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Girl Genius #2
Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess
Intrigue! Subterfuge! Circus Folk! In a time when the Industrial Revolution has escalated into all-out warfare, mad science rules the world... with mixed success.
With the help of Krosp, Emperor of All Cats, Agatha has escaped from the massive airship known as Castle Wulfenbach. After crashing their escape dirigible, Agatha and Krosp fall in with Master Payne's Circus of Adventure, a traveling troupe of performers dedicated to staging Heterodyne shows - dramatizations of the exploits of Bill and Barry Heterodyne and their allies - who are unaware of Agatha's connection to the Heterodyne line.
Pursued by the ruthless Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, his handsome son Gil, and their minions (not to mention Othar Tryggvassen, Gentleman Adventurer), Agatha hides in plain sight among the circus folk, servicing their clanks and proving herself adept in performing the role of Lucrezia Mongfish, nemesis to - and later wife of - Barry Heterodyne. She also begins training under Zeetha, swordmistress and princess of the lost city of Skifander. Together, Agatha, Krosp, and the performers travel across the treacherous wasteland of war-torn Europa, towards Mechanicsburg, and the ancestral home of the Heterodynes - Castle Heterodyne.
But with many perils standing in her way - including Wulfenbach's crack troops, mysterious Geisterdamen, savage Jagermonsters, and the fabled Storm King - it's going to take more than a spark of Mad Science for Agatha to get through.
With the help of Krosp, Emperor of All Cats, Agatha has escaped from the massive airship known as Castle Wulfenbach. After crashing their escape dirigible, Agatha and Krosp fall in with Master Payne's Circus of Adventure, a traveling troupe of performers dedicated to staging Heterodyne shows - dramatizations of the exploits of Bill and Barry Heterodyne and their allies - who are unaware of Agatha's connection to the Heterodyne line.
Pursued by the ruthless Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, his handsome son Gil, and their minions (not to mention Othar Tryggvassen, Gentleman Adventurer), Agatha hides in plain sight among the circus folk, servicing their clanks and proving herself adept in performing the role of Lucrezia Mongfish, nemesis to - and later wife of - Barry Heterodyne. She also begins training under Zeetha, swordmistress and princess of the lost city of Skifander. Together, Agatha, Krosp, and the performers travel across the treacherous wasteland of war-torn Europa, towards Mechanicsburg, and the ancestral home of the Heterodynes - Castle Heterodyne.
But with many perils standing in her way - including Wulfenbach's crack troops, mysterious Geisterdamen, savage Jagermonsters, and the fabled Storm King - it's going to take more than a spark of Mad Science for Agatha to get through.
461 pages, Hardcover
First published March 27, 2012
67 people are currently reading
1630 people want to read
About the author
Phil Foglio
166 books354 followersA popular science fiction fan artist in the 1970s, Phil Foglio began writing and drawing cartoons and comics professionally in the 1980s. His work includes Magic: The Gathering, Buck Godot, and the popular series of comics and novels, Girl Genius, co-written with his wife, Kaja Foglio.
Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist (1977 and 1978)
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)
Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist (1977 and 1978)
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
June 23, 2013
This book and it's prequel are kinda unique in my experience. I don't know if I've ever read a novelization of a comic before.
What's more, I'm actually listening to the audiobook before reading the paper copy.
That said, I'm very much enjoying it. The novel actually brings to light things that aren't mentioned in the comic, giving more bacground and history about the world. Giving more hints to the many mysteries that are part of why I love girl Genius.
June 5, 2012
Wow. Do I feel conflicted about this book.
On the one hand, "Girl Genius" is one of my favorite webcomics, and Phil Foglio one of my favorite artists. I have various editions, soft- and hard-cover of the comic collections, etc. And this novel (covering vol. 4-6 of the comic) covers the story very, very well, complete with lots of added backstory, and loads of footnotes, and, for that matter, inner monologues (as well as the maniacal outer ones). Indeed, having quickly gone back and read vol. 4, I'm impressed by how much richer and understandable the story is -- no flocks of zany, unnamed Circus folks to keep straight, as we get actual names and a sense of continuity, for example. The action is more of a story, and less a series of daily episodes and crazy pictures.
And yet ...
Without Phil's art, it's not the same. And by that I don't just mean it's less enjoyable -- it's not the same story. In many ways, it's a scarier, grimmer tale. Yeah, there's always been a dark side to Girl Genius, but Phil's zany visualizations giving a nudge and a wink and a chuckle, that dark side is a lot more obvious. Human experimentation, killings, monsters, danger around (and under, and behind, and over) every turn. The Baron is more ruthless, Lucretia is more insane, the Sturmholdt royalty are I-Claudian, and the Jaegermonsters are ... not nearly as funny.
Not to say it's all grim and grit. There are some laugh-out-loud exchanges liberally sprinkled across the pages, and plenty of smiles and smirks. But it's a remarkable example of how the medium (for better or worse) affects the tale told.
The only other down side to this book is that referencing footnotes via the Kindle is annoying. Be warned.
So I liked the book. Not as much as I expected to, though. It's a more solid (and ex post facto slightly tweaked) story, but not quite as fun as the original. It's quite possible I'll read it again someday, for what that's worth. And for all my complaints, it was still a good read, and I've no regrets having done so.
