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The Doomsday Vault

(Clockwork Empire #1)

Steven Harper (Goodreads Author)

3.63 · Rating details · 1,255 ratings · 146 reviews

In a clockwork Britannia, Alice's prospects are slim. At 21, her age and her unladylike interest in automatons have sealed her fate as an undesirable marriage prospect. But a devastating plague sends Alice off in a direction beyond the pale—towards a clandestine organization, mad inventors, life-altering secrets, and into the arms of an intrepid fiddle-playing airship pilo ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 382 pages

Published November 1st 2011 by Roc

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· 1,255 ratings · 146 reviews

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Jan 26, 2012 Jabberwocky rated it it was ok

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 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. ...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Echo rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, books-in-11, 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 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. ...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Torzilla marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: reviewed

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 ...more

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Aug 16, 2011 edifanob rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-books, 2012-reads

It is the first book in a series and it is definitely steampunk.

A lot of gadgets, interesting twists and turns.

There are two reasons why I did not give five stars:

- From my point of view some of the solutions have been a way too easy
- Alice Michaels, one of the main characters, has been a pain in my neck too often.

Anyway I own a copy of The Impossible Cube which is the secon book in the series and I will definitely read it.

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Dec 01, 2011 Simcha Lazarus rated it really liked it

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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Dec 31, 2017 James Tullos rated it really liked it

See my full thoughts here: https://youtu.be/SMTit-Cl234

I have very little to say here. Just look at the cover of this book and imagine how stupid it is, then add a little more stupidity on top of that. This is overbloated cheesy fun of the highest order. I could pick it apart and examine every problem if I wanted, I just don't want to. When a book has a scene where a man fires an electric rifle into a crowd of zombies, you know it isn't meant to be taken the least bit seriously. If this sounds e ...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Kelly rated it it was amazing

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

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 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
...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Steve Walker rated it really liked it

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 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. ...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Jeff Raymond rated it it was amazing · 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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Apr 14, 2012 Kathryn rated it it was amazing

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 14, 2011 Karen rated it it was ok

Shelves: e-books, steampunk

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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Jan 15, 2015 Kathryn rated it liked it

I really loved the premise of this novel. I loved the idea of the clockwork plague, loved both Gavin and Alice, loved the evolution of the characters through the story.

But I disliked a lot more than I loved. I take exception to the word 'zombie' being tossed around in any alternative history novel that doesn't have clear ties to the word's history. The storytelling was confused, there seemed to be a sudden shift at the end where either the author realized he wanted to take this (or the next) bo ...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Tasula rated it really liked it

A steampunk romance; a 22 yr old spinster whose family was killed/crippled by clockwork plague, (a plague that either kills you or turns you into a superbrilliant inventor) tries to reenter society, becomes engaged to Norbert Williamson, who runs an automaton bordello secretly; then meets a handsome young airman who escaped pirates and falls in love. Her aunt Edwina, a clockworker, engineered their meeting and coerces them to free her from prison and spread the CURE for the clockwork plague; lig ...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If you are a fan of steampunk, suspense, plot twists, romance, and a slight historical romance feel, I'd recommend giving this book a shot. Also, did I mention zombies? This book has many elements that oddly works well together with this particular story and writing style. I really enjoyed this book as a fan of all the subgenres I listed. Very much looking forward to the sequel. You can read my full review on my blog Nov. 1, the release date.

www.ataleofmanyreviews.com

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Sep 05, 2011 April rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk

I really enjoyed this one. The characters were interesting and the story was lots of fun. There were a few odd bits I could have done without, the plot was a twisty thing that never stopped winding and the main character surprised and saddened me at the same time.

Overall, a fun, invention-mad, genius' fever dream of an adventure.

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Oct 12, 2012 Trace rated it it was ok

Shelves: urban-fantasy-reads

I found it difficult to get into this book. The ideas of science in the 1900's version on this book, was interesting. But the characters weren't very well developed for me, and hence I found the story had less impact.

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Jun 27, 2013 Veronica rated it it was ok

Shelves: steampunk

started out okay but got progressively sillier. The romance angle lacked any heat or chemistry so that didn't help.

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Aug 06, 2017 Mary K rated it it was amazing

Sometimes, a book carries you along so easily and so completely that you don't notice minor issues. The Doomsday Vault is such a book for me. The story is told in third person, in alternating character points of view. Gavin, an American dirigible airman and musician, is the story's soul. His origin story is traumatic, and his choices, bad and good, feel authentic. Descriptions of Gavin flying, playing the fiddle, riding a giant automaton into battle--I could have read the whole book in his viewp ...more

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Apr 21, 2018 Susan rated it really liked it

It's a nice, light read. I read some of the reviews before reading the book, and worried a little - but I didn't feel it was so bad on the details as others believed. And it worked with what I already knew of Steven Harper's Clockwork Empire books. It does have a bit more romance than I was expecting, but that's not a drawback in my estimation.

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Mar 14, 2019 Jack Webb rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Geek heaven

Yeah, I'm talking about me. And I just can't help but like a good Steampunk yarn. Alternate history, Victorian England with plenty of silly English class ways, wild and wonderful gadgets galore, with some good characterizations and plot twists to round out the story. Works for me.

