Clockwork Heart

Oct 11, 2010 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, read-in-2010, urban-fantasy, titles-i-love, beware-love-triangle, given-away, adult-fiction

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, th...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, fantasy, favourites, romance

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 coun...more

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Dec 25, 2010 oliviasbooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk, read-2010, mystery-crime-sleuthing, swapped-or-given-away, love-triangle, love-story-romance

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 t...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Kat Hooper rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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.(less)

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May 28, 2012 Sonia Lal rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked Clockwork Heart. It’s steampunk. I can’t quite make up my mind whether it’s fantasy-type steampunk or science fiction-ish steampunk. Not that it matters overly much.

I liked Clockwork Heart for two reasons: the world building and the main character.

The world building is fantastic. The city and its inhabitants are made of castes, chosen after some test they take as teenagers. (I think as teenagers. Could be slightly earlier.) I didn’t see any hints that kid could be chosen into the ruling...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Brie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Clockwork Heart follows Taya. She is an icarus, a messenger that travels from place to place in the city of Ondinium delivering messages with the use of metal wings. Ondinium is a city populated with people of different caste's. The caste Taya falls into, along with the rest of the Icarus, is a middle ground of sorts between the upper and lower caste's. After saving an upper-caste Exalted woman and her child from certain death, Taya gets pulled into a web intrigue centered around the family of t...more
Clockwork Heart follows Taya. She is an icarus, a messenger that travels from place to place in the city of Ondinium delivering messages with the use of metal wings. Ondinium is a city populated with people of different caste's. The caste Taya falls into, along with the rest of the Icarus, is a middle ground of sorts between the upper and lower caste's. After saving an upper-caste Exalted woman and her child from certain death, Taya gets pulled into a web intrigue centered around the family of the Exalted woman she saved.

The cast is an eclectic mix of characters, ranging in caste and personality. Taya interacts with fellow Icarus,--Exalteds who are the highest of caste's. They wear masks and long robes to hide themselves from other castes. Lictors, the caste that serve as Ondinium's law force. Programmers, those who work on the machines in Ondinium, and more--while uncovering a mystery surrounding the Great Engine, the machine that keeps Ondinium running. While a few of the characters are barely peripheral there are those who stand out, the most notable of them are two Exalted brothers, Alister and Cristof.

Christof is an outcaste: an Exalted that has left his station to live a regular unmasked life. He is thought of as a freak, for only someone crazy would willingly walk away from being an Exalted. He spends more time working on and repairing clocks than he does with people. He is awkward in appearance, described as being tall and gawky, crow-like. He has a bad temperament and complete lack social grace. Alister is the complete opposite of his brother. He is suave, debonair and handsome and unlike his outcaste brother, embraces his station as Exalted.

At the heart of this story is an unassuming romance between Taya and the outcaste Christof. As Taya fell for Christof, I did as well. All of his oddness made him an endearing character. Taya herself is a root-for character. She makes mistakes, she sometimes thinks too much with her heart, but she is strong, brave and unknowingly charming.

Clockwork Heart was a very enjoyable book. Though the initial mystery was fairly easy to figure out, and the villain was expected, the simple yet intricate details of the world kept me turning the pages. And I loved that after the main plot is somewhat resolved, the story took an unexpected turn and explored a less predictable subplot. Clockwork Heart was an interesting mix of generas. Overall, it is fantasy, but fell into the subgeneras of steampunk, mystery and romance. All of these elements, rolled into one book, made it a different, but very entertaining read. I look forward to Ms. Pagliassotti's future books.(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Ita rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, sf

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...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Jacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, romance