On the one hand, "Girl Genius" is one of my favorite webcomics, and Phil Foglio one of my favorite artists. I have various editions, soft- and hard-cover of the comic collections, etc. And this novel (covering vol. 4-6 of the comic) covers the story very, very well, complete with lots of added backstory, and loads of footnotes, and, for that matter, inner monologues (as well as the maniacal outer ones). Indeed, having quickly gone back and read vol. 4, I'm impressed by how much richer and understandable the story is -- no flocks of zany, unnamed Circus folks to keep straight, as we get actual names and a sense of continuity, for example. The action is more of a story, and less a series of daily episodes and crazy pictures.
And yet ...
Without Phil's art, it's not the same. And by that I don't just mean it's less enjoyable -- it's not the same story. In many ways, it's a scarier, grimmer tale. Yeah, there's always been a dark side to Girl Genius, but Phil's zany visualizations giving a nudge and a wink and a chuckle, that dark side is a lot more obvious. Human experimentation, killings, monsters, danger around (and under, and behind, and over) every turn. The Baron is more ruthless, Lucretia is more insane, the Sturmholdt royalty are I-Claudian, and the Jaegermonsters are ... not nearly as funny.
Not to say it's all grim and grit. There are some laugh-out-loud exchanges liberally sprinkled across the pages, and plenty of smiles and smirks. But it's a remarkable example of how the medium (for better or worse) affects the tale told.
The only other down side to this book is that referencing footnotes via the Kindle is annoying. Be warned.
So I liked the book. Not as much as I expected to, though. It's a more solid (and ex post facto slightly tweaked) story, but not quite as fun as the original. It's quite possible I'll read it again someday, for what that's worth. And for all my complaints, it was still a good read, and I've no regrets having done so.
August 28, 2012
"It is here, with great reluctance, and a full awareness of how a chronicler should report a story without being the story itself, that one of your professors enters the narrative. Surely the tedious whys and wherefores of how he came to find himself in this particular prison at this particular time have no significant relevance to the greater story and shall thus be ignored."
- Professor Philip Foglio
So, to get the basics out of the way, Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess is the second novelization of Phil and Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius* webcomic series, a series born from a love of pulp, steampunk, comic fiction, and possibly monsters with teeth bigger than their faces. In it, the main character, Agatha Heterodyne survives an airship crash into the terrifying area of an alternate steampunk Transylvania known as "The Wasteland". To get her safely to the city of Mechanicsburg without being eaten by the terrifying monsters or crushed by steam-powered robots, she joins a traveling circus and hopes to have an uneventful time. But soon intrigues and adventure find her, and she is swept up in an adventure involving her lineage, lost princesses, and insane gadgetry.
The book is incredibly well-done, though it suffers from a minor lack of context in the opening pages and occasional typographical errors in the edition I own. The descriptions are fantastically detailed, the sense of humor is frenetic but manages to let the reader catch up, and even the momentary self-insert is played self-deprecatingly for comedy. If you have ever wanted an adventure story that is just straight-out flat-out fun; with engaging characters, a good sense of humor, and a self-aware quality that engages the reader rather than ironically detaching them to poke fun at itself, this is your book. I love it, I thoroughly recommend you should buy it, and then once you've bought it, press it eagerly into your friends' hands with only a meaningful look and the words "read this".
(Complete review at srmbc.blogspot.com)
- Professor Philip Foglio
So, to get the basics out of the way, Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess is the second novelization of Phil and Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius* webcomic series, a series born from a love of pulp, steampunk, comic fiction, and possibly monsters with teeth bigger than their faces. In it, the main character, Agatha Heterodyne survives an airship crash into the terrifying area of an alternate steampunk Transylvania known as "The Wasteland". To get her safely to the city of Mechanicsburg without being eaten by the terrifying monsters or crushed by steam-powered robots, she joins a traveling circus and hopes to have an uneventful time. But soon intrigues and adventure find her, and she is swept up in an adventure involving her lineage, lost princesses, and insane gadgetry.
The book is incredibly well-done, though it suffers from a minor lack of context in the opening pages and occasional typographical errors in the edition I own. The descriptions are fantastically detailed, the sense of humor is frenetic but manages to let the reader catch up, and even the momentary self-insert is played self-deprecatingly for comedy. If you have ever wanted an adventure story that is just straight-out flat-out fun; with engaging characters, a good sense of humor, and a self-aware quality that engages the reader rather than ironically detaching them to poke fun at itself, this is your book. I love it, I thoroughly recommend you should buy it, and then once you've bought it, press it eagerly into your friends' hands with only a meaningful look and the words "read this".
(Complete review at srmbc.blogspot.com)
November 27, 2018
Intrigue! Subterfuge! Circus Folk!
Review to come :)
Review to come :)
December 23, 2022
Reread December 2022
In a steampunk fantasy world, people with the Spark can break (or at least seriously bend) the laws of physics with their inventions. Agatha Heterodyne is strong with the Spark, but unlike many, it hasn't driven her insane. 'Mad' and 'genius' are almost synonymous here. Sparky and sane is a rare combination, which makes Agatha sought after by other Sparks who have power. They either want to use her or kill her. The most powerful is Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, the ostensible ruler of all of Europa (continent, not moon), and, for a while (the first book of the series), he has her aboard his airship capital city. In this book, she escapes and joins a circus.
The first book was fun. This one is better. The characters are more developed and engaging. The prose is better. The story relies less on slapstick. There are even footnotes of almost Pratchett quality! The copy-editing, however, is still weak. It should have had another round of proofreading before going to print. Still, I enjoyed it quite a bit, so I'm bestowing it with one of my rare 5-star ratings. I recommend it to Pratchett readers and to anyone who likes a steampunk adventure with engaging, even admirable, characters. :-)
In a steampunk fantasy world, people with the Spark can break (or at least seriously bend) the laws of physics with their inventions. Agatha Heterodyne is strong with the Spark, but unlike many, it hasn't driven her insane. 'Mad' and 'genius' are almost synonymous here. Sparky and sane is a rare combination, which makes Agatha sought after by other Sparks who have power. They either want to use her or kill her. The most powerful is Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, the ostensible ruler of all of Europa (continent, not moon), and, for a while (the first book of the series), he has her aboard his airship capital city. In this book, she escapes and joins a circus.
