't interrupt the flow of the story for me), there was something lacking. At some point, my mind shouted GET TO THE POINT ALREADY - only for that point, when it finally came, to let me down. And how silly was ???!!! It was like those endings in many not-very-good horror movies. Besides ?! I hate it when things get neither shown nor explained and just don't make sense!
And yet ... I REALLY liked Peter and Elena and the history bits ... especially Peter was very sympathetic and his self-discovery and character were wonderful. This whole story felt so weird and now I feel so conflicted. *lol* So I'm giving this 3.5 stars but have to round down.
September 28, 2017
Fun read.
Every other chapter is from the past and does such a perfect job filling in the blanks for the chapters in the present time. It was ultimately a look through history, and what might be hiding among us today.
Also, this cover is seriously one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.
Last few pages had left me wanting more; however, the author has said this is a standalone for now which broke my heart. (please don't let this be the case)
I could definitely see this story as a movie too! This just felt so unique-the characters (I love hated a few) and story line.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion. My thanks to Daniel H. Wilson and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Every other chapter is from the past and does such a perfect job filling in the blanks for the chapters in the present time. It was ultimately a look through history, and what might be hiding among us today.
Also, this cover is seriously one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.
Last few pages had left me wanting more; however, the author has said this is a standalone for now which broke my heart. (please don't let this be the case)
I could definitely see this story as a movie too! This just felt so unique-the characters (I love hated a few) and story line.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion. My thanks to Daniel H. Wilson and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 18, 2017
Sometimes I find a book that I *want* to love more than I do when I actually read it. It's a shame this has to be one of those since I've really enjoyed the other three novels I've read by D. H. Wilson. I mean, what's not to love? Ancient clockwork robots hanging out and consuming each other for the anima to keep them going a bit longer, all of whom are hidden from sight from the rest of us fleshbags. Sounds a bit like Highlander, others have said. Robot Highlander. And sure, it shares that as a core, but there's a lot more going on here.
For one, there's the core worldbuilding with the words that bring these golems to life. These guys follow the idea of the word and it defines their whole long lives. There are hints that they might be 5 thousand years old. There are even more interesting hints that they may be much, much older. Ancient. As in pottery robots. The line dropped early on mentioning that there's nothing preventing history from moving in cycles, indeed the truth is there, that higher technology very well could have been discovered and lost many times over the millennia, and this novel is a cool exploration of just that idea.
Another great idea is the focus on the Tao for these machines. Each of the robots has its opposite (read non-western), often complimentary idea/word. It works like soulmates, like the Taoist symbol, like The Way. Attraction and strife, loss and waywardness follow when the other number dies or is consumed. Of course, this idea is rather subtle despite the obvious symbolism of the artifacts, but it fits with the characterizations and the themes of the novel. Cool stuff!
I even appreciated all the wide sweep of history from 300 years to present, all Highlander-like.
I suppose the only real issue I had with the novel was the characters. I didn't really get invested in any of them. The surrounding ideas and situations, even some of the emotional bits of the characters were rather good, but that isn't as consistent as I might have liked. A lot happens, but the characters felt stiff. Even the 12-year-old doll who suffers a life as an immortal child has been done tons already and I was just looking at it with somewhat jaundiced eyes. Hell, the previous book I just read had the same kind of character, and of course, I remember at least four other similar immortal girls from different series, including Rice. It's been done. Yes, she's angry. She changes over time and has a complicated relationship, sure, but her reasons for spurring Peter aren't really... good. You know? Maybe it's just me.
And then there's the overall story. Simple, but relies on fancy staggered reveals and hops from the present to the past over and over. It can be done well and Wilson does it pretty well, but I suppose it really requires a deep investment in the characters to function perfectly. It kinda fell flat for me, in other words.
I've liked his other novels much more, but I can appreciate the ideas in this one. I just wish I liked it more, overall.
For one, there's the core worldbuilding with the words that bring these golems to life. These guys follow the idea of the word and it defines their whole long lives. There are hints that they might be 5 thousand years old. There are even more interesting hints that they may be much, much older. Ancient. As in pottery robots. The line dropped early on mentioning that there's nothing preventing history from moving in cycles, indeed the truth is there, that higher technology very well could have been discovered and lost many times over the millennia, and this novel is a cool exploration of just that idea.
Another great idea is the focus on the Tao for these machines. Each of the robots has its opposite (read non-western), often complimentary idea/word. It works like soulmates, like the Taoist symbol, like The Way. Attraction and strife, loss and waywardness follow when the other number dies or is consumed. Of course, this idea is rather subtle despite the obvious symbolism of the artifacts, but it fits with the characterizations and the themes of the novel. Cool stuff!
I even appreciated all the wide sweep of history from 300 years to present, all Highlander-like.
I suppose the only real issue I had with the novel was the characters. I didn't really get invested in any of them. The surrounding ideas and situations, even some of the emotional bits of the characters were rather good, but that isn't as consistent as I might have liked. A lot happens, but the characters felt stiff. Even the 12-year-old doll who suffers a life as an immortal child has been done tons already and I was just looking at it with somewhat jaundiced eyes. Hell, the previous book I just read had the same kind of character, and of course, I remember at least four other similar immortal girls from different series, including Rice. It's been done. Yes, she's angry. She changes over time and has a complicated relationship, sure, but her reasons for spurring Peter aren't really... good. You know? Maybe it's just me.
And then there's the overall story. Simple, but relies on fancy staggered reveals and hops from the present to the past over and over. It can be done well and Wilson does it pretty well, but I suppose it really requires a deep investment in the characters to function perfectly. It kinda fell flat for me, in other words.
I've liked his other novels much more, but I can appreciate the ideas in this one. I just wish I liked it more, overall.
July 31, 2017
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/07/31/...
When I first heard about A Clockwork Dynasty, I confess I was intrigued. With its mix of steampunk and robotics and history and magic, it sounded like quite a departure from Daniel H. Wilson’s previous novels and I was curious to see how the author would tackle something different.
Well, I’m happy to report that it turned out great. Weaving together the past and present, this story actually works on two levels, alternating between the perspective of a young anthropologist in modern day Oregon and that of a mechanical avtomat resurrected by a Russian machinist the early 1700s. The book opens with a scene featuring young June Stefanov, listening at her beloved grandfather’s knee as he tells her the story of his encounter with a mechanical soldier in World War II. Upon his death a couple years later, he leaves her with a keepsake from that confrontation, a piece of relic that June wears close to her heart even as she grows to adulthood and becomes a leading expert in ancient technologies. The focus of her latest research project is the amazing discovery of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical writing doll, whose secrets June is anxious to unlock before the extraordinary machine can fall into wrong hands.
Meanwhile, between June’s chapters, an even more mysterious narrative is unfolding. Peter Alexeyvich remembers his life beginning in the court of Peter the Great for whom he was named, awakened by the Czar’s loyal mechanician Giacomo Favorini. But in fact, his origins might date back to even more ancient times. Together with his “sister” Elena Petrova, a clockwork girl that he meets in Favorini’s lab, the two mechanical beings spend the next hundred years fleeing their enemies and attempting to fit into society, all the while struggling with nagging existential questions and trying to find out more about themselves.
Unlike Amped or Robopocalypse which are the author’s other novels I have on my shelves, The Clockwork Dynasty is less involved with futuristic technologies and more concerned with history and magic. However, it is clear that his love for writing about intelligent machines is still as strong as ever. Wilson also brings the past to life with careful precision, allowing his readers to experience everything from early 18th century Russia to Victorian-era London. I was surprised to find myself actually favoring the chapters that transported us back in history, following Peter’s harrowing journey to escape the political turmoil that followed his czar’s death in 1725. His character has seen so much in all the centuries, with his chapters always containing something fascinating and new. However, that’s not to say June’s chapters were uninteresting or not as fun to read—good thing too, since the other half of the story is told from her point-of-view. This is where Wilson’s talent for writing action comes in. As June attempts to unravel the mysteries behind the writing doll, she unwittingly stumbles into a world of danger and deception. Before long, we’re being treated to plenty of exhilarating Terminator-style scenes as she becomes the target of a relentless mechanical assassin.
Still, I won’t lie; the constant back-and-forth switching between the past and the present was somewhat distracting, though in all fairness I have never been that good with non-linear storytelling. The format took some getting used to, but thankfully the author made it easier with his excellent characterization and plot development.
My favorite aspect of the story was hands down the relationship between Peter and Elena. Forever trapped in a synthetic body looking like a 12-year-old girl, the character of Elena was very reminiscent of Claudia from Interview with the Vampire, and likewise Peter’s fierce protectiveness of her reminds me very strongly of Louis. Exiles in more ways than one, the two clockwork humans are forced to hide their true nature wherever they go, and Peter must also face the consequences of Elena’s choices as she grows more and more frustrated with the limitations imposed on her because of the outward appearance of her age and sex. Likewise, in the present, June has to overcome her terror and confusion to deal with the threat hunting her, and her eventual alliance with Peter is the impetus that drives the evolution of her character. It was definitely nice to discover more to this book than cheap action and thrills, and beneath the surface is a thread that actually explores deeper issues like the search for purpose and what it means to be human.