There was much to admire in this book, yet much to dislike as well. It's set in the industrial city of Ondinium, built around the mountain where the lighter-than-air ondium metal is mined. Deep within the mountain is the Great Engine, a clockwork computer which runs many aspects of the city. The three levels on the mountain are inhabited by three castes with the exalteds, supposedly reborn as perfect, right at the top, governing and creating programmes for the Great Engine. Connecting the levels...more There was much to admire in this book, yet much to dislike as well. It's set in the industrial city of Ondinium, built around the mountain where the lighter-than-air ondium metal is mined. Deep within the mountain is the Great Engine, a clockwork computer which runs many aspects of the city. The three levels on the mountain are inhabited by three castes with the exalteds, supposedly reborn as perfect, right at the top, governing and creating programmes for the Great Engine. Connecting the levels are the wireferries (think gondola-type ski-lifts) and the icarii, messengers who cross the boundaries of caste and who fly with the aid of great, strap-on mechanical wings.

There are holes in the worldbuilding which irritate me. I can almost picture the city and then something lets me down. The mountain is steep, but they seem to manage to build a huge city on it, round it and up it – in fact the city seems to exist in splendid isolation without any reference to where their food supplies and raw materials for building and manufacturing come from – let alone their water. They also have roads suitable for (small) horse-drawn coaches, which would seem to be totally impractical when the city seems at times to be built into the rock-face and yet at other times it has free-standing buildings that are better suited to level ground. The lower layer is a greasy, smoggy place full of manufactories and 'refineries' (Refining what? The ondium? We don't actually know.) but the pollution seems to stay obediently below the upper layers. For all their technological prowess, they don't seem to have invented a system of signalling (not even a mechanical 'clacks' or a useful method of instant communication. Anyhow, insert into this not-quite-logical world a touch of political dissent resulting in random acts of terrorism and some neighbouring countries jealous and desirous of Ondinium technology (yes, that's right, they don't seem to export what they make so how can they afford to import supplies).

A young female icarus, Taya, makes a daring mid-air rescue when one of the wireferries fails and gets involved with two high caste brothers, one (Alister) in government, the other (Cristof) a rebel who has walked out on his high-caste responsibilities and has gone to live in the lower layer and set up a simple clock-shop. Taya suspects Cristof of being a terrorist and begins for fall for the handsome Alister, but, of course, her first impressions are turned around by events. Part of this book is a murder-mystery, but that is solved too soon and then the final quarter of the book involves a plot to steal a prototype calculating engine.

And that's one more thing that irritates me. Real life is never neat. Unrelated strands rise and fall, twist and turn at random, but fiction is generally more structured. The structure of this book is weird. Throughout the first three-quarters of the novel it's a murder mystery with added romance, but then the secondary plot, instead of being woven through the whole book seems to start up as the first plot thread is solved. The main characters, Taya, Cristof and Alister are well drawn and the secondary characters, Taya's friends Cassi and Pyke, are reasonably well depicted, but once the last section starts there's a whole new bunch of characters – a programming team for the great engine – who are almost indistinguishable from each other. They never engage our sympathies.

The romance element between Taya and the two brothers is intriguing, the worldbuilding fascinating but incomplete, but the structure is frustrating and I could have done without the last quarter of the book.
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Mar 19, 2011 Suzanne Lazear added it

I don't give stars or ratings, but that's just me. This book rocks!

Imagine a world quite unlike our own–a great, industrial city where there are sky trolleys, winged messengers, and the city itself is run by a supercomputer and council of untouchables. In this city the caste system is alive and well. Those of the highest caste hide behind masks and robes. Even entering from one part of the city to another could be problematic depending on caste. Only the Icarii are free to move about from sectio...more I don't give stars or ratings, but that's just me. This book rocks!

Imagine a world quite unlike our own–a great, industrial city where there are sky trolleys, winged messengers, and the city itself is run by a supercomputer and council of untouchables. In this city the caste system is alive and well. Those of the highest caste hide behind masks and robes. Even entering from one part of the city to another could be problematic depending on caste. Only the Icarii are free to move about from section to section and mingle among the castes.