The first book was fun. This one is better. The characters are more developed and engaging. The prose is better. The story relies less on slapstick. There are even footnotes of almost Pratchett quality! The copy-editing, however, is still weak. It should have had another round of proofreading before going to print. Still, I enjoyed it quite a bit, so I'm bestowing it with one of my rare 5-star ratings. I recommend it to Pratchett readers and to anyone who likes a steampunk adventure with engaging, even admirable, characters. :-)
January 16, 2022
How is it that a novelization of a graphic novel I'd already read still compelled me at a fast clip through 461 pages? The romance between Agatha and Lars is so sweet and believable. He is a good first love. Sigh.
Things are revealed here that aren't in the GNs. In book one, we learned Dupree's family was mysteriously killed. In this book, we can infer who did it.
Who is the baron's long lost wife? When did Gil learn he was the baron's son? Did Gil and Dupree have an affair in Paris?
Things are revealed here that aren't in the GNs. In book one, we learned Dupree's family was mysteriously killed. In this book, we can infer who did it.
Who is the baron's long lost wife? When did Gil learn he was the baron's son? Did Gil and Dupree have an affair in Paris?
April 8, 2012
Story: B-
Narration: A-
Quick Review:
A fun audio although a surprisingly slow build-up to the climax and an overly large cast of characters sharing page time with Agatha made this book, while still entertaining and worth the listen, a bit of a letdown in comparison to the first audiobook in this series. The narration continues to shine, conveying the colorful and inventive world and strong, often amusing, characterizations with assurance and energy without sliding into caricature.
The Plot:
Book two of the continuing saga of the “Girl Genius” and her steampunk-flavored alternate history finds Agatha on the run for her life. After escaping from the floating citadel of Castle Wulfenbach and its Baron, Agatha Clay (now revealed as the missing Heterodyne heir and daughter of Lucrezia Monfish and Bill Heterodyne) and her companion Krosp, the talking cat, set out on a journey to return to her home in Mechanicsburg. When their stolen dirigible crashes in the Wasteland, they happen upon Master Payne’s Circus of Adventure and after saving the circus from a rampaging mechanical construct, Agatha and Krosp are invited to travel with them as they wind their way towards Mechanicsburg.
Baron Wulfenbach is determined to capture the last of the Heterodynes and he dispatches his son Gilgamesh and the psychotic airship captain Bangladesh DuPree to find her and bring her back. Agatha, with the help of the circus folk, evades capture and soon begins immersing herself in the life of a performer. The circus troupe puts Agatha to work repairing the caravans, an old calliope, and various mechanical devices and she also makes friends with a sword-mistress named Zeetha, who takes Agatha on as a student and is soon running her ragged with training. The fires of a budding romance with the actor Lars are fanned as she takes the stage playing Lucrezia Mongfish opposite his Bill Heterodyne but as they travel on towards Sturmhalten Keep, a danger from Agatha’s past looms before her.
My Thoughts:
This was a good audiobook with a lengthy but cohesive story and it progressed the overall arc of the series significantly. As the novelization of a web-comic series, I was surprised that book one didn’t reflect the episodic nature of that medium. With book two, some of that underpinning becomes apparent. It wasn’t so much that the audiobook was long (many of my favorites are) or that the story was disjointed but rather that the action bounced between the Baron, Gil, and DuPree; Agatha and a detailed group of circus performers; the shady goings-on of Tarvek Sturmvoraus and his sister Anevka at at Sturmhalten Keep; and smaller snippets of time spent with Jägermonsters and the newly introduced Geisterdamen. All of it was interesting but spread the story out too thinly to offer much drama prior to the conclusion of the book. It also had the effect of delaying some significant developments in Agatha’s character until the end, leaving her a very static player for much of the listen.
Although that’s a lot of complaining, I did enjoy this book and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as a follow-up to Agatha H and The Airship City. The cast of characters is amusing and diverse, Baron Klaus Wulfenbach is shown in a new perspective, the circus people are well-constructed supporting characters who demand their own stage time, there are several new people introduced who both complicate Agatha’s life and will likely be significant in future installments, and while not as consistently engaging as book one, it’s still a lot of fun.
The Narration:
The narration by Angela Dawe was excellent and while I generally suggest going audio over text, with this one it’s a particularly strong recommendation. There is a wide cast of characters who are not only easily distinguished by pitch and tone but also by a bewildering variety of accents that Ms. Dawe seems to keep up with effortlessly. The pacing is good although an extra (and distracting) beat of silence occasionally sneaks in but the energy level is high and the dynamic delivery will suck you in to the story. The voices of the Jägermonsters and Bangladesh DuPree are reason enough to seek out the audio version but it’s a strong performance in total.
Narration: A-
Quick Review:
A fun audio although a surprisingly slow build-up to the climax and an overly large cast of characters sharing page time with Agatha made this book, while still entertaining and worth the listen, a bit of a letdown in comparison to the first audiobook in this series. The narration continues to shine, conveying the colorful and inventive world and strong, often amusing, characterizations with assurance and energy without sliding into caricature.
