Clockwork Angels

The Novel

By: Neil Peart - contributor, Kevin J. Anderson

Narrated by: Neil Peart

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.

Started out great but fell short of expectations

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

Good, not great

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I would have had more interactions with the Anarchist. I feel like his character wasn't explored enough. He acted as a catalyst for the story but yet he disappeared and we didn't hear from him for much of the story.

Which character – as performed by Neil Peart – was your favorite?

The Anarchist. Neil Peart surprised me with his performance. I never would have guessed that he would do voice work. I was beyond impressed with his ability.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

We are brought up to believe.

Any additional comments?

Though Neil's performance surprised me, I had to look at it objectively...that's why I only gave him four stars. The novel starts out great and very interesting but I feel like it lost its intrigue along the way. As stated above, I would have loved more with The Anarchist and getting into his character. The story kind of faded out while I was expecting it to "go out with a bang". Still a good book. I would recommend this to any RUSH fan. I would also recommend it to any high school students. I had to do a paper on a dystopian novel and this would have been great for that!

Amazing.!

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

Amazing, Fantastic and Diferent.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Owen Hardy, he have an adventure spirit.

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

A lot of things, in this case, first off all, the "RUSH" conections,! This is my second book reading by Neal Peart and I like his emotion, his way to tell a story.!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"Reveal the World Around You"

Ok story but lackluster narration.

Story is not bad but I just can't keep going with that narrator. It just has no energy. Will probably read the rest of the series.

How cool of Neil to narrate!

I have to preface my review with some personal feelings and history. I'll start at the beginning. I was introduced to the music of Rush in 1977. At the age of 13, I hadn't yet found the music that would be the soundtrack of my life. I began playing bass about the same time and the thought of even attempting to play music as technically challenging as Rush was out of the question. However, after a few years of isolation and hours and hours of practice, I became confident enough to play with some older guys that were WAY into Rush. We played Cygnus X-1, What You're Doing, Bastille Day, and attempted a few others. Rush soon became my lifeblood. My license plate on my first car said SNOWDOG. I always felt like I was smarter than my friends that listened to "radio" rock because of Neil's brilliance. Much later in life, I would reach my peak musically playing in a Rush tribute band until 2009. When the Clockwork Angels tour came around, I lived in an apartment where I met and befriended an older guy - ex drummer - also a huge fan. Struggling with alcohol addiction. Down on his luck. My wife and I usually splurged - buying really good seats - instead we bought 3 cheaper seats so we could take him along with us. He enjoyed the crap out of it and thanked us profusely. Then I bought and read this book. I told him about it and he said he'd love to borrow it, but he was moving away. I gave him the book and he moved away. A few months went by and we ran into his sister. We asked how he was doing and she told us he had passed away, but he had mentioned to her how grateful he was that he got to see the boys one last time. Then, when Neil passed in 2020, my wife called me at work to give me the bad news. I was devastated. I cried hard and went home early. so profoundly saddened by the loss of someone that had been such a huge influence on my life without ever meeting him. I still miss him and always will. When I saw that he had narrated CA the Novel. I had to buy it. It was awesome listening to his voice for the many hours it took to finish. I have re-listened to all of Neil's other books since then as well. He truly was a genius. And while I thought the story was cute and would make a cool movie, the references to Rush lyrics were sometimes a little corny. Neils reading cadence was a little repetitive - as if he was reading the book to a child - and in a way he was. I will forever hold Neil in my heart. His lyrics and stories have had an immense impact on my life. I wouldn't be who I am today without his words. Thank you Kevin Anderson for putting your heart and soul into this book. I wish you well.

Loved It!

I REALLY loved this book. It's not the usual type of story that interests me, but as a HUGE Rush fan, I felt it was something I needed in my life. After the passing of Neil Peart earlier this year, knowing that he was the narrator was the main reason I bought it and listened right away. The story is really good! It's full of life lessons, and there are lots and lots of easter eggs for Rush fans :) I've read reviews about Neil Peart not being the best narrator, but that was not an issue for me. I loved having him read me a story. It actually made me happy! I've always loved the album of the same name, but now I have even more of an appreciation for it since I know the story. I plan on listening to this book over and over again!