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Jul 05, 2017 Jenny rated it it was ok

Steampunk adventure. Very PG-13, though, why they are using modern swear words in the 1800's, I'll never know.

She has nothing, but a name and he is a young man from America left with nothing after pirates take his captain and the dirigible they were flying in.

Oh, and there's a plague.

She's older - He's younger.

Stilted. A summer read.

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Jun 22, 2018 Bonnie added it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

Many of the expected elements of steampunk, a few less expected... Adult themes such as a young male character's near brush with rape are treated subtly and appropriately for a YA audience. Writing and plot are reasonable but story pacing is off -- could easily have started 3-4 chapters later than it does.

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Apr 17, 2018 Mark O'Neill rated it liked it · review of another edition

First time in this genre. Interesting but not too complex.

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Nov 12, 2011 Dark Faerie Tales rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: An action packed and imaginative take on zombies and the creation of a steampunk world.

Opening Sentence: The zombie lurched out of the yellow fog and reached for the door on Alice’s hansom cab.

The Review:

Alice B. Michaels was born into nobility. As the daughter of a Baron, she is expected to act like a proper lady. The Clockwork Plague has devastated her family and now they are in deep debt. Alice uses one last opportunity to seek a suitor, ...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it it was amazing

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 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! ...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Stéphanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 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 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. ...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Stephanie G rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-beth

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 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) ...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Beth Dawkins rated it liked it

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 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. ...more

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Feb 21, 2017 Daron rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk

Well this book took me a laughably long time to finish. I would look for every excuse NOT to get back to this book. I reread several book instead of finishing this. It was... rough.

Don't get me wrong, Harper had some really neat ideas. The clockwork plague as a concept was neat, as was the government putting clockworkers to work for them.

The problem is that Harper was not a very good storyteller. He seemed to have a lot more interest in explaining fantastic inventions instead of developing chara ...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Kt rated it liked it

Shelves: received-for-review

Alice's life has been slowly deteriorating since the Plague struck her family hard. She lost her mother and brother to the clockwork plague, and then several years later, her fiance as well. So now everyone treats her like a pariah. At 21 she is already long past the prime age for a desirable marriage, and her love of automatons has even further outcast her. In a last ditch effort to save her family's honor she goes to one last ball to try and snag a fiance. This sets in a chain of events that w Alice's life has been slowly deteriorating since the Plague struck her family hard. She lost her mother and brother to the clockwork plague, and then several years later, her fiance as well. So now everyone treats her like a pariah. At 21 she is already long past the prime age for a desirable marriage, and her love of automatons has even further outcast her. In a last ditch effort to save her family's honor she goes to one last ball to try and snag a fiance. This sets in a chain of events that will forever change her life as she gets thrown into a world of secrecy and finds an attraction in a man who would make a very unlikely match.

It took me a little while to really get into The Doomsday Vault as the beginning was a little confusing. Things took a turn for the better when the two story lines came together as Alice and Gavin meet. Prior to that point, I was a little unsure as to what the two different story lines had to do with each other. However, as time went on and they interacted together, I started to enjoy things a lot more. Perhaps that was because I finally had something to root for as their attraction grew, as before that I didn't have an attachment to their struggles. I enjoy reading the struggle and conflict these two faced as they tried to make decisions the best they could, even if it kept them apart. I've always been drawn to a story with mismatched couples with plenty of obstacles in their path.

This was my second foray into Steampunk, and to be honest I still have mixed feelings about the genre. The first had more of a western feel, while The Doomsday Vault was more Elizabethan. Both times I ended up enjoying the book in the end, but the large learning curve and past setting lessened my enjoyment. So while things have turned out okay overall, I still think I prefer books with a modern setting, as things like propriety, class status, and titles drive me a little batty. I realize those things were a major part of the time period, but it gets a little monotonous after a while. I guess it is a really good thing I didn't live during that time period. However, putting that all aside, the world behind The Doomsday Vault was quite intriguing. The plague that is the root of the world as they know it, not only kills, but also can give great gifts as well. Although the ones with the gifts, known as clockmakers, only receive the gifts of brilliance for a short while as eventually the plague claims them as well. Even so, almost all major innovation can be laid at their feat, which I found to be a really interesting twist on things, as who would expect a deadly disease to cause so much good.

While The Doomsday Vault didn't quite hold my attention as much as other books, I still was pretty entertained, and will come back for more when the next installment is released. There was enough of a build up and teaser for more, that I am very curious to see what happens next. So, while it didn't have a cliffhanger ending in the truest sense, there was still plenty enough left unsettled to leave me wanting more. Considering my feelings for this genre, that was no small feat, making The Doomsday Vault pretty impressive in the end. If you enjoy the steampunk genre, or even books set in the Elizabethan time period that have a little fantasy mixed in, then The Doomsday Vault should be a solid read. ...more

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About Steven Harper

Steven Harper

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A pseudonym of Steven Piziks

Steven Harper Piziks was born with a name that no one can reliably spell or pronounce, so he often writes under the pen name Steven Harper. He lives in Michigan with his family. When not at the keyboard, he plays the folk harp, fiddles with video games, and pretends he doesn’t talk to the household cats. In the past, he’s held jobs as a reporter, theater producer, secre

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