The Plot:
Book two of the continuing saga of the “Girl Genius” and her steampunk-flavored alternate history finds Agatha on the run for her life. After escaping from the floating citadel of Castle Wulfenbach and its Baron, Agatha Clay (now revealed as the missing Heterodyne heir and daughter of Lucrezia Monfish and Bill Heterodyne) and her companion Krosp, the talking cat, set out on a journey to return to her home in Mechanicsburg. When their stolen dirigible crashes in the Wasteland, they happen upon Master Payne’s Circus of Adventure and after saving the circus from a rampaging mechanical construct, Agatha and Krosp are invited to travel with them as they wind their way towards Mechanicsburg.
Baron Wulfenbach is determined to capture the last of the Heterodynes and he dispatches his son Gilgamesh and the psychotic airship captain Bangladesh DuPree to find her and bring her back. Agatha, with the help of the circus folk, evades capture and soon begins immersing herself in the life of a performer. The circus troupe puts Agatha to work repairing the caravans, an old calliope, and various mechanical devices and she also makes friends with a sword-mistress named Zeetha, who takes Agatha on as a student and is soon running her ragged with training. The fires of a budding romance with the actor Lars are fanned as she takes the stage playing Lucrezia Mongfish opposite his Bill Heterodyne but as they travel on towards Sturmhalten Keep, a danger from Agatha’s past looms before her.
My Thoughts:
This was a good audiobook with a lengthy but cohesive story and it progressed the overall arc of the series significantly. As the novelization of a web-comic series, I was surprised that book one didn’t reflect the episodic nature of that medium. With book two, some of that underpinning becomes apparent. It wasn’t so much that the audiobook was long (many of my favorites are) or that the story was disjointed but rather that the action bounced between the Baron, Gil, and DuPree; Agatha and a detailed group of circus performers; the shady goings-on of Tarvek Sturmvoraus and his sister Anevka at at Sturmhalten Keep; and smaller snippets of time spent with Jägermonsters and the newly introduced Geisterdamen. All of it was interesting but spread the story out too thinly to offer much drama prior to the conclusion of the book. It also had the effect of delaying some significant developments in Agatha’s character until the end, leaving her a very static player for much of the listen.
Although that’s a lot of complaining, I did enjoy this book and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as a follow-up to Agatha H and The Airship City. The cast of characters is amusing and diverse, Baron Klaus Wulfenbach is shown in a new perspective, the circus people are well-constructed supporting characters who demand their own stage time, there are several new people introduced who both complicate Agatha’s life and will likely be significant in future installments, and while not as consistently engaging as book one, it’s still a lot of fun.
The Narration:
The narration by Angela Dawe was excellent and while I generally suggest going audio over text, with this one it’s a particularly strong recommendation. There is a wide cast of characters who are not only easily distinguished by pitch and tone but also by a bewildering variety of accents that Ms. Dawe seems to keep up with effortlessly. The pacing is good although an extra (and distracting) beat of silence occasionally sneaks in but the energy level is high and the dynamic delivery will suck you in to the story. The voices of the Jägermonsters and Bangladesh DuPree are reason enough to seek out the audio version but it’s a strong performance in total.
April 17, 2012
The novelisation of volumes 4-6 in the Girl Genius webcomic series, in which Agatha, having been revealed as the long-lost heir to the (in)famous Heterodyne family, is on the run from Baron Wulfenbach and takes refuge with a travelling circus. Slower-moving than the first novel, Agatha H and the Airship City, and without quite the same tight focus, this is nevertheless a very enjoyable book, with all the delightful wit and magic you expect from the Foglios. The authors use the much greater length of this book to further expand their steampunky universe (as a Pratchett fan, I thoroughly approve of the use of footnotes here! They're sometimes wry, sometimes genuinely informative, and always interesting), giving us tantalising snippets of backstory, introducing a heap of new characters and taking the extra time to provide some new depths to them not possible in the webcomic (e.g. the exploration of Zeetha's state of mind at the beginning of the story, and how having independent confirmation of her origins gives her a renewed sense of purpose). Dramatic revelations abound, and the climax of the story is a real humdinger. Most importantly, this is a crucial transitional stage for Agatha, who gets breathing room to experience new things (such as a burgeoning friendship with Zeetha and a blossoming romance with hunky circus performer Lars). Indeed, a much larger portion of the story is devoted to the latter than in the webcomic (initially somewhat to my surprise, as I wouldn't have called it more than a crush there), but I think it's part of the overarching theme of letting her experience as much "normality" as possible (as normal as one can get in a universe ruled by Mad Science) and allowing her to consider new possibilities, while at the same time firming up her sense of self and preparing her for her destiny as a Heterodyne.
It's not perfect, of course - at times it's probably too leisurely, and I'd say that too much time is spent on the travelling with the Circus crew portions of the story (much as I enjoy them) somewhat to the detriment of the more crucial Sturmhalten parts of the narrative - indeed, I'd go so far to say that they probably should have picked "Circus of Dreams" for the title rather than "Clockwork Princess", as there's a lot more Circus than there is Anevka! There are also far too many repetitive instances of characters rolling their eyes which should have edited down, and while you expect a few little typos in any first edition, there are some really noticeable misspellings of character names (General Khirzan? Sturmvarous?!) that leap out. But these are minor faults, when all is said and done. I really do love how woman-centric this series is - unlike almost every other SFF story out there, its default setting for characters is much more likely to be female than male, and thus we're treated to women who are mad scientists, pirate-queens-cum-airship-captains/homicidal-maniacs (Bangladesh Dupree truly threatens to steal the show at times), mechanics, warriors, animal trainers, vampyre hunters, androids and villains. I want more stories like this! (And now I'm dying to read the next book in the series - the Mechanicsburg section is my favourite part of Girl Genius so far…)
Finally, if you get a chance to listen to the audiobook version, by all means do so - narrator Angela Dawe does an amazing job with all the different voices.