If you have enjoyed Daniel H. Wilson’s books in the past, I think it’s a safe bet that you’ll enjoy this one too. The Clockwork Dynasty is, on its surface, two stories in one, but the two narratives are woven so cleverly together that what we have here in the end is a saga worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, packed with action, intrigue, and heartfelt moments.
When I first heard about A Clockwork Dynasty, I confess I was intrigued. With its mix of steampunk and robotics and history and magic, it sounded like quite a departure from Daniel H. Wilson’s previous novels and I was curious to see how the author would tackle something different.
Well, I’m happy to report that it turned out great. Weaving together the past and present, this story actually works on two levels, alternating between the perspective of a young anthropologist in modern day Oregon and that of a mechanical avtomat resurrected by a Russian machinist the early 1700s. The book opens with a scene featuring young June Stefanov, listening at her beloved grandfather’s knee as he tells her the story of his encounter with a mechanical soldier in World War II. Upon his death a couple years later, he leaves her with a keepsake from that confrontation, a piece of relic that June wears close to her heart even as she grows to adulthood and becomes a leading expert in ancient technologies. The focus of her latest research project is the amazing discovery of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical writing doll, whose secrets June is anxious to unlock before the extraordinary machine can fall into wrong hands.
Meanwhile, between June’s chapters, an even more mysterious narrative is unfolding. Peter Alexeyvich remembers his life beginning in the court of Peter the Great for whom he was named, awakened by the Czar’s loyal mechanician Giacomo Favorini. But in fact, his origins might date back to even more ancient times. Together with his “sister” Elena Petrova, a clockwork girl that he meets in Favorini’s lab, the two mechanical beings spend the next hundred years fleeing their enemies and attempting to fit into society, all the while struggling with nagging existential questions and trying to find out more about themselves.
Unlike Amped or Robopocalypse which are the author’s other novels I have on my shelves, The Clockwork Dynasty is less involved with futuristic technologies and more concerned with history and magic. However, it is clear that his love for writing about intelligent machines is still as strong as ever. Wilson also brings the past to life with careful precision, allowing his readers to experience everything from early 18th century Russia to Victorian-era London. I was surprised to find myself actually favoring the chapters that transported us back in history, following Peter’s harrowing journey to escape the political turmoil that followed his czar’s death in 1725. His character has seen so much in all the centuries, with his chapters always containing something fascinating and new. However, that’s not to say June’s chapters were uninteresting or not as fun to read—good thing too, since the other half of the story is told from her point-of-view. This is where Wilson’s talent for writing action comes in. As June attempts to unravel the mysteries behind the writing doll, she unwittingly stumbles into a world of danger and deception. Before long, we’re being treated to plenty of exhilarating Terminator-style scenes as she becomes the target of a relentless mechanical assassin.
Still, I won’t lie; the constant back-and-forth switching between the past and the present was somewhat distracting, though in all fairness I have never been that good with non-linear storytelling. The format took some getting used to, but thankfully the author made it easier with his excellent characterization and plot development.
My favorite aspect of the story was hands down the relationship between Peter and Elena. Forever trapped in a synthetic body looking like a 12-year-old girl, the character of Elena was very reminiscent of Claudia from Interview with the Vampire, and likewise Peter’s fierce protectiveness of her reminds me very strongly of Louis. Exiles in more ways than one, the two clockwork humans are forced to hide their true nature wherever they go, and Peter must also face the consequences of Elena’s choices as she grows more and more frustrated with the limitations imposed on her because of the outward appearance of her age and sex. Likewise, in the present, June has to overcome her terror and confusion to deal with the threat hunting her, and her eventual alliance with Peter is the impetus that drives the evolution of her character. It was definitely nice to discover more to this book than cheap action and thrills, and beneath the surface is a thread that actually explores deeper issues like the search for purpose and what it means to be human.
If you have enjoyed Daniel H. Wilson’s books in the past, I think it’s a safe bet that you’ll enjoy this one too. The Clockwork Dynasty is, on its surface, two stories in one, but the two narratives are woven so cleverly together that what we have here in the end is a saga worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, packed with action, intrigue, and heartfelt moments.
August 19, 2017
A historical fiction, sci-fi, steampunk and urban book taking place over milenium. The automat are steampunk cyborgs who are fighting their own battle between themselves and humanity for survival. Some of them have been alive so long they've died, been revived but at the expense of memories.
The concept is interesting enough and the overall story was ok. The first problem for me with this book is I didn't care about any of the characters. There was no connection to them. No empathy for them or from them. The writer did try but unfortunately this leads us to problem #2 which is that it often read like a journal entry.
The concept is interesting enough and the overall story was ok. The first problem for me with this book is I didn't care about any of the characters. There was no connection to them. No empathy for them or from them. The writer did try but unfortunately this leads us to problem #2 which is that it often read like a journal entry.
August 9, 2017
1 star
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not persuade my actual opinion of the book.
I'm sorry, I just couldn't get through this - and I feel so bad! I'm the only person who gave this book one star, and I hate doing that. I hate being the one to bring down a great overall rating. However, this book just had so much lacking. And when I mean 'so much' - I'm not exaggerating.
First of all, I never knew what was going on. I tried to understand by re-reading and whatnot - nonetheless, I was still left feeling like I was in the dark. Plus the switching back in forth in time did not help, obviously. Or maybe that's why I was so confused ... could be. Not only that, but I felt like the character were extremely bland and one dimensional - I had no connection with them.
Though I didn't enjoy this book (I didn't despise it or anything), I will applaud the author for their effort. There was obviously a lot of research put into this novel - and that was evident through the writing and storytelling. Wilson really wanted this book to be great. And maybe it will be great to others. But, to me? Not so much.
Overall, I'm upset to not have finished this - I'm not a fan of starting books and not ending them. But this one left little to be desired and I had no interest in continuing it.
Thank you to NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to review this.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not persuade my actual opinion of the book.
I'm sorry, I just couldn't get through this - and I feel so bad! I'm the only person who gave this book one star, and I hate doing that. I hate being the one to bring down a great overall rating. However, this book just had so much lacking. And when I mean 'so much' - I'm not exaggerating.
First of all, I never knew what was going on. I tried to understand by re-reading and whatnot - nonetheless, I was still left feeling like I was in the dark. Plus the switching back in forth in time did not help, obviously. Or maybe that's why I was so confused ... could be. Not only that, but I felt like the character were extremely bland and one dimensional - I had no connection with them.
Though I didn't enjoy this book (I didn't despise it or anything), I will applaud the author for their effort. There was obviously a lot of research put into this novel - and that was evident through the writing and storytelling. Wilson really wanted this book to be great. And maybe it will be great to others. But, to me? Not so much.
Overall, I'm upset to not have finished this - I'm not a fan of starting books and not ending them. But this one left little to be desired and I had no interest in continuing it.
Thank you to NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to review this.
August 30, 2018
Evil robots who rule the world and keep knowledge of their existence secret at any cost. I wasn't as sold on the historical parts (the cultural and historical differences didn't strike me, and they really should have), and I thought overall there were some pacing issues. But hey, it was a blast.
November 13, 2017
June is a specialist in ancient mechanical devices who stumbles across a race of mechanical beings who won't hesitate to kill to protect the secret of their existence. Protected by one and hunted by another, June's eyes are opened to way these centuries-old creatures have lived among humans and manipulated our civilizations. Meanwhile we get the backstory of her protector, Peter Alexyevich from when he and his sister Elena were first brought back from oblivion by the mechanician of Czar Peter the Great.
I could trivialize this story by saying it's Highlander with automata, and I'd like to say that it's much more than that, but it really isn't. It's a great story, both with the present day action and the historical parts, but I don't think it's more than its basic pitch. The present day story is interesting action, but June is a bit of a nothing character and Peter is a cipher who is gradually filled in by the parallel historical parts. Those are more interesting, showing how Peter's compulsion to obey the meaning of his existence works and changes over the centuries. Like golems, these automats obey a word and Peter's is a concept of truth and justice which brings him into conflict with other automats with different words.
I could trivialize this story by saying it's Highlander with automata, and I'd like to say that it's much more than that, but it really isn't. It's a great story, both with the present day action and the historical parts, but I don't think it's more than its basic pitch. The present day story is interesting action, but June is a bit of a nothing character and Peter is a cipher who is gradually filled in by the parallel historical parts. Those are more interesting, showing how Peter's compulsion to obey the meaning of his existence works and changes over the centuries. Like golems, these automats obey a word and Peter's is a concept of truth and justice which brings him into conflict with other automats with different words.
July 27, 2017
In Moscow, 1709: Giacomo Giuseppe Favorini or 'Favo' is the last mechanician to the Tsar Pyotr Alexeyevich. Ten years before, the tsar traveled throughout Europe and brought back many treasures and craftsmen, including mechanicians and a special artifact from which to build an avtomaton. The tsar's wife Catherine, who doesn't like the idea, has managed to have the other mechanicians exiled, but Favo has remained and has succeeded in creating an avtomaton in Tsar Pyotr's likeness and named him Peter. There is another avtomaton he has created named Elena, shaped like a small girl--Peter thinks of her as his little sister. Both have a 'word' that they must obey: Peter's is pravda (truth/justice) and he must be loyal to his tsar; Elena's is logika (logic) and she is equally good at thinking things through and making plans.
When Pyotr the Great dies on February 8, 1725, Peter and Elena must flee, for Catherine, thinking they are abominations, has sentenced them to death. Eventually they make it to London where they learn there are other avtomats in the world and not all are friendly--in fact, there is a war going on.