Taya is a young Icarus, couriering messages across the city with the help of giant metal wings. A daring mid-air rescue causes her paths to cross with the Forlore brothers–charming Alister is a member of the highest caste and part of the council, but the brooding, surly Christof has forsaken his birthright and lives among the cities poorest as a clockmaker. Taya is plunged into a web of murder, mystery, intrigue, civil-unrest, and top-secret computer program. She’ll have to decide who to trust and who’s side she’s on, her life–and the fate of the city–depends on it.

Pagliassotti’s world is rich and alive, full of detail and nuance but not in an overwhelming way. You can almost feel the grit of the mines and hear the rustle of the fine robes and the hum of the Great Engine that is the heart of the city. This world is truly a fine example of genre blending–and genre bending–combining elements of fantasy, scifi, romance, steampunk, and clockpunk and not quite like anything else out there. Gadgets abound, from sky trolleys and metal wings to the Great Engine itself.

Clockwork Heart is a fun and exciting read, hooking me from the very first page. It felt a little heavy on the romantic elements in the beginning, but not enough for me to put the book down. The pace quickly picks up and we’re launched into a wild, intriguing story with plenty of twists, turns, and gadgets. Taya, Alister, and Christof are all compelling characters and the ending felt satisfying. The world building is unique and vibrant. The only thing I’d like to see is a sketch of the “Icarus Dress” that Taya wears to the party thrown in her honor. This would be a great escapist read to take on vacation or any time you want something a bit different.

Link to original review: http://ageofsteam.wordpress.com/2010/...(less)

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Feb 14, 2011 Kim Ryser rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011booksread, steampunk

Giving this book five stars is probably a little generous, but I can't actually think of any faults with it and I enjoyed it so much, I'm gonna stick with 5 stars. To be honest, I didn't really expect much from this book, but I'll pretty much read anything steampunk at this point. First of all, I wouldn't really call this book steampunk, though it certainly contains elements that steampunks enjoy. It's first and foremost a fantasy. Ondinium is a fantasy city with a rigid caste system and large a...more

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Sep 23, 2009 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2009

Chosen to become an icarus at age seven, Taya has spent her life as a messenger of the skies. Icarus fly on feather-light wings made of the precious metal ondinium, delivering mail throughout the three provinces of Ondinium: Primus, Secundus, and Tertius. As a way to protect its citizens, Ondinium has been divided into a many-layered social structure teeming with rules and codes of behavior, ranging from the lowest manual laborers to the highest or Exalteds who must wear heavy robes and masks in...more Chosen to become an icarus at age seven, Taya has spent her life as a messenger of the skies. Icarus fly on feather-light wings made of the precious metal ondinium, delivering mail throughout the three provinces of Ondinium: Primus, Secundus, and Tertius. As a way to protect its citizens, Ondinium has been divided into a many-layered social structure teeming with rules and codes of behavior, ranging from the lowest manual laborers to the highest or Exalteds who must wear heavy robes and masks in public to protect their purity (!). As an icarus, Taya is granted the unique position of residing outside of the different castes in order to fulfill her duties as a messenger.

When a cable car malfunctions, Taya is on hand to rescue an exalted and her son which unexpectedly puts her directly in contact with the exalted's family - including the lady's two cousins, the brothers Alister and Cristof Forlore. Both brothers seem interested in Taya and she's not really sure what to make of either of them: Alister the charming and handsome politician or Cristof who has rejected his caste and now fixes clocks in one of the rougher parts of town. Ondinium has always been plagued by spies and terrorists, but when a series of bombings and murders occurs, Taya is forced to work closely with the Forlore brothers who definitely are not what they seem.

This was the first Steampunk novel I've tried and it left me feeling a little underwhelmed. The premise caught my attention quickly enough, however, the characters and plot itself failed to really capture, and ultimately more important, keep my interest. I had to really force myself to continue reading and that's never a good sign. My mind often wandered while reading and I ended up creating all these random connections to other things: the province names Primus, Secundus and Tertius reminded me of the brother's names in Stardust and I kept thinking about the 2000 election and the eternal debate over torn chads every time the Great Engine's programming was explained. (Ondinium uses a type of punch card to run a steam-powered computer/engine.) Taya as a character held much promise on the surface: a girl who files around on metal wings who can cross class lines is a pretty good start, but she just never took flight for me. She had her moments, but I kept wondering how the story would have been handled if another author had written it.