It's not perfect, of course - at times it's probably too leisurely, and I'd say that too much time is spent on the travelling with the Circus crew portions of the story (much as I enjoy them) somewhat to the detriment of the more crucial Sturmhalten parts of the narrative - indeed, I'd go so far to say that they probably should have picked "Circus of Dreams" for the title rather than "Clockwork Princess", as there's a lot more Circus than there is Anevka! There are also far too many repetitive instances of characters rolling their eyes which should have edited down, and while you expect a few little typos in any first edition, there are some really noticeable misspellings of character names (General Khirzan? Sturmvarous?!) that leap out. But these are minor faults, when all is said and done. I really do love how woman-centric this series is - unlike almost every other SFF story out there, its default setting for characters is much more likely to be female than male, and thus we're treated to women who are mad scientists, pirate-queens-cum-airship-captains/homicidal-maniacs (Bangladesh Dupree truly threatens to steal the show at times), mechanics, warriors, animal trainers, vampyre hunters, androids and villains. I want more stories like this! (And now I'm dying to read the next book in the series - the Mechanicsburg section is my favourite part of Girl Genius so far…)
Finally, if you get a chance to listen to the audiobook version, by all means do so - narrator Angela Dawe does an amazing job with all the different voices.
July 8, 2016
Agatha has escaped the clutches of Baron Wulfenbach, although staying free might prove to be a bit more troublesome. Thanks to a circus that performs Heterodyne plays, though, she's found a good place to hide. Circus life suits her more than she expected, but her ultimate goal remains Mechanicsburg, former home of the Heterodyne family. She isn't sure what waits for her there, but plenty of forces are eager to stop her from finding out . . .
Really, the Mad Science is the best reason to read these books. Whether it's the variety of weird and hysterical creations to the things Agatha can do with a circus (given plenty of time and raw material), there's always something new around every corner. I love the worldbuilding. The Sparks start semi-normal and go all the way to totally insane---is it any wonder Gil lists "mostly sane" as a criteria for a possible wife?
The humor is also excellent. A few of my favorite quotes below, because they speak for themselves.
[Krosp asking Agatha why she didn't run out to Gil]
"Why do you think? Because it would've been hugely stupid."
The cat waited for Agatha to continue, but there didn't seem to be any more forthcoming. "That's it?"
Agatha nodded glumly. "Well, yes. Isn't that enough?"
Krosp's tail lashed a few times. "In my experience, that doesn't seem to stop most people."
[To Zeetha]
"Oh wait," Agatha said, "let me guess. This was where I was supposed to insist you let me wield a Quata'ara, even though you, my Kolee, have told me I'm not ready. Possibly I'm supposed to harbor some day-dream that I have a magical affinity for these swords, which will allow me to side-step all this tedious training.
"No doubt this would have led to some hilarious, but painful lesson reaffirming that I am, in fact, not yet ready to touch the swords. I'll skip that, if I may."
[To Master Payne]
"People keep giving me rings," she confided to him, "But I think a small death ray might be more practical."
Really, the only part of this I didn't care for was the purpose of the lightning chair. That particular plot twist really annoyed me, and since the aftermath is going to be unfolding for a long time out, it's something I'll just have to put up with. There's also the fact that Agatha continues to find herself in situations where her modesty is compromised, and it's a shame to see some of the humor continues to revolve around un- or under-dressing her.
All in all this is a great continuation of the series. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
Really, the Mad Science is the best reason to read these books. Whether it's the variety of weird and hysterical creations to the things Agatha can do with a circus (given plenty of time and raw material), there's always something new around every corner. I love the worldbuilding. The Sparks start semi-normal and go all the way to totally insane---is it any wonder Gil lists "mostly sane" as a criteria for a possible wife?
The humor is also excellent. A few of my favorite quotes below, because they speak for themselves.
[Krosp asking Agatha why she didn't run out to Gil]
"Why do you think? Because it would've been hugely stupid."
The cat waited for Agatha to continue, but there didn't seem to be any more forthcoming. "That's it?"
Agatha nodded glumly. "Well, yes. Isn't that enough?"
Krosp's tail lashed a few times. "In my experience, that doesn't seem to stop most people."
[To Zeetha]
"Oh wait," Agatha said, "let me guess. This was where I was supposed to insist you let me wield a Quata'ara, even though you, my Kolee, have told me I'm not ready. Possibly I'm supposed to harbor some day-dream that I have a magical affinity for these swords, which will allow me to side-step all this tedious training.
"No doubt this would have led to some hilarious, but painful lesson reaffirming that I am, in fact, not yet ready to touch the swords. I'll skip that, if I may."
[To Master Payne]
"People keep giving me rings," she confided to him, "But I think a small death ray might be more practical."
Really, the only part of this I didn't care for was the purpose of the lightning chair. That particular plot twist really annoyed me, and since the aftermath is going to be unfolding for a long time out, it's something I'll just have to put up with. There's also the fact that Agatha continues to find herself in situations where her modesty is compromised, and it's a shame to see some of the humor continues to revolve around un- or under-dressing her.
