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Clockwork Heart #1
Clockwork Heart
A steampunkish romantic fantasy set in Ondinium, a city that beats to the ticking of a clockwork heart. Taya, a metal-winged courier, can travel freely across the city's sectors and mingle indiscriminately among its castes. A daring mid-air rescue leads to involvement with two scions of an upperclass family and entanglement in a web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and secrets.
390 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2008
About the author
Dru Pagliassotti
18 books85 followersDru Pagliassotti is a writer in the genres of steampunk, horror, and fantasy. She's also a professor of communication at California Lutheran University, where she keeps her colleagues guessing by teaching courses on Venetian culture and comic books and by researching subjects such as yaoi and steampunk webcomics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
August 29, 2014
Gail's Review:
I enjoyed this book very much, particularly for the main character's personality and the world-building. I wouldn't call it primarily romance (although people keep categorizing it as such), although it has a strong romantic thread. Not that I object to romances, just that I didn't feel like the romance drove the plot. In fact, I think it a pretty clean mix of steampunk alternate (future?) world (and a beautifully well built one at that) meets light romance (don't expect nookie), meets suspenseful adventure. (To me, a distinction rather like that between paranormal romance and urban fantasy, in which case this would be, decidedly, in the urban fantasy camp.)
I love the concept of a heavily stratified society and the messengers (of whom our protagonist is a member) who, like Hermes, are the only ones to transition easily between the ranks. They are liminal creatures, walking a line not just between high society and low, but between living and dead, right and wrong. It makes for a fascinating read, and mystery.
(Sorry about all the parenthesis.)
While this is the first of three books, this one stands alone very nicely.
***
Are you reading this review because you are looking for something like my books?
Similarities:
Steampunk elements, a romance built on acerbic wit, a grumpy hero, and a strong, bold female main character.
Differences:
Not primarily (or even particularly) funny. Some side characters are appealing, others fall flat. Some of the fighting gets gruesome, there are deaths and murders so horrific one questions how the hero actually survives the story emotionally sane.
I enjoyed this book very much, particularly for the main character's personality and the world-building. I wouldn't call it primarily romance (although people keep categorizing it as such), although it has a strong romantic thread. Not that I object to romances, just that I didn't feel like the romance drove the plot. In fact, I think it a pretty clean mix of steampunk alternate (future?) world (and a beautifully well built one at that) meets light romance (don't expect nookie), meets suspenseful adventure. (To me, a distinction rather like that between paranormal romance and urban fantasy, in which case this would be, decidedly, in the urban fantasy camp.)
I love the concept of a heavily stratified society and the messengers (of whom our protagonist is a member) who, like Hermes, are the only ones to transition easily between the ranks. They are liminal creatures, walking a line not just between high society and low, but between living and dead, right and wrong. It makes for a fascinating read, and mystery.
(Sorry about all the parenthesis.)
While this is the first of three books, this one stands alone very nicely.
***
Are you reading this review because you are looking for something like my books?
Similarities:
Steampunk elements, a romance built on acerbic wit, a grumpy hero, and a strong, bold female main character.
Differences:
Not primarily (or even particularly) funny. Some side characters are appealing, others fall flat. Some of the fighting gets gruesome, there are deaths and murders so horrific one questions how the hero actually survives the story emotionally sane.
October 11, 2010
Well. It took me quite a while to finish this book, and although it wasn't bad at all, I have to say that it didn't really manage to hold my attention for longer spans of time. I would read a chapter or two and then be absolutely content with putting the book away. Sometimes, I even found myself leafing through the book to see how many pages I had until the next chapter break. This is normally not a good sign. I also thought that some passages would have needed a good editor.
At the same time, though, the world was utterly fascinating: A city run by a clockwork heart set into a mountain. Icarii with metal wings sweeping through the air delivering messages. A caste system bound to create resent and rebellion among some groups. Detailed and vivid descriptions of the setting almost made me feel like I was part of it myself.
The romance played a smaller role, but that was fine with me. Despite some awkward situations, I found it sweet and believable. The two main characters were likeable, but remained a bit one-dimensional in my opinion.
What probably set me off the most was the resolution of the crime in this story. At the end, everything just tumbled into place at the most convenient moment. I also found it strange that people who weren't part of the police force and who were even considered suspects to some extend were involved so deeply and provided with confidential information.
Nevertheless, an original steampunk/urban fantasy novel with a little romance thrown in. If you are into those kinds of books, you might want to give Clockwork Heart a try.
At the same time, though, the world was utterly fascinating: A city run by a clockwork heart set into a mountain. Icarii with metal wings sweeping through the air delivering messages. A caste system bound to create resent and rebellion among some groups. Detailed and vivid descriptions of the setting almost made me feel like I was part of it myself.
The romance played a smaller role, but that was fine with me. Despite some awkward situations, I found it sweet and believable. The two main characters were likeable, but remained a bit one-dimensional in my opinion.
What probably set me off the most was the resolution of the crime in this story. At the end, everything just tumbled into place at the most convenient moment. I also found it strange that people who weren't part of the police force and who were even considered suspects to some extend were involved so deeply and provided with confidential information.
Nevertheless, an original steampunk/urban fantasy novel with a little romance thrown in. If you are into those kinds of books, you might want to give Clockwork Heart a try.
December 25, 2010
The first 300 pages I would have rated 4-5 stars, the last 70 or 80 only 3. [downgraded in hindsight from 4 stars to only 3 five months later, because the book faded so quickly from my mind.] Maybe I'll have the time to write a proper review later on, but I quickly state my reasons for the downgrading now:
- The solving of the crime was quite unorganized, zickzacky and holey. I had the impression as if the author had to bridge a big gap between the wonderful first three quarters of the plot and the kind of end she wanted to reach, but her fingers weren't able to tie the bow properly. The lictors and the icarii run here and run there and make some far-fetched guesses, which somehow turn to be right. With some firm prodding by a good editor this could have been avoided.
- The romance started slowly and awkwardly - which I immensely liked, but it stagnated at some point. I didn't expect multiple unhibited couplings while soaring through steampunk soot on metal wings, but gradually loosening the valves - so to speak - to hint at where things are going would have pleased me more than the chaste pecks which are repeatedly exchanged here and there.
Altogether recommended! Fresh, sooty ideas, likable tough heroine and a cute moody hero.
- The solving of the crime was quite unorganized, zickzacky and holey. I had the impression as if the author had to bridge a big gap between the wonderful first three quarters of the plot and the kind of end she wanted to reach, but her fingers weren't able to tie the bow properly. The lictors and the icarii run here and run there and make some far-fetched guesses, which somehow turn to be right. With some firm prodding by a good editor this could have been avoided.
- The romance started slowly and awkwardly - which I immensely liked, but it stagnated at some point. I didn't expect multiple unhibited couplings while soaring through steampunk soot on metal wings, but gradually loosening the valves - so to speak - to hint at where things are going would have pleased me more than the chaste pecks which are repeatedly exchanged here and there.
Altogether recommended! Fresh, sooty ideas, likable tough heroine and a cute moody hero.
March 14, 2016
I really liked this book a lot. The world building was interesting and the writing was excellent. It doesn't have a lot of action going on, but I was still glued to the pages. It almost reminded me a little of Tamora Pierce's writing, only replace a little magic with a little steampunk. My only complaint is towards the end, it sort of felt like Taya (the main character) was sort of pulled from one thing to another and it felt kind of disjointed. The romance was really sweet though and the author's website says she's written a sequel. I'll definitely be looking forward to it.
July 9, 2010
steampunkish romance novel, without much romance...or steampunk. basically, this is set in a steampunk world and the main character is an icarus. she dons wings made of the metal ondinium, metal lighter than air. which helps them fly around. her caste is the only one that can interact with the other three and are rumoured to be very promiscuous.
this book is dialogue driven, which is okay, but three pages of straight dialogue sometimes gets confusing cuz i didnt know who was saying what...i was just reading it and getting the gist to turn the page. being driven by dialogue, there really isnt enough building of the life and environment around, not enough painting of the steampunk landscape.
and then ther eis the romance part. the icarii are supposed to be promiscuous people talk about the stereotype constantly in the book. unfortunately our story revolves around the most sexually unaware and uninteresting of them all. the romance builds up to a hug and climaxes in a kiss.
i'd like to think that is becuase it is geared towards teens, but i am not even sure it is. it was an okay book - the stars work here - worth a quick read but dont get your hopes up.
this book is dialogue driven, which is okay, but three pages of straight dialogue sometimes gets confusing cuz i didnt know who was saying what...i was just reading it and getting the gist to turn the page. being driven by dialogue, there really isnt enough building of the life and environment around, not enough painting of the steampunk landscape.
and then ther eis the romance part. the icarii are supposed to be promiscuous people talk about the stereotype constantly in the book. unfortunately our story revolves around the most sexually unaware and uninteresting of them all. the romance builds up to a hug and climaxes in a kiss.
i'd like to think that is becuase it is geared towards teens, but i am not even sure it is. it was an okay book - the stars work here - worth a quick read but dont get your hopes up.
April 16, 2012
Two thirds of the way into the book, when the heroine has discovered who the villain is and that he has murdered several people, the villain asks the heroine to lie for him, to corroborate his version of events. He is high caste, good looking, charming. He can guarantee that her career advances.
Right answer:
Yes, that's a good idea. I find you sexy and I appreciate that you will help me in my career. (She surreptitiously unsheathes her knife so she can stab him and get away).
Wrong answer:
Never! I will expose you and make sure you pay for your evil deeds.
This is where the book lost me. The heroine gives the WRONG ANSWER. She is in peril and at the mercy of the villain. ARGH! The book was fairly decent up to that point, although a bit predictable. Long tedious fight ensues and we get various versions of the Wrong Answer several times as the villain tries to change the heroine's mind. Then more adventures, which I found fault with because the author had pretty much lost me.
Right answer:
Yes, that's a good idea. I find you sexy and I appreciate that you will help me in my career. (She surreptitiously unsheathes her knife so she can stab him and get away).
Wrong answer:
Never! I will expose you and make sure you pay for your evil deeds.
This is where the book lost me. The heroine gives the WRONG ANSWER. She is in peril and at the mercy of the villain. ARGH! The book was fairly decent up to that point, although a bit predictable. Long tedious fight ensues and we get various versions of the Wrong Answer several times as the villain tries to change the heroine's mind. Then more adventures, which I found fault with because the author had pretty much lost me.
August 30, 2015
I don't know guys. This book took me a while to get into, I then inhaled the bloody thing until the last 10% and then took a month to finish it because I JUST. DIDN'T. CARE.
Why you say? There just wasn't a lot to hold on to. There was romance, but then again, it was more of an idea only. There was steam-punk, buuuuuut wasn't really. There was sabotage and mystery that was super interesting, until it wasn't.
On the plus side, the cover is gorgeous and I like the idea of Icarii.
Why you say? There just wasn't a lot to hold on to. There was romance, but then again, it was more of an idea only. There was steam-punk, buuuuuut wasn't really. There was sabotage and mystery that was super interesting, until it wasn't.
On the plus side, the cover is gorgeous and I like the idea of Icarii.
