The Doomsday Vault (Clockwork Empire, #1)

Sep 28, 2012 Tori [Book Faery] marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: read-in-2011, reviewed

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Rating: DNF

Every now and then I stumble upon a book with a concept that makes me prematurely fall in love with it... and every now and then, something about said book makes me fall out-of-love with it. I want to enjoy the novel--because who actually enjoys rating someone's pride and joy poorly?--but I simply cannot.

In THE DOOMSDAY VAULT (TDV), the voice was what ultimately made me give up. While it has an interesting concept,...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

Rating: DNF

Every now and then I stumble upon a book with a concept that makes me prematurely fall in love with it... and every now and then, something about said book makes me fall out-of-love with it. I want to enjoy the novel--because who actually enjoys rating someone's pride and joy poorly?--but I simply cannot.

In THE DOOMSDAY VAULT (TDV), the voice was what ultimately made me give up. While it has an interesting concept, and while I enjoy both steampunk and zombies, I could not become immersed within this world.

There is no way that I can eloquently describe what I took issue with, so I'll be blunt: TDV was too monotone for my tastes. I felt that this title gets lost in a lot of unimportant details at times, which makes the world seem somewhat lifeless (as opposed to being vibrant). The tone was the same for both characters, thus making it difficult to differentiate between the two. Thankfully, Steven does not shy away from using the character names quite often throughout the pages, so there is no possible way to mix up the two.

Intricate details regarding the technical aspects of fights--as opposed to delving further into character thoughts and emotions--added to my lack of enjoyment. What were awesome fights in theory became labor intensive to read about. The chunky paragraphs also added to my disenchantment with this book.

Too much telling and not enough showing was another culprit. Info dumping way too early on, combined with the telling, made me wonder why I should care about the characters and world.

I read roughly 50 pages before calling it quits. I hate that I did not enjoy this, but it's bound to happen every so often. Perhaps others will enjoy this title and find the voice engaging. I suggest that you do not base your decision on whether to read (or avoid) this book based on my review alone. Take my review with a grain of salt, and read a preview first. As for me, I think it's time to give zombies a temporary break.(less)

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Dec 09, 2012 Kim Ryser rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012booksread, steampunk

Review written for steamingenious.blogspot.com where I have many steampunk book reviews.

I don't know why I begin most steampunk books with low expectations. When I haven't heard of the book or the author before, well, I always at least halfway expect it to suck. Which means that I'm almost always pleasantly surprised.

In the case of The Doomsday Vault, I was extremely pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys steampunk.

The world depicted by...more Review written for steamingenious.blogspot.com where I have many steampunk book reviews.

I don't know why I begin most steampunk books with low expectations. When I haven't heard of the book or the author before, well, I always at least halfway expect it to suck. Which means that I'm almost always pleasantly surprised.

In the case of The Doomsday Vault, I was extremely pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys steampunk.

The world depicted by Harper is very close to historical Victorian England. All the real world societal rules still apply. Things are very difficult for women and racial minorities. The only difference is that there is a "clockwork plague" that causes illness, death, and sometimes zombies. So zombies are roaming the streets of London, only coming out at night or under cover of fog. They aren't the huge threat that zombies usually are in fiction, they really are something of a minor annoyance, except that if they touch you they can infect you with the plague.

But for a very small number of people infected with the plague, the results are different. They become "clockworkers", essentially mad science geniuses. They don't live long, but they create incredible technological inventions while becoming more and more insane. So society at large benefits from some of these inventions, while shunning anyone who has any contact with anyone infected.

The heroine of the book is a young woman who lost several family members to the plague and therefore is shunned by society regardless of the fact that her father is a baron. She's seeking only to find a wealthy husband to improve her family's fortune and save her respectability. Her secret desire is to spend her time working on automatons and putting her mechanical skills to use, but her duty to her family prevents her from acting on those desires. The hero is a young airman from America who is stranded in London after pirates attack his ship. The two of them eventually encounter one another and become involved in a series of mysterious events.

The feel of this book reminds me most strongly of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series. This book doesn't have the same amount of humor, but otherwise the attitude and tone is similar. Alice Michaels must deal with her own secret skills and various shadowy conspiracies while also trying to fit in with upper class society, regardless of how much she wishes she could rebel against it. The idea of uncontrollable mad scientists constantly inventing things in fits of inspiration is also reminiscent of the webcomic Girl Genius, though again with less humor.

The lack of humor isn't really a negative though, as the implications of the events in the novel are serious. Even the personal struggles of the heroine are disturbing due to the lack of freedom she has as a Victorian woman. In short, things have weight and reality to them, which I appreciate.

To summarize, if you are looking for an enjoyable steampunk read, you can't go wrong with The Doomsday Vault. Plus it's the first in a series and I'm looking forward to spending more time with these characters and this world.(less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Joseph Teller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk-victorian

The world of the Clockwork Empire series is a steampunk one (though often more clockpunk at times) where a plague has been slowly altering history, making social and technological changes in a Victorian society.

Automatons are used in many cases to replace animals or humans in certain functions, great airships traverse back and forth across the seas as well as sailing ships, and raving hordes of plague driven mad persons (mostly lower class) wander the streets at night attacking in desperate need...more The world of the Clockwork Empire series is a steampunk one (though often more clockpunk at times) where a plague has been slowly altering history, making social and technological changes in a Victorian society.

Automatons are used in many cases to replace animals or humans in certain functions, great airships traverse back and forth across the seas as well as sailing ships, and raving hordes of plague driven mad persons (mostly lower class) wander the streets at night attacking in desperate need for basic food and care.