All in all this is a great continuation of the series. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
April 7, 2016
What a disappointment
2.5 stars
Note: this review is for the audiobook edition
Now, I know that the first book in this series wasn't perfect by any means. However, I found it to be an entertaining jaunt. I figured it's sequel would be much the same. Unfortunately, it seems I was completely off base with that prediction. Clockwork Princess pretty much took all of the things in the first book that I liked (The entertaining and/or interesting cast of characters, comedy, a love interest who doesn't make me want to gouge my ears out, a tolerable main character etc.) and threw it all out the window. Instead we get a cast of carnival folk who are neither entertaining as a group, nor interesting on an individual basis, and a boring love interest who is clearly set up not to be the main lasting one because he's just too... well... boring. And, also, they have nothing in common. (Seriously, what's the point of bothering with a love triangle if you're not going to attempt to make the hypotenuse a feasible choice for either the reader or the character.) This group of characters spent, like, ten hours being dull and not quite interchangeable but still too numerous and unimportant for me to feel invested in, without actually furthering the plot much, while Agatha develops a bad case of Special Snowflake Syndrome.
The plot finally shows up in like the last 6-8 hours hours of the audiobook. However, I've already trudged through 10+ and so I can't bring myself to care at this point. Plus it's as a result of a ridiculous turn of events that would have been fine if this book had retained the silly, fun tone of the first book. However, it did not, and so just came off as stupid. Also, more Agatha is special and another idiot in love with her barf. The very last clash is probably the only truly entertaining section of the book, but it comes to little too late and is not really worth it.
On a positive note, the narrator was lovely, though I feel she did better in the first book. It was obvious that she was running out of distinct voices for the vast, mostly useless cast of this one. The jaegermonsters were, as always, entertaining, and the only new folks I actually liked. Krosp was still great, though not actually integral to the plot, unfortunately. And the footnotes were a nice touch that often held stuff more interesting then the actual story.
All in all, not one I'll ever touch again. Should have been 6 hours shorter.
2.5 stars
Note: this review is for the audiobook edition
Now, I know that the first book in this series wasn't perfect by any means. However, I found it to be an entertaining jaunt. I figured it's sequel would be much the same. Unfortunately, it seems I was completely off base with that prediction. Clockwork Princess pretty much took all of the things in the first book that I liked (The entertaining and/or interesting cast of characters, comedy, a love interest who doesn't make me want to gouge my ears out, a tolerable main character etc.) and threw it all out the window. Instead we get a cast of carnival folk who are neither entertaining as a group, nor interesting on an individual basis, and a boring love interest who is clearly set up not to be the main lasting one because he's just too... well... boring. And, also, they have nothing in common. (Seriously, what's the point of bothering with a love triangle if you're not going to attempt to make the hypotenuse a feasible choice for either the reader or the character.) This group of characters spent, like, ten hours being dull and not quite interchangeable but still too numerous and unimportant for me to feel invested in, without actually furthering the plot much, while Agatha develops a bad case of Special Snowflake Syndrome.
The plot finally shows up in like the last 6-8 hours hours of the audiobook. However, I've already trudged through 10+ and so I can't bring myself to care at this point. Plus it's as a result of a ridiculous turn of events that would have been fine if this book had retained the silly, fun tone of the first book. However, it did not, and so just came off as stupid. Also, more Agatha is special and another idiot in love with her barf. The very last clash is probably the only truly entertaining section of the book, but it comes to little too late and is not really worth it.
On a positive note, the narrator was lovely, though I feel she did better in the first book. It was obvious that she was running out of distinct voices for the vast, mostly useless cast of this one. The jaegermonsters were, as always, entertaining, and the only new folks I actually liked. Krosp was still great, though not actually integral to the plot, unfortunately. And the footnotes were a nice touch that often held stuff more interesting then the actual story.
All in all, not one I'll ever touch again. Should have been 6 hours shorter.
March 13, 2015
The Foglios have taken their brilliant webcomic and successfully translated it to a rollicking-good-fun novel. Three of them, and more coming. Agatha, the young Spark who discovers her true identity in the first novel, appears in the Clockwork Princess as a damsel on the run, but not distressed in the slightest. When she falls in with a traveling circus, she loses herself in her work, repairing the elderly machinery they use for transport and other tasks. Along the way she bonds with the strange warrior princess Zeetha, and discovers new depths to her faithful cat companion, Krosp.
I won't get into details, I hate to spoil it. Basically, I love the characters, the absurdity of the clanks and the setting, and the whole tangled mess Agatha makes of her budding relationships. I really like that the authors keep her practical and grounded when it comes to those - feelings are interesting, but saving her world comes first, and any way, she wants a man who would build her a really good death ray.
Lines that made me chortle:
An injured character insists that Agatha remain with him, "Because she's got a great big monster-killing gun!'" he exclaimed. "And I want it, and her, right here!"
Agatha's comment on romance. "People keep giving me rings," she confided in him. "But I think a small death ray might be more practical."
Now that I have assured you this is well worth reading, here's the bad news. Unless, like me, you can catch the Kindle version on sale, don't bother with the ebook. It's ridiculously priced, especially for a book with proof-checking issues. I'd bought it in hardback as well, for my Junior Mad Scientist, who loved the first one and is looking forward to these.
I won't get into details, I hate to spoil it. Basically, I love the characters, the absurdity of the clanks and the setting, and the whole tangled mess Agatha makes of her budding relationships. I really like that the authors keep her practical and grounded when it comes to those - feelings are interesting, but saving her world comes first, and any way, she wants a man who would build her a really good death ray.
Lines that made me chortle:
An injured character insists that Agatha remain with him, "Because she's got a great big monster-killing gun!'" he exclaimed. "And I want it, and her, right here!"