In Oregon, present day: June, a specialist in primitive mechanical antiquities, has been hired by the Kunlun Foundation to seek out and study antique automatons. The latest one has been found in an Old Believer community of the Pacific Northwest. When she is able to replace a part and set the doll-like creature in motion, all hell breaks loose in the church. Later in her motel room, June is attacked by a man who arrives on a motorcycle. He is after an artifact that he believes June has in her possession, one given her by her grandfather. It is soon apparent that the attacker is not human when another such 'man' arrives and they engage in a mighty battle. June flees with Peter, her rescuer, and she is now drawn into the war between avtomats.
The story switches back and forth between Peter's story in the past and June's in the present so the book is an intriguing mixture of historical fiction and fantasy. It is also a tremendous adventure story with lots of exciting action, so if someone doesn't snap up the movie rights, I'll be totally dumbfounded.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this fascinating new book.
When Pyotr the Great dies on February 8, 1725, Peter and Elena must flee, for Catherine, thinking they are abominations, has sentenced them to death. Eventually they make it to London where they learn there are other avtomats in the world and not all are friendly--in fact, there is a war going on.
In Oregon, present day: June, a specialist in primitive mechanical antiquities, has been hired by the Kunlun Foundation to seek out and study antique automatons. The latest one has been found in an Old Believer community of the Pacific Northwest. When she is able to replace a part and set the doll-like creature in motion, all hell breaks loose in the church. Later in her motel room, June is attacked by a man who arrives on a motorcycle. He is after an artifact that he believes June has in her possession, one given her by her grandfather. It is soon apparent that the attacker is not human when another such 'man' arrives and they engage in a mighty battle. June flees with Peter, her rescuer, and she is now drawn into the war between avtomats.
The story switches back and forth between Peter's story in the past and June's in the present so the book is an intriguing mixture of historical fiction and fantasy. It is also a tremendous adventure story with lots of exciting action, so if someone doesn't snap up the movie rights, I'll be totally dumbfounded.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this fascinating new book.
November 15, 2017
The cover art was the first thing that attracted me to this novel, but it was the premise introduced in the blurb that had me intrigued. A ‘race’ of avtomats, sentient beings made from ‘clockwork’ mechanics, are trying to survive in our world and discover the mystery behind their creation, while keeping their nature and existence a secret. This is of course not always possible and a woman finds her life linked to theirs.
The narration takes the form of two strands, one set in Peter’s past, the other following June in the present, each bringing slowly more and more details to the fore. I personally enjoyed this, and not just for the subject, although I do find it fascinating. The notion of having a ‘Word’ that directs your life for instance is a compelling one, as is the one of having an ’anima’. I do wonder what Wilson had in mind when he chose this word: the Latin for animation/life or Carl Jung’s unconscious mind, both really circling around the unspoken ’soul’. What drives you to carry on when you can exist forever? Likewise, how do you interact with others? Peter and Jane’s scenes were ok, but it was the relationship between Peter and Elena that stole the show. A friend mentioned that this story echoed the film ‘Highlander’ and I agree. Automats as ’super beings’, steeped in history, and yet limited by their very nature and need to hide in our world, dividing into two warring factions...
On the other hand, I feel the author just missed on creating something truly special. It is difficult to pinpoint. The character of Jane is perhaps a little too thin and could have done with more fleshing out, and the jumping from one location to the next often made me feel disconnected. In all, however, a good, entertaining, story.
The narration takes the form of two strands, one set in Peter’s past, the other following June in the present, each bringing slowly more and more details to the fore. I personally enjoyed this, and not just for the subject, although I do find it fascinating. The notion of having a ‘Word’ that directs your life for instance is a compelling one, as is the one of having an ’anima’. I do wonder what Wilson had in mind when he chose this word: the Latin for animation/life or Carl Jung’s unconscious mind, both really circling around the unspoken ’soul’. What drives you to carry on when you can exist forever? Likewise, how do you interact with others? Peter and Jane’s scenes were ok, but it was the relationship between Peter and Elena that stole the show. A friend mentioned that this story echoed the film ‘Highlander’ and I agree. Automats as ’super beings’, steeped in history, and yet limited by their very nature and need to hide in our world, dividing into two warring factions...
On the other hand, I feel the author just missed on creating something truly special. It is difficult to pinpoint. The character of Jane is perhaps a little too thin and could have done with more fleshing out, and the jumping from one location to the next often made me feel disconnected. In all, however, a good, entertaining, story.
September 17, 2017
It seems that automatons have been "living" among us for ages. This book has an interesting concept but suffered in the execution. The story is told in alternating chapters by Peter, an automaton, and June, a young, American anthropologist. I much preferred the Peter chapters. All of the chapters are written in first person present tense (which I generally dislike), but the Peter chapters start in the 1700s while the June chapters are in the present day. Dual time period books usually don't work for me because I find it a contrived way to shoehorn unrelated characters into the story. In this case it worked better though, because Peter is still around in the present day. In fact, I think Peter is the only thing that makes the June chapters bearable since she is totally uninteresting and her presence in the book is not needed at all.
Peter and Elena were animated at the same time in Russia. Peter is destined to be a warrior. Elena is an automaton with the body of an 11 or 12 year old child, but is not at all childlike. The two consider themselves to be siblings. They are exiled from Russia and most of their story is set in England where Peter managed to get rich while Elena grew frustrated and bitter in seclusion. It turns out that there are lots of other automatons around and they have been chasing and preying on each other for centuries. A lot of the book consists of fight scenes between automatons. Considering how much mayhem the warring automatons have caused over the ages, it really isn't credible that humans would not have discovered their existence and either destroyed or subjugated them by now.
I found the plot to be confusing and convoluted, and the problem was magnified by the alternating chapters. I was entertained enough by the Peter story to give this three stars, but it wasn't a great book.
With respect to the audiobook, both narrators were actors on the television series Grimm, but only one is cut out to be an audiobook narrator. Claire Coffee as June has an unpleasant voice, sounds like a chirpy 10 year old and is bad at male voices and every accent she attempts. David Giuntoli as Peter is so much better. He has a deep, modulated voice and actually manages to add suspense and to give some personality to the characters in his chapters.
Peter and Elena were animated at the same time in Russia. Peter is destined to be a warrior. Elena is an automaton with the body of an 11 or 12 year old child, but is not at all childlike. The two consider themselves to be siblings. They are exiled from Russia and most of their story is set in England where Peter managed to get rich while Elena grew frustrated and bitter in seclusion. It turns out that there are lots of other automatons around and they have been chasing and preying on each other for centuries. A lot of the book consists of fight scenes between automatons. Considering how much mayhem the warring automatons have caused over the ages, it really isn't credible that humans would not have discovered their existence and either destroyed or subjugated them by now.
I found the plot to be confusing and convoluted, and the problem was magnified by the alternating chapters. I was entertained enough by the Peter story to give this three stars, but it wasn't a great book.
With respect to the audiobook, both narrators were actors on the television series Grimm, but only one is cut out to be an audiobook narrator. Claire Coffee as June has an unpleasant voice, sounds like a chirpy 10 year old and is bad at male voices and every accent she attempts. David Giuntoli as Peter is so much better. He has a deep, modulated voice and actually manages to add suspense and to give some personality to the characters in his chapters.
August 16, 2017
to say i dont have the words seems like a cop out. yet after finishing such a beautifully written, suspenseful and action filled (ok not filled but enough action to excite me) novel its true. Wilson has created a world where hidden throughout history automata, kind of steampunk androids walk amongst humans. he has infused them with intelligence and personality making these clockwork beings almost i distinguishable from us and this is their story. the prose is so mature and descriptive, yet not dry in fact it is lush with vivid scenes and characters making the reader immerse themselves in this world. all this is a long way of saying I loved this book.
November 30, 2017
I was looking forward to reading this, and while the plot was quick-moving, I didn't really feel interested in the characters. I never got a good feel for June's character beyond her curiosity, while I found myself mostly irritated by super mono-focused and obstinate Peter/Pyotr. I was intrigued by Elena, but I found her flat. I found the idea of avtomats interesting, though I didn't buy the ancient beings or incredible engineering and tech developments living so under the radar thing. Pleasant enough but not really satisfying.
August 14, 2017
4,5 stars.
So basically I don't know much about steampunk, but I LOVE the the whole aesthetics of the style. I've read a couple of books of the subgenre, namely The Aeronaut's Windlass and Retribution Falls and its sequels, had a ton of fun, so it's obvious I wanted more.
Here comes this book, with a cute cover and I was basically sold on it.
in the 1700's Russia the Tsar has some of the most brilliant of his scientists repair two ancient robots, both wonderfully complex and fantastic.
On the other story line a young scientist today is working on finding all the still existing robots and trying to understand them, but she is in danger when she reveals to a colleague that she actually has an old piece of machinery in her possession.
The two stories happen bit by bit in alternating chapters, slowly connecting.
Based on the cover I expected something very light. Hey, it was even sure, so it seemed obvious that it was simple and all. Yeah, no. The whole thing is written in a much more poetic language than you would guess, especially with much of the story dealing with one of the characters trying to find his meaning, the goal that his artificial life was created to achieve.