November 6, 2014
*** Review available by request for those on my Friend list ***
June 28, 2012
I am beyond glad that I picked up this book in my recent enthusiasm for steampunk; to my pleasant surprise, it turned out to be absolutely delightful and left me with a warm sense of satisfaction. I was torn between giving it the full 5 stars or docking points because the mystery of the Great Engine and the threats against Ondinium could have been better set up. As far as characters, worldbuilding and the enjoyment I got from the story, however? Dru Pagliassotti nailed it on the head on all counts. I settled for 4.5 stars in the end, but it was a very close call. Clockwork Heart exceeded all of my expectations to become one of my most enjoyable reads this year.
A note before we start: Despite being steampunkish, Clockwork Heart's steampunk is relatively subtle. There are definitely aspects of it - Cristof's obsession with clocks, the "punk" element in movements against the upper caste as well as the engines that keep Ondinium running smoothly - but it's all woven in so well that it's not in your face screaming, "Hey look, this is steampunk!" On the other hand, you never feel like it's of earth-shaking importance. That's perhaps one of the few weaknesses in this book, if I had to nitpick. Frankly, the explanations of punch cards, engines and how all those gears contributed to Ondinium's political and social functions went over my head completely. This is not to say that Pagliassotti commits the horrible crime in science fiction of whopping readers over the head with technicalities - she never does. However, since the explanations of its workings go by pretty quickly and not even Taya or Cristof fully understood them, the reader comes away with the impression that the engine isn't really that crucial. Some characters comment as much; that Ondinium is like a clockwork engine and each citizen a gear. Losing one of them might make the engine stutter a bit, but they're replaceable and the loss certainly won't make the system malfunction. It would have been nice if the engine aspect had been better set up, so that the terrorist attempts to disrupt Ondinium via the engines would have held a greater sense of urgency. Similarly, further background on the Demicans and Alzanans in particular might have made their interest in Ondinium more... logical.
The world of Ondinium is a fascinating one, however, despite how little we understand of its external neighbours. Divided into three sectors - Primus, Secundus and Tertius - and occupied by three castes, the system reminds me very much of a fantasy version of Rome. It certainly helps that the lowest caste, who make their homes in Tertius, are referred to as plebeians! Each caste has their boundaries and corresponding rules; the most noticeable ones being the robes, masks and caste marks that set the Exalteds apart from the cardinals of Secundus and the plebs of Tertius. I would love another book set in this world, just so that we can get more glimpses into the city's inner workings and the relationships between these groups. I had actually expected the problem of caste differentiation to be addressed (some of the characters certainly acknowledge them), but it seems the acts of violence across the city and resulting instability were enough problems for the main characters and the matter was left for readers to ponder on.
And naturally, the two main characters in Taya and Cristof Forlore come from different ends of the social spectrum. It might sound like it is heading down the path of predictability (Romeo and Juliet! Inter-class strife!), but thankfully Pagliassotti neatly sidesteps these clichés to give us two believable and extremely likeable characters who make every attempt to fight the restraints of their individual castes. Taya was plebeian of birth but became an icarus, who has the ultimate freedom in travelling between Primus, Secundus and Tertius and interacting with all castes. Cristof was born exalted, but rejects the trappings of his status and chooses to live as an outcaste in Tertius. These two, both individually and together, are the strongest aspects of Clockwork Heart.
It's hard not to like Taya; not only is she a free-flying icarus with a cheerful optimism to match, but she has guts of steel. The fact is made clear to us immediately upon the opening of the book, with Taya leaping into the air to save a mother and her son from a wireferry (think cable car) accident. She's strong-willed, but I love that she also understands her limitations and takes every care to be diplomatic and polite. It's truly refreshing to find a heroine that is not only brave and resourceful, but knows when to take action and when to step back and let others take charge rather than be obnoxious and bossy. She also has principles, which I am eternally glad that she sticks by! Another reviewer commented that Taya is smart enough to take care of herself emotionally as well as physically, and I think that's exactly it.
Cristof is perhaps less easy to like instantly, but like Taya, readers eventually see him for who he is: an honest, intelligent and socially awkward soul who may have taken off his Exalted's mask, but continues to mask his loneliness and pain. It sounds cliché, but that's essentially what it was, and Pagliassotti never attempts to turn him into the "misunderstood jerk who secretly bounces babies on his lap." Cristof is undeniably rude, couldn't give a toss about being misunderstood and, as Taya described, is "very rarely sweet." However, the more we saw of the vulnerability that he hid behind the anti-social and crusty exterior, the more we appreciated that while he might be far from perfect and is often irritating, what you see is 100% what you get. This, compared to his brother Alister's charming and handsome but far-from-honest self, is much preferred.
With two characters like this, sparks are bound to fly - and they did. Not anywhere near instantly, I'm happy to say. We get sufficient time for them to get to know each other, fight with one another and become partners in investigation before their shared experiences allowed Cristof to open up and gave Taya the chance to appreciate Cristof for who he is. There is a love triangle, but it was dealt with admirably by Pagliassotti. I usually cannot abide love triangles because of all the characters cannot help being waffly and stupid, but none of that happens here. Thank God. Taya, as previously mentioned, is remarkably clear-headed. Despite being initially tempted by the charming brother, she is more than capable of protecting herself emotionally and chooses to stick by her principles, which pays off when she . Even better, Taya never wastes time wallowing in "feelings" or tries to second-guess herself. When she realizes the truth, she makes the necessary mental adjustments, makes her stand clear and never wavers from it. And Cristof, despite being terrible at voicing his emotions, never shies away from saying what needs to be said. I adore their teasing, lightly bickering relationship after they developed mutual respect for the other, and even more so because Taya's always the one in charge, making Cristof the adorably awkward one. One of my favourite exchanges:
The sweet and refreshingly chaste romance made a great companion to the adventure that the two embarked upon in order to save Ondinium. While the details could have been improved, as I mentioned before, the execution of each unfolding event was flawless. There were some truly breathless moments, such as Taya and Cristof making the long flight to the Tower in the search for intruders... and with Cristof deathly afraid of heights. Or Taya, diving off the Tower to save the falling Alister and Cristof, despite a gunshot wound to the leg. It was in these moments that I most appreciated Pagliassotti's masterful writing, because I felt like I was part of every piece of the action. There wasn't a single boring moment! It is easy to understand the attraction that flying holds for Taya - the exhilarating sense of freedom, the risks of danger and the feel of powerful currents underneath her wings. And damn, it makes me wish I could try!
I'm giving myself a self-satisfied pat on the back right now because I'm jolly glad that I picked up this book in spite of the cover, which (albeit gorgeous) brings back less-than-fond memories of stock heroines in paranormal romances that seem to spend more time rolling around in the hay with their love interest(s) than anything else. Clockwork Heart, in contrast, is a truly satisfying story with delightful characters that readers of all ages will enjoy. And really, who doesn't like the idea of a free-flying icarus?
A note before we start: Despite being steampunkish, Clockwork Heart's steampunk is relatively subtle. There are definitely aspects of it - Cristof's obsession with clocks, the "punk" element in movements against the upper caste as well as the engines that keep Ondinium running smoothly - but it's all woven in so well that it's not in your face screaming, "Hey look, this is steampunk!" On the other hand, you never feel like it's of earth-shaking importance. That's perhaps one of the few weaknesses in this book, if I had to nitpick. Frankly, the explanations of punch cards, engines and how all those gears contributed to Ondinium's political and social functions went over my head completely. This is not to say that Pagliassotti commits the horrible crime in science fiction of whopping readers over the head with technicalities - she never does. However, since the explanations of its workings go by pretty quickly and not even Taya or Cristof fully understood them, the reader comes away with the impression that the engine isn't really that crucial. Some characters comment as much; that Ondinium is like a clockwork engine and each citizen a gear. Losing one of them might make the engine stutter a bit, but they're replaceable and the loss certainly won't make the system malfunction. It would have been nice if the engine aspect had been better set up, so that the terrorist attempts to disrupt Ondinium via the engines would have held a greater sense of urgency. Similarly, further background on the Demicans and Alzanans in particular might have made their interest in Ondinium more... logical.
The world of Ondinium is a fascinating one, however, despite how little we understand of its external neighbours. Divided into three sectors - Primus, Secundus and Tertius - and occupied by three castes, the system reminds me very much of a fantasy version of Rome. It certainly helps that the lowest caste, who make their homes in Tertius, are referred to as plebeians! Each caste has their boundaries and corresponding rules; the most noticeable ones being the robes, masks and caste marks that set the Exalteds apart from the cardinals of Secundus and the plebs of Tertius. I would love another book set in this world, just so that we can get more glimpses into the city's inner workings and the relationships between these groups. I had actually expected the problem of caste differentiation to be addressed (some of the characters certainly acknowledge them), but it seems the acts of violence across the city and resulting instability were enough problems for the main characters and the matter was left for readers to ponder on.
And naturally, the two main characters in Taya and Cristof Forlore come from different ends of the social spectrum. It might sound like it is heading down the path of predictability (Romeo and Juliet! Inter-class strife!), but thankfully Pagliassotti neatly sidesteps these clichés to give us two believable and extremely likeable characters who make every attempt to fight the restraints of their individual castes. Taya was plebeian of birth but became an icarus, who has the ultimate freedom in travelling between Primus, Secundus and Tertius and interacting with all castes. Cristof was born exalted, but rejects the trappings of his status and chooses to live as an outcaste in Tertius. These two, both individually and together, are the strongest aspects of Clockwork Heart.
It's hard not to like Taya; not only is she a free-flying icarus with a cheerful optimism to match, but she has guts of steel. The fact is made clear to us immediately upon the opening of the book, with Taya leaping into the air to save a mother and her son from a wireferry (think cable car) accident. She's strong-willed, but I love that she also understands her limitations and takes every care to be diplomatic and polite. It's truly refreshing to find a heroine that is not only brave and resourceful, but knows when to take action and when to step back and let others take charge rather than be obnoxious and bossy. She also has principles, which I am eternally glad that she sticks by! Another reviewer commented that Taya is smart enough to take care of herself emotionally as well as physically, and I think that's exactly it.
Cristof is perhaps less easy to like instantly, but like Taya, readers eventually see him for who he is: an honest, intelligent and socially awkward soul who may have taken off his Exalted's mask, but continues to mask his loneliness and pain. It sounds cliché, but that's essentially what it was, and Pagliassotti never attempts to turn him into the "misunderstood jerk who secretly bounces babies on his lap." Cristof is undeniably rude, couldn't give a toss about being misunderstood and, as Taya described, is "very rarely sweet." However, the more we saw of the vulnerability that he hid behind the anti-social and crusty exterior, the more we appreciated that while he might be far from perfect and is often irritating, what you see is 100% what you get. This, compared to his brother Alister's charming and handsome but far-from-honest self, is much preferred.