Since one of the components of Steampunk seems to involve romance, I was hoping for a good love story at the least. Again I was disappointed as I never really felt any sort of connection between either of the Forlore brothers and Taya. Not to mention the continual awkwardness of two brothers falling for the same girl. Eek - I wasn't buying it.

Please don't take this to mean it was all bad - there were plenty of interesting scenes with promise. Overall, I just felt like the story could have been a little tighter. On the plus side, I loved the cover: the wings, the girl with the gear in her chest - awesome. I just kept hoping the story would measure up...(less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Louis Corsair rated it 3 of 5 stars

Let me first praise the author for creating a vivid world in Ondinium along with likeable differences to traditional the Steampunk setting (the old style programs were great). There is much to like in the novel, the characters, the not-over-the-top romance element, and the faux murder mystery element, the Icarii, and the ondinium.

The story surprised me. During the first fourth of the novel I thought this would be a (blah) romance, but then comes the murder mystery aspect, which really got my int...more Let me first praise the author for creating a vivid world in Ondinium along with likeable differences to traditional the Steampunk setting (the old style programs were great). There is much to like in the novel, the characters, the not-over-the-top romance element, and the faux murder mystery element, the Icarii, and the ondinium.

The story surprised me. During the first fourth of the novel I thought this would be a (blah) romance, but then comes the murder mystery aspect, which really got my interest. The triangle between Alister, Taya, and Cristof was also intriguing when considering the abusive past the two brothers have--this is not a fight between two Fabios trying to earn the love of the oversexed wench!

But the novel suffers from poor editing towards the end.

****spoiler alert******

The sequence starting with the first flight of Cristof and ending with the exciting battle in the Great Engine chamber is just awesome! Had the last chapter in the book followed the chapter after Alister is arrested, I would have given Clockwork Heart five stars. But no...

A strange sub-plot follows dealing with spies from another country pretending to be the Torn Cards and their plan to blow up stuff to steal an analytical engine. The resolution to this is that one of Alister's team turns out to be too greedy for her own good and she sells her services and the location of the University's prototype engine.

There are so many problems with this that it's hard to pick a place to begin. First off, this sub-plot has nothing to do with the bulk of the book, which deals with the triangle between the Forlorn brothers and the star, Taya. It doesn't even have a tie-in to the Clockwork Heart program, which was very disappointing.

Another problem with this sub-plot is that the resolution, a gunfight in the blown up refinery, is both underwhelming and somewhat comical. Picture the motley crew of Cristof, Taya (with a wounded calf and stitches), and most of Alister's programing team taking on the likes of trained spies... and winning. The whole sequence had the feel of the Scooby gang going after the bad guys. I actually laughed when Lars rushes one of the armed spies and only got shot in the shoulder.

Not only was this action sequence too funny to take seriously, but the way Pagliasotti tries to develop Alister's programming team in those last hundred pages is silly. The Lars-Kyle thing was ridiculous because of the way the author plays with Lars' sexual orientation. There is also a very uncomfortable moment at the hospital, after they recover Kyle, where Taya and Crissi are trying to goad Lars into confessing his true feelings (and his sexual preference). I mean if you're going to have a gay character, why not just openly say so? Why beat around the bush with enuendos? I honestly would have liked the geek squad better if they had stayed tertiary characters.

And last, but not least, Emilie's betrayal is so unimportant to the novel that it puzzled me that it took center stage at the end of the book. Honestly, this whole mess would have worked better if it had been integrated BEFORE the fight at the Great Engine chamber. This is why I think it suffers from editing. Those last hundred pages read too much like the author trying to close off loose endings, when they should have been edited out for not really contributing to the whole Clockwork Heart thing or re-written to mesh better.