I would go as far as to say it could have been kind of tiring to read this style in the book was longer, but the little over 300 pages made it digestible and downright pleasurable.
At the same time, I don't think the world and the ideas were used to their full potential. Not sure f the author is working on more, but the world building is rich enough to afford much more, without being an infodump that breaks the flow. I can appreciate that. Nowadays fantasy books seem to get longer and longer and lets be honest, a lot of us are not always up for 800 pages per book. Bite sized adventures do have a legitimate place and a change of pace is pretty good once in a while.
As someone not too knowledgeable about steampunk, I would say this one is a good choice for anyone like me. It doesn't assume you know all kinds of technicalities about the genre, about the previous works or really, anything. The dealing with one of the protagonists' duty and meaning in life is a close enough topic, it's something that brings closer the specific characteristics of novels of this kind.
The other part of the book is mostly mystery and action. Not bad at all, but I definitely preferred the chapters with the Russian automatons. I would say the writing style fits much more there, it's more colourful and interesting.
Another thing I liked quite a lot was how the story was closed down. It works well as an open ended thing, the adventure only getting over the first part, something possibly still going on as the automatons reach a whole new era of their culture. But... I wouldn't be surprised if the other or went ahead and actually wrote it all.
The recent months of indie literature picking up like crazy are making me optimistic about this one, maybe it will be the next one picked up by a big publisher and I would wholeheartedly support that. Maybe it would open up some new people to steampunk.
One thing was weird, though. The story spans a long time, many different countries from Russia to India, but somehow the automatons all speak all the languages. Sometimes it's mentioned they need to work on their accents and all, but at the same time spontaneous encounters never really detail HOW it happens that they all understand each other and also humans. That little thing was a bit iffy.
Aaaaaaand finally a story without romance. Yiss. Okay, this is just me, but I love it when we are actually seeing relationships other than romance, it's so refreshing. Pointing it out feels important, as many people really do love romantic stuff. This is not for them.
Have a nice day and gear up for fun!
So basically I don't know much about steampunk, but I LOVE the the whole aesthetics of the style. I've read a couple of books of the subgenre, namely The Aeronaut's Windlass and Retribution Falls and its sequels, had a ton of fun, so it's obvious I wanted more.
Here comes this book, with a cute cover and I was basically sold on it.
in the 1700's Russia the Tsar has some of the most brilliant of his scientists repair two ancient robots, both wonderfully complex and fantastic.
On the other story line a young scientist today is working on finding all the still existing robots and trying to understand them, but she is in danger when she reveals to a colleague that she actually has an old piece of machinery in her possession.
The two stories happen bit by bit in alternating chapters, slowly connecting.
Based on the cover I expected something very light. Hey, it was even sure, so it seemed obvious that it was simple and all. Yeah, no. The whole thing is written in a much more poetic language than you would guess, especially with much of the story dealing with one of the characters trying to find his meaning, the goal that his artificial life was created to achieve.
I would go as far as to say it could have been kind of tiring to read this style in the book was longer, but the little over 300 pages made it digestible and downright pleasurable.
At the same time, I don't think the world and the ideas were used to their full potential. Not sure f the author is working on more, but the world building is rich enough to afford much more, without being an infodump that breaks the flow. I can appreciate that. Nowadays fantasy books seem to get longer and longer and lets be honest, a lot of us are not always up for 800 pages per book. Bite sized adventures do have a legitimate place and a change of pace is pretty good once in a while.
As someone not too knowledgeable about steampunk, I would say this one is a good choice for anyone like me. It doesn't assume you know all kinds of technicalities about the genre, about the previous works or really, anything. The dealing with one of the protagonists' duty and meaning in life is a close enough topic, it's something that brings closer the specific characteristics of novels of this kind.
The other part of the book is mostly mystery and action. Not bad at all, but I definitely preferred the chapters with the Russian automatons. I would say the writing style fits much more there, it's more colourful and interesting.
Another thing I liked quite a lot was how the story was closed down. It works well as an open ended thing, the adventure only getting over the first part, something possibly still going on as the automatons reach a whole new era of their culture. But... I wouldn't be surprised if the other or went ahead and actually wrote it all.
The recent months of indie literature picking up like crazy are making me optimistic about this one, maybe it will be the next one picked up by a big publisher and I would wholeheartedly support that. Maybe it would open up some new people to steampunk.
One thing was weird, though. The story spans a long time, many different countries from Russia to India, but somehow the automatons all speak all the languages. Sometimes it's mentioned they need to work on their accents and all, but at the same time spontaneous encounters never really detail HOW it happens that they all understand each other and also humans. That little thing was a bit iffy.
Aaaaaaand finally a story without romance. Yiss. Okay, this is just me, but I love it when we are actually seeing relationships other than romance, it's so refreshing. Pointing it out feels important, as many people really do love romantic stuff. This is not for them.
Have a nice day and gear up for fun!
Read
August 1, 2017If you prefer your Russian history with a steampunk twist, The Clockwork Dynasty is for you. Robotics expert Daniel H. Wilson has used his vast knowledge of the field to write a variety of fictional nail-biters, and he’s at his best here, where he introduces robots into more than a few unexpected settings. The Clockwork Dynasty shifts between Russia in 1725 and the present day, as one woman unravels the centuries-old secrets about a war that’s raged between humans and machines.
— Book of the Month
Read more at https://www.bookofthemonth.com/add-ex...
— Book of the Month
Read more at https://www.bookofthemonth.com/add-ex...
July 31, 2017
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Now: June, an anthropologist who specializes in ancient technology, discovers a hidden world that lurks just below our own when she comes across a secret inside a three hundred year old mechanical doll. Before she knows it both her career and her life are at stake, and she finds herself on a worldwide adventure with a brand new ally in her corner. Russia, 1725: The Tsar's mechanician brings to life Peter and Elena, two human-like machines who are destined to serve empires. The two siblings have trouble assimilating into this pre-Victorian society and find themselves pulled right into the heart of a war that's been going on for centuries.
I've been wanting to try a Daniel H. Wilson story for a while now and when I heard about The Clockwork Dynasty I was instantly intrigued by the clockwork automatons. Plus, I couldn't resist the idea of the steampunk elements featuring in both the early 18th century and the present day settings. Overall, I loved the scenes from the 1700s focusing on Peter and Elena - the mythology behind the avtomats (the automatons) is richly detailed and creative. I couldn't resist seeing how real life history tied into the story. Although I enjoyed June's story which is set in the present day and is expertly tied into the flashbacks, I found myself much more intrigued by the past's secret history. Anyway, the story has just about the perfect ending - it wraps up the core storyline, but leaves room for plenty more. I have my fingers crossed for more! If done well, I would love to see a movie or tv adaptation of this novel - plenty of action, adventure, and intrigue to go around. If you like sci-fi, robots, steampunk, clockwork automatons, Peter the Great and the Russian Empire, and Georgian era England, you will love this fast-paced, adventure filled new novel from the author of Robopocalypse.
Now: June, an anthropologist who specializes in ancient technology, discovers a hidden world that lurks just below our own when she comes across a secret inside a three hundred year old mechanical doll. Before she knows it both her career and her life are at stake, and she finds herself on a worldwide adventure with a brand new ally in her corner. Russia, 1725: The Tsar's mechanician brings to life Peter and Elena, two human-like machines who are destined to serve empires. The two siblings have trouble assimilating into this pre-Victorian society and find themselves pulled right into the heart of a war that's been going on for centuries.
I've been wanting to try a Daniel H. Wilson story for a while now and when I heard about The Clockwork Dynasty I was instantly intrigued by the clockwork automatons. Plus, I couldn't resist the idea of the steampunk elements featuring in both the early 18th century and the present day settings. Overall, I loved the scenes from the 1700s focusing on Peter and Elena - the mythology behind the avtomats (the automatons) is richly detailed and creative. I couldn't resist seeing how real life history tied into the story. Although I enjoyed June's story which is set in the present day and is expertly tied into the flashbacks, I found myself much more intrigued by the past's secret history. Anyway, the story has just about the perfect ending - it wraps up the core storyline, but leaves room for plenty more. I have my fingers crossed for more! If done well, I would love to see a movie or tv adaptation of this novel - plenty of action, adventure, and intrigue to go around. If you like sci-fi, robots, steampunk, clockwork automatons, Peter the Great and the Russian Empire, and Georgian era England, you will love this fast-paced, adventure filled new novel from the author of Robopocalypse.
August 25, 2017
Absolutely dire.
I honestly don't even know where to start with this one. The plot is both paper thin and somehow, simultaneously, very confusing; the characters are so flat they practically don't exist; the writing, which is workable at least on a sentence level, is a giant mess. The Clockwork Dynasty is, when it manages to be anything at all, incredibly trite. I'm a very critical reader, but I've worked in this industry for a long time - I can generally figure out what other people like about a book even if I hated it. This one has me stumped, though.
Our story, such as it is, starts with Jane's grandfather, a Soviet soldier in WWII. The prologue is a requisite description of the Horrors of War which falls inexplicably flat. During one pivotal battle, the Grandfather sees some sort of Avenging Super Soldier drop an artifact which he collects and later shows to Jane. This artifact sparks her lifelong interest in archaeology, specifically the study of automatons, which people seem to know exist, although they haven't yet realized that the automatons are sentient and secretly run the world.