With two characters like this, sparks are bound to fly - and they did. Not anywhere near instantly, I'm happy to say. We get sufficient time for them to get to know each other, fight with one another and become partners in investigation before their shared experiences allowed Cristof to open up and gave Taya the chance to appreciate Cristof for who he is. There is a love triangle, but it was dealt with admirably by Pagliassotti. I usually cannot abide love triangles because of all the characters cannot help being waffly and stupid, but none of that happens here. Thank God. Taya, as previously mentioned, is remarkably clear-headed. Despite being initially tempted by the charming brother, she is more than capable of protecting herself emotionally and chooses to stick by her principles, which pays off when she . Even better, Taya never wastes time wallowing in "feelings" or tries to second-guess herself. When she realizes the truth, she makes the necessary mental adjustments, makes her stand clear and never wavers from it. And Cristof, despite being terrible at voicing his emotions, never shies away from saying what needs to be said. I adore their teasing, lightly bickering relationship after they developed mutual respect for the other, and even more so because Taya's always the one in charge, making Cristof the adorably awkward one. One of my favourite exchanges:
The sweet and refreshingly chaste romance made a great companion to the adventure that the two embarked upon in order to save Ondinium. While the details could have been improved, as I mentioned before, the execution of each unfolding event was flawless. There were some truly breathless moments, such as Taya and Cristof making the long flight to the Tower in the search for intruders... and with Cristof deathly afraid of heights. Or Taya, diving off the Tower to save the falling Alister and Cristof, despite a gunshot wound to the leg. It was in these moments that I most appreciated Pagliassotti's masterful writing, because I felt like I was part of every piece of the action. There wasn't a single boring moment! It is easy to understand the attraction that flying holds for Taya - the exhilarating sense of freedom, the risks of danger and the feel of powerful currents underneath her wings. And damn, it makes me wish I could try!
I'm giving myself a self-satisfied pat on the back right now because I'm jolly glad that I picked up this book in spite of the cover, which (albeit gorgeous) brings back less-than-fond memories of stock heroines in paranormal romances that seem to spend more time rolling around in the hay with their love interest(s) than anything else. Clockwork Heart, in contrast, is a truly satisfying story with delightful characters that readers of all ages will enjoy. And really, who doesn't like the idea of a free-flying icarus?
April 2, 2008
This debut novel by Dru Pagliassotti is being billed as a steampunk romance/urban fantasy. And it is all of these. But it transcends each of them as well, making it IMO an incredibly enjoyable cross-genre read. I'm sitting here trying to think of someone I wouldn't recommend this book to and I'm coming up blank.
Taya is an icarus--a member of the messenger class. Every day she straps on a pair of metal wings and soars across the city of Ondinium delivering messages. Life in Ondinium is extremely stratified. As an incarus, Taya is considered outside caste and is therefore able to move freely between the uber-powerful upper crust and the lower level plebeians. Social rank is marked by a subtle facial tattoo. And the "exalteds" (the highest of the high) only go out in public masked and heavily robed, to preserve their grace and purity.
Then one day Taya inadvertently rescues an exalted and her son. This seemingly minor event thrusts her into the realm of the exalteds and into the lives of two brothers--Alister and Cristof Forlore. Alister is the dashing younger brother, a gifted programmer, a rising star on the political scene, and an incorrigible lover of women. Cristof is the caustic older brother who has chosen to live outside his caste, maskless, working as a clockwright among the working class of Ondinium. As a rebel group known only as the Torn Cards terrorizes the city with a series of bombings, Taya is swept up in a murder mystery and must quickly learn how to navigate the deep waters between exalted and plebeian, charm and ruthlessness, and Alister and Cristof Forlore.
Clockwork Heart delighted me. I went into it complacently, wanting to love some characters and hate others unreservedly, but Ms. Pagliassottii's multi-faceted characterization made that impossible. I was forced to sit up and care about all of them, to see their flaws and their virtues, to really understand them and how they were themselves but also the product of the unique world they lived in, the society they were born into. A world built on the carefully delineated contrast between humanity and technology, privilege and humility. A truly engrossing read.
Taya is an icarus--a member of the messenger class. Every day she straps on a pair of metal wings and soars across the city of Ondinium delivering messages. Life in Ondinium is extremely stratified. As an incarus, Taya is considered outside caste and is therefore able to move freely between the uber-powerful upper crust and the lower level plebeians. Social rank is marked by a subtle facial tattoo. And the "exalteds" (the highest of the high) only go out in public masked and heavily robed, to preserve their grace and purity.
Then one day Taya inadvertently rescues an exalted and her son. This seemingly minor event thrusts her into the realm of the exalteds and into the lives of two brothers--Alister and Cristof Forlore. Alister is the dashing younger brother, a gifted programmer, a rising star on the political scene, and an incorrigible lover of women. Cristof is the caustic older brother who has chosen to live outside his caste, maskless, working as a clockwright among the working class of Ondinium. As a rebel group known only as the Torn Cards terrorizes the city with a series of bombings, Taya is swept up in a murder mystery and must quickly learn how to navigate the deep waters between exalted and plebeian, charm and ruthlessness, and Alister and Cristof Forlore.
Clockwork Heart delighted me. I went into it complacently, wanting to love some characters and hate others unreservedly, but Ms. Pagliassottii's multi-faceted characterization made that impossible. I was forced to sit up and care about all of them, to see their flaws and their virtues, to really understand them and how they were themselves but also the product of the unique world they lived in, the society they were born into. A world built on the carefully delineated contrast between humanity and technology, privilege and humility. A truly engrossing read.
March 15, 2017
Well-written steampunk with a strong h and a quirky, slightly nerdish H. I liked that it had an original setting and wasn't just another steampunk set in an alternate universe Victorian England. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a good start to this series.
June 3, 2014
This book started out very strongly. The world was fascinating - a nice setting, a strong caste system that has a way for people to change from the caste that they were born it, good characters. The introduction scene was great. I loved meeting Taya, Cristof and Alister.
However, about a third of the way through the book falters and continues going slowly downhill from there. It started with a personal dislike of mine - drama for the sake of drama. Taya and Christof are both at the scene of an accident that killed Alister, and instead of trying to help look for survives start desperately accusing each other of being the saboteur, based on very little evidence on both their parts. They are interviewed and released, but decide to team up to continue investigating the accident. Now, obviously this needs to happen, since they are the main characters of the story. However, there was no reason for them to do so. They had no special knowledge, skills or contacts that the police did not have. They had no reason to believe the police incompetent or corrupt. The only reason they did this was because they felt personally involved and they didn't want to stop being personally involved. Granted, Christof was involved to a point that I could have accepted him deciding to stay involved and then dragging Taya into it, but it happened the other way. Christof was going to step back and Taya insisted on continuing.
It was also obvious to me that Alister didn't actually die in the accident - that he staged it so as to free himself to perform nefarious deeds. The way Taya was constantly not comfortable around him earlier, despite her desire to be comfortable around him, made it pretty good that he was going to do something not-nice. As soon as he was "dead" it was clear what that not-nice thing was going to be.
The book did pick up a bit during the investigation, though the confrontation between Taya and the bad guy went a bit long.
The book wrapped up fairly nicely after that. Except for the fact that there were 100 pages left to go. It turns out that not all the suspicious activity from earlier in the book was related to bad guy #1. So now bad guy #2 steps up for his turn in the plot. I kept going for a while, but the longer that story line went the more I just skimmed until I finally skipped to the last chapter. All of the tension of the book was spent in Ending #1 - there was nothing saved to keep me interested in Ending #2 when it felt like we'd already wrapped up. The two separate bad guys either needed to be more closely entwined, Ending #1 needed to have been not such a big thing, or the second story line should have been left out altogether.
That said, I liked Taya, Christof and the world. It looks like there's a new book in the series either out now or coming soon and despite the flaws of this book I'll give book 2 a try and hope that the writing has improved.
However, about a third of the way through the book falters and continues going slowly downhill from there. It started with a personal dislike of mine - drama for the sake of drama. Taya and Christof are both at the scene of an accident that killed Alister, and instead of trying to help look for survives start desperately accusing each other of being the saboteur, based on very little evidence on both their parts. They are interviewed and released, but decide to team up to continue investigating the accident. Now, obviously this needs to happen, since they are the main characters of the story. However, there was no reason for them to do so. They had no special knowledge, skills or contacts that the police did not have. They had no reason to believe the police incompetent or corrupt. The only reason they did this was because they felt personally involved and they didn't want to stop being personally involved. Granted, Christof was involved to a point that I could have accepted him deciding to stay involved and then dragging Taya into it, but it happened the other way. Christof was going to step back and Taya insisted on continuing.
It was also obvious to me that Alister didn't actually die in the accident - that he staged it so as to free himself to perform nefarious deeds. The way Taya was constantly not comfortable around him earlier, despite her desire to be comfortable around him, made it pretty good that he was going to do something not-nice. As soon as he was "dead" it was clear what that not-nice thing was going to be.
The book did pick up a bit during the investigation, though the confrontation between Taya and the bad guy went a bit long.
The book wrapped up fairly nicely after that. Except for the fact that there were 100 pages left to go. It turns out that not all the suspicious activity from earlier in the book was related to bad guy #1. So now bad guy #2 steps up for his turn in the plot. I kept going for a while, but the longer that story line went the more I just skimmed until I finally skipped to the last chapter. All of the tension of the book was spent in Ending #1 - there was nothing saved to keep me interested in Ending #2 when it felt like we'd already wrapped up. The two separate bad guys either needed to be more closely entwined, Ending #1 needed to have been not such a big thing, or the second story line should have been left out altogether.
That said, I liked Taya, Christof and the world. It looks like there's a new book in the series either out now or coming soon and despite the flaws of this book I'll give book 2 a try and hope that the writing has improved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2011
by Dru Pagliossotti
The story of Taya, the icarus (basically just a winged messenger), and the unexpected turns her life takes after she rescues an Exalted.
I wasn’t expecting to love this book. The cover art was bad, it seemed like it might veer in a kind of trashy direction. Anyway, whatever the reasons, I was expecting to read it and not be highly impressed.
I was wrong. While it never astounded it me, it was an entirely enjoyable story, with some very well-written bits. I especially enjoyed the main characters. The mystery aspect wasn’t incredibly strong, but I’m not sure that it was meant to be. Instead we were given the growing relationship between two people from very different backgrounds (but different in a way that worked, as opposed to inducing eye-rolling and exclamations of “Oh, come on“).
And then there was the worldbuilding. It was fantastic. From the first introduction of the city and society I believed it. I believed the caste structure, I believed the language and the different groups which had developed. Pagliossotti sold her creation like crazy. In fact, as much as I enjoyed the story and the characters, I think the worldbuilding was what made the book for me.
I did also appreciate that, while there are mentions of lovers and this clearly is not a chaste society, that didn’t necessarily mean that we had to have steamy explicit scenes.
I very much hope that we’ll have a sequel to this some day, or at least another book set in the same world.
Book source: public library
Other links: Leila’s review; review at Angieville; book’s page
Book information: Juno Books, 2008
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Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliossotti: This may be the book that surprised me the most for the year. I was expecting it to be okay, maybe, and instead I ended up really liking it and immediately going back to re-read the best bits. I loved the world Pagliossotti created, and I’m really happy to hear that there’s a sequel in the works. [2010 in books]
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Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliossotti: A re-read, because I enjoyed it the first time. Enjoyed it again. I believe there’s a sequel in the works, which is nice, as long as it’s good. [March 2011]
The story of Taya, the icarus (basically just a winged messenger), and the unexpected turns her life takes after she rescues an Exalted.
I wasn’t expecting to love this book. The cover art was bad, it seemed like it might veer in a kind of trashy direction. Anyway, whatever the reasons, I was expecting to read it and not be highly impressed.
I was wrong. While it never astounded it me, it was an entirely enjoyable story, with some very well-written bits. I especially enjoyed the main characters. The mystery aspect wasn’t incredibly strong, but I’m not sure that it was meant to be. Instead we were given the growing relationship between two people from very different backgrounds (but different in a way that worked, as opposed to inducing eye-rolling and exclamations of “Oh, come on“).
And then there was the worldbuilding. It was fantastic. From the first introduction of the city and society I believed it. I believed the caste structure, I believed the language and the different groups which had developed. Pagliossotti sold her creation like crazy. In fact, as much as I enjoyed the story and the characters, I think the worldbuilding was what made the book for me.