Women have won the vote after a number of the House of Lords were struck with the plague, taking their husbands seats while they were ill and ad hoc being given the vote and eventually establishing women's suffrage and right of title assumption if no appropriate male heir existed to take titles.

Those not killed the plague are either permanently crippled by it, except for a very select few who show few external symptoms but instead are turned into temporary geniuses (eventually to go mad and die a few years later). These genisus victims are called 'Clockworkers' and they have provided England and other nations of the world with technological advances like airships and automatons and occasionally advanced materials science or even weird physics.

The main character is a young woman, who's father is a baron crippled by the plague and the rest of the family having died from it save for a distant reclusive aunt that has sent her amusing automaton toys since her childhood. Impoverished nobility, she seeks to marry a man of financial value to deal with her father's horrific debts.

An unlikely invite to a social ball takes her into a whirlwind of events that reveals all is not as it seems in England and that there are sinister secret organizations and mad geniuses hidden from the press and the general public.

Action, Romance, and a lot of cases of Chekov's gun and happy synchronicity tends to run the plot events, rather than as much the main character's choices or strength of personality.

Overall there are some great amusing parts to this book, some interesting ideas and a lot of potential. I hope that in the later books of the series the main character will become more pro-active rather than reactive as she appears in much of the story (a common flaw that occurs when people try to emulate the concepts of Victorian fiction with main female characters).

I feel it is worth reading and have the second book in the series at hand waiting for me to pick it up and continue on....

(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 CD rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

High school only, not for middle school.

Author Steven Harper has done a bang-up job creating a very interesting steampunk world with a clockworker virus being the cause of the Victorian technological accomplishments. It is a fascinating conceit. The only quibble I have is that for the first 1/3 of the book it really feels like it is two separate stories. It is hard to see the link up and the change between them is distinct. When they finally come together it is great!

What I especially liked abou...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Steve Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I am not generally a fan of alternative history or zombies, but this story has both and I enjoyed it. Set in the late 1800s it is a mishmash of 19th century and more modern technology as the backdrop for Steven Harper's enjoyable tale of a young American "sailor" who finds himself abandon in London after his "ship" was taken by pirates. Some of his shipmates were killed, while others were ransomed to the shipping company. Being just a cabin boy, he does...more I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I am not generally a fan of alternative history or zombies, but this story has both and I enjoyed it. Set in the late 1800s it is a mishmash of 19th century and more modern technology as the backdrop for Steven Harper's enjoyable tale of a young American "sailor" who finds himself abandon in London after his "ship" was taken by pirates. Some of his shipmates were killed, while others were ransomed to the shipping company. Being just a cabin boy, he does not rate being ransomed and must fend for himself.

Mixed in with familiar 19th century life is a plethora of robotic gadgets that have a level of artificial intelligence. They are comprised of complicated gears and steam power. At this time in London a "clockwork" plague is spreading which has turned a large portion of the population into zombies. But every once in a while the infected person does not become a zombie but a "clockworker". The clockworker has heightened intellectual and creative abilities. These are the people that create all of the "clockwork" gadgets, most of which are animatons of animals, human servants, etc. In one scene an orchestra is made entirely of automated clockwork musicians and instruments. It's a lot of fun to see what Mr, Harper chooses to be an advanced clockwork creation versus the mundane 19th century items we know and love.

But he also weaves a good story and reveals a mystery with some espionage, love, patriotism, betrayal, loyalty, and just good fun. He builds good characters in Alice and Gavin and they play off each other quite well. There is also an enjoyable cast of supporting characters: Alice's father the baron, her Aunt Edwina, her friend Louisa, the fiance Norbert, the clandestine Third Ward group, mad clockworkers, and more.

It is a "steam punk" genre novel. I had never heard of that, but Wikipedia describes it as a genre that "incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction." That explains it!

I'm interested in reading more from this series and maybe exploring more Steam Punk authors.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Ratkin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I see way too many low ratings for this book, which I simply can't understand. This is the steampunk book I've been waiting for! The characters are well-drawn and fun, the plot is very good and moves at a good pace, and the world...

For me, the world is the star of the book. The Clockwork Plague has killed off massive numbers of people, left many more as zombies roaming the cities and infecting the people who have avoided to disease to date, and - - here comes the key ingredient - - turning rough...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Jabberwocky rated it 2 of 5 stars

From the cover and what I skimmed of the description, I was expecting a trashy steampunk romance novel, where the dashing but stranded airman sweeps the poor but brilliant society lady off her feet and they have adventures.

In retrospect, I kind of wish it HAD been that trashy. It would have been more interesting.

I feel like this book really wanted to be a clever adventure in the vein of "Soulless" and the other books in the Parasol Protectorate, but it never quite got there. For one, although "T...more From the cover and what I skimmed of the description, I was expecting a trashy steampunk romance novel, where the dashing but stranded airman sweeps the poor but brilliant society lady off her feet and they have adventures.

In retrospect, I kind of wish it HAD been that trashy. It would have been more interesting.

I feel like this book really wanted to be a clever adventure in the vein of "Soulless" and the other books in the Parasol Protectorate, but it never quite got there. For one, although "The Doomsday Vault" tries to put its heroine in scary but seemingly absurd situations (like fighting zombies in a ball gown at 3am), the narration doesn't have the self-awareness to pull it off, and Alice is just too weak a character.