We pick up in the present, where Jane is visiting an old automaton held by some separatist Russian church in rural Oregon. The automaton spells out a message when she figures out how to activate it, but it doesn't matter, because Jane has no agency in this plot and is not allowed to investigate anything further. Instead she is immediately set upon by an Evil Robot, after potentially being sold out by her guide. There is a brief mention of Jane's funding being cut off, because her benefactor is also an Evil Robot, and then there is an Interminable Action Scene (LITERAL CHAPTERS) whose apparent aim is making me forget that there is no reason for Jane to be in this book.
Jane is rescued by Peter, a Hot Robot whose POV chapters are largely set in the 1700s, until the latter portion of the book when we need to learn that he was the Avenging Super Soldier from the prologue. It is a shocking revelation and I am sorry to have spoiled it for you. Peter's chapters are about his awakening, his relationship with his sister (a robot with, very practically, a child's body), and the various wars in which he fought. See, each robot has a Word etched into its Relic (an Important Robot Part, which, when reunited with a Robot's body, can bring it back to life) which it must follow, and Peter thinks that his word means that he must take part in human wars. The war chapters are both boring and largely irrelevant to the plot, so I'm pleased to report that there are a LOT of them.
The book's structure - Peter and Jane alternate first person, present tense chapters, Jane's set in the modern day and Peter's in the past - makes it difficult to summarize the plot as it's told in the book, but fortunately almost nothing of relevance happens. Peter was supposed to guard the Relic of Huang Di, his Robot Ruler. In shirking this duty, he pissed off his sister who started a School For Girls. This gets more page time than is really warranted. In the present, Jane is now the owner of this relic, and she and Peter set off on an Adventure so that they can wake Huang Di. They are pursued by Leizu, an Evil Robot, and her Evil Robot goon (it appears that in hundreds of years she has found only one follower). I would hazard a guess that at least 60% of this book is action scenes. The plot, when it finally congeals in the final thirty pages, makes almost no sense and left me confusedly rooting for Leizu, who seems to have been in the right before abruptly losing her mind and deciding to murder everyone for no clear reason. I think that both Huang Di and Leizu end up dead at the end of this book, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I have no idea what actually happened during the final battle.
I will say that Peter's chapters are better than Jane's by miles. I do not think that this is because, as a robot, he is supposed to have a flat effect; I think it's because Jane is a gigantic absence of a person. The book insists that she is passionate about archaeology, but even if that's the case (I'll toss it a bone, here) I cannot fathom why she tags along on Peter's Robot Adventures. Is it because he's hot? I know nothing about Jane's personal life, hopes, dreams, or interests except for that she likes archaeology and she thinks that Peter is hot. There are whiffs of "I'm not like other girls" after her obligatory makeover scene*, but even that isn't strong enough to be offensive. Do I think that the author has never read a single thing written by a woman? I'd bet money on it! Somehow, even that fails to offend.
I read in the Willamette Week that this book "was optioned by 20th Century Fox before it was even written." And you know what? It reads like a script. When I watch an action movie I expect the characters to be tools that move the audience from one action scene to another; I suspend my disbelief about the questionable plot points. I'm not watching to learn something about the human condition, I just want to see shit explode. But that doesn't work for a book, because it turns out that reading about a series of intensifying explosions isn't very interesting. There is a reason that I think books will survive in our increasingly digital age, and that's because books aren't the same kind of storytelling as movies or TV shows or even comics. Even the best movies are still movies. And that's fine! Everything in its place. But the place for this book is very clearly on the big screen, and I wish that publishers would realize that there is a difference.
*I though I could leave this alone, but can we talk about the weird thing where suddenly they're on a personal jet to a private shopping spree and Jane gets a makeover because Peter is secretly rich? Absolutely baffling.
I honestly don't even know where to start with this one. The plot is both paper thin and somehow, simultaneously, very confusing; the characters are so flat they practically don't exist; the writing, which is workable at least on a sentence level, is a giant mess. The Clockwork Dynasty is, when it manages to be anything at all, incredibly trite. I'm a very critical reader, but I've worked in this industry for a long time - I can generally figure out what other people like about a book even if I hated it. This one has me stumped, though.
Our story, such as it is, starts with Jane's grandfather, a Soviet soldier in WWII. The prologue is a requisite description of the Horrors of War which falls inexplicably flat. During one pivotal battle, the Grandfather sees some sort of Avenging Super Soldier drop an artifact which he collects and later shows to Jane. This artifact sparks her lifelong interest in archaeology, specifically the study of automatons, which people seem to know exist, although they haven't yet realized that the automatons are sentient and secretly run the world.
We pick up in the present, where Jane is visiting an old automaton held by some separatist Russian church in rural Oregon. The automaton spells out a message when she figures out how to activate it, but it doesn't matter, because Jane has no agency in this plot and is not allowed to investigate anything further. Instead she is immediately set upon by an Evil Robot, after potentially being sold out by her guide. There is a brief mention of Jane's funding being cut off, because her benefactor is also an Evil Robot, and then there is an Interminable Action Scene (LITERAL CHAPTERS) whose apparent aim is making me forget that there is no reason for Jane to be in this book.
Jane is rescued by Peter, a Hot Robot whose POV chapters are largely set in the 1700s, until the latter portion of the book when we need to learn that he was the Avenging Super Soldier from the prologue. It is a shocking revelation and I am sorry to have spoiled it for you. Peter's chapters are about his awakening, his relationship with his sister (a robot with, very practically, a child's body), and the various wars in which he fought. See, each robot has a Word etched into its Relic (an Important Robot Part, which, when reunited with a Robot's body, can bring it back to life) which it must follow, and Peter thinks that his word means that he must take part in human wars. The war chapters are both boring and largely irrelevant to the plot, so I'm pleased to report that there are a LOT of them.
The book's structure - Peter and Jane alternate first person, present tense chapters, Jane's set in the modern day and Peter's in the past - makes it difficult to summarize the plot as it's told in the book, but fortunately almost nothing of relevance happens. Peter was supposed to guard the Relic of Huang Di, his Robot Ruler. In shirking this duty, he pissed off his sister who started a School For Girls. This gets more page time than is really warranted. In the present, Jane is now the owner of this relic, and she and Peter set off on an Adventure so that they can wake Huang Di. They are pursued by Leizu, an Evil Robot, and her Evil Robot goon (it appears that in hundreds of years she has found only one follower). I would hazard a guess that at least 60% of this book is action scenes. The plot, when it finally congeals in the final thirty pages, makes almost no sense and left me confusedly rooting for Leizu, who seems to have been in the right before abruptly losing her mind and deciding to murder everyone for no clear reason. I think that both Huang Di and Leizu end up dead at the end of this book, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I have no idea what actually happened during the final battle.
I will say that Peter's chapters are better than Jane's by miles. I do not think that this is because, as a robot, he is supposed to have a flat effect; I think it's because Jane is a gigantic absence of a person. The book insists that she is passionate about archaeology, but even if that's the case (I'll toss it a bone, here) I cannot fathom why she tags along on Peter's Robot Adventures. Is it because he's hot? I know nothing about Jane's personal life, hopes, dreams, or interests except for that she likes archaeology and she thinks that Peter is hot. There are whiffs of "I'm not like other girls" after her obligatory makeover scene*, but even that isn't strong enough to be offensive. Do I think that the author has never read a single thing written by a woman? I'd bet money on it! Somehow, even that fails to offend.
I read in the Willamette Week that this book "was optioned by 20th Century Fox before it was even written." And you know what? It reads like a script. When I watch an action movie I expect the characters to be tools that move the audience from one action scene to another; I suspend my disbelief about the questionable plot points. I'm not watching to learn something about the human condition, I just want to see shit explode. But that doesn't work for a book, because it turns out that reading about a series of intensifying explosions isn't very interesting. There is a reason that I think books will survive in our increasingly digital age, and that's because books aren't the same kind of storytelling as movies or TV shows or even comics. Even the best movies are still movies. And that's fine! Everything in its place. But the place for this book is very clearly on the big screen, and I wish that publishers would realize that there is a difference.
*I though I could leave this alone, but can we talk about the weird thing where suddenly they're on a personal jet to a private shopping spree and Jane gets a makeover because Peter is secretly rich? Absolutely baffling.
March 5, 2017
Ένα εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο βιβλίο, το κείμενό του διαθέτει υπέροχη πρόζα, ωραίο αφηγηματικό ρυθμό που σε κρατάει σε εγρήγορση και που δεν σε κάνει να βαριέσαι ούτε για μια στιγμή, μα και εξαιρετική δόμηση πλοκής.
Η ιστορία είναι εξαιρετικά έξυπνη, αν και όχι ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπη, αλλά ευφυής στον τρόπο που παρουσιάζεται και αναπτύσσεται, έτσι ώστε να ιντριγκάρει τον αναγνώστη. Παράλληλα, τον βάζει σε μια διαδικασία σκέψεις και προβληματισμού, ίσως και «φιλοσοφικών» αναζητήσεων, αφού πραγματεύεται, επί της ουσίας, την ανθρώπινη ύπαρξη, από πού αυτή προήλθε, ποιος ο σκοπός της ύπαρξής της και ποιος ο προορισμός της, αλλά και τι υπάρχει μετά το τέλος που ονομάζεται «θάνατος».