I did also appreciate that, while there are mentions of lovers and this clearly is not a chaste society, that didn’t necessarily mean that we had to have steamy explicit scenes.
I very much hope that we’ll have a sequel to this some day, or at least another book set in the same world.
Book source: public library
Other links: Leila’s review; review at Angieville; book’s page
Book information: Juno Books, 2008
-----
Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliossotti: This may be the book that surprised me the most for the year. I was expecting it to be okay, maybe, and instead I ended up really liking it and immediately going back to re-read the best bits. I loved the world Pagliossotti created, and I’m really happy to hear that there’s a sequel in the works. [2010 in books]
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Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliossotti: A re-read, because I enjoyed it the first time. Enjoyed it again. I believe there’s a sequel in the works, which is nice, as long as it’s good. [March 2011]
June 2, 2014
2 1/2
A great world-building and a nice plot didn't save this book from being nothing more than an ok read for me. Characters were both unbelievable and incoherent. They were flat, and sounded way too young for the age and role they portayed, too.
In many reviews you'll read how absurd the setup was, and unfortunately I cannot disagree. It takes a lot of strength on an author's writing to pass off a USP delivery guy as a detective, and this is what the author attempted. She worsened the situation mistaking the role of a diplomat, what the heroine wishes to be. No way she could be one, even in this world where they are merely pawns. Her complete lack of any sense of political awareness made her very difficult to relate to. She is so much a yes-man to be embarrassing.
Unfortunately all of this made me detached and therefore bored for most of the book. Scenes I would have found great every place else, here I skipped as they watered down the pacing, already not that tight.
A great world-building and a nice plot didn't save this book from being nothing more than an ok read for me. Characters were both unbelievable and incoherent. They were flat, and sounded way too young for the age and role they portayed, too.
In many reviews you'll read how absurd the setup was, and unfortunately I cannot disagree. It takes a lot of strength on an author's writing to pass off a USP delivery guy as a detective, and this is what the author attempted. She worsened the situation mistaking the role of a diplomat, what the heroine wishes to be. No way she could be one, even in this world where they are merely pawns. Her complete lack of any sense of political awareness made her very difficult to relate to. She is so much a yes-man to be embarrassing.
Unfortunately all of this made me detached and therefore bored for most of the book. Scenes I would have found great every place else, here I skipped as they watered down the pacing, already not that tight.
April 4, 2013
Once I got past the fact that the figure on the cover, shirt open to her navel, in no way resembles Taya Icarus (who dresses modestly unless kidnapped by Jayce the rogue straight n’ sassy dressmaker, and who has short, curly hair which makes sense for stuffing under a flight cap), I was able to enjoy the dickens out of this book.
But I’ll admit I’m picky that way.
There’s really so much to like about this book, and it made me wish that English had a word for re-reading a book you tend to think of as pretty good and remembering that it’s awesome. There’s so much stuff to like about it. I love Ondinium’s cobbled streets and that it clings to the side of a mountain so steep it requires airway tram service and icarii to get around. I love the concept of the icarii, the skill set, the outfit and the culture. I love that they live in aeyries together with terrible meddling house-mothers named Gwen.
I find the whole Alistair vs Cristof romantic set-up early in the book to be really technically well executed, mainly in that at no point does Pagliasotti whang us over the head with Taya's infatuation with Cristof. I use that term in more of a "she is fascinated/irritated by him" rather than "she's all swoony", but look lady, if you're out on a date with a guy and all you can think about is his brother, you might want to look into who you'd really like to be with. Seriously. Every time Taya’s with Alistair, she keeps on thinking about Cristof. It made me giggle.
Also it’s interesting that as a couple, Taya and Cristof’s first physical interactions involve fighting: fighting off her Alzanan attackers and then later just whaling away on each other like kindergartners. Awesome.
I love the holistic quality of the metal-related language in the text and how it keeps gently re-tying you back to the theme of the forge: scrap as a swearword, Fireforged as a swearword for exalteds, a slagging pain in the tailset. I don’t know, I just found the whole system elegant.
(The one linguistic thing I didn’t get was Ondinium; is it the name of the city and the country? And why aren’t the citizens called Ondinians?)
Also, holy bananas but Alistair was a giant toolbag. On fire.
Anyway, there's this moment as Taya's sneaking out to fly Cristof up to the Council's palace on the cliffs -- for which they could and possibly will both be arrested and charged with murder -- where Taya writes:
Now, while I was reading Clockwork Heart, I took a break to look up something in Daphne Gottlieb's first collection of poems, Why Things Burn. I forget what it is I went there to look up, but I do know I read the poems "incubus/succubus", "sanctuary" and "convertible" before getting overwhelmed and having to stop.
Don't get me wrong, I love Gottlieb's work. It's unsettling and uncomfortable and frightening and painful -- everything good poetry should be**. I recognize her anger and her weariness both from the anger and the things that cause it, which in her work at least is so often violence against women, both sexualized and other. And those three particular poems, which I read at random just before I read about Taya filing a flight plan in her best friend's purse before running off to help this mysterious jackass by doing something illegal that carries with it the risk that she'll be killed.
And I realized that I was looking at an all-too-infrequent-in-books form of Survival Skills for Ladies**.
Of COURSE she'd let her best friend know where she was going. Even MORE SO because the errand was so risky. And it made me wonder: why don't we see this type of safety planning more often in books? Is it because we don't want to think about danger when we're indulging in escapist reading? Because it's depressing to think about heroines taking risks and NEEDING that type of safety net? But heroines in steampunk and other types of books are often imperiled; kidnapped, stabbed, menaced, dropped from airships, or, as here, investigating a crime in a way that could lead to arrest, blinding and death.
I don't have an answer. I'm hoping y'all will answer in the comments.
And at this point I don't even remember what I was going to look up in Why Things Burn. It'll come back to me eventually.
But this is complicated by the next lines, which read:
Y’all I just. I just. *deep breath* There’s the whole gun/phallus thing, there’s the whole echo of false rape accusations, and the dismissal of the heroine’s agency thing, and, I quite honestly don’t know what to make of that moment. Even if it’s just off-the-cuff, why was it necessary?
Yeah I know I know: sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
One minor complaint and then I guess I should shut up about this book but I did think the Kyle/Lars setup was hella contrived. There’s no other indication about homosexuality in Ondinium, but with such a rigid caste system, I’m not surprised to see it not being explicitly prevalent. But there’s no discussion of what the possible repercussions of that match-up might be. It’s just treated as this juvenile prank by the computer program that conveniently matches up with reality. Very confusing.
*Daphne Gottlieb will always be my first choice for poet laureate. Discuss.
**Which is not at all related to the recent twitter meme #safetytipsforladies. But is related in a snarky, snarky way.
But I’ll admit I’m picky that way.
There’s really so much to like about this book, and it made me wish that English had a word for re-reading a book you tend to think of as pretty good and remembering that it’s awesome. There’s so much stuff to like about it. I love Ondinium’s cobbled streets and that it clings to the side of a mountain so steep it requires airway tram service and icarii to get around. I love the concept of the icarii, the skill set, the outfit and the culture. I love that they live in aeyries together with terrible meddling house-mothers named Gwen.
I find the whole Alistair vs Cristof romantic set-up early in the book to be really technically well executed, mainly in that at no point does Pagliasotti whang us over the head with Taya's infatuation with Cristof. I use that term in more of a "she is fascinated/irritated by him" rather than "she's all swoony", but look lady, if you're out on a date with a guy and all you can think about is his brother, you might want to look into who you'd really like to be with. Seriously. Every time Taya’s with Alistair, she keeps on thinking about Cristof. It made me giggle.
Also it’s interesting that as a couple, Taya and Cristof’s first physical interactions involve fighting: fighting off her Alzanan attackers and then later just whaling away on each other like kindergartners. Awesome.
I love the holistic quality of the metal-related language in the text and how it keeps gently re-tying you back to the theme of the forge: scrap as a swearword, Fireforged as a swearword for exalteds, a slagging pain in the tailset. I don’t know, I just found the whole system elegant.
(The one linguistic thing I didn’t get was Ondinium; is it the name of the city and the country? And why aren’t the citizens called Ondinians?)
Also, holy bananas but Alistair was a giant toolbag. On fire.
Anyway, there's this moment as Taya's sneaking out to fly Cristof up to the Council's palace on the cliffs -- for which they could and possibly will both be arrested and charged with murder -- where Taya writes:
That morning, she'd done what she could to set up her own advantages. She'd left a note in Cassi's purse containing Kyle's letter and describing where she was going and why. She didn't know what Cassi would do when she found it, but no icarus flew without filing a flight plan.
Now, while I was reading Clockwork Heart, I took a break to look up something in Daphne Gottlieb's first collection of poems, Why Things Burn. I forget what it is I went there to look up, but I do know I read the poems "incubus/succubus", "sanctuary" and "convertible" before getting overwhelmed and having to stop.
Don't get me wrong, I love Gottlieb's work. It's unsettling and uncomfortable and frightening and painful -- everything good poetry should be**. I recognize her anger and her weariness both from the anger and the things that cause it, which in her work at least is so often violence against women, both sexualized and other. And those three particular poems, which I read at random just before I read about Taya filing a flight plan in her best friend's purse before running off to help this mysterious jackass by doing something illegal that carries with it the risk that she'll be killed.
And I realized that I was looking at an all-too-infrequent-in-books form of Survival Skills for Ladies**.
Of COURSE she'd let her best friend know where she was going. Even MORE SO because the errand was so risky. And it made me wonder: why don't we see this type of safety planning more often in books? Is it because we don't want to think about danger when we're indulging in escapist reading? Because it's depressing to think about heroines taking risks and NEEDING that type of safety net? But heroines in steampunk and other types of books are often imperiled; kidnapped, stabbed, menaced, dropped from airships, or, as here, investigating a crime in a way that could lead to arrest, blinding and death.
I don't have an answer. I'm hoping y'all will answer in the comments.
And at this point I don't even remember what I was going to look up in Why Things Burn. It'll come back to me eventually.
But this is complicated by the next lines, which read:
”Don’t worry.” Cristoff tapped his bulging coat pocket. “You can always say I forced you at gunpoint.”
Y’all I just. I just. *deep breath* There’s the whole gun/phallus thing, there’s the whole echo of false rape accusations, and the dismissal of the heroine’s agency thing, and, I quite honestly don’t know what to make of that moment. Even if it’s just off-the-cuff, why was it necessary?
Yeah I know I know: sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
One minor complaint and then I guess I should shut up about this book but I did think the Kyle/Lars setup was hella contrived. There’s no other indication about homosexuality in Ondinium, but with such a rigid caste system, I’m not surprised to see it not being explicitly prevalent. But there’s no discussion of what the possible repercussions of that match-up might be. It’s just treated as this juvenile prank by the computer program that conveniently matches up with reality. Very confusing.
*Daphne Gottlieb will always be my first choice for poet laureate. Discuss.
**Which is not at all related to the recent twitter meme #safetytipsforladies. But is related in a snarky, snarky way.
August 21, 2018
I just can't read this book any longer. It's a really unique and interesting concept but the plot is slower then a sloth climbing up a tree. I find myself becoming more and more reluctant to pick up my Kindle because I have no interest in reading this any farther. I can see other people greatly enjoying this novel, but unfortunately I'm not one of them.
