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Top reviews from the United States

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Mr. Thomas A. Mckewen

Fresh view on the Steampunk genre and worth a read

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2017

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You really have to suspend your imagination for this one. Not just for the Victorian Steampunk world but also for the abilities of the characters. Just change the setting from Steampunk to Sci-Fi and our heroine could be an android.

I read a lot of Steampunk novels and this one is fresh and different. I found the characters a bit bland or I would have given it more stars. Not sure I would continue with the series but don't let me put you off as this book will appeal to a lot of people familiar with the Steampunk setting. Thankfully, the author assumes you have some knowledge of the genre and does not waste a lot of time on world building so for the experienced reader this will only add to the freshness of the book. The days are long gone when authors need to detail this genre over and over in their work.

Give it a go and it's quirkiness may just be your cup of tea.

P. D. HENDERSON

A good tale.

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2016

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A good tale. Not the best thing ever but certaintly worth a nod. I'm a big fan of steampunk and ... to be honest, this isn't really steampunk. It has a similar feel. It'll do if you aren't too much of a purist. good steampunk is hard to find anyhow — and it is good. Well written anyhow.

The title is a bit of a sham. There's no "clockwork" at all. And alchemy is really just used to refer to all science, though there's an anachronistic feel to it that still gives a steampunk-like atmosphere.

The plot itself is decent. Kind of mystery-like. The two main characters are a thief and a female "automaton" (really more of a clone or vat-grown lifeform). The two of them find themselves targeted by some unknown assailant as well as other underground and police factions, and they must work to figure out what's going in order to find a way out before it's too late.

The writing style is a bit long-winded, but still enjoyable to read. The characters are believable and likeable and the action is frequent and engrossing.

Overall a good read. Highly recommend it. .

The ending was a bit bad. Basically has a fine and good ending that wraps just about everything up, but instead of stopping there the author continues on with another chapter that sets up the next book and resolves nothing. A lot of authors will have a "sample chapter" of book two after the end of book one. This is basically the same thing, but it's not labeled as such so it feels like just a continuation of the main book.

Still, a good read in spite of the few flaws. Definitely worth the (low) price. I haven't looked up the sequel yet, but probably will.

BookshireCrone

Lackluster characters in an interesting plot. Minuscule steampunk elements. No one actually engages in alchemy or clockworking

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2018

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As other reviewers mention, there is very little interaction with anything "clockwork", which is a real shame. I feel a bit cheated. I'm frustrated that the girl being not human really doesn't mean all that much. I mean, she should weigh a good bit shouldn't she ? (I assume she's made of metal). Her exterior "skin" is not really addressed beyond a very short mention of her being synthetic....which implies she can get wet without rusting or being affected functionally. Oddly,(yet thankfully !) when she is running around in nothing but a thin shift the men have no reaction, so she must not be all that "real". Also, how is she powered ? It's never addressed, as is neither the ramifications of her eating. Another point of contention is that I feel set up for either a ridiculous or heart breaking resolution in the main character's relationship. Unless you produce a blue fairy with a wand, (to make her "real" a la Pinocchio ) how can there be anything real between them ?
Sometimes it felt like the author was sloppy & perhaps distracted by the momentum of the plot, forgetting to pay attention to specifics (continuity!) Such as when a guy who has been stabbed in the shoulder & been struggling to use it, suddenly picks up & carried the girl for a good bit. If he hasn't been able to use his arm for other things then he wouldn't be able to carry pretty much anything even slightly heavy (and again one wonders :what IS she made of!?)and let us not forget that she doesn't actually need carrying.I can only imagine it must be there for a romantic ploy.
There is also the matter of repetitive word usage. How many times do we have to read that the girl is dizzy (or other forms of the word) in order to go : "wow" that's is such a human trait, Ooo ! ". Apparently quite a few.
The story is decent, but the mystery is more interesting than than the characters & the first book tidies up most lose ends. I didn't find the unsolved mystery to be that intriguing , nor do I believe there is a plausable way for the main characters to be romantically involved,so I'm on the fence about whether or not to read the next book . If it was free I would, but I have a bad feeling about where the plot is going & have already had misgivings about investing time, money & interest in this first book I'm not convinced it would be worth it.

Top reviews from other countries

Mrs. Bruce

A different type of fantasy - no sex or swearing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2018

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Arhyen is a thief, but with a heart. He feels sorry for Liliana who is a special automaton, given emotions by her
"father". He was a gifted alchemist but was killed, leaving Liliana alone. Arhyen starts to treat Liliana as a real person
because she seems so human. He even teaches her to eat although she doesn't need food. I couldn't help but wonder
how her body would get rid of the - erm -- waste products?! but that is nit-picking.

Several different factions want to kidnap Liliana and/or get hold of her father's alchemical formula, presumably so they could
make their own automatons with special powers. There is a mysterious masked man and several thugs working for different
criminals. Several times Liliana and Arhyen were in dangerous situations, often helped by Ephraim, a detective who seemed to
turn a blind eye to Arhyen unlawful activities.

This was a different type of "fantasy" plot and I enjoyed it. There was no sex or swearing and only a hint of a possible romance.

Avid reader

Two Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2018

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Failed to live up to expectations

wen

Exciting, enjoyable, original!!

Reviewed in Canada on December 3, 2020

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Varied characters, original story line, twists, turns, a joyful ride!