Επιπλέον, φέρνει στο προσκήνιο την σύγκρουση ανάμεσα στην ανθρωπότητα και την επιστήμη, την τεχνολογική εξέλιξη, και κατά πόσο αυτή υπάρχει για τη βελτίωση της ζωής μας, ή για την καταδίκη της ηθικής και της συνείδησής μας, πράγμα εξίσου ωραίο.
Ναι μεν η ιστορία πραγματεύεται την αιώνια μάχη ανάμεσα στο καλό και στο κακό, στο φως και στο σκοτάδι, όμως ο συγγραφέας δεν θίγει το θέμα μέσα από ένα ηθικοπλαστικό, μονότονο πρίσμα, αλλά βασιζόμενος στην κόντρα ανάμεσα στην προσωπική και στην κοινωνική ηθική, στο ατομικό και στο συλλογικό συμφέρον, γεγονός που καθιστά την τοποθέτησή του αυτή πολύ πιο ρεαλιστική απ’ ότι μας έχει παρουσιαστεί στο παρελθόν σε άλλες ιστορίες.
Πολύ όμορφα δομημένοι χαρακτήρες, με εξαιρετικά ψυχογραφήματα και ανάπτυξη αυτών.
(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)
Η ιστορία είναι εξαιρετικά έξυπνη, αν και όχι ιδιαίτερα πρωτότυπη, αλλά ευφυής στον τρόπο που παρουσιάζεται και αναπτύσσεται, έτσι ώστε να ιντριγκάρει τον αναγνώστη. Παράλληλα, τον βάζει σε μια διαδικασία σκέψεις και προβληματισμού, ίσως και «φιλοσοφικών» αναζητήσεων, αφού πραγματεύεται, επί της ουσίας, την ανθρώπινη ύπαρξη, από πού αυτή προήλθε, ποιος ο σκοπός της ύπαρξής της και ποιος ο προορισμός της, αλλά και τι υπάρχει μετά το τέλος που ονομάζεται «θάνατος».
Επιπλέον, φέρνει στο προσκήνιο την σύγκρουση ανάμεσα στην ανθρωπότητα και την επιστήμη, την τεχνολογική εξέλιξη, και κατά πόσο αυτή υπάρχει για τη βελτίωση της ζωής μας, ή για την καταδίκη της ηθικής και της συνείδησής μας, πράγμα εξίσου ωραίο.
Ναι μεν η ιστορία πραγματεύεται την αιώνια μάχη ανάμεσα στο καλό και στο κακό, στο φως και στο σκοτάδι, όμως ο συγγραφέας δεν θίγει το θέμα μέσα από ένα ηθικοπλαστικό, μονότονο πρίσμα, αλλά βασιζόμενος στην κόντρα ανάμεσα στην προσωπική και στην κοινωνική ηθική, στο ατομικό και στο συλλογικό συμφέρον, γεγονός που καθιστά την τοποθέτησή του αυτή πολύ πιο ρεαλιστική απ’ ότι μας έχει παρουσιαστεί στο παρελθόν σε άλλες ιστορίες.
Πολύ όμορφα δομημένοι χαρακτήρες, με εξαιρετικά ψυχογραφήματα και ανάπτυξη αυτών.
(Αναλυτικό review αν τελικά κυκλοφορήσει...)
June 26, 2018
Clockwork Dynasty is Tomb Raider Meets Mid-evil Terminator. A rippin’ fast read alternating between 1700’s Russia (the origin of the automat-automatons with a life force), the British war in India, and the present (where surving automat battle to posses a relic that would change their future). June, archeologist and expert in automatons, has been thrust into this battle. Will her connection to and knowledge of the relic make her an ally or a target? For fans of sci-fi, historical fiction, and action/adventure. This one has something for every reader.
January 9, 2018
A quick note to say I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Wilson took a very unique path in his love of artifical intelligence.
Wish the next book was available to read RIGHT NOW.
Wish the next book was available to read RIGHT NOW.
Read
February 6, 2019Ich bin ganz unvoreingenommen an diese Geschichte herangegangen und war dennoch überrascht, wie düster und unheilvoll die Atmosphäre ist.
Erzählt wird aus zwei Perspektiven:
June ist fasziniert von alten Artefakten, die eine sehr ausgeprägte und fortschrittliche Mechanik in sich tragen. Immer wieder entdeckt sie solche menschenähnlichen "Puppen", aber hinter das Geheimnis, sie zum laufen zu bringen, ist sie noch nicht gekommen.
Ihren Weg verfolgt man in der Gegenwart, in der sie zwischen die Fronten der sich bekämpfenden Awtomaten gerät.
Über Peters, oder auch Pjotrs, Vergangenheit erfährt man durch Rückblicke, die sich vom Jahr 1709 bis ins 20. Jahrhundert erstrecken. Durch ihn erhält man Einblicke über die Ursprünge dieser roboterähnlichen Maschinen, die trotz aller technischen Finessen auch eine Seele, eine Anima, in sich tragen.
Die Kapitel wechseln sich immer sehr schnell ab zwischen den beiden, was manchmal etwas zu kurz wirkt, andererseits aber natürlich die Spannung erhöht. Während June in der Gegenwart versucht, hinter das Rätsel zu kommen, entdeckt man durch Peters Erinnerungen den langen Weg, den die Awtomaten schon hinter sich haben.
Die Idee hinter diesen künstlichen "Menschen" fand ich sehr interessant. Jeder von ihnen hat eine Bestimmung, ja eine Verpflichtung in einer ganz bestimmten Eigenschaft, der er sich komplett verschrieben hat und nur danach handeln kann. Die Logik dahinter hab ich auch am Ende nicht so ganz durchblicken können, obwohl der Autor hier schon viele Details und Zusammenhänge erklärt hat.
Obwohl es viele brutale Kampfszenen gibt bleiben die Action und das Tempo eher gedämpft, was vor allem an der Atmosphäre lag, die ich wirklich schwer beschreiben kann. Auch zog es sich für mich teilweise etwas zu viel, vor allem gegen Ende. In der ersten Hälfte habe ich beide Wege noch sehr fasziniert verfolgt, zum Schluss war es mir dann zu langatmig, was eben wahrscheinlich auch daran lag, dass ich nicht so recht verstanden habe, wo der Autor mit seiner Geschichte hinwollte.
Ein bisschen hat es mich natürlich erinnert an die vielen Thesen von heute, ob Computer irgendwann ein Bewusstsein entwickeln könnten - die Maschinen hier konnten ja eigenständig denken und auch fühlen, auch wenn sie von einer Pflicht, also ihrer Bestimmung, getrieben wurden. Dieses Zusammenspiel von Gefühlen und gleichzeitig dem "nicht erleben können" von Liebe war irgendwie faszinierend - wobei man hier Liebe neu definieren müsste, denn der Zusammenhalt mancher Awtomaten kann durchaus Liebe genannt werden.
Die Atmosphäre, wie oben erwähnt, kam sehr deutlich rüber und auch den Schreibstil fand ich schon eher anspruchsvoll mit außergewöhnlichen und schönen Wortspielereien, aber von der Handlung her halt leider manchmal etwas zäh. Der Schluss hat einiges aufgeklärt, in manchen Dingen hat er mich aber noch etwas ratlos zurückgelassen - es gäbe auf jeden Fall noch einigen Stoff für eine Fortsetzung.
Weltenwanderer
Erzählt wird aus zwei Perspektiven:
June ist fasziniert von alten Artefakten, die eine sehr ausgeprägte und fortschrittliche Mechanik in sich tragen. Immer wieder entdeckt sie solche menschenähnlichen "Puppen", aber hinter das Geheimnis, sie zum laufen zu bringen, ist sie noch nicht gekommen.
Ihren Weg verfolgt man in der Gegenwart, in der sie zwischen die Fronten der sich bekämpfenden Awtomaten gerät.
Über Peters, oder auch Pjotrs, Vergangenheit erfährt man durch Rückblicke, die sich vom Jahr 1709 bis ins 20. Jahrhundert erstrecken. Durch ihn erhält man Einblicke über die Ursprünge dieser roboterähnlichen Maschinen, die trotz aller technischen Finessen auch eine Seele, eine Anima, in sich tragen.
Die Kapitel wechseln sich immer sehr schnell ab zwischen den beiden, was manchmal etwas zu kurz wirkt, andererseits aber natürlich die Spannung erhöht. Während June in der Gegenwart versucht, hinter das Rätsel zu kommen, entdeckt man durch Peters Erinnerungen den langen Weg, den die Awtomaten schon hinter sich haben.
Die Idee hinter diesen künstlichen "Menschen" fand ich sehr interessant. Jeder von ihnen hat eine Bestimmung, ja eine Verpflichtung in einer ganz bestimmten Eigenschaft, der er sich komplett verschrieben hat und nur danach handeln kann. Die Logik dahinter hab ich auch am Ende nicht so ganz durchblicken können, obwohl der Autor hier schon viele Details und Zusammenhänge erklärt hat.
Obwohl es viele brutale Kampfszenen gibt bleiben die Action und das Tempo eher gedämpft, was vor allem an der Atmosphäre lag, die ich wirklich schwer beschreiben kann. Auch zog es sich für mich teilweise etwas zu viel, vor allem gegen Ende. In der ersten Hälfte habe ich beide Wege noch sehr fasziniert verfolgt, zum Schluss war es mir dann zu langatmig, was eben wahrscheinlich auch daran lag, dass ich nicht so recht verstanden habe, wo der Autor mit seiner Geschichte hinwollte.