June 28, 2009
http://janicu.livejournal.com/69341.html
I'd seen this book mentioned a couple of times online but for some reason I had labelled it in my mind as not so intriguing until I read a review at the Book Smugglers blog (they gave it a 9 - "damn near perfection"). I put it on my books to read list at that point but I wasn't salivating over it like some other books.
A couple of weekends ago, my husband and I decided to go for a walk and ended up at Barnes and Noble. I saw a copy of Clockwork Heart and picked it up. I started reading a few pages. At first some of the terminology confused me. What's a wireferry? Lictors? Decator? Icarus? I would read for a bit then go back a page or two to reread something to understand a bit better. But the story itself started out in the middle of some action, so I was already interested.
The premise: This story starts when a metal car suspended by wires starts to tumble towards the ground as our heroine was stopping nearby for lunch. Taya is a citizen of Ondinium, a city divided into castes, "Primus for the exalteds; Secundus for the cardinals; and Tertius, for the plebians". Taya herself is an icarus, someone who trained to fly with wings made out of the metal ondium (which is lighter than air), and who is allowed to freely pass between the city's sections. She and her kind are messagers as well as trained for search and rescue, so of course Taya jumps into action to help the two passengers in the falling metal car. This chance encounter pushes Taya into the world of the exalteds and soon she is caught up in betrayals and political plots happening within the city. In particular, Taya is sucked into the world of two brothers - Cristof and Alister Forlore. Alister is the gracious, charming one who works as a decator (I translated this to something like - minister/politician), and Cristof is the gruff, abrupt one who works as a clockmaker.
By page 20 I was hooked. 50 pages in and I had the terminology down. I could not stop reading! And how did I miss Angie's pimping it too? She only put it on her best of 2008 list! I really chastized myself for not having this book on my radar earlier.
What I really loved was the world building. I have a very basic idea of steampunk so I came into this book with no expectations and was just blown away at the images of Ondinium while I was reading this book - from a city with winding, intricate streets, to the costumes of members of the different castes, and all the little nooks and crannies in between like the interesting things in Alister's crowded, paper filled office and in Cristof's watch shop. I also enjoyed the idea of card-punch computing (old-school!) being a large part of the plot and a system built upon this that is used to help run Ondinium. It was fantastic! The cherry on the top of all this was the slow moving romance that did not take over the book and worked alongside the mystery of what is going on in Ondinium.
The only negatives I can think of for this story were very minor. One was that at times I ran into a few typos like repeated phrases next to each other and missing words. I'm not really the most observant person about this type of thing so when I do catch it I figure others will. The other comment I had was on the ending well there was a really satisfying HEA for the romance, but the mystery part somehow didn't tie up to my complete satisfaction. The reveal was a bit of a surprise (when I mull this over I think that perhaps I was distracted by red herrings thrown in by the author), and yet WHY also didn't fully make sense to me. Maybe I expected to understand the reasons for the villains' actions more fully than was presented.
Overall: Already one of my favorite reads of this year, I think it's a shoo in for my best of 2009 list. This combines fantasy, steampunk, romance, action, and intrigue into something new and fresh. If you are the least bit interested go find this book. I was so addicted I just read this straight for hours and when I came up for air I was disoriented about how much time had passed.
I'd compare the romance aspect to Sandra McDonald's The Outback Stars (where the hero isn't exactly who you'd think he'd be at first, and there's caste/rank issues, but he turns out to be more compatible and honorable than other characters seem to allow), and the world building to Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age or Snow Crash (this blew me away like those books did).
This is the debut novel by this author, however she has published some short stories. Dru Pagliassotti is currently working on a sequel to Clockwork Heart tentatively titled Obstruction Currents. According to her blog she's also working on another (unrelated) novel called King's Monster. Which means no backlog for me to glom onto, and I have to wait for the next book. Meanwhile, new author to stalk and put on the auto-buy list. I'm excited to read whatever comes out next!
I'd seen this book mentioned a couple of times online but for some reason I had labelled it in my mind as not so intriguing until I read a review at the Book Smugglers blog (they gave it a 9 - "damn near perfection"). I put it on my books to read list at that point but I wasn't salivating over it like some other books.
A couple of weekends ago, my husband and I decided to go for a walk and ended up at Barnes and Noble. I saw a copy of Clockwork Heart and picked it up. I started reading a few pages. At first some of the terminology confused me. What's a wireferry? Lictors? Decator? Icarus? I would read for a bit then go back a page or two to reread something to understand a bit better. But the story itself started out in the middle of some action, so I was already interested.
The premise: This story starts when a metal car suspended by wires starts to tumble towards the ground as our heroine was stopping nearby for lunch. Taya is a citizen of Ondinium, a city divided into castes, "Primus for the exalteds; Secundus for the cardinals; and Tertius, for the plebians". Taya herself is an icarus, someone who trained to fly with wings made out of the metal ondium (which is lighter than air), and who is allowed to freely pass between the city's sections. She and her kind are messagers as well as trained for search and rescue, so of course Taya jumps into action to help the two passengers in the falling metal car. This chance encounter pushes Taya into the world of the exalteds and soon she is caught up in betrayals and political plots happening within the city. In particular, Taya is sucked into the world of two brothers - Cristof and Alister Forlore. Alister is the gracious, charming one who works as a decator (I translated this to something like - minister/politician), and Cristof is the gruff, abrupt one who works as a clockmaker.
By page 20 I was hooked. 50 pages in and I had the terminology down. I could not stop reading! And how did I miss Angie's pimping it too? She only put it on her best of 2008 list! I really chastized myself for not having this book on my radar earlier.
What I really loved was the world building. I have a very basic idea of steampunk so I came into this book with no expectations and was just blown away at the images of Ondinium while I was reading this book - from a city with winding, intricate streets, to the costumes of members of the different castes, and all the little nooks and crannies in between like the interesting things in Alister's crowded, paper filled office and in Cristof's watch shop. I also enjoyed the idea of card-punch computing (old-school!) being a large part of the plot and a system built upon this that is used to help run Ondinium. It was fantastic! The cherry on the top of all this was the slow moving romance that did not take over the book and worked alongside the mystery of what is going on in Ondinium.
The only negatives I can think of for this story were very minor. One was that at times I ran into a few typos like repeated phrases next to each other and missing words. I'm not really the most observant person about this type of thing so when I do catch it I figure others will. The other comment I had was on the ending well there was a really satisfying HEA for the romance, but the mystery part somehow didn't tie up to my complete satisfaction. The reveal was a bit of a surprise (when I mull this over I think that perhaps I was distracted by red herrings thrown in by the author), and yet WHY also didn't fully make sense to me. Maybe I expected to understand the reasons for the villains' actions more fully than was presented.
Overall: Already one of my favorite reads of this year, I think it's a shoo in for my best of 2009 list. This combines fantasy, steampunk, romance, action, and intrigue into something new and fresh. If you are the least bit interested go find this book. I was so addicted I just read this straight for hours and when I came up for air I was disoriented about how much time had passed.
I'd compare the romance aspect to Sandra McDonald's The Outback Stars (where the hero isn't exactly who you'd think he'd be at first, and there's caste/rank issues, but he turns out to be more compatible and honorable than other characters seem to allow), and the world building to Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age or Snow Crash (this blew me away like those books did).
This is the debut novel by this author, however she has published some short stories. Dru Pagliassotti is currently working on a sequel to Clockwork Heart tentatively titled Obstruction Currents. According to her blog she's also working on another (unrelated) novel called King's Monster. Which means no backlog for me to glom onto, and I have to wait for the next book. Meanwhile, new author to stalk and put on the auto-buy list. I'm excited to read whatever comes out next!
April 22, 2012
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
The city of Ondinium clings to the side of a mountain where the rare and precious metal that the city is named for is mined. This substance is lighter than air and is used to create the marvels that the city is known for, including the huge clockwork engine that lives in the heart of the mountain. The castes of Ondinium live on separate tiers of the mountain with the lower castes occupying the sooty smog-filled expanse at the bottom. But Taya, whose family comes from the lowest caste, is an Icarus, a courier who straps on ondinium wings and freely flies up and down the mountain, without caste constraints. When Taya saves the lives of an Exalted’s family, she becomes embroiled in political intrigues that involve theft, terrorism, murder, computer hacking, and romance. And she doesn’t know whom she can trust.
Dru Pagliassotti’s steampunk setting is fascinating and Taya, who flies with metal wings, makes a unique and likeable heroine. She’s strong and independently minded, yet she cares what people think about her and treats others with respect. She is not the usual tattooed sarcastic kickass urban fantasy heroine. Taya’s love interests are a pair of brothers; Alister is a gregarious computer programmer who fully embraces his role as an Exalted on the city council while Cristof, the introverted brother, shuns his class and prefers to make clocks and gadgetry in the lower tier of the city. Both are appealing characters, as is the harmless political dissident whom Taya used to date.
I loved the first half of Clockwork Heart as we were introduced to the city, its citizens, and its political and social issues. There’s some excellent world-building here, a nice set of characters, and plenty of action. I was fascinated by the Great Engine in the mountain and the way it was programmed with old-fashioned tin punch cards.
Clockwork Heart falls a little short when it comes to plot and pacing, especially in the second half of the novel. After the big climax, the story continues on too long, gradually losing steam (pun intended!) and occasionally flip-flopping between the realms of the predictable and the unlikely. I anticipated some of the plot twists and didn’t believe in some of the others. A new subplot involving a group of computer programmers was suddenly brought in, but it should have been left out. It felt like Pagliassotti couldn’t decide between two different endings for the novel so she decided to include both, to poor effect. Even with that complaint, though, I enjoyed Clockwork Heart and its characters enough that I’d like to read more in this world.
I listened to Kate Rudd narrate Brilliance Audio’s version of Clockwork Heart. I always like Kate Rudd when she reads a book with a young female protagonist, though she tends to overdo the angst. This is noticeable in the more intense parts of Clockwork Heart, but it’s not enough to keep me from recommending this version.
Originally posted at FanLit.
The city of Ondinium clings to the side of a mountain where the rare and precious metal that the city is named for is mined. This substance is lighter than air and is used to create the marvels that the city is known for, including the huge clockwork engine that lives in the heart of the mountain. The castes of Ondinium live on separate tiers of the mountain with the lower castes occupying the sooty smog-filled expanse at the bottom. But Taya, whose family comes from the lowest caste, is an Icarus, a courier who straps on ondinium wings and freely flies up and down the mountain, without caste constraints. When Taya saves the lives of an Exalted’s family, she becomes embroiled in political intrigues that involve theft, terrorism, murder, computer hacking, and romance. And she doesn’t know whom she can trust.
Dru Pagliassotti’s steampunk setting is fascinating and Taya, who flies with metal wings, makes a unique and likeable heroine. She’s strong and independently minded, yet she cares what people think about her and treats others with respect. She is not the usual tattooed sarcastic kickass urban fantasy heroine. Taya’s love interests are a pair of brothers; Alister is a gregarious computer programmer who fully embraces his role as an Exalted on the city council while Cristof, the introverted brother, shuns his class and prefers to make clocks and gadgetry in the lower tier of the city. Both are appealing characters, as is the harmless political dissident whom Taya used to date.
I loved the first half of Clockwork Heart as we were introduced to the city, its citizens, and its political and social issues. There’s some excellent world-building here, a nice set of characters, and plenty of action. I was fascinated by the Great Engine in the mountain and the way it was programmed with old-fashioned tin punch cards.