LC(less)

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Jun 09, 2010 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasyromance, steampunk

So yes, fantasy romance steampunk is what I ended up calling this book. It takes place in another world, fantasy, there is a bit more romance so therefore romance. And last, the steampunk bit. This is not sci-fi, it is a society that has moved forward and you could place them sort of at the 19th century. There you have it.

Taya is an icarus, she flies with wings and delivers messages. She can fly freely in a society made up of three classes. The nobility, the middle class and the poor workers. On...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excuse me while I geek out about how ridiculously amazing this book was, it's probably become my new favorite, or at the very least a close second.

Let me give you the synopsis from the cover:

Taya soars over Ondinium on metal wings. She is an icarus - a courier privileged to travel freely across the city's sectors and mingle indiscriminately among its castes. But even she can't outfly the web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and intrigue that snares her after a daring mid-air rescue. Taya finds her...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Oddmonster rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read, steampunk

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...more

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Apr 12, 2009 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, own

I enjoyed Clockwork Heart for the most part, but must say that it just did not live up to all my expectations. Taya is an icarus in the country of Ondinium, where she flies on metal wings as a courier. Ondinium is definitely a character in its own right as Dru Pagliassotti does an amazing job at world building. Ondinium is a caste-society that enjoys many advances in technology that its neighbors don't possess. The major being the Great Engine which serves a multitude of purposes. After one seem...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Brian rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 j...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 14, 2010 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this for my iPhone, as I was stuck at the hairdresser with only People magazine to read. It was a relatively inexpensive e-book.

It was a fast, enjoyable read, and a book that I would re-read. I may have to buy a physical copy of the book at some point, just so I can more easily flip through it.

It's a mystery combined with political intrigue combined with a fantasy and a bit of a coming-of-age story.

I'd say that it's a fantasy novel first, steampunk second, and a romance third. Certainly...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Mandy at Blythes & Books rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: steampunk lovers, fantasy lovers, romance lovers, humor-preferring-readers

Shelves: gorgeous-cover-art, steampunk, stand-alone-books, other-worlds, urban-fantasy, read-in-2011

Clockwork Heart, by Dru Pagliasotti

3,5 stars

The story about Taya the ‘Icarus’ (a messenger flying across the city of Ondinium, on wings made of the feather-light metal ondium) starts mid-flight. Literally. On her way to deliver a message, Taya rescues Viera Octavus, one of the so-called ‘exalted’, and her son from an almost-crashing wire ferry. Because of her husbands political importance this may not have been an accident.
Shortly after the wire ferry crash, Taya meets the 2 Forlore brothers who...more

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Nov 19, 2009 Marianna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, wishlist, heroine-with-red-hair

There were a lot of things that annoyed me about this book. The story was a little meh. The heroine was downright dense as a brick. But I enjoyed reading it for the most part. I thought the whole book reminded me of a Japanese manga: the attempt at a smart story/plot, a dumb (but courageous) heroine, some brooding men, surroundings only pictures could really explain. I think this book would have been better off as a manga/graphic novel. I think my favorite thing about the book was the romance, y...more

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Oct 10, 2012 jo mo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-stars, 2012, kick-ass-heroine, mystery, outsider-underdog-pariah, series, series-i-ll-continue, steampunk, crushworthy-boys

3.5/5

"Clocks are too expensive for an icarus."

"I thought you earned a reasonable salary."

"I do all right, considering the Council takes care of my food and housing and provides me with a uniform and armature. But a clock would just be a luxury. There are plenty of public clocks I can look at, and the church bells, of course."

"Are you saving your money for something important?"

The question surprised her. It seemed intrusive, although she didn't have any reason not to answer. “Retirement, I guess....more

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Nov 23, 2010 Elvira rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science_fiction

The story embodied great elements of steampunk, but took it into a new world order set in a caste system, instead of Victorian England. The evolution of the current world with it's current restrictions, technology advances, and backwardness steams from lessons learned from past wars. The story focusing on a young icarus, a mail courier who uses armature wings, who gets sucked into a terrorism plot after rescuing an Elated (upper caste) woman and child. Pagliassotti weaves the adventure, mystery...more

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Jan 18, 2009 Schnaucl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, owned, read_2009, january

This was an okay book.