Ein bisschen hat es mich natürlich erinnert an die vielen Thesen von heute, ob Computer irgendwann ein Bewusstsein entwickeln könnten - die Maschinen hier konnten ja eigenständig denken und auch fühlen, auch wenn sie von einer Pflicht, also ihrer Bestimmung, getrieben wurden. Dieses Zusammenspiel von Gefühlen und gleichzeitig dem "nicht erleben können" von Liebe war irgendwie faszinierend - wobei man hier Liebe neu definieren müsste, denn der Zusammenhalt mancher Awtomaten kann durchaus Liebe genannt werden.
Die Atmosphäre, wie oben erwähnt, kam sehr deutlich rüber und auch den Schreibstil fand ich schon eher anspruchsvoll mit außergewöhnlichen und schönen Wortspielereien, aber von der Handlung her halt leider manchmal etwas zäh. Der Schluss hat einiges aufgeklärt, in manchen Dingen hat er mich aber noch etwas ratlos zurückgelassen - es gäbe auf jeden Fall noch einigen Stoff für eine Fortsetzung.
Weltenwanderer
September 14, 2017
"Leizu wears the anima of the vanquished. If she finds you, she will consume your soul.”
Favorite audiobook of the year! The familiar voices of David Giuntoli and Claire Coffee from Grimm are a rare treat. Point in fact... David's voice is sexy as hell!
The Clockwork Dynasty is an extraordinary and entertaining mix of genres: a legendary/science/shemno/urban fantasy - or simply a lost technology story. But nothing is simple here, nothing is what is seems.
I've heard the past referred to as a foreign country and that is true for our MC's, body and soul. Who are you when you have no memory, when you are different? To whom do you give your loyalty, your trust?
Time jumps are not my favorite trope but this audiobook progressed our adventures quickly over different countries and times. It was fun.
What I didn't like - Bless David Giuntoli's heart, but he can't do an English accent to save his life. Thankfully, that was a small part of the book.
What I want to see in the next book - sexy time. There was none here but I think in the next book Peter should be fully functional.
Overall I give this four and half stars, happily rounded up, and thanks to the Sword & Laser Podcast that brought this book to my attention.
August 11, 2017
This was fun. It's my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It felt like an Indiana Jones meets Terminator meets vampire kind of story. In fact...I'd like to see one of these clockwork motherfuckers go toe to toe with a Terminator. Can we make that a crossover event?
There are two points of view in this tale. One takes place in the past and the other is in present day time. Both characters are interesting enough and the chapters are super short so you flick back and forth through different time-scapes very quickly until eventually everything becomes a whole and you feel that marvelous melding of a story well told.
Incredibly entertaining and I so love short chapters. They make you feel like a superhero with the speed in which you can devour the pages.
I feel like my biggest disappointment was with the character development of June (The present day point of view narrative). I just...well...I didn't really care about her. Most of that was because I didn't really know all that much about her. I wish I had gotten to know her better beyond her immediate circumstances. June was an interesting character but I just didn't feel all that invested in her.
Other than that though - this was classic all around adventure. It had a little bit of everything in all the right amounts.
And that cover art! Holy crap! It's what originally pulled me in. I didn't know anything about this book but when I saw it on the shelf it screamed out at me to pick it up! A quick read of the synopsis and I was sold.
There are two points of view in this tale. One takes place in the past and the other is in present day time. Both characters are interesting enough and the chapters are super short so you flick back and forth through different time-scapes very quickly until eventually everything becomes a whole and you feel that marvelous melding of a story well told.
Incredibly entertaining and I so love short chapters. They make you feel like a superhero with the speed in which you can devour the pages.
I feel like my biggest disappointment was with the character development of June (The present day point of view narrative). I just...well...I didn't really care about her. Most of that was because I didn't really know all that much about her. I wish I had gotten to know her better beyond her immediate circumstances. June was an interesting character but I just didn't feel all that invested in her.
Other than that though - this was classic all around adventure. It had a little bit of everything in all the right amounts.
And that cover art! Holy crap! It's what originally pulled me in. I didn't know anything about this book but when I saw it on the shelf it screamed out at me to pick it up! A quick read of the synopsis and I was sold.
August 26, 2017
This is a very quick read. There were a lot of wonderful things about it. To give a brief summary: the premise of this book is that there was a race of ancient humans that came before us, that utilized technology beyond our capability. They created clockwork automatons, powered by relics that basically gave them thoughts and feelings, and allowed them to do more than simple tasks like writing/copying letters. Each automaton has a word that defines their actions in the world. One of our main character's word is Justice (Pravda in the book). Another's is Logic. If they do not fulfill the tasks of their word, they feel empty, unfulfilled, as close to pain as an automaton can get. Our other main character, June, has spent her life studying these ancient relics, and gets pulled into this secret silent war between the automatons, which other humans don't even realize exist.
However, the format/pacing of the book really hindered my enjoyment of what I think would have otherwise been at least a 4 star read. The problem was that the chapters were very short (often less than 5 minutes to read) and every other chapter was one of two alternating timelines. So, you read five minutes of Peter in 18th century Russia, then you read five minutes of June in present day.
It prevented me from really becoming invested in either storyline. Something interesting happens in each one, but I really would have liked to read each story line in chunks rather than fleeting pages. By halfway through I was forgetting the format and sometimes I had to stop and reset and remember that I was now looking through one character's eyes and not the other's. It stinks because this would have been such a simple fix. Nothing else really needed changing, just the format, shuffling the order of chapters.
I really enjoyed reading Peter's character. It was interesting to see his flashbacks (the historical timeline) as he waded through our world trying to determine the meaning of justice. Justice for who? Justice for what? Whose side is he supposed to fight for? Who does he owe loyalty to? He often thinks he knows the answer but he's ridden by feelings of guilt and emptiness, forever chasing his purpose in life.
I think the author did a great job with the settings. We see Peter the Great and his wife Catherine, 18th century London, India, and China. This was a world hopping adventure and I don't often read novels with such a multitude of settings so I really loved this aspect.
As the two storylines merge together, the ending of the book was really great. I loved the overall arc, even if the format of the book left something to be desired. There were some character motivations I find questionable, mostly in regard to the Emperor. I'm not really sure why Peter acted the way he did if he knew what he knew. That's all I can really say without spoiling it.
The automaton aspect was also lots of fun. There are several fights between the automatons and they were written very well. It was reminiscent of a Transformers battle scene which was awesome!
All in all, an okay read. If you think you'd be okay with the alternating timelines moving in such short bursts, and like a good action oriented novel with historical aspects, I'd highly recommend it.
Thank you to DoubleDay and NetGalley for providing an eARC for me to review.
However, the format/pacing of the book really hindered my enjoyment of what I think would have otherwise been at least a 4 star read. The problem was that the chapters were very short (often less than 5 minutes to read) and every other chapter was one of two alternating timelines. So, you read five minutes of Peter in 18th century Russia, then you read five minutes of June in present day.
It prevented me from really becoming invested in either storyline. Something interesting happens in each one, but I really would have liked to read each story line in chunks rather than fleeting pages. By halfway through I was forgetting the format and sometimes I had to stop and reset and remember that I was now looking through one character's eyes and not the other's. It stinks because this would have been such a simple fix. Nothing else really needed changing, just the format, shuffling the order of chapters.
I really enjoyed reading Peter's character. It was interesting to see his flashbacks (the historical timeline) as he waded through our world trying to determine the meaning of justice. Justice for who? Justice for what? Whose side is he supposed to fight for? Who does he owe loyalty to? He often thinks he knows the answer but he's ridden by feelings of guilt and emptiness, forever chasing his purpose in life.
I think the author did a great job with the settings. We see Peter the Great and his wife Catherine, 18th century London, India, and China. This was a world hopping adventure and I don't often read novels with such a multitude of settings so I really loved this aspect.
As the two storylines merge together, the ending of the book was really great. I loved the overall arc, even if the format of the book left something to be desired. There were some character motivations I find questionable, mostly in regard to the Emperor. I'm not really sure why Peter acted the way he did if he knew what he knew. That's all I can really say without spoiling it.
The automaton aspect was also lots of fun. There are several fights between the automatons and they were written very well. It was reminiscent of a Transformers battle scene which was awesome!
All in all, an okay read. If you think you'd be okay with the alternating timelines moving in such short bursts, and like a good action oriented novel with historical aspects, I'd highly recommend it.
Thank you to DoubleDay and NetGalley for providing an eARC for me to review.
September 22, 2017
Okay I admit I picked this book up because of the glorious cover; I do that sometimes. I also read about ten pages and said yes, this is for me! I was once a great reader of sci-fi and fantasy, back in the 70's when most girls didn't do that sort of thing. I even joined a sci-fi book of the month club when I was 15, but enough about that...
The book was elegantly written. Seldom have I seen description rendered so purely - simple, swift and succulent. Sense of place, spot-on. The organization of the book - with two MC's and two time periods - quite straightforward, no confusion there. The characters, unique, one-of-a-kind, though it did bother me that the 'good automaton,' who arrives late in the book, is blond, and the 'bad' one has dark hair. So sue me. Evil isn't always black.