Clockwork Heart falls a little short when it comes to plot and pacing, especially in the second half of the novel. After the big climax, the story continues on too long, gradually losing steam (pun intended!) and occasionally flip-flopping between the realms of the predictable and the unlikely. I anticipated some of the plot twists and didn’t believe in some of the others. A new subplot involving a group of computer programmers was suddenly brought in, but it should have been left out. It felt like Pagliassotti couldn’t decide between two different endings for the novel so she decided to include both, to poor effect. Even with that complaint, though, I enjoyed Clockwork Heart and its characters enough that I’d like to read more in this world.
I listened to Kate Rudd narrate Brilliance Audio’s version of Clockwork Heart. I always like Kate Rudd when she reads a book with a young female protagonist, though she tends to overdo the angst. This is noticeable in the more intense parts of Clockwork Heart, but it’s not enough to keep me from recommending this version.
Originally posted at FanLit.
June 10, 2011
Originally posted here.
I was confused for the first few pages of Clockwork Heart because it took me a while to be fully immersed in the worldbuilding and to understand the terms that go with it. This steampunk novel is set in a fictional country where there's a strict caste system. Only the icarii, couriers who can fly using metal wings, can move freely across all castes. It's funny because I'm afraid of heights but I would love to try flying using those icarus wings. Taya is an icarus who suddenly gets involved in Ondinium's politics when she rescues the wife and son of one of the country's most powerful leaders. Taya was an easy character to like, she's a no-nonsense type of person who strives to be the best that she can be in her job. She loves to travel, which is fitting since she's an icarus, and longs to be assigned as an envoy in other countries. Another character that I liked right from the start is grouchy, sarcastic Cristof who's the exact opposite of his handsome and charming brother Alister. Cristof is a member of the highest caste in the country but he chose to turn his back on his prestigious lifestyle. He works as a clockwright instead because he's fascinated with the inner workings of clocks and other mechanical devices. I think he's the steampunk equivalent of a nerd and I found him endearing. Cristof's geeky charm trumps Alister's suave moves. Another intriguing aspect of the novel is the relationship between these two brothers and how they do what they can for the other person even though they have such different views in life.
There were some parts of the novel that went way over my head like the mechanics of the icarii's metal wings and the discussions about programming and subroutines. Programs what? But those things didn't pull me out of the story so I didn't really mind them. There's a lot of action, some mystery and political intrigue in Clockwork Heart, which made it such a fun book to read. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that I enjoyed reading this because I'm a fan of political intrigue in fiction. You really don't have to be into steampunk to like this novel and I have a feeling most fantasy fans would take pleasure in reading Clockwork Heart. I was able to predict one of the plot points and had an "I knew it!" moment but all of the other events were a surprise. It's only the middle of the year but I have a feeling that this book will make it to my best of 2011 list. I really don't understand why it's out of print. I heard that there's a second book in the works and I'd love to read that as soon as it becomes available. Read this if you get the chance, it deserves to get more attention!
I was confused for the first few pages of Clockwork Heart because it took me a while to be fully immersed in the worldbuilding and to understand the terms that go with it. This steampunk novel is set in a fictional country where there's a strict caste system. Only the icarii, couriers who can fly using metal wings, can move freely across all castes. It's funny because I'm afraid of heights but I would love to try flying using those icarus wings. Taya is an icarus who suddenly gets involved in Ondinium's politics when she rescues the wife and son of one of the country's most powerful leaders. Taya was an easy character to like, she's a no-nonsense type of person who strives to be the best that she can be in her job. She loves to travel, which is fitting since she's an icarus, and longs to be assigned as an envoy in other countries. Another character that I liked right from the start is grouchy, sarcastic Cristof who's the exact opposite of his handsome and charming brother Alister. Cristof is a member of the highest caste in the country but he chose to turn his back on his prestigious lifestyle. He works as a clockwright instead because he's fascinated with the inner workings of clocks and other mechanical devices. I think he's the steampunk equivalent of a nerd and I found him endearing. Cristof's geeky charm trumps Alister's suave moves. Another intriguing aspect of the novel is the relationship between these two brothers and how they do what they can for the other person even though they have such different views in life.
There were some parts of the novel that went way over my head like the mechanics of the icarii's metal wings and the discussions about programming and subroutines. Programs what? But those things didn't pull me out of the story so I didn't really mind them. There's a lot of action, some mystery and political intrigue in Clockwork Heart, which made it such a fun book to read. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that I enjoyed reading this because I'm a fan of political intrigue in fiction. You really don't have to be into steampunk to like this novel and I have a feeling most fantasy fans would take pleasure in reading Clockwork Heart. I was able to predict one of the plot points and had an "I knew it!" moment but all of the other events were a surprise. It's only the middle of the year but I have a feeling that this book will make it to my best of 2011 list. I really don't understand why it's out of print. I heard that there's a second book in the works and I'd love to read that as soon as it becomes available. Read this if you get the chance, it deserves to get more attention!
September 6, 2010
I know it sounds stupid but I abandoned this book 60 pages from the end. Why? Because there was no reason to finish. The way to kill the plot is to give the readers what they want before the actual end has arrived. The bad guy was caught and the two people who acted as romantic partners for each other had already kissed. Everything after that dragged on and on. I'm sure something else dramatic must happen in the final pages but honestly, after the 'climax' of the book had been reached, which, honestly was only partially entertaining because I saw it coming from the moment the 'bad' character came on the scene, I was just bored to tears. I thought that it was mildly entertaining before that. I like the idea of icarii and of the caste system but the plot just wasn't interesting enough or even believable enough to make me stick with it. I mean, honestly...a program to help people choose an appropriate life partner? Ugh. It is just so stupid. I'm sorry but imagine something like that going to a real congress hearing or something? It's like Match.com saying that they wanted to bring a bill up. Lame. Anyway, I don't really recommend this book unless you want to be disappointed by an unfortunate loss of ending. Has anyone gotten through the whole book and honestly believed that the final 'suspense' of whatever happens after I stopped really worth it? I won't go back to it but it'll be nice to hear if anyone disagrees with me.
July 23, 2014
Very entertaining steampunk adventure with a dash of romance and mystery.
Ondinium is a city powered by the magic substance that gives its name, has a powerful calculating engine at its heart, and is divided in 3 caste areas at 3 levels on a mountain, one per caste, higher up of course, with the powerful "exalted" actually hedged by so many traditions and customs - in public they cannot show their faces, they have to wear some kind of robes - that the more rebellious ones go outcaste to have the freedom of the regular people; there is a cable car system, and (mechanically) winged humans called Icarii that are messengers and do not belong to any caste.
Taya is one such Icarii coming from a prosperous middle class family - her father runs a factory; she saves an exalted woman and her son from a collapsing cable car and attracts the attention of two exalteds brothers, one a "programmer" and Council politician, the other a rebellious outcaste watchmaker that lives discreetly near Taya's former neighborhood.
Add in spies from neighboring powers who want the secrets of Ondinium, dissidents, sabotage and you get an unexpectedly fun sff adventure.
Ondinium is a city powered by the magic substance that gives its name, has a powerful calculating engine at its heart, and is divided in 3 caste areas at 3 levels on a mountain, one per caste, higher up of course, with the powerful "exalted" actually hedged by so many traditions and customs - in public they cannot show their faces, they have to wear some kind of robes - that the more rebellious ones go outcaste to have the freedom of the regular people; there is a cable car system, and (mechanically) winged humans called Icarii that are messengers and do not belong to any caste.
Taya is one such Icarii coming from a prosperous middle class family - her father runs a factory; she saves an exalted woman and her son from a collapsing cable car and attracts the attention of two exalteds brothers, one a "programmer" and Council politician, the other a rebellious outcaste watchmaker that lives discreetly near Taya's former neighborhood.
Add in spies from neighboring powers who want the secrets of Ondinium, dissidents, sabotage and you get an unexpectedly fun sff adventure.
April 15, 2010
I never knew they had a new genre of books called Steam Punk. I picked up this book to see what it was about...and I loved it. I like the story line and the characters. The world development was interesting. It was a mix of different cultural elements without being confusing or unbelievable. I liked how things are not as they all seem, and the book was a little mystery, adventure, and romance. It was a light fun read.
Want to read
February 5, 2017I don't particularly remember why I added this on my TBR - but let's goooo. I haven't read a steampunk in a while - and I'm exciteddddd.
August 29, 2009
Interestingm, remind me somewhat of Martha Wells. Though I got some serious buts, the crucial dialogue was sometimes lame (believable, but lame, but we expect better lines from fiction than "I hate you, you make me sick!"). The plot also was a little bit disappointing.
July 4, 2009
My impressions:
Two men, even brothers, struggle for one woman in a steampunk world including sleuth.
This isn't a fast pace story. But it contains action, romance and a good world building.
Two men, even brothers, struggle for one woman in a steampunk world including sleuth.
This isn't a fast pace story. But it contains action, romance and a good world building.
July 28, 2021
One of the reviewers of this (who liked it less than me) said this was as if the UPS man was trying to solve a mystery and that's when I realized I've read way too many cozy mysteries as that idea didn't seem weird to me at all. And there is some truth in it. In this steampunk fantasy world, the city of Ondinium (a light weight metal of great worth) functions by a very strict caste system with the exalted at the top. Taya is an icarus (a named that bothered me as it's the only truly Earth/Greek Myth word in the book). The icarii wear metal wings and ondinium (and are small jockey-sized people) and fly around the city as messengers. They're one of the few who can go to all levels of the city and the castes.
Taya wants to be in the diplomat corps and visit other countries. What she gets is an accidental chance to be a hero when the wireferry (I'm thinking something like a furnicular train or gondola aerial tramways) is bombed and she saves Veira and her son from falling to their deaths, both of whom are exalted (believed to be reborn as the more pure human souls, closest to getting to go on to heaven/nirvana/whatever). In doing so, Veira befriends her and through her Taya meets Exalted brothers, Alister (now part of their ruling political system) and Cristof.
Cristof has thrown off the strictures of being Exalted (always being masked, wearing heavy garments to slow their movements to prove they don't NEED to go fast, do work etc) and all his wealth to work as a clockwright. he enjoys the work. Alister is a programer for the Great Engine (the thing that runs the town, how, we're never really told).
Naturally because of the romance subplot the brothers both want Taya's attention, the charming handsome Alister and the crabby, sarcastic Cristof (and this will go just as you imagine it would). All three of them are caught up in the terrorism gripping the city and Taya and Cristof especially are trying to get to the bottom of it (especially since the latter works with the lictors, the police caste).
I thought it was engaging and I liked the characters including the villain. I was less impressed with the two punishments favored in this place (death penalty or blinding/exile) and caste systems in general give me hives. You can almost sympathize with the idea of getting rid of the system (part of the point of the terrorists) until you realize that the villain's big plan is immigration control/blaming them for everything and eugenics (especially in today's atmosphere).
The support cast was interesting too. While this is a complete story in and of itself I know there are two more in the series so I'll be curious to see them.
Taya wants to be in the diplomat corps and visit other countries. What she gets is an accidental chance to be a hero when the wireferry (I'm thinking something like a furnicular train or gondola aerial tramways) is bombed and she saves Veira and her son from falling to their deaths, both of whom are exalted (believed to be reborn as the more pure human souls, closest to getting to go on to heaven/nirvana/whatever). In doing so, Veira befriends her and through her Taya meets Exalted brothers, Alister (now part of their ruling political system) and Cristof.