The book has a few good ideas, and there are little hints of what could have become a truly great story. Take this situation: the heroes are in love, and they've just gotten information about the mastermind behind the unusual circumstances that have been happening. They find the villain, revealed to be a relative of the leading lady, who explains that they are the mastermind behind an incredible invention: a cure for the zombie plague that afflicts hundreds. Unfortunately, the cure was stolen by the same organization the heroes work for, and they must infiltrate the top-security 'Doomsday Vault' in order to retrieve it. To make the situation even more dire, the heroes realize that the lady's lover himself has been infected by the plague, forcing them to undertake this difficult task or watch him die slowly.

All of that is the set up for a really great plot! Unfortunately, in 'The Doomsday Vault', all of that information and action is crammed into the last 50 pages or so. Instead, for the first 300 pages we have the main lady Alice CONSTANTLY whining and waffling back and forth on a decision that should be no decision at all. A secret society wants her to join them and put her amazing engineering skills to good work! But no, she is poor and so she must marry her hated, but rich, fiancee, so he can pay her debts! But she is REALLY NEEDED at the secret society! But she just can't agree to join them! Oh, but she wants to! But she can't! But she must! THREE HUNDRED PAGES OF THIS, with a character who has very little personality of her own. By the end of the book I wanted to strangle Alice, she was so annoying and useless.

If the drama about the relationship absolutely had to be included (and I don't think it did, the plot as I outlined above is WAY more interesting) then there needed to be much higher stakes-- perhaps Alice is the only one who could do the job, and every time she refuses more people die. Or she's being blackmailed by her fiancee. SOMETHING to give her a better reason to say no, because as is it's just incredibly frustrating. She is a heroine in a steampunk novel. She should jump at any and every chance at adventure.

When Alice finally does get over her awful engagement and pursues our hero, Gavin, the relationship feels very artificial and constructed. We know the characters are in love because the narration tells us, not because they show each other any affection or have any chemistry.

I also had some issues with the idea of the 'clockwork plague.' This is a plague that turns the vast majority of people into "zombies" who are not walking corpses but badly diseased individuals whose flesh is rotting from their frames. However, in a tiny percentage of people it accelerates their mind into genius before driving them mad and then killing them. Well enough. But for what is supposed to be a rare condition, there seem to be dozens of "clockworkers" (as the geniuses are called) in England alone, and plenty in other countries. How does that work? And why it it even called the "clockwork plague"? There doesn't seem to be any connection between the name and the disease-- the connection with the geniuses makes some sense, but why call it that if the vast majority of people just rot away and die? It feels like the author threw in clockwork because it's a steampunk novel and that's what you do.

There was a lot of potential here, but overall the book just falls flat. The plot doesn't even happen until the last 100 pages, where explanations are rapidly handed out and then everything is rushed together. The actual raid on the Doomsday Vault takes perhaps five pages at most, which makes me wonder why the book was titled after something so unimportant. The main character is completely boring, although the other characters are interesting. It is those other characters that save this book from a 1-star rating. Honestly, if the entire book had been written from Gavin's perspective, or perhaps from Aunt Edwina's, it would have been much more engaging. As-is, I certainly won't be reading any more in this series, and the book itself will be chucked in a box to be sent off to the used bookstore. (less)

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Dec 30, 2011 Patrick Hayes rated it 2 of 5 stars

I wanted Steampunk, and it's there, but the main character is so dreadful that it destroyed just about any entertainment value the book could achieve. Alice Michaels, the protagonist, is constantly flip-flopping between joining a secret agency that captures, uses, protects "clockwork" devices, the worst of which, those that could destroy the world, are kept in the Doomsday Vault, and staying engaged to a man she doesn't love, so that she may secure her position in society and ensure that her fat...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Simcha Lazarus rated it 4 of 5 stars

All across the world, zombies roam the streets at night, infecting those they touch with the Clockwork Plague. Most of the infected die horrible, drawn-out, deaths, but some people are affected differently and instead of destroying their brains the plague enhances them. These people are called Clockworkers and they are responsible for creating the greatest inventions of the time. Unfortunately the disease eventually causes them to go mad.

In Victorian England, Alice Michaels lives with the horrib...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Paranormal Haven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-by-beth-guest-reviewer

3.5 stars

Alice is the daughter of an impoverished Baron. Almost all of her other relatives have died from the clock work plague, all but her father, and her mysterious aunt Edwina. Her aunt sends her clockwork inventions to put together every year for her birthday. One day she attends a ball, hoping to make a name for her family in society, and maybe even meet a man. She happens meet someone, but on her way home she is overran by plague zombies, only to be rescued by the mysterious group of peop...more 3.5 stars

Alice is the daughter of an impoverished Baron. Almost all of her other relatives have died from the clock work plague, all but her father, and her mysterious aunt Edwina. Her aunt sends her clockwork inventions to put together every year for her birthday. One day she attends a ball, hoping to make a name for her family in society, and maybe even meet a man. She happens meet someone, but on her way home she is overran by plague zombies, only to be rescued by the mysterious group of people called The Third Ward. Soon after this she meets a young man named Gavin. Gavin used to be a cabin boy on an American airship that was over taken by privateers, near England. He has a gift with music, and soon gets tangled into things with Alice.

The clockwork world in this novel is inventive and fun. The clockwork plague makes most people zombies, but every now and again, it will turn someone into a clock-worker. They require little sleep, and spend their time making new inventions, until they go mad. The world is sweeping with neat creations, and eerily London fog. It does have zombies, but they don’t really eat people, instead they shuffle around at night, and slowly die. They fit more into the setting than the actual story. It is easy to picture the inventions and automations that pop out of this novel.

