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Showing posts with label Clockwork Empire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clockwork Empire. Show all posts
Friday, June 21, 2013
Review: The Havoc Machine by Steven Harper
The Havoc Machine
Author: Steven Harper
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: ROC
Clockwork Empire Book 4
ISBN: #978-0451417046
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (400 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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In a world riddled with the destruction of men and machines alike, Thaddeus Sharpe takes to the streets of St. Petersburg, geared toward the hunt of his life….
Thaddeus Sharpe’s life is dedicated to the hunting and killing of clockworkers. When a mysterious young woman named Sofiya Ekk approaches him with a proposition from a powerful employer, he cannot refuse. A man who calls himself Mr. Griffin seeks Thad’s help with mad clockwork scientist Lord Havoc, who has molded a dangerous machine. Mr. Griffin cares little if the evil Lord lives or dies; all he desires is Havoc’s invention.
Upon Thad’s arrival at Havoc’s laboratory, he is met with a chilling discovery. Havoc is not only concealing his precious machine; he has been using a young child by the name of Nikolai for cruel experiments. Locked into a clockwork web of intrigue, Thad must decipher the dangerous truth surrounding Nikolai and the chaos contraption before havoc reigns….
What B is talking about:
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Since the murder of his son, Thaddeus Sharpe has cared about only one thing: relieving the world of its population of clockworkers. Revered by those who have suffered at the hands of these madmen, he is ruthless in his pursuit of them, and quick to dispatch justice once he finds them. But, when a beautiful woman enlists him to recover a special invention for a secretive benefactor, he inadvertently embarks on a journey that will make him question every step he takes, and turn everything he believes in upside down.
The Havoc Machine takes place during the reign of tsar Alexander III of Russia and the unrest caused by the oppression that went largely unchecked at the time. As has been true with previous novels in this series, Mr. Harper takes great care to weave the more fantastical elements of his story around historical fact. While the clockwork plague is central to the problems facing Thaddeus and Sofiya, it is the underlying, irrefutable conflict between the classes that is truly in need of attention. The Havoc Machine is part social commentary which, while told through the lens of history, is still relevant, and isn’t wrong in its implication that we don’t learn nearly as much from that history as we should.
As it is primarily a work of fantasy, there isn’t a great deal of romance in The Havoc Machine. Thaddeus and Sofiya have moments of true tenderness during the course of the story, but even that serves a greater purpose in the end. Still, there are quite a few moments when they seem to really like antagonizing each other, which I enjoyed. Their connection beyond the job they’re hired to do is obvious, however, and I found myself hoping they’d find a way to make something more of their relationship before the story’s end.
While not my favorite novel of the Clockwork Empire in terms of science and adventure, The Havoc Machine was very effective in that it led me to do some research of my own, as well tugging at my heart. This novel is quite dark in places, but so are history and science, both of which we still stand to learn a lot from. Thad’s loss is what fuels his hate, yet is by turns the thing that allows him to change. He finds in himself a kind of empathy that is only possible through the infliction of wounds that are unbearably slow to heal, yet which may be the only thing that ties us to our own humanity. Regardless, I still think this is a fascinating series, and, as long as Mr. Harper continues to explore all the possibilities within it, I’ll be more than happy to continue the journey.
B’s Rating:
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Reviews in the Series:
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Review: The Dragon Men by Steven Harper
The Dragon Men
Author: Steven Harper
Release Date: Nov. 6, 2012
Publisher: ROC
The Clockwork Empire # 3
ISBN: #978-0451464880
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (400 pgs),
e-book
e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Gavin Ennock has everything a man could desire—except time. As the clockwork plague consumes his body and mind, it drives him increasingly mad and fractures his relationship with his fiancée, Alice, Lady Michaels. Their only hope is that the Dragon Men of China can cure him.
But a power-mad general has seized the Chinese throne in a determined offensive to conquer Asia, Britain—indeed, the entire world. He has closed the country’s borders to all foreigners. The former ruling dynasty, however, is scheming to return the rightful heir to power. Their designs will draw Gavin and Alice down a treacherous path strewn with intrigue and power struggles. One wrong step will seal Gavin’s fate…and determine the future of the world.
What B is talking about:
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Lady Alice Michaels and Gavin Ennock have had more than their share of obstacles and difficulties in the short time they’ve been together. First, Alice lost her father and found herself in the middle of an underground revolution, then Gavin was infected with the clockwork plague and began the resulting slide into both brilliance and madness, and, finally, the universe was nearly ripped apart by yet another mad clockworker in an attempt to stop time and literally give Gavin and Alice an eternity together. Now they’re racing towards a cure for Gavin that may not even exist while Alice has a bounty on her head.