The story involves a girl (June) who's hunting down ancient, mechanical, human-like automatons, or automats, or robots. She finds them; she fixes them. But then, unfortunately for her, she stumbles onto one which maybe she shouldn't have. (June also wears a symbol on a chain around her neck that her Russian grandfather gave her; he got it during the war and maybe from an automat.) Anyhow, finding this automat - of a little girl - sets off a chain reaction in which June's running from some of them, and getting help from others.
But here's where it all lost me - it's deft, it's daring, but it's darn confusing. I never did get the reason why people were rushing around, in place, throughout history (it's not time travel, just events in diff. time periods and locales), and who wanted what and why. I tried. I re-read passages. I re-read entire chapters. But for the most part I just --- didn't --- get --- it.
I know fantasy and sci-fi. I read 'Dune' when it first came out - and yes, I am that old. Big, complex books kind of thrill me. But this book - it went from complex action scenes, in unusual places, where things and people are dying all around, to scenes of automats - or robots - are constantly being rebuilt. Back and forth it goes. Kill-destroy-rebuild. Kind of got monotonous.
So I doubt I'll continue with this, as it feels like the start of a series. I just didn't get the premise, the reason behind it, the full totality of what is an immense world built front to back, into the past, and out into the future.
Three stars and mostly because of the writing. The rest...I draw a blank.
The book was elegantly written. Seldom have I seen description rendered so purely - simple, swift and succulent. Sense of place, spot-on. The organization of the book - with two MC's and two time periods - quite straightforward, no confusion there. The characters, unique, one-of-a-kind, though it did bother me that the 'good automaton,' who arrives late in the book, is blond, and the 'bad' one has dark hair. So sue me. Evil isn't always black.
The story involves a girl (June) who's hunting down ancient, mechanical, human-like automatons, or automats, or robots. She finds them; she fixes them. But then, unfortunately for her, she stumbles onto one which maybe she shouldn't have. (June also wears a symbol on a chain around her neck that her Russian grandfather gave her; he got it during the war and maybe from an automat.) Anyhow, finding this automat - of a little girl - sets off a chain reaction in which June's running from some of them, and getting help from others.
But here's where it all lost me - it's deft, it's daring, but it's darn confusing. I never did get the reason why people were rushing around, in place, throughout history (it's not time travel, just events in diff. time periods and locales), and who wanted what and why. I tried. I re-read passages. I re-read entire chapters. But for the most part I just --- didn't --- get --- it.
I know fantasy and sci-fi. I read 'Dune' when it first came out - and yes, I am that old. Big, complex books kind of thrill me. But this book - it went from complex action scenes, in unusual places, where things and people are dying all around, to scenes of automats - or robots - are constantly being rebuilt. Back and forth it goes. Kill-destroy-rebuild. Kind of got monotonous.
So I doubt I'll continue with this, as it feels like the start of a series. I just didn't get the premise, the reason behind it, the full totality of what is an immense world built front to back, into the past, and out into the future.
Three stars and mostly because of the writing. The rest...I draw a blank.
March 9, 2017
Wow! It's exciting to find a book with a new premise and absolutely wonderful when the writing is just as good. I received an ARC of this book, but will definitely add the final/finished version to my Kindle library as well as keep my eye out for an audiobook.
The chapters went back and forth from past to present, with the past POV offering a full explanation and understanding of what was going on 'now' in the book. I found the characters engaging and interesting, but I hope the next book, (please let there be a next one) gets into Elena's head more.
The book ended on a perfect note, the current story was ended, but left room to expand into a trilogy/series. Trust me, this is a totally new take on AI and I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy. Despite the book being about AI, it read more to me on the fantasy side.
I have no qualms about adding the book to my auto-buy series list and as I said earlier, I REALLY hope we get more.
The chapters went back and forth from past to present, with the past POV offering a full explanation and understanding of what was going on 'now' in the book. I found the characters engaging and interesting, but I hope the next book, (please let there be a next one) gets into Elena's head more.
The book ended on a perfect note, the current story was ended, but left room to expand into a trilogy/series. Trust me, this is a totally new take on AI and I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy. Despite the book being about AI, it read more to me on the fantasy side.
I have no qualms about adding the book to my auto-buy series list and as I said earlier, I REALLY hope we get more.
March 2, 2017
Wow just wow. I try to make my reviews as straight forward as possible but it is really hard with this one. I want to just off on so many tangents… But alas I will restrain myself. And for the record the Wow is wow as in WHOLLY SKITTLES THIS IS AWESOME OSCAR!
Heres a quick low down Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past and Present COLLIDE. Only much more epic.
Flashbacks to past events can either be a great thing for a story line or completely kill it. In this case it made the plot as a whole so much more substantial. Everything from the past and the present all came together and made for an amazing adventure.
The characters are captivating and the Avtomat are enticingly real and also frighteningly so. I was left wanting more of the secret history and looking at the world around me in new light.
Heres a quick low down Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past- Present -Past and Present COLLIDE. Only much more epic.
Flashbacks to past events can either be a great thing for a story line or completely kill it. In this case it made the plot as a whole so much more substantial. Everything from the past and the present all came together and made for an amazing adventure.
The characters are captivating and the Avtomat are enticingly real and also frighteningly so. I was left wanting more of the secret history and looking at the world around me in new light.
August 23, 2017
***Note: I received a copy curtesy of Netgalley and Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review.
After an engrossing, excellent written prologue, the next three chapters were pretty slow for me, and I got a little harder in the story. After that, all went smooth.
Each avtomaton has a certain Word that drives them (reminded me somewhat of Asimov’s Laws of Robotics).
Overall, an interesting read, will check more of the author’s works: 3.5★
After an engrossing, excellent written prologue, the next three chapters were pretty slow for me, and I got a little harder in the story. After that, all went smooth.
I remember his face now so clearly, lined with wrinkles that could be scary until the old man smiled and you saw where they came from.The book is a mix of steampunk and clockwork, robots (called here avtomatons), magic and history/alternate history, fit for a movie. It’s written in a structure of alternate chapters, in two PoVs, two distinct voices, both written in the 1st person: (1) June in Oregon, present days, (2) the avtomaton, in the past (spaning from ~1700 to ~1900, from Russia, to London and beyond). It alternates between history scenes, with facts and hints from the WWs, and action packed scenes, some very alike the Terminator movies.
Pulling the trigger again, I advance. Buckshot dances off the pavement and both men dive away, still fighting each other, ignoring me and the hail of lead pellets ripping through the air. Hardly seeing beyond the exploding muzzle in front of me, I keep pulling the trigger until the gun clicks. My shoulder throbbing, I blink into the dazzling headlights, in disbelief that the two figures are still grappling. As my eyes adjust, I begin to back away, my fingers wrapped tightly around the empty shotgun. Something is wrong, really wrong.The best developed characters – and, hence, the most interesting - are the avtomatons, while the human counterpart, namely June, is somehow overlooked, not much is known about her, so I practically related better with a 'robot' instead of a human..
Each avtomaton has a certain Word that drives them (reminded me somewhat of Asimov’s Laws of Robotics).
The impulse to obey my leader pulls at my joints with the certainty of gravity. Drawing my arm back, I let the sword tip rise. But to injure the tsar would bring dishonor. The Word blazes in my mind: pravda. Truth. Justice. Honor. “Do it!” shouts the tsar. My vision is blurring. The saber point wavers. I am compelled to obey and to disobey at the same time. The dissonance of it rings in my ears. I cannot refuse and I cannot strike. I am drowning, my mind swallowing itself. It is the only pain I have ever felt—the agony of breaking my Word.Unfortunately, there are not too many details about how they work or what exactly powers them and how can they ‘recharge’ (yes, we’re told about the anima, it seems to involve some magic, but that’s about all we know; would have liked to see this part developed more); how do you know how to match the body and the anima; what happens if the body is severely damaged; also, who made them remains unknown..
Overall, an interesting read, will check more of the author’s works: 3.5★
[when talking in school about angels]: I remember the teacher’s face tightening as I began to sketch out my ideas of how flight dynamics might work for a human-size creature with wings. Hollow bones and increased muscle mass, you could take that for granted. But how much would an angel have to eat, to power a body capable of launching itself into the sky? Would they really be able to walk, weighted down by those beautiful, draped gossamer wings? What material could halos be made of? […]
Mouth pinched, the Sunday school teacher waved at me to stop talking. Folding her Bible on her lap, she told me my answer. Because the Bible says so, June. Because. It never satisfied me.
June 29, 2018
3.5 stars that I’m rounding up. It’s fast-paced, engaging, cool ideas - but also somehow insubstantial, with a somewhat anticlimactic ending.
March 5, 2017
There are many authors and many novels that try to send you to the past, bring you back to the present, and have every page be a different moment in the timeline, and few do this well; this is one of those books that does it perfectly! Without the use of flashbacks the story probably wouldn't have tied together so well. The combination of landscape description, development of characters, the accuracy of the history, and the utter insanity of the plot combine beautifully to wrap you in this potentially different version of your actual world. Also, the intensity and utter realism of the Avtomat will screw with your head, in a terrifyingly good way. As I finished this book I found myself hoping for a sequel or a series or a never ending epilogue because I could not give this book up easily. I read every single word on every single page, not in the fear of missing something but rather in the desperation that I wasn't ready for this story to end.
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