I liked the idea of winged messengers. I also like that the matchmaking program actually allowed for same-sex matches. I still don't think a computer can predict a perfect marriage, and I certainly don't think that everyone should be forced to be run through a program and abide by whatever result the computer prints out. At least there was a suggestion that people wouldn't be bound by the results.

The plot was okay, but the "twist" was obvious from almost the beginning and...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Janeen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 10, 2013 Alexis Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Hmmmm.

DO Note that my review is a little positively-skewered because for some reason, this book grabbed at me and didn't let go. Initial thoughts left me with a less stellar 3.5-4 star impression, but after about half a year, my thoughts kept returning to this book and I had-had-had to reread it, and then a year later - same thing. I keep getting the urge to reread this book every year or so - that must mean something's right about it, hey?

Well, I can sure tell you what I did like: the slightly...more Hmmmm.

DO Note that my review is a little positively-skewered because for some reason, this book grabbed at me and didn't let go. Initial thoughts left me with a less stellar 3.5-4 star impression, but after about half a year, my thoughts kept returning to this book and I had-had-had to reread it, and then a year later - same thing. I keep getting the urge to reread this book every year or so - that must mean something's right about it, hey?

Well, I can sure tell you what I did like: the slightly aloof hero who manages to be wary but not an asshole, sweet but not disgusting. The avoiding of the dreaded instalovestalker and lovetriangle tropes. The vivid steampunk worldbuilding, the slight smattering of politics, the hint of romance, the idea of icarii. The pretty awesome flying female lead. The underlying mystery (that really got a bit washed out towards the end, but worked fantastic in the beginning.)

I only wish that the resolution and origin of the mystery was more complex than what we ended up with. The second half seemed to pale in comparison with the nicely-paced-and-plotted beginning; although I did absolutely love the very last few pages which made me squeal a little bit (well, to be technical, they weren't really related to the mystery so they don't count). The good worldbuilding and character development made me expect more from the eventual direction of the plot, so the great big reveal/resolution didn't quite live up to expectations.

I have to say that this book might not be for everyone - at first - but it may pleasantly surprise you when you realize you sort of want to go back for seconds. Also, I think it's a genre staple - out of many steampunk books I've read (trashy, classic, whatever) this is one I think fans shouldn't miss. Much of steampunk is in the worldbuilding, and whatever else you fault Paglissotti with, her worldbuilding is pretty flawless.

What I'm really excited for, though, is the sequel which is apparently coming out in '14. (WHAT SO FAR AWAY?!?!?!) It promises more in terms of steampunky, convoluted politics (my favorite!) and much more romance now that the two leads are together. Both extremely good things, and I've read the excerpts...yes. I am exciteddddd.(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Filip rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the beginning to the end of this book, my opinion was oscillating between three and four stars, and even now, when I am writing this, I haven't decided. The plot was not as interesting as I thought it would be. Neither was the romantic line of the story. It was quite predictable, too.