Agatha's comment on romance. "People keep giving me rings," she confided in him. "But I think a small death ray might be more practical."
Now that I have assured you this is well worth reading, here's the bad news. Unless, like me, you can catch the Kindle version on sale, don't bother with the ebook. It's ridiculously priced, especially for a book with proof-checking issues. I'd bought it in hardback as well, for my Junior Mad Scientist, who loved the first one and is looking forward to these.
February 16, 2014
I always like when I get a book and it's nice and thick. There was a lot going on in this book, especially at the end with the double-crosses, fake double-crosses, triple-crosses, what-have-you that it was kind of hard to figure out what was going on, and who was on what side.
As I read I couldn't help but think that the plot and main characters would really shine, and make for a really good story, if the background clutter was cleaned up and didn't overwhelm them.
High points: Krosp, Emperor of All Cats, of course. The circus in general. Zeetha and her nose "Beep". Agatha's drawings that so disturbed Krops, with the screaming faces and fleeing villagers. The little clanks that then went about implementing her plans without anybody noticing and without Agatha noticing at first either. And the end "Showtime" reveal.
Low point: Shameless and purposeless author self-insertion that totally pulled you out of the story. I just think that if you're going to insert yourself into your story it needs to serve some purpose in furthering the plot, and not last too long.
As I read I couldn't help but think that the plot and main characters would really shine, and make for a really good story, if the background clutter was cleaned up and didn't overwhelm them.
High points: Krosp, Emperor of All Cats, of course. The circus in general. Zeetha and her nose "Beep". Agatha's drawings that so disturbed Krops, with the screaming faces and fleeing villagers. The little clanks that then went about implementing her plans without anybody noticing and without Agatha noticing at first either. And the end "Showtime" reveal.
Low point: Shameless and purposeless author self-insertion that totally pulled you out of the story. I just think that if you're going to insert yourself into your story it needs to serve some purpose in furthering the plot, and not last too long.
May 30, 2023
The 2nd, much longer, installment in the Girl Genius comic novelization... this is one of them series where the 2nd book introduces a ton of new characters instead of reusing many from the first book... but I enjoyed so many of these characters, so all is good...
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite steampunk series... the only problem is how few books there are...
EDIT: 3rd readthrough, and this is one of my fave steampunk series, hands down... only thing on par would be Gail Carriger's Finishing School... Etiquette & Espionage
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite steampunk series... the only problem is how few books there are...
EDIT: 3rd readthrough, and this is one of my fave steampunk series, hands down... only thing on par would be Gail Carriger's Finishing School... Etiquette & Espionage
April 29, 2012
The second novelisation of the Girl Genius webcomic, this is equally as entertaining as the first. While they naturally follow the same plot as the webcomic, the novels bring more character insights, along with added details and backstory. Great fun, and a highly enjoyable read. If you like your steampunk (or gaslamp fantasy, if you prefer) with lots of adventure, strange creatures and mad science, then this is for you. And there's a circus, too!
January 21, 2018
I'm a fan of the Girl Genius comics and I have to say that I like the novelizations better. It has the same humor as the comics (so if you don't like those you won't like these) but in the novel format the story has a chance to breathe a bit.
April 24, 2016
I love this series! I keep guessing what's going to happen and I'm always delightfully wrong!
June 13, 2018
The secret’s out: Agatha Clay, inventor of modest skill, has been exposed as Agatha Heterodyne, daughter of the last of the Heterodynes – the family responsible for Europa’s great civil war. Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, keeper of the Peace of Transylvania, has sworn to hunt her down and annihilate the Heterodyne threat – but Agatha H has escaped, seemingly disappeared into the Badlands to live, to threaten, to endanger the fragile world that is Europa, in this rollicking alt-history, weird science, dangerous critter adventure somewhere in central Europa.
Agatha just wants to get home; the circus she finishes up travelling with just want to put on entertainments – including the ever-popular Heterodyne plays about Agatha’s parents and uncle, the Heterodyne Boys who redeem the family name (a bit). Along the way we meet a trio of Jägermonsters, some wicked Geisterdamens, an ever-so-psychotic automaton, a totally psychotic evil ruler from another dimension and a pirate queen turned military leader, a talking cat – and some damned fine technology.
Picking up where the first in the series left off, we meet Agatha and said talking cat (Krosp) unsuccessfully trying to keep their airship in the air. The result is a crash which leads to circus adventures, wander for a summer season through the Badlands, entertaining the locals, making the most of fairs, warding off some the less successful attempts at automaton building and genetic research (conceivably but not actually part of the same thing) and finding romance – perhaps a little too much romance for a potential evil genius about to bring the world to its end, if that’s what Agatha is.
This series started out as a comic book, and there are elements of comic book humour and excess that have carried over, not that we need to know that to enjoy this rollicking adventure that takes in the skies and the sewers, unintended heroes and warrior excess, demons, poisonous pillows and creatures of unknown provenance determined to take out the circus – and that’s all without the forces (there are several) trying to take down Agatha. Undemanding, fast, funny and most of all extremely good fun – Agatha H’s adventures are growing on me. Time to hunt out #3.
Agatha just wants to get home; the circus she finishes up travelling with just want to put on entertainments – including the ever-popular Heterodyne plays about Agatha’s parents and uncle, the Heterodyne Boys who redeem the family name (a bit). Along the way we meet a trio of Jägermonsters, some wicked Geisterdamens, an ever-so-psychotic automaton, a totally psychotic evil ruler from another dimension and a pirate queen turned military leader, a talking cat – and some damned fine technology.