Cristof has thrown off the strictures of being Exalted (always being masked, wearing heavy garments to slow their movements to prove they don't NEED to go fast, do work etc) and all his wealth to work as a clockwright. he enjoys the work. Alister is a programer for the Great Engine (the thing that runs the town, how, we're never really told).
Naturally because of the romance subplot the brothers both want Taya's attention, the charming handsome Alister and the crabby, sarcastic Cristof (and this will go just as you imagine it would). All three of them are caught up in the terrorism gripping the city and Taya and Cristof especially are trying to get to the bottom of it (especially since the latter works with the lictors, the police caste).
I thought it was engaging and I liked the characters including the villain. I was less impressed with the two punishments favored in this place (death penalty or blinding/exile) and caste systems in general give me hives. You can almost sympathize with the idea of getting rid of the system (part of the point of the terrorists) until you realize that the villain's big plan is immigration control/blaming them for everything and eugenics (especially in today's atmosphere).
The support cast was interesting too. While this is a complete story in and of itself I know there are two more in the series so I'll be curious to see them.
April 27, 2011
A Clockwork Heart takes place on a different world, one in which there are massive city-states and competing political systems that keep citizens very aware of complex loyalties and the possibility of conflict. Of the city states introduced Ondinium is the most stable and secure: After nearly being destroyed by war two centuries prior, the rulers of Ondinium have created a vast difference machine, known as the Great Engine, to regulate the running of the city and the choices that are made with regards to policy. Ondinium is a society with a “caste system and strict, sometimes ruthless laws”: the exalteds reign at the top as the ruling class and live at the top of Ondinium Mountain in an area called Primus; further down on the mountain the Cardinal caste, or the middle class, live in Secundus; the famulate caste, or the working class, live at the base of the mountain in the smog and smoke of the industrial sector (64). A fourth social class, the Icarii, are winged messengers who can move freely between all three levels of society; they have great freedom and a special status, but in many ways have to be extremely careful about navigating the political structure. This city state is managed by a council of Decaturs, or senators, who create policy and form the body politic—there is no vote from the public. Although this society might seem oppressive, and there are factions who protest the strict controls dictated by this government, Ondinium is “envied [for its] material wealth and rich culture; its high rates of education and employment and low rates of poverty” (65).
The story begins with Taya, an Icarus who is delivering a message when a wireferry car overhead suffers a catastrophic failure. On board are exalted Viera Octavus and her four year-old son Ariq, and Taya must scramble to save the mother and child. Because she flies using wings made from metal that is lighter than air, Taya can rescue one at a time, but she has to move quickly. Rescue attempts are further impeded by the elaborate robes and mask that Viera is required to wear as a member of her caste. Taya employs every skill she has learned in her years of flying and, with a little help from a fellow icarii, is able to pull off an incredible rescue. Afterwards, however, questions remain: Was the accident, involving the wife of a Decatur, truly an accident, or the product of something more sinister?
The following day Taya delivers a message to Decatur Alister on Primus; Alister is talking to an individual Taya mistakes for a workman until she sees his face and realizes that the workman has the facial markings of the exalted class. Exalteds must wear robes that cover the entire body and prevent the showing of any skin, as well as porcelain masks while in public. Further, their masks prevent them from being able to speak, so they must be spoken for by their servants. Taya is shocked to discover that the clockwright is Alister’s older brother Cristof, who has chosen to cast off the trappings and live apart from his caste on in Tertius because he resents the restrictions imposed on exalteds. He is troubled by how there are “lower-castes who think exalteds aren’t human,” are “hiding some kind of grotesque deformity” behind the masks and robes,” and believe the elite class are “spirits or demons” (165). It immediately it becomes clear that the brothers are opposites in many ways: where Cristof is abrupt, cold, and more interested in his machines than people, Alister is the handsome charmer who can talk anyone into anything. Taya is charmed into telling the story of her rescue of Viera and Ariq the day before and learns that the brothers are Viera’s cousins; both immediately pledge to get to the bottom of what has occurred.
But nothing is as it seems in this world: There are spies for other city states, political unrest within Ondinium, and members of the governing council who are attempting to accomplish personal political goals, and it leads to a web of violence and deceit that results in an accident that takes the life of Viera’s husband Caster. It is now up to Taya to navigate the lies and intrigue that surround this event to figure out who is friend or foe, find justice for her friend Viera, and protect Ondinium from further harm.
I was intrigued by the blending of world cultures within the book: The caste system and reincarnation from India, the robes and masks from China, the walled city that requires special papers or identification to move from one level to the next from medieval Europe. The discussion on reincarnation added a spiritual feel to the text that could have been more strongly explored, especially because the ability to be reborn—or lack thereof—informs the legal system within the city state and how these characters interact with each other. Further, there is a cult of Goddess worship at the heart of this story, and she is often invoked and referred to. While I’m not sure how this aspect could have been more thoroughly explored, it adds a feeling of realism and authenticity to the world that Pagliasotti has created.
One of the greatest criticisms I have heard with regards to this book is that the second half is untidy and could have been done better. On this point I must reluctantly agree. The villain is ambiguous, and remains so through the end of the story, and the mystery within a mystery that drives the narrative is unnecessary. This could have been handled better, especially because the competing storylines seemed to leech energy from each other. Further, the villain commits reprehensible acts and much of the anger and disappointment I should have felt is reduced because the narrative doesn’t allow time for reflection and interpretation. Despite this, I still enjoyed the narrative as a whole, and I don’t feel that this is an issue that interfered with my ability to enjoy this book.
Another criticism I have with the book has to do with the Great Engine that runs the city; just what, exactly, does it do? The best description I could find states that the Great Engine is responsible for making “the most civilized nation in the world”: Every citizen is tested at a young age and “matched to a job well-suited to his personality and skills”; the industry on Tertius is “fast, safe, and efficient”; the merchant society on Secondus can “calculate resource supply and demand and make reasonable predictions to avoid shortages and avoid excesses” (141). I understand the idea of a computer and nowhere, in any part of my knowledge involving how they work, do I see a need for massive oiled gears and steam energy to make them work. I’m not saying that I needed a whole lot of explanation, I just want some idea of how a huge engine translates into a computational device.
Overall, I found Clockwork Heart to be an enjoyable read; there was plenty of action and the story had a certain innocence about it that made it easy to stay interested and keep reading. I would rate this book for ages 10 and up: There is romance, but it is gently developed, and Taya’s character is a professional woman who is proud of her career and ambitious. I would certainly have no problem with putting this book in a classroom library or recommending it a friend who is looking for science fiction/urban fantasy/.steampunk/.clock punk literature.
The story begins with Taya, an Icarus who is delivering a message when a wireferry car overhead suffers a catastrophic failure. On board are exalted Viera Octavus and her four year-old son Ariq, and Taya must scramble to save the mother and child. Because she flies using wings made from metal that is lighter than air, Taya can rescue one at a time, but she has to move quickly. Rescue attempts are further impeded by the elaborate robes and mask that Viera is required to wear as a member of her caste. Taya employs every skill she has learned in her years of flying and, with a little help from a fellow icarii, is able to pull off an incredible rescue. Afterwards, however, questions remain: Was the accident, involving the wife of a Decatur, truly an accident, or the product of something more sinister?
The following day Taya delivers a message to Decatur Alister on Primus; Alister is talking to an individual Taya mistakes for a workman until she sees his face and realizes that the workman has the facial markings of the exalted class. Exalteds must wear robes that cover the entire body and prevent the showing of any skin, as well as porcelain masks while in public. Further, their masks prevent them from being able to speak, so they must be spoken for by their servants. Taya is shocked to discover that the clockwright is Alister’s older brother Cristof, who has chosen to cast off the trappings and live apart from his caste on in Tertius because he resents the restrictions imposed on exalteds. He is troubled by how there are “lower-castes who think exalteds aren’t human,” are “hiding some kind of grotesque deformity” behind the masks and robes,” and believe the elite class are “spirits or demons” (165). It immediately it becomes clear that the brothers are opposites in many ways: where Cristof is abrupt, cold, and more interested in his machines than people, Alister is the handsome charmer who can talk anyone into anything. Taya is charmed into telling the story of her rescue of Viera and Ariq the day before and learns that the brothers are Viera’s cousins; both immediately pledge to get to the bottom of what has occurred.
But nothing is as it seems in this world: There are spies for other city states, political unrest within Ondinium, and members of the governing council who are attempting to accomplish personal political goals, and it leads to a web of violence and deceit that results in an accident that takes the life of Viera’s husband Caster. It is now up to Taya to navigate the lies and intrigue that surround this event to figure out who is friend or foe, find justice for her friend Viera, and protect Ondinium from further harm.
I was intrigued by the blending of world cultures within the book: The caste system and reincarnation from India, the robes and masks from China, the walled city that requires special papers or identification to move from one level to the next from medieval Europe. The discussion on reincarnation added a spiritual feel to the text that could have been more strongly explored, especially because the ability to be reborn—or lack thereof—informs the legal system within the city state and how these characters interact with each other. Further, there is a cult of Goddess worship at the heart of this story, and she is often invoked and referred to. While I’m not sure how this aspect could have been more thoroughly explored, it adds a feeling of realism and authenticity to the world that Pagliasotti has created.
One of the greatest criticisms I have heard with regards to this book is that the second half is untidy and could have been done better. On this point I must reluctantly agree. The villain is ambiguous, and remains so through the end of the story, and the mystery within a mystery that drives the narrative is unnecessary. This could have been handled better, especially because the competing storylines seemed to leech energy from each other. Further, the villain commits reprehensible acts and much of the anger and disappointment I should have felt is reduced because the narrative doesn’t allow time for reflection and interpretation. Despite this, I still enjoyed the narrative as a whole, and I don’t feel that this is an issue that interfered with my ability to enjoy this book.
Another criticism I have with the book has to do with the Great Engine that runs the city; just what, exactly, does it do? The best description I could find states that the Great Engine is responsible for making “the most civilized nation in the world”: Every citizen is tested at a young age and “matched to a job well-suited to his personality and skills”; the industry on Tertius is “fast, safe, and efficient”; the merchant society on Secondus can “calculate resource supply and demand and make reasonable predictions to avoid shortages and avoid excesses” (141). I understand the idea of a computer and nowhere, in any part of my knowledge involving how they work, do I see a need for massive oiled gears and steam energy to make them work. I’m not saying that I needed a whole lot of explanation, I just want some idea of how a huge engine translates into a computational device.
Overall, I found Clockwork Heart to be an enjoyable read; there was plenty of action and the story had a certain innocence about it that made it easy to stay interested and keep reading. I would rate this book for ages 10 and up: There is romance, but it is gently developed, and Taya’s character is a professional woman who is proud of her career and ambitious. I would certainly have no problem with putting this book in a classroom library or recommending it a friend who is looking for science fiction/urban fantasy/.steampunk/.clock punk literature.
May 17, 2014
We live our lives between set boundaries, some established by the society in which we live, but most set by ourselves, caught between fear and faith, strength and comfort. When we are overwhelmed by events larger than our own lives, we either retreat to the safety of our own self-imposed limitations or rise above our perceived weaknesses, changing not only our fates but perhaps the destinies of everyone around us, and, in doing so, become someone stronger than we ever thought possible. Such is the situation faced by Taya, an icarus (winged flying messenger) in the city-state of Ondinium when she responds to a disaster. In an act of selfless (and uncalculating) heroism, she saves two of the city-state's ruling class, and thus becomes embroiled in the politics and intrigue above which she has always flown.