The story is a mix between mystery and action/adventure, with a romantic subplot. The mystery starts when a clock worker attacks London using the plague zombies, and tends to show up a lot. I was impressed with how the novel tied itself together. I guessed a couple of things, but there were some nice surprises along the way. There is a romantic sub-plot between Gavin and Alice. At the start of the story Alice, who enjoys fixing, and putting together automations is caught between what she believes is her duty to her father, and the adventures she really wants to have. She is also caught between duty and Gavin. Gavin on the other hand doesn’t like London, but does like Alice. Both characters are very likeable, but they sometimes felt indifferent or dry, which kept them at a distance.

There is a great deal of action, and adventure in the story. From a manor home full of traps, to a massive automation crashing through the city, both characters constantly have their hands full. While I enjoyed the automations, and neat objects jumping off the page, I never felt truly immersed with in the action. The tension in the scenes just wasn’t there for me. Instead it was easy to get lost in the action, at times I would stop reading and wonder what had just happened, then have to reread. This threw me off on occasion.

There are many side characters that seem burst with life, among them are clock workers, and automations, that are much more lifelike than I thought they could be. They add humor to the story that had me smiling, but like the main characters, they can also feel dry. I wanted more emotion to come out of the pages, but it never did. I liked the characters, but I never felt overly attached.

This novel is a steam-punk with a large dose of Victorian. I enjoyed the world it was set in, and all of the clockwork goodies that came with it, but the characters kept me at a distance. I didn’t feel enough emotion from them, and the story lacked a lot of tension. The story did tie itself together nicely at the end. The plot line also tied into the world around them, helping the world to feel more realized. It does end with a slight cliff hanger. This is the first in a series, and I will pick the next book up.
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)(less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/11/...

Alice Michaels’ prospects are not good. In 1850’s London,it’s all about appearances. Well,appearances and money,and Alice and her father simply don’t have any. She’s to be a Baroness,but since Alice’s mother,brother,and fiancé were killed by the clockwork plague,it left her father a cripple,and Alice a social pariah. Hoping to get back into society’s good graces,Alice decides to attend a ball,and see if she can meet someon...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/11/...

Alice Michaels’ prospects are not good. In 1850’s London,it’s all about appearances. Well,appearances and money,and Alice and her father simply don’t have any. She’s to be a Baroness,but since Alice’s mother,brother,and fiancé were killed by the clockwork plague,it left her father a cripple,and Alice a social pariah. Hoping to get back into society’s good graces,Alice decides to attend a ball,and see if she can meet someone willing to marry her and take care of her father and their many debts. However,society doesn’t look kindly on girls that prefer to be elbow deep in automatons instead of at dances. However,when she meets the outspoken and frank Louisa Creek,she’s glad she’s found someone to confide her true interests and desires. At the dance,she also meets the agreeable Norbert Williamson (rich to be sure),who seems to take an interest in Alice in spite of,or perhaps because of,her unusual proclivities. Then Alice acquires a rather unusual inheritance from her Aunt Edwina,who seems to have mysteriously disappeared. Aunt Edwina’s disappearance will be very important to the story,Alice’s future,and possibly,the world.

Meanwhile,on an airship high above London,17 year old Gavin Ennock is one year away from becoming a full airman,enjoying the company of his comrades and entertaining them with his wonderful talent as a fiddler. When his ship is attacked by pirates,he finds himself stranded on the streets of London. Eventually,his path will cross with Alice’s with life changing results. After helping to thwart a zombie attack,Gavin and Alice are asked to be part of a clandestine organization (funded by the Queen) called the Third Ward,that rounds up Clockworkers to harness their amazing abilities. Clockworkers are those that are stricken with the clockwork plague but are affected in a completely different way,able to create amazing gadgets and inventions,some with the power to end life on our planet (hence the Doomsday Vault).

Where do I start with The Doomsday Vault? Coming in at just under 400 pages,the author manages to pack a LOT into this novel,and he does it expertly. Alice desperately wants to explore her talent for machines,but fights against her need for security and a means to care for her father. Then there’s that really irritating attraction to Gavin. She can’t get him off her mind,but for the most part,remains resolute in her determination to marry Williamson and take her expected place in society,in spite of the freeing adventures she has with Gavin and the Third Ward. I’ll admit,Alice’s stubbornness made me want to smack her at times,but who am I to judge? I live in a time where women can be pretty much whatever they want,without the weight of society’s expectations on her shoulders,so I tried to give Alice some leeway here:) I totally fell in love with Gavin,who’s bravery and determination made him a hero to root for. You’ll have great fun exploring the Third Ward,and the author created such a rich and lavish world for his characters,that I felt I could (happily) have gotten lost in it for hours. Among the general awesomeness that is this book,Alice has a charming automaton manservant called Kemp,a mechanical cat called Click,and a gaggle of automatons that assist her in just about everything. Plus,I did mention zombies,yes? Twists and turns abound,and the author managed to lob some shockers at me that I’ll admit I didn’t see coming. I’ll admit,my only complaint about this book is that it wasn’t longer,because I didn’t want to leave Alice and Gavin’s London! If you love your Victorian adventures filled with zombies,amazing automatons,steampunk flare,and an impeccable eye for detail,you’ll love the fascinating (and fantastical) Doomsday Vault!(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Nepeta Leijon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-ass-girls, pretty-good

The Doomsday Vault is everything I've ever wanted in a Steampunk novel. A little bit raunchy, a little bit kick ass, and a little bit romance.