On the other hand, we - ugly, socially inept "scrawnies" - like it when the handsome, popular, broad-shouldered men don't steal all the nice girls away from us and the book was quite entertaining. To sum it up,...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Ben rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookmooch, sci-fi-and-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. While I didn't have very high expectations for this book, I was still somewhat disappointed. The writing is ok, the plot is mostly interesting, but the characters are pretty two dimensional and often annoying. All of them are basically caricatures, and their lack of depth and detail leaves you pretty much always knowing exactly what they are going to say and do. That is, except for Alister, who I honestly did not see as turning out to be the 'bad guy.' Which is another major problem with the boo...more While I didn't have very high expectations for this book, I was still somewhat disappointed. The writing is ok, the plot is mostly interesting, but the characters are pretty two dimensional and often annoying. All of them are basically caricatures, and their lack of depth and detail leaves you pretty much always knowing exactly what they are going to say and do. That is, except for Alister, who I honestly did not see as turning out to be the 'bad guy.' Which is another major problem with the book; while there are certainly bad guys, there aren't really any BAD guys--any bad people at all. Alister is a little deranged, and is clearly just slightly unhinged from the traumatic murder suicide of his parents, and the beatings his father gave him before losing it completely. But, he honestly believes that what he was doing was good for the country, and was just trying to make the world a better place. He may be calculating and manipulative, but at heart the author leaves him as a good person, who you can't help feeling sorry for. Or at least that's what she tried to do, because I didn't feel sorry for him at all, mostly because throughout most of the book he is a smarmy bastard who I just wanted to punch in the face. Moreover, the fact that she broke up the two major threat plots into two clearly distinct instances, while an interesting move, ended up not working at all. You reach what you think is the climax of the book (what actually is the climax) when Alister, Christof, and Taya are battling in the Great Engine Room, only to discover that the book just keeps going. Any half-decent editor should have realized that solving another, almost completely distinct plot in the denouement is not good writing, and have informed the author that it would be better served as a fully-realized second book.

The various flaws aside, there are some positives in the book. The world of Ondinium which the author creates is incredibly interesting, gritty, and full of potential. The caste system and technology were very well thought out, but I felt that she didn't exploit them enough. Why create such an interesting political world (the Council and all that), and then not really do anything with it? There is so much potential in this book, in the world that the author creates, but no real characters to inhabit it. I'd be willing to give some of her other books (if she has any) a try, just to see if she has matured since this one, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were plagued with the same problems.(less)

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Jun 10, 2011 Chachic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Chachic by: Janice (Janicu)

Shelves: received-as-gifts, actual-books-owned, best-of-2011, out-of-print

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 sudde...more 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!(less)

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Apr 01, 2012 Ruby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, romance

This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com.

This book was my reward for suffering through the two disasters that were Big Bad Wolf and Witch Heart. I can hardly believe that I owned it for as long as I did without gorging myself on it. The only thing I can say in my own defense is that it took me so long to find it that I'd forgotten why I'd been looking for it in the first place. Then I read The Iron Duke and loved it so much I was driven to check out Meljean Brook's blog. Brook...more This review was first posted on http://www.rubysreads.com.

This book was my reward for suffering through the two disasters that were Big Bad Wolf and Witch Heart. I can hardly believe that I owned it for as long as I did without gorging myself on it. The only thing I can say in my own defense is that it took me so long to find it that I'd forgotten why I'd been looking for it in the first place. Then I read The Iron Duke and loved it so much I was driven to check out Meljean Brook's blog. Brook had a Steampunk Romance week on her blog, to celebrate the publication of The Iron Duke, and Clockwork Heart was mentioned on the first day. It made me sit and up and say, "I have that book!" So I went and dug it out of my TBR pile and got to work. And may I say that I've never been so pleased to put my nose to the grindstone.

Clockwork Heart takes place in the fictional city of Ondinium. Ondinium is half Victorian London, half San Francisco. It's built on a hill and has three sectors: Tertius, Secondus and Primus. I imagined it as resmebling a three-tiered cake. The three sectors of Ondinium can be summed up respectively: Upper Class, Middle Class, Lower Class. Primus is the home of the exalted, a group of wealthy individuals who, according to Ondinium beliefs, have been reincarnated because they have earned an "exalted" life. The exalteds appear in public in heavy robes with ceramic masks concealing their faces. They also wear castemarks on their faces, tattoo-like symbols of their high status. Secondus is home to the middle class people and Tertius houses the working class and the very poor. The two main characters of Clockwork Heart come from the polar ends of Ondinium. Cristof is an outcaste, an exalted who has eschewed the robes and mask of his caste. He lives and works in Tertius. The heroine, Taya, was born in Tertius, but chosen to be an icarus. Icarii are messengers who fly with metal wings that are loaded with ondium, the lighter-than-air metal that makes flight possible. Because of her profession, Taya has a unique position in the segregated Ondinium. She moves freely between the three sectors and is basically outside of the caste system. She also has a great deal of personal freedom that is not allowed other women, particularly exalteds.