While The Dragon Men can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, I highly recommend reading the entire series. Mr. Harper very thoughtfully includes a summary of the story to date as a prologue, which should be very helpful to readers who are new to the series. This brief introduction might have been redundant if I’d read the stories back-to-back, but since there’s been some time between books for me, I was very grateful for the reminder.
Alice and Gavin feel so comfortable to me as a couple by this point, I find their endearments and interactions completely natural and unaffected. With the responsibilities they both carry, it’s easy to forget that they’re still quite young, twenty-three and nineteen, respectively, but Mr. Harper manages to use their passion vs. propriety interactions to great effect in these instances. The greatest threat to their union isn’t from any outside force, but more from their own self-doubts, which are brought up sparingly enough that they don’t weigh the relationship down. Likewise, there’s just enough sexual tension between the two to keep their devotion to each other enjoyable.
With the exception of Lieutenant Susan Phipps, The Dragon Men introduces a cast of new characters, most of whom are from an entirely different culture than what Gavin and Alice have encountered before. There is an underlying commentary about the need for political inclusion, rather than exclusion, made by noting that one nation cannot reasonably point out the atrocities of another without acknowledging their own. The characters come to terms with each other when they admit that all nations have sinned against humanity, but by evening the score militaristically, that is, without the ability to hide behind advanced technology, peace might actually be an attainable goal.
The only real drawback in the novel is, unfortunately, its attempt at explaining the how’s and why’s of the universe itself. Mr. Harper touches on this idea throughout the series, but spends a good bit more time on it in The Dragon Men, not only via Gavin’s clockworker “fugues,” but mostly through his interactions with his father towards the end of the story. The exploration of the layers upon layers of mysteries that Gavin is able to decipher nearly lost me once or twice, but I liked being challenged by the ideas behind it all the same.
The Dragon Men is my favorite book in the series yet. I’m not sure whether that’s because I’ve become so enamored with the world of the Clockwork Empire as a whole, or that the action sequences are nearly relentless, which a definite plus in this case. The main characters have little time for introspection in this story, and even less time for regret. Alice and Gavin have set a course of action in the previous novels and are hell-bent on carrying it out as best they can in this one. There is plenty of science and philosophical thought to consider as well, and a sweetness between Gavin and Alice that ties everything together. While I’m happy with the way the story is resolved, I’m a little sad that their story feels so complete. Luckily, the next novel in the series is due out next year, and I’m nervously excited to see what sort of chaos Mr. Harper will deliver next.
B’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Review: The Impossible Cube by Steven Harper
The Impossible Cube
Author: Steven Harper
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: ROC
Clockwork Empire #2
ISBN: #978-0451464507
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (400 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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In an age where fantastic inventions of steam and brass have elevated Britain and China into mighty empires, Alice Michaels faces a future of technological terrors…
Once, Gavin Ennock sailed the skies on airships and enchanted listeners with his fiddle music. Now, the clockwork plague consumes his intellect, enabling him to conceive and construct scientific wonders—while driving him quite mad. Distressed by her beloved’s unfortunate condition, Alice Michaels sought a cure rumored to be inside the Doomsday Vault—and brought the wrath of the British Empire down on them.
Declared enemies of the Crown, Alice and Gavin have little choice but to flee to China in search of a cure. Accompanying them is Dr. Clef, a mad genius driven to find the greatest and most destructive force the world has ever seen: The Impossible Cube. If Dr. Clef gets his hands on it, the entire universe will face extinction.
And Gavin holds the key to its recreation…
What B is talking about:
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Set in the mid-1800’s, this second installment of Harper’s Clockwork Empire stories explores the minds of the clockworkers, most specifically, Gavin’s, now that he’s been infected by the clockwork plague and become a clockworker himself. It is, in many ways, more Gavin’s story than Alice’s, although the perspective of the novel shifts between the characters frequently.
In The Impossible Cube, Harper gives us more of the science and history behind the plague and the resulting manipulation perpetrated by the two main powers in his fictional world, Britain and China. Both countries collect clockworkers who live out the rest of their shortened lives in laboratories, creating all manner of technology, which these empires then use to keep the rest of the world under control. That the plague is disfiguring and deadly to the vast majority of those who contract it is considered a worthwhile price to pay by the ruling powers in order to secure their continued superiority. It is a horrific practice, made even more so because it mirrors some very real atrocities in our own world.
The science behind The Impossible Cube is absolutely fascinating. The clockwork plague, as manifested in the clockworkers, allows them to see the puzzles of the universe unfold to the minutest detail, even as it destroys their minds in the process. Through Gavin, we’re given a taste of both the beauty and the madness of the disease, and I found it impossible not to be drawn into his battles, both the internal ones and those he helps wage against their enemies.