I'm completely surprised that people don't like this book, but it's their opinion, and this book might not be their cup of tea. Of course, there are errors in this book. There are a few grammatical errors, as well.

But the book is still good. I am actually very interested in seeing how this book ends. I love the characters, the plot, and the world building,...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Stéphanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, new-to-me-authors-2012, historical, zombies, steampunk

Is it just me or is the steampunk genre becoming more popular these days? I’m not very familiar with the genre since I’ve only read a few books, but I think I’m becoming a true fan. So far, I’ve enjoyed all of the steampunk novels that I’ve read, and The Doomsday Vault is no exception.

Obviously set in a Victorian London, this novel takes us on an adventure through balls, pirate attacks, zombie attacks and crazy clockworker meltdowns. When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going...more Is it just me or is the steampunk genre becoming more popular these days? I’m not very familiar with the genre since I’ve only read a few books, but I think I’m becoming a true fan. So far, I’ve enjoyed all of the steampunk novels that I’ve read, and The Doomsday Vault is no exception.

Obviously set in a Victorian London, this novel takes us on an adventure through balls, pirate attacks, zombie attacks and crazy clockworker meltdowns. When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be a mix of steampunk and pure paranormal but the paranormal aspect is limited to zombies. The clockwork plague is what created these zombies, infecting people on contact and spreading the disease through the streets of London. However, some of the infected people don’t become zombies. Quite the opposite – they become clockworkers, geniuses with great analytical skills and the ability to create and invent remarkable things. In this world, Mozart was actually a clockworker, creating the most amazing music while infected by the disease in the last year of his life. Automatons, the many robots encountered in this book, were also invented by clockworkers. These geniuses remind me of autistic children who are evaluated as savants. Almost to intelligent, the clockworkers end up going through a meltdown as the disease kills them after a few years of being infected.

I truly enjoyed the idea of the plague and the clockworkers, but I think it’s the main characters that really brought the story together. Soon to be Baroness Alice Michaels would love to be an independent, free thinking woman, but at twenty-one, she’s not getting any younger. Pressured by her father to look for a wealthy husband, she acts as the dutiful daughter and accepts the first marriage proposal she is offered. However, the only things that Alice likes about her new fiancé, Norbert, is his ability to pay off her father’s debts. Deep down, she knows her heart belongs to Gavin Ennock, a poor American airman stranded in London, that she saved from her aunt Edwina’s strange and dangerous house. The ever absent Edwina, who inspired Alice’s unrefined interest in automatons and engineering, has gone missing and Alice feels it’s her duty to find her.

But overall, my favorite character has to be Click, one of Alice’s automatons. In the shape of a cat, Click has humanlike qualities even if you find him licking his paws and illuminating dark halls with his bright green lights for eyes. Rarely saying anything, he still has a big part in this story. Automatons and machinery play a big part in the novel and Steven Harper had done a wonderful job in describing everything. Also, I believe he has thoroughly researched the physics of sound and music, a reoccurring and important element in the book.

Because I love the colours of this cover, I just need to say a few things about it. It’s actually the main thing that drew me to the book while I was browsing my library. I think the contrast between the yellow London fog and the sharp blue of her dress was a good choice. Of course the little elements like the automaton cat and the strange pistol are positive additions. I especially like the foggy background that includes the ever popular airship (dirigible) that seems to dominate the steampunk genre.

This novel has many layers and it guarantees you non-stop action. From science, to dirigibles, to politics, to social norms of Victorian England, I believe this book is the true definition of steampunk. A great start to an imaginative series, I strongly suggest this book to fans of the genre. Its sequel, The Impossible Cube, comes out in May 2012.(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Jaclyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk-gaslight, zombies, adventure, romance

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how a historical atmosphere was combined with futuristic devices in this world. I think the world of the book was created well and I liked how Harper dealt with the introduction of zombies into this novel as I first thought that there might be too much going on.

The plot dealt with two characters, Gavin and Alice. Gavin was an American airshipman who found himself stranded in London after an attack by air pirates. He is then captured by a mysterious woman and...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical, steampunk

Do you like steampunk? Read this book! Do you hate steampunk? You should still read this novel. Seriously. Watching a male author write from the female perspective with a mixture of femininity, loyalty, intelligence and strength is fairly astounding. Womankind could use more writers out there like Harper. Alice, our very duty-bound English female protagonist, comes across as beautiful and strong in equal parts; perhaps even more refreshing, Gavin, our airship sailor American male protagonist, is...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Jeff Raymond rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-fantasy-and-horror, read-steampunk

My limited experience with steampunk has been of the more gritty variety. Most of the steampunk I've read has been more the Cherie Priest variety, where the setting is more dark and things are Very Wrong and not so much fun. Thus, when I read a book like All Men of Genius or this, it feels different and fresh for me.

This was a fun one. On one hand, you have Alice, she of high society in London and great with a wrench. On the other, Gavin, a cabin boy flying over to Europe in a dirigible from Bos...more

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Dec 30, 2011 D. rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Doomsday Vault is a rollicking good adventure that takes place in Harper's very own Steampunk universe, the first novel of The Clockwork Empire trilogy. I've felt for some time that Steampunk has enormous untapped potential, and this is the first novel I've come across that I feel truly makes this emerging genre shine.