This book is well entrenched in the steampunk genre because it has all the accouterments fans will look for--steam technology, clockwork gears, goggles, imitatable fashions, and suitable homages and references to Victorian mores and customs. However, this book also poses something of a quandary to those "genre zombies" whom are the bread and butter of publishers and marketing shills. The people who place books on bookstore shelves or (increasingly) assign market-tags to e-books, know that readers have certain expectations when they pick up a book marked "romance" or "mystery" or "western," in that there had better be purposeful snogging, a whodunit to solve, or a horse and his cowboy. Likewise, when readers pick up a "steampunk" book they expect 1)Science fiction 2)Alternate history and 3)goggles. Well, at least they get the goggles. And, as a bonus, people flying about like birds with lighter-than-air metal, which must count for something.
Most writers wading (or plunging) into the steampunk universe, will either set the story in a reimagined Victorian or Edwardian era, or create a world that stems from changes made in the timeline during one of those periods, and that's mostly true whether the writer is writing science fiction or fantasy. Author (and academician) Dru Pagliassotti, however, gives us all the trappings of steampunk that fans demand. but no aspect of the real world which the reader can grasp and hold on to, like a safety strap in a careening trolley. In denying readers that "life line" she forces her readers to face similar choices as she does her main character--do I close the book and retreat to something more familiar, more traditional and less unexpected, or do I plunge into uncharted waters and plumb uncharted depths? The luck and the brave will take the plunge.
While adhering to the accepted traditions of steampunk, the author has engaged in heavy-duty world building and societal engineering. In creating the city-state of Ondinium, she draws upon classical themes and motifs from the Celts, Romans, Greeks, Hindus, Chinese and Victorians, but she does so in such inventive and intriguing ways that the reader will not always recognize the derivative culture right away. Additionally, she uses linguistics to draw the reader into the culture. Most of what you derive from terms and dialogue must be done through context. You're going to have to be at least as clever as the characters to keep up.
The author has invested as much effort in creating the characters in her novel as she has in the world in which they live. The result of that effort is the emergence of characters who seem more real than contrived. They have their strengths and weaknesses, but, more importantly, they are true to their own natures and true to the venue in which they live. In talking to others about this book, I gathered that many people were dismayed by too much (or too little) romance, by a heroine a bit out of step with demanded stereotypes, by heroes and villains who were too opaque. However, just as the venue of the novel must be accepted as it is presented, beholding to no Earthly history, so, too, must the characters be accepted for who they are as they explore the limitations of what they have always believed, determine the validity of what they think they have always wanted, and become much more (or less) than they thought they were.
While the author demonstrates a deft hand at world building and characterization, she also brings to the book a very strong narrative voice. From the very beginning, we understand she has a knack for writing breathtaking action scenes, and later, in the clock repair shop of the outcast Exalted Cristof, we find that she also has a gentle side, able to evoke beauty and wonder in jeweled clockwork and flying metal birds that would not have been out of place in the court of a Byzantine emperor. Her world is full of impossibilities, but the author makes it all very real through a style that is down to earth even as it soars.
Personally, I think steampunk is much too young a genre to be weighted down by traditions, to be wrapped up in conventions and expectations, nor should it be defined by marketers and their Analytical Engines. Dru Pagliassotti has pushed against the boundaries of the genre, and I think she has succeeded marvelously. My advice: take the plunge.
This book is well entrenched in the steampunk genre because it has all the accouterments fans will look for--steam technology, clockwork gears, goggles, imitatable fashions, and suitable homages and references to Victorian mores and customs. However, this book also poses something of a quandary to those "genre zombies" whom are the bread and butter of publishers and marketing shills. The people who place books on bookstore shelves or (increasingly) assign market-tags to e-books, know that readers have certain expectations when they pick up a book marked "romance" or "mystery" or "western," in that there had better be purposeful snogging, a whodunit to solve, or a horse and his cowboy. Likewise, when readers pick up a "steampunk" book they expect 1)Science fiction 2)Alternate history and 3)goggles. Well, at least they get the goggles. And, as a bonus, people flying about like birds with lighter-than-air metal, which must count for something.
Most writers wading (or plunging) into the steampunk universe, will either set the story in a reimagined Victorian or Edwardian era, or create a world that stems from changes made in the timeline during one of those periods, and that's mostly true whether the writer is writing science fiction or fantasy. Author (and academician) Dru Pagliassotti, however, gives us all the trappings of steampunk that fans demand. but no aspect of the real world which the reader can grasp and hold on to, like a safety strap in a careening trolley. In denying readers that "life line" she forces her readers to face similar choices as she does her main character--do I close the book and retreat to something more familiar, more traditional and less unexpected, or do I plunge into uncharted waters and plumb uncharted depths? The luck and the brave will take the plunge.
While adhering to the accepted traditions of steampunk, the author has engaged in heavy-duty world building and societal engineering. In creating the city-state of Ondinium, she draws upon classical themes and motifs from the Celts, Romans, Greeks, Hindus, Chinese and Victorians, but she does so in such inventive and intriguing ways that the reader will not always recognize the derivative culture right away. Additionally, she uses linguistics to draw the reader into the culture. Most of what you derive from terms and dialogue must be done through context. You're going to have to be at least as clever as the characters to keep up.
The author has invested as much effort in creating the characters in her novel as she has in the world in which they live. The result of that effort is the emergence of characters who seem more real than contrived. They have their strengths and weaknesses, but, more importantly, they are true to their own natures and true to the venue in which they live. In talking to others about this book, I gathered that many people were dismayed by too much (or too little) romance, by a heroine a bit out of step with demanded stereotypes, by heroes and villains who were too opaque. However, just as the venue of the novel must be accepted as it is presented, beholding to no Earthly history, so, too, must the characters be accepted for who they are as they explore the limitations of what they have always believed, determine the validity of what they think they have always wanted, and become much more (or less) than they thought they were.
While the author demonstrates a deft hand at world building and characterization, she also brings to the book a very strong narrative voice. From the very beginning, we understand she has a knack for writing breathtaking action scenes, and later, in the clock repair shop of the outcast Exalted Cristof, we find that she also has a gentle side, able to evoke beauty and wonder in jeweled clockwork and flying metal birds that would not have been out of place in the court of a Byzantine emperor. Her world is full of impossibilities, but the author makes it all very real through a style that is down to earth even as it soars.
Personally, I think steampunk is much too young a genre to be weighted down by traditions, to be wrapped up in conventions and expectations, nor should it be defined by marketers and their Analytical Engines. Dru Pagliassotti has pushed against the boundaries of the genre, and I think she has succeeded marvelously. My advice: take the plunge.
November 29, 2018
As much as I thought I would love this one, alas, it was not for me. It started off interesting enough and I was very excited but it didn't take too long before I was left uninterested. It was too predictable and the main character, Taya, really started to wear on my nerves. After about 2/3 into this book, I just gave up. I don't even care how it ends. I really think it could've been so much more.
December 21, 2014
This is the first book in the Clockwork Heart trilogy by Pagliassotti. I have had this book in my to read pile for a very long time and was excited to finally get around to reading it. It was a very enjoyable steampunk fantasy with a lot of mystery and some romance.
I listened to this on audiobook and it was well done. The narrator did an excellent job of conveying emotion and I enjoyed her voice. There were a few spots where it was hard to tell who was talking (the voices just weren’t different enough between characters) but aside from that I enjoyed listening to this.
Taya is an Icarus, she wears giant metal wings and flies messages around the great city of Ondinium. Her life changes when she spots a failing in the wire ferry lines and ends up rescuing a woman and child from the Exalted caste of citizens. In an effort to thank her the Exalted draws Taya into her life and Taya gains a celebrity-like status. Suddenly Taya finds herself not only embroiled in high level politics but also trying to solve a mystery involving murder and theft.
I really enjoyed this steampunk mystery. There are some wonderful steampunk elements in the story, the characters are engaging and interesting, and the world-building is well done. There is a complex caste system that was well described. I also really loved the city of Ondinium and how is has multiple layers and runs off of analytical engines.
The book is mostly a mystery. Taya is following a series of accidents and coincidences to try and figure out what is going on. There is a bit of a romance as well, but I didn't really feel like this book was a romance per-say (not sure why it is advertised as such).
Taya is an awesome character. She is curious and determined but never gets too serious. She doesn’t know when to stop and constantly runs herself into the ground trying to solve problems.
I also really enjoyed the character of Cristoff. He is an Exalted that left the caste to become a clockmaker among the lower caste. He is such a noble, honest, and geeky type that I just loved him.
This was an engaging read that I enjoyed. My only complaint would be that the story went a bit long, I think it would have worked better if it had ended earlier. There is some humor in here as well, which was fun.
I also have a very specific complaint as a chemist. At one point the character smells an ammonia-like smell and identifies it as methanol...totally not accurate. Methanol smells a lot like rubbing alcohol and absolutely nothing like ammonia. I know...I know a small quibble but it bugged me.
Overall this was a great book and I really enjoyed it. This book had some fantastic world-building, lots of fun steampunk elements, and very engaging characters. It is mostly a mystery with a bit of romance. I would recommend to fans of steampunk novels that involve a lot of political intrigue. I definitely plan on reading the last two books in this series.
I listened to this on audiobook and it was well done. The narrator did an excellent job of conveying emotion and I enjoyed her voice. There were a few spots where it was hard to tell who was talking (the voices just weren’t different enough between characters) but aside from that I enjoyed listening to this.
Taya is an Icarus, she wears giant metal wings and flies messages around the great city of Ondinium. Her life changes when she spots a failing in the wire ferry lines and ends up rescuing a woman and child from the Exalted caste of citizens. In an effort to thank her the Exalted draws Taya into her life and Taya gains a celebrity-like status. Suddenly Taya finds herself not only embroiled in high level politics but also trying to solve a mystery involving murder and theft.
I really enjoyed this steampunk mystery. There are some wonderful steampunk elements in the story, the characters are engaging and interesting, and the world-building is well done. There is a complex caste system that was well described. I also really loved the city of Ondinium and how is has multiple layers and runs off of analytical engines.
The book is mostly a mystery. Taya is following a series of accidents and coincidences to try and figure out what is going on. There is a bit of a romance as well, but I didn't really feel like this book was a romance per-say (not sure why it is advertised as such).
Taya is an awesome character. She is curious and determined but never gets too serious. She doesn’t know when to stop and constantly runs herself into the ground trying to solve problems.
I also really enjoyed the character of Cristoff. He is an Exalted that left the caste to become a clockmaker among the lower caste. He is such a noble, honest, and geeky type that I just loved him.
This was an engaging read that I enjoyed. My only complaint would be that the story went a bit long, I think it would have worked better if it had ended earlier. There is some humor in here as well, which was fun.
I also have a very specific complaint as a chemist. At one point the character smells an ammonia-like smell and identifies it as methanol...totally not accurate. Methanol smells a lot like rubbing alcohol and absolutely nothing like ammonia. I know...I know a small quibble but it bugged me.
Overall this was a great book and I really enjoyed it. This book had some fantastic world-building, lots of fun steampunk elements, and very engaging characters. It is mostly a mystery with a bit of romance. I would recommend to fans of steampunk novels that involve a lot of political intrigue. I definitely plan on reading the last two books in this series.
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