Though it is not a romance, the love between Gavin and Alice is reinforced throughout The Impossible Cube. Defying both logic and premonition, they fight for one another, even as the consequences of their actions become increasingly dire. Although the race to find a cure for Gavin drives them, both Gavin and Alice cannot help but try to save as many who are caught in the crossfire as they can, even if it costs them everything.
The Impossible Cube is a busy, complex tale that tries to bridge many disparate ideas: mathematics and music, theology and politics, mysticism and fate, and more. Interestingly, it does so fairly successfully within the boundaries of steampunk fantasy. Some of the more complicated exchanges took me several readings (and quite a few hours of distraction doing my own research—again), but it’s a fast-paced, imaginative story all the same. Beneath the exciting chases and nail-biting close calls, The Impossible Cube seems to suggest that real change is as costly as it is inevitable, but that sometimes hope and determination are enough to get you through.
B’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Reviews of books in the series:
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Review: The Doomsday Vault
The Doomsday VaultAuthor: Steven Harper
Release Date: Nov. 1, 2011
Publisher: ROC
The Clockwork Empire, Book 1
ISBN: #978-0451464293
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (400 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book: |
In a Britannia of clockwork automatons and airships, Alice Michaels’s prospects are looking grim.
The Honorable Alice B. Michaels is in a life or death struggle for survival—socially speaking, that is. At twenty-one, her age, her unladylike interest in automatons, and the unfortunate deaths of most of her family from the plague have sealed her fate as a less than desirable marriage prospect.
But a series of strange occurrences are about to lead Alice in a direction quite beyond the pale. High above the earth on the American airship USS Juniper, Gavin Ennock lives for the wind and the sky and his fiddle. After privateers attack the Juniper, he is stranded on the dank, dirty, and merciless streets of London. When Alice’s estranged aunt leaves her a peculiar inheritance, she encounters Gavin under most unusual—even shocking—circumstances.
Then Alice’s inheritance attracts the attention of the Third Ward, a clandestine organization that seizes the inventions of mad geniuses the plague leaves behind—all for the good of the Empire. But even the Third Ward has secrets. And when Alice and Gavin discover them, a choice must be made between the world and the Empire, no matter the risk to all they hold dear.
What B is talking about: |
Alice Michaels, the twenty-two year old daughter of an ailing Baron of the British Empire, is titled, beautiful, and intelligent. Unfortunately for her, she is also uniquely gifted when it comes to the automatons that exist alongside humans in the world left ravaged by a clockwork plague, exhibiting a truer affinity for the machines she builds than other members of the society by whom she so desperately wants to be accepted.
Having watched his captain and his best friend be murdered by pirates, and finding himself abandoned by his employer on the filthy streets of London, Gavin Ennock wants nothing more than to somehow earn his way back home to Boston. He, too, is trapped by the rules of a society that doesn’t want him, and he soon finds himself in the employ of the Third Ward, a secret organization determined to “contain” the most dangerous members of the plague’s survivors: the clockworkers.
Since I am continually fascinated by all things Steampunk, even the cover of The Doomsday Vault, with its promise of corsets and clockworks, drew me in right away. Harper strikes a nice balance between the apparatuses themselves and the science behind them, the latter being exhibited mostly through Alice’s determination to find out how everything works. The technology is present throughout the story, making it as much a character as any of the people Harper writes about.
Harper begins The Doomsday Vault with a jolt, throwing Alice directly into a zombie attack while on her way to a ball. Gavin’s beginning in the novel is similarly a shock, with pirates taking over his beloved dirigible, the Juniper. Adding to the darker nature of the story, there are some truly unlikeable characters throughout the novel as well.
Although the two main characters are indisputably heroes, Gavin even more so than Alice, there are instances where they must both sacrifice their better moral judgment for the “greater good.” This is true of many of the secondary characters even more often. While sometimes a successful device for lending a feeling of gravity to a work, in this case, it left me feeling uncomfortable and distant on more than one occasion.
The Doomsday Vault was a good way to start off a new series in a highly specialized genre. Its combination of science and fantasy and good versus evil work well, especially when that evil isn’t always what it appears to be. Harper also seems to be using a fictional past to encourage patience and tolerance in ourselves, as well as giving us a warning about letting our own fears be used against us. Though it sometimes relies too heavily on the main characters to show how the pieces of the mystery within the story are connected, The Doomsday Vault is still a clever and worthwhile take on the Steampunk universe.
B’s Rating: |
Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
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