This adventure story has it all--airship battles, Victorian political intrigue, secret police, conspiracy, clockwork automatons of all sorts, mad scientists, amazing Steampunk...more

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Jan 10, 2012 April Steenburgh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk

The clockwork plague hits rich and poor alike, turning some into zombies covered in sores that hide from the sun and others into geniuses called Clockworkers before burning them out in fits of destructive madness. The balance of power between nations rests in the Clockworkers and the improbable and often deadly inventions they create before the plague finally takes them. Alice lost her mother and brother to the clockwork plague. Her father survived, but is an invalid. The daughter of a Baron, he...more The clockwork plague hits rich and poor alike, turning some into zombies covered in sores that hide from the sun and others into geniuses called Clockworkers before burning them out in fits of destructive madness. The balance of power between nations rests in the Clockworkers and the improbable and often deadly inventions they create before the plague finally takes them. Alice lost her mother and brother to the clockwork plague. Her father survived, but is an invalid. The daughter of a Baron, her chance at redeeming her family reputation was to marry into a good family- but her fiancee succumbed to the plague as well, thus securing her family's fall from social grace. The debtors come calling, and still her father tries to establish a future for his daughter.

At a social gathering, her last hope, she catches the eye of a rich, unlanded man, and her title tempts him into courtship. Here, at last is all Alice could hope for.

At least in the mind of her failing father. But Alice is eccentric, having a brilliant mind for mechanics that she is trying to reconcile with the idea of being a traditional wife.

Gavin ruins it all- a young man from Boston with a daunting talent for music. He has survived air pirates and the streets of London only to be taken captive by a mysterious Lady in Red Velvet. Circumstance continues to throw Alice and Gavin together, and throw Alice's attempt at a well ordered, traditional life into turmoil.

A fast paced mix of Victorian era romance and steampunk high adventure, The Doomsday Vault is a riot of zombies, secret organizations, sketchy politics, and mad scientists. I was utterly fascinated with the Clockwork Plague, even with my usual disdain for zombies. The zombies themselves were just different enough to keep them from being a tired rehash of old ideas, and were genuinely tragic entities. The Clockworkers though were the selling point of the book and the world. Mad scientists by disease, not natural inclination, creating things that were so improbable they were fascinating and enjoyable. They were forces of nature, more than anything else, and so wonderfully essential to the world build.

Alice was a fun take on the plucky urban fantasy heroine, and will appeal to fans of Gail Carriger's Heartless books. I enjoy strong female characters so much more in the Victorian sort of setting- they come off as less abrasive, they tend to be avoid being written like they have something to prove. It is more of a sense that they are just trying to breathe around that damn corset, or to manage walking amidst all that cloth, and that is trouble enough, thank you.

All in all, a very enjoyable book and I look forward to the continuation of the series!(less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Say rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steam-punk, victorian, supernatural, sci-fi

4.5...I think the biggest thing that will go against this Author...well 2 things.... One, he shares his name with Canada's pm (got a laugh out of it with my friends). But the more obvious would be that he's a upstart and is therefore somewhat drawn to writing faddish pieces. This being set with a heavy SteamPunk element... but I LIKE steam punk.
Now, the first couple of chapters screamed "parasol protectorate" rip off. But give it time, and once again, this story is less snooty supernatural and m...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Echo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-in-11, fantasy, steampunk

Confession 1: I might have picked this book up because I liked the dress the girl wore on the cover (even if, historically speaking, it is a monstrosity).
Confession 2: I might also have bought it because there was a mention of someone named Gavin on the back, and I love the name Gavin.
Confession 3: I did not buy it because of the zombies. More like in spite of the zombies. Zombies bore me. There. I said it.

That's not a crime, right? In any case, I actually did like it. (And I might have crushed...more Confession 1: I might have picked this book up because I liked the dress the girl wore on the cover (even if, historically speaking, it is a monstrosity).
Confession 2: I might also have bought it because there was a mention of someone named Gavin on the back, and I love the name Gavin.
Confession 3: I did not buy it because of the zombies. More like in spite of the zombies. Zombies bore me. There. I said it.

That's not a crime, right? In any case, I actually did like it. (And I might have crushed on the previously mentioned Gavin as well.) The first steampunk book I read didn't really catch my interest. Everyone had impossible to pronounce, illogical names with apostrophes (I do hate names with apostrophes) and there were tons of farfetched races and political parties and histories and, while world building is awesome, it was all a little overwhelming. So, okay, I was RELIEVED when I started reading this and found that it was close enough to what I'm familiar with that I didn't need a guidebook to follow it.

I like the characters, though I felt Gavin was better developed and more likeable than Alice. For the most part, their motivations and actions seemed genuine.

I enjoyed the storyline. Some of the concepts seemed a little farfetched (catching a certain disease will either turn you into a stupid, decaying corpse and kill you, or it will turn you into a genius who spits out world-changing inventions . . . and then kill you), but, hey, it's steampunk/fantasy. It's okay.