The story begins with Taya saving an exalted woman and her son from a wireferry accident. Taya's heroic act brings her to the attention of the Forlore family: Alister, Cristof and their cousin, Viera and Viera's husband Caster. Alister and Cristof are brothers who have chosen vastly different paths in life. You know Cristof's story--he's an outcaste. Alister is the smooth, charming and handsome brother with the political career. From the first, Alister attracts Taya. The two go out on a date, but before anything can develop between them, Alister dies in another wireferry accident that also claims Caster.

Shocked, dismayed and regretting having held Alister off for as long as she did, Taya at first believes that Cristof is responsible, not knowing that Cristof suspects the same about her. When Taya and Cristof are able to move beyond blaming each other, they decide to work together to find Alister and Caster's killers. Their investigation both brings them together and involves them in more intrigue than they knew.

Taya is a refreshing heroine. She's strong-minded and strong-willed, but without being obnoxious. She's not feisty and outspoken. She takes care of herself, not just physically, but emotionally. I also liked that though she was independent it didn't mean she was too stupid to live. Taya has a romantic past but she's not tortured or hindered by it. I liked that.

Cristof, by contrast, more dysfunctional. He's closed-off and rude, but you know right away that he's the one for Taya, if for no other reason that things between Taya and Alister would be too easy. Plus, it's not hard to see that Alister is a charmer and that he uses his charm for effect. He knows what his looks and his station can get him--and he doesn't hesitate to take advantage of that. I kind of didn't want Taya to fall for Alister's schtick at all--even though I admire her for seeing him clearly in an admirably short amount of time. Anyway, books have shown us that the charmer is unreliable time after time. Hm, that makes me want to read a book where the hero is the charmer and not his unpleasant-at-first-glance counterpart.

As for the plot, it's intricate, but I knew who the villains were pretty early on. The attraction of this novel is that knowing didn't take away from the story. I still wanted to see how events evolved. I wanted to see how the characters would react--because I found that it wasn't always predictable. I also really liked the world-building. I had an image in my mind of what Ondinium was like, how it looked and how it functioned. It's probably completely unlike Pagliassotti's, but I don't care. The best novels are the ones that exercise your imagination--and Clockwork Heart really accomplished that. However, as easily as I was able to put myself into Ondinium, I had a harder time imagining the Great Engine--and all the other engines in Taya's world. I sort of imagined that they resembled ENIAC, but also the inside of a ginormous clock from some animated movie I can't remember. You know, all the gears and stuff. But I also didn't really have a great grasp on how the engines worked, or how the punch cards fit in. This is probably because my mind is so not analytical. I run screaming from anything that smacks of engineering or--worse--computer science. There's no way to get my brain to shut down faster.

I also have to give Pagliassotti props for her secondary characters. There's quite a cast of them, along with a few secondary romances that added extra flavor. Plus, each character that came into the novel was interesting, and had depth. I could picture them all. The only exception to this was Taya's family. They make brief appearances at the beginning and end of the book, but nothing inbetween. I think this is because Taya's calling as an icarus meant she was separated from her family at a young age. Also, her status as someone outside the caste made it harder for her to relate to her Tertius-based family. Still, as someone who is so closely tied to her family, I couldn't help wanting Taya to be more connected to them. It's probably for a reason, though, that Taya's closest ties are with other icarii. I don't know. It still bothered me.

I glad that Meljean Brook reminded me about Clockwork Heart. It was a great book, and a great Steampunk Romance. I was excited to learn that Dru Pagliassotti is writing another Clockwork Heart book (currently called Clockwork Heart #2). According to her website, it's in her agent's hands. No date yet, but it's already made my TBR list. (less)

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