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Clockwork Angels  By  cover art

Clockwork Angels

By: Neil Peart - contributor, Kevin J. Anderson
Narrated by: Neil Peart
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Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Package Design, 2014

I can’t stop thinking big....

International best-selling author Kevin J. Anderson teams up with Rush lyricist and drummer Neil Peart to expand the story set out in Clockwork Angels, the 20th studio album by the legendary rock band.

All the journeys of this great adventure -

It didn’t always feel that way

For more than two centuries, the land of Albion has been ruled by the supposedly benevolent Watchmaker, who imposes precision on every aspect of life. Young Owen Hardy from the village of Barrel Arbor dreams of seeing the big city and the breathtaking Clockwork Angels that dispense wisdom to the people, maybe even catching a glimpse of the Watchmaker himself.

I was brought up to believe....

He watches the steamliners drift by, powered by alchemical energy, as they head toward Crown City - never dreaming that he is already caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos, between the Watchmaker and his nemesis, the Anarchist. Owen’s journeys begin at a fabulous carnival with clockwork wonders beyond his imagination, and take him aboard airships, far into the Redrock Desert to seek lost cities, through storms at sea to encounters with pirates...and give him a chance at love.

Clockwork Angels: The Novel is a remarkable, innovative story unlike any other.

The basis for this novel, Clockwork Angels: The Album by Rush, is available now at rush.com.

©2012 Kevin J. Anderson (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Clockwork Angels

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

ALL AROUND GOOD BOOK

This book so much reminds me of Paulo Coelho's
The Alchemist. Both books are about a young mans
journey, and how it affects him and how he
matures throughout his travels. It's a story about
not being satisfied with the status quo and how
your decisions have consequences that will challenge
you. Just a nice and easy read, maybe YA.
The reader was awesome, he did a great job.

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115 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredible Story of a Fantastic Adventure

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes Absolutely Great story, and Great Reading

What other book might you compare Clockwork Angels to and why?

The story is in the same archetype as Name of the Wind.

Have you listened to any of Neil Peart’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

All are excellent, this one is the equal of any other

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

As Rushfan this just made happy...and dreamy

Any additional comments?


1. As a Rushfan(tm)
2. As a Standalone book

Either way is one of the best books I have read in years.

1. As a Rushfan(tm) this book is an incredible expansion of the "Clockwork Angels" album and of the band's entire body of work. The book's Primary focus is of course on bringing an expanded version of the albums concept to life. However it goes further, it brings out an expansion of all of the Rush's work. It brings in concepts from the entire history of the Band's albums and songs. These are not just cheesy planted references, but ones that enhance the naritive and even the understanding of such.

2. As a standalone book the story itself is vibrant and clear. There isn't a wasted word in the book. The story could have easily ran on as 500-1000 pages dragging out the concepts of the narative. However Anderson (and Peart its made clear this was a very tight colaboration) keeps the story running on the same steel wheels of the Steamliner's that figure centrally to the narative.

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23 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Bravo Kevin and Neil!!

Well done and well written, great job with the narration! You will enjoy this book!

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20 people found this helpful

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first listen I liked It. second listen I loved it

the first time through I thought it was ok. didn't knock my socks off and didn't regret the purchase. so a few months passed and I thought I'd give it another listen. I loved It. that's what I can tell you.

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17 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book!

This book was clever and well-written. I enjoyed seeing the world through the eyes of the main character and I really liked the author's writing style. The story was straight-forward and deep at the same time. It was fun picking out all the references to Rush songs/lyrics while I listened. I wasn't crazy about the narrator's voice. It wasn't bad, but I think someone with a little more warmth and inflection would have made this a better listen. The additional material at the end gave some interesting insight into how the book got written, so keep going and be sure to finish out the whole audiobook.

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16 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely amazing and inspiring

Such an amazing story from one of the best writers/drummers out there. hoping for a movie someday

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story Good Narration by Neal Peart

This book was a pleasant surprise. The weaving of Rush Lyrics was fun, I enjoyed it very much.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great with the album, decent YA novel alone

I need to start by saying that I've been a Rush fan since the late 70's. I love their music, and the Clockwork Angels album is one of their best ever. It's the reason I bought this book, but I'm reviewing it as a stand-alone work rather than as part of the larger production.

Clockwork Angels is a traditional coming-of-age story set in a fantasy universe that incorporates elements of steampunk and alchemy. As the authors note in the afterword, many influences were drawn from classical stories and pulled together to create an adventure that will seem very familiar to anybody who has completed an English Lit class or two. In short: boy is raised in humble beginnings but craves adventure, runs away to the big city, has life-affirming adventures and finds that he can never return to the pedestrian life where he started.

As a 40-something adult, I was ultimately left wanting more sophistication from this story. The characters generally lacked the depth I wanted and played to fairly well-established archetypes. Many of the plot turns went unresolved in favor of moving on to the next stage of the book, and I felt they could have been explored further to add a bit more weight to the world building. There were some pretty significant events portrayed in this story that would have had a huge influence on the way the world worked, but we never heard more about them. Too bad.

As a Rush fan, I noticed lots of references to song titles and lyrics throughout the book. I agree that people unfamiliar with their music probably won't notice anything's up, and it's kind of fun to discover the easter eggs. But some of the references felt a bit forced or contrived. It was obvious in several cases that the phrase used was not really the best choice, but was tweaked to include a hidden bit of lyric.

Neil Peart's narration was pretty good, and it was easy to be pulled in to the story - always a plus for an audiobook, and not a guaranteed experience. Definitely very solid.

Ultimately, I would recommend this book to a younger audience. I think 10-15 is probably about the best age for a book like this, and would have enjoyed it a lot more as my 12-year-old self. As an adult, I liked it but was ultimately left feeling like I had listened to an abridged version with much of the detail omitted.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love the story

This story resonates with me, for whatever reason. Maybe, as a truck driver from a small town, I understand the wanderlust. A classic coming-of-age story in a steampunk universe is something I didn't expect to like - but this has become my favorite story.

Neal Peart may be a tremendous drummer, a fantastic songwriter, and a good novel/story righter, but he's not a good narrator. He emphasizes the wrong words in sentences, overemphasizes words that don't need emphasis (me, my, I, and so forth), and overall sounds like he's narrating a children's book to a 3-year-old child. It detracts from the overall story. He makes Owen, 17 years old and a young man at the end of the story, sound like a wayward 6-year-old, and the Anarchist as a petulant child.

But ...... I listen to it anyway.. In fact, I just finished a third listen in a row, simply because I like the story.

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Amazing!!

If you could sum up Clockwork Angels in three words, what would they be?

Imaginative Fun Thought-provoking(?)

What other book might you compare Clockwork Angels to and why?

Candide, you'll see.

What does Neil Peart bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Had no idea his speaking voice was so rich. He emoted enough to enhance without being indulgent. He may have a future in this profession if he can't get his music career rolling.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, experience it for yourself.

Any additional comments?

I strongly recommend this book. It has many levels to enjoy and ponder.I have always wondered what talking with Neil Peart would be like. Now I have a quasi-idea. I have been a RUSH fan for decades, the lyrical Easter eggs in the text are so fun to discover."All is for the best"

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