The writing was pretty decent. There were a few things that I didn't love. The one that annoyed me most was a characterization kind of thing. (view spoiler)

Despite the shortcomings, though, I really enjoyed it, and I'll probably pick up the sequel when it comes out.(less)

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Apr 22, 2012 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I hope this wonderful book becomes widely known in the steampunk community. It has all the elements we love in the genre--airships, gadgetry, mad geniuses, automatons--plus an unexpected and delightful aspect revolving around the power and possibilities of music. Moreover, not only the protagonists but the secondary characters as well are beautifully drawn--human, believable, and complex. Particularly notable is the assortment of strong and interesting female characters, who play a variety of ro...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Beth Dawkins rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

3.5
Alice is the daughter of an impoverished Baron. Almost all of her other relatives have died from the clock work plague, all but her father, and her mysterious aunt Edwina. Her aunt sends her clockwork inventions to put together every year for her birthday. One day she attends a ball, hoping to make a name for her family in society, and maybe even meet a man. She happens meet someone, but on her way home she is overran by plague zombies, only to be rescued by the mysterious group of people cal...more 3.5
Alice is the daughter of an impoverished Baron. Almost all of her other relatives have died from the clock work plague, all but her father, and her mysterious aunt Edwina. Her aunt sends her clockwork inventions to put together every year for her birthday. One day she attends a ball, hoping to make a name for her family in society, and maybe even meet a man. She happens meet someone, but on her way home she is overran by plague zombies, only to be rescued by the mysterious group of people called The Third Ward. Soon after this she meets a young man named Gavin. Gavin used to be a cabin boy on an American airship that was over taken by privateers, near England. He has a gift with music, and soon gets tangled into things with Alice.

The clockwork world in this novel is inventive and fun. The clockwork plague makes most people zombies, but every now and again, it will turn someone into a clock-worker. They require little sleep, and spend their time making new inventions, until they go mad. The world is sweeping with neat creations, and eerily London fog. It does have zombies, but they don’t really eat people, instead they shuffle around at night, and slowly die. They fit more into the setting than the actual story. It is easy to picture the inventions and automations that pop out of this novel.

The story is a mix between mystery and action/adventure, with a romantic subplot. The mystery starts when a clock worker attacks London using the plague zombies, and tends to show up a lot. I was impressed with how the novel tied itself together. I guessed a couple of things, but there were some nice surprises along the way. There is a romantic sub-plot between Gavin and Alice. At the start of the story Alice, who enjoys fixing, and putting together automations is caught between what she believes is her duty to her father, and the adventures she really wants to have. She is also caught between duty and Gavin. Gavin on the other hand doesn’t like London, but does like Alice. Both characters are very likeable, but they sometimes felt indifferent or dry, which kept them at a distance.

There is a great deal of action, and adventure in the story. From a manor home full of traps, to a massive automation crashing through the city, both characters constantly have their hands full. While I enjoyed the automations, and neat objects jumping off the page, I never felt truly immersed with in the action. The tension in the scenes just wasn’t there for me. Instead it was easy to get lost in the action, at times I would stop reading and wonder what had just happened, then have to reread. This threw me off on occasion.

There are many side characters that seem burst with life, among them are clock workers, and automations, that are much more lifelike than I thought they could be. They add humor to the story that had me smiling, but like the main characters, they can also feel dry. I wanted more emotion to come out of the pages, but it never did. I liked the characters, but I never felt overly attached.

This novel is a steam-punk with a large dose of Victorian. I enjoyed the world it was set in, and all of the clockwork goodies that came with it, but the characters kept me at a distance. I didn’t feel enough emotion from them, and the story lacked a lot of tension. The story did tie itself together nicely at the end. The plot line also tied into the world around them, helping the world to feel more realized. It does end with a slight cliff hanger. This is the first in a series, and I will pick the next book up. (less)

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Oct 26, 2011 Candace rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review was first posted on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com

Wow! This book got me all sorts of excited! It was absolutely fantabulous! {Yes, I know that's not a word.} It had amazing gadgets and a super strong steampunk aspect. And while I love steampunk {seriously, I do, I seek it out} I'm always a bit worried about how detailed it will be because I have a short attention span. This book though, this book had the very strong steampunk aspect without lengthy descriptions, at all! A...more This review was first posted on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com

Wow! This book got me all sorts of excited! It was absolutely fantabulous! {Yes, I know that's not a word.} It had amazing gadgets and a super strong steampunk aspect. And while I love steampunk {seriously, I do, I seek it out} I'm always a bit worried about how detailed it will be because I have a short attention span. This book though, this book had the very strong steampunk aspect without lengthy descriptions, at all! And while that's a good thing for me others may see that as a negative. Personally I don't need to know how everything works. I want to know what it looks like and what it can do and maybe a brief description of how it works is okay, but I don't need to know how everything works. These things may pass through my head fleetingly, but really, I was completely okay with not knowing. But like I said, others might not like that.

The characters were great! In the beginning we're getting stories from Alice's perspective and from Gavins as well. It alternates between them and we don't know how they connect. It worked fine for me and I felt like I got a good opportunity to get to know both of their back-stories this way. And got to know them more personally. Once their paths cross then it becomes mostly Alice's story, with going back to Gavin just occasionally. I thought it was all well done and was done in a way we got to get a real feel for them and their personalities. And they are both absolutely fantastic characters, I fell in love with both of them. The one issue I had, which was very minor, was that I had a hard time picturing Gavin as older. When we are introduced to him he is a cabin boy and I think hearing 'boy' maybe messed with my head. I'm not exactly sure, but he always felt a little young to me even though he never really did anything that made him seen immature or anything. I still loved him though!

This was a fast paced read with almost constant action that had me dying to know more. I found myself wanting to sit and read it and not do anything else. And I actually was so impressed with the automatons and the world that I totally went crazy describing it all to my six year old daughter. {Yeah, I was seriously excited.} And it got her so excited that she said she wants to read it when she grows up! {YAY!} So any book that gets me excited like that is definitely awesome. And as far as the gadgets and steampunk aspect goes this may be my favorite yet. I mean this world building was phenomenal! Now, I could go into telling you more about how it all works and how there's paranormal to it {there's zombies on page one!} but I don't think it's necessary and will just get me all carried away. I will say that the zombies have a scientific reason and so it was more light on the paranormal aspect {which I actually really liked!}.

This book was actually quite clean. There is some cursing, but not much. And there's violence, but you find it worse in many YA novels. And there's no sex, just some mention of sexual activity {it was quite vague} and I think that many mature young adult readers may really enjoy this book. Anyway, I loved it and I very highly recommend it!
(less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Doomsday Vault is the first book in the Clockwork Empire series by Steven Harper and a ROC Fantasy.

Book Blurb:

In a Britannia of clockwork automatons and airships, Alice Michaels’s prospects are looking grim.

The Honorable Alice B. Michaels is in a life-or-death struggle for survival - socially speaking, that is. At age twenty-one, her unladylike interest in automation, and the unfortunate deaths of most of her family from the clockwork plague, have sealed her fate as a less than desirable mar...more

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Dec 30, 2011 pax rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, lit-usa-canada, own-english

I was so looking forward to the book, because Steven Harper's Silent Empire series is among my favourite books ever. Well ... I was disappointed. The story is a wild mixture of things which don't really fit together, full of deus ex machina moments and plot holes which are more like plot canyons than actual holes and of little inconsistencies which make you constantly stumble (like: p.42 tells you, that perhaps on in a one hundred thousand of plague victims become a clockworker and clockworkers...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-borrow, ebook, steampunk, series, clockwork, victorian, zombies, first-in-a-series, read-in-2012

Ugh. I was really into this book for the 1st 3/4...Victorian clockwork, zombies, airmen & pirates...lots of interesting action! I got that Alice was trying to figure out who she was, trying to resolve her non-traditional interest in all things clockwork with the fact that society had a different idea of who she was and how she needed to live. Being drawn away from her daily traditional life and running off to immediately investigate things that came up without waiting around for a man to tak...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: physical-books, steampunk, read-in-2012

Reviewed for Vampire Book Club.

There are a couple of things you need to know right off the bat: I'm a big fan of steampunk and I can't resist a good cover. I guess I'm trying to say that this book was practically custom made for my palate. And that was before I even opened it. Then it had to go and be all super awesome what with the plague zombies and the clockwork bits and the fighting. Oh, and the vaguely frowned upon romance between an upper crust lady and a lowly airman who's *gasp* younger...more Reviewed for Vampire Book Club.

There are a couple of things you need to know right off the bat: I'm a big fan of steampunk and I can't resist a good cover. I guess I'm trying to say that this book was practically custom made for my palate. And that was before I even opened it. Then it had to go and be all super awesome what with the plague zombies and the clockwork bits and the fighting. Oh, and the vaguely frowned upon romance between an upper crust lady and a lowly airman who's *gasp* younger than she is. Love it!

One thing I will say is that this book is dense. There's a lot of worldbuilding and character building going on here. It works beautifully, I must say. The dirty streets of London, haunted by those that have fallen to the Clockwork Plague, come alive with ease. The lovely Alice Michaels, fallen on hard times and trying desperately to be a proper young lady in a time when women are beginning to rise up and take their places among the men, shines as an example of a woman of noble birth torn between doing what is socially correct and following her heart. Gavin Ennock, cabin boy and musician, suffers misfortune after misfortune until he finally finds a place where his extraordinary talent for music can be put to good use. Honestly, even the background characters were wonderfully drawn and complex.

As a fan of steampunk, I adored the gadgets and mechanical pieces that populated the scenery. Alice has an affinity for the gears and clockwork bits and she manages to indulge it despite the way society frowns upon a woman showing interest in those sort of things. Although I may have disagreed with some of the decisions she made in her personal life, I applaud a person who can sneak in a good bout of wrench wranglin' every once in a while.

With secret organizations, zombies that come in several levels of gross, and a quiet, star-crossed love that I found myself rooting for, The Doomsday Vault was an imaginative ride. Fans of steampunk, zombies, and twisted morals (or any combination of those three) will enjoy dipping their toes into this world.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
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Nov 28, 2011 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, e-books

The book almost lost me a few chapters in. I think it was due to the fact that I initially wasn't buying the main character's situation. Someone with a mind which worked like that should be able to shake off the social conventions or at least work around them especially with the examples provided elsewhere in the postulated society. I think I would have believed the set up more if there had been some sort of legal/outside impediment to breaking the social mold rather than just a cartload of psyc...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Maya Bohnhoff rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love steampunk. And this novel doesn't disappoint. It's got everything I love about the genre, wrapped in an intriguing plot. The elements are, a brilliant young woman doomed to sacrifice her talent with automatons to convention for the sake of an ailing father, an unlikely but engaging hero with his own form of genius, a cast of characters who may or may not be what they seem, a secret organization, a deadly disease that turns some people into zombies and others into wild geniuses called cloc...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Trish Heinrich rated it 4 of 5 stars

Usually covers that like this I don't even try because it just looks cheesy. BUT the description intrigued me, and I couldn't help myself. This book is the literary equivilent of a hot fudge sunday. It's an indulgence, rich in places and very well paced. I love, love, loved the romance in this book and how the author took the age difference thats usually seen in books and turned it around. The protagonists are three dimensional, with flaws and all. After reading a smattering of YA before this bo...more

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The Doomsday Vault (Clockwork Empire #1)

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