Picking up where the first in the series left off, we meet Agatha and said talking cat (Krosp) unsuccessfully trying to keep their airship in the air. The result is a crash which leads to circus adventures, wander for a summer season through the Badlands, entertaining the locals, making the most of fairs, warding off some the less successful attempts at automaton building and genetic research (conceivably but not actually part of the same thing) and finding romance – perhaps a little too much romance for a potential evil genius about to bring the world to its end, if that’s what Agatha is.
This series started out as a comic book, and there are elements of comic book humour and excess that have carried over, not that we need to know that to enjoy this rollicking adventure that takes in the skies and the sewers, unintended heroes and warrior excess, demons, poisonous pillows and creatures of unknown provenance determined to take out the circus – and that’s all without the forces (there are several) trying to take down Agatha. Undemanding, fast, funny and most of all extremely good fun – Agatha H’s adventures are growing on me. Time to hunt out #3.
November 28, 2016
Good:
I really enjoyed the plot of this story. Travelling with a circus is the perfect way to travel under cover. She acts a bit weird?? Well that's because she's part of a circus! The characters in the circus was fun and interesting. I liked Zeetha and Agatha's relationship. There was a mutual respect between the to.
I think my favorite part was taking tropes and turning them on their head. When Zeetha and Agatha were training, Agatha listened to her Kole (aka Zeetha) when she said she wasn't ready to train with the sword. Many other series (including my favorite) would have the protagonist argue about how they were ready for the sword when in reality they were not. Another example is Agatha NOT running out to Gilgamesh when she saw him and he thought she was dead.
Needs Improvement: Way way way too plot twisty. When she was at Sturmhalten castle I had difficulties following whom was backstabbing whom.
I'm getting annoyed with all the romantic interests. It's only be ~3 months since she left Beetleburg (with no romance to speak of there) and all of a sudden there are 3 romantic interests. All 3 instantly felt drawn to her.. I don't know if it's because she's a Heterodyne or if it's because shes one of the few female sparks, but it's getting old.
I really enjoyed the plot of this story. Travelling with a circus is the perfect way to travel under cover. She acts a bit weird?? Well that's because she's part of a circus! The characters in the circus was fun and interesting. I liked Zeetha and Agatha's relationship. There was a mutual respect between the to.
I think my favorite part was taking tropes and turning them on their head. When Zeetha and Agatha were training, Agatha listened to her Kole (aka Zeetha) when she said she wasn't ready to train with the sword. Many other series (including my favorite) would have the protagonist argue about how they were ready for the sword when in reality they were not. Another example is Agatha NOT running out to Gilgamesh when she saw him and he thought she was dead.
Needs Improvement: Way way way too plot twisty. When she was at Sturmhalten castle I had difficulties following whom was backstabbing whom.
I'm getting annoyed with all the romantic interests. It's only be ~3 months since she left Beetleburg (with no romance to speak of there) and all of a sudden there are 3 romantic interests. All 3 instantly felt drawn to her.. I don't know if it's because she's a Heterodyne or if it's because shes one of the few female sparks, but it's getting old.
March 22, 2017
The second book in the Girl Genius Novelization ''series''.
These books are inspired by the Girl Genius webcomic, and is rather close to the story as well.
I've read the webcomic a few times, and therefor I knew what was going to happen in this book.
That may be why I didn't like it as much as I liked the first book.
The writing is still rather good, fast paced and flowing in this book, although there were a few places where I reacted on the ''telling'' way it was written, like notes.
This ruined some of the flow, and made it so I was rather detached from the experience of the characters.
Then there is the story, and here comes my problem of knowing beforehand what is going to happen.
I'm not the biggest fan of drama and misunderstandings for the sake of drama, and there are a lot of them in this book.
Knowing this was going to happen kind of sucked the joy out of it for me...
Also while there are Jägerkin, there isn't as much of it as in the first book, and I think everything could do with some more Jägermonsters!
These books are inspired by the Girl Genius webcomic, and is rather close to the story as well.
I've read the webcomic a few times, and therefor I knew what was going to happen in this book.
That may be why I didn't like it as much as I liked the first book.
The writing is still rather good, fast paced and flowing in this book, although there were a few places where I reacted on the ''telling'' way it was written, like notes.
This ruined some of the flow, and made it so I was rather detached from the experience of the characters.
Then there is the story, and here comes my problem of knowing beforehand what is going to happen.
I'm not the biggest fan of drama and misunderstandings for the sake of drama, and there are a lot of them in this book.
Knowing this was going to happen kind of sucked the joy out of it for me...
Also while there are Jägerkin, there isn't as much of it as in the first book, and I think everything could do with some more Jägermonsters!
April 19, 2020
Absolutely stunning, both wacky and full of heart. It's like reading a comedic penny-dreadful.
This one did something stylistically which the first book didn't: footnotes. It also introduced the author as a character in his own tale. Both served to make the story seem more like historical-fiction than straight fiction, pulling you further into this lovable, creative, silly world.
I cannot wait to read the next book ^_^!
This one did something stylistically which the first book didn't: footnotes. It also introduced the author as a character in his own tale. Both served to make the story seem more like historical-fiction than straight fiction, pulling you further into this lovable, creative, silly world.
I cannot wait to read the next book ^_^!
September 28, 2020
Too long, too many groups of people to try to keep track of, and a difficult time trying to decide who was a bad guy. I mean I know that's a thing, but it was a bit too convoluted. And I don't even know where the title came from.
Note: some of my dislike may be because I had to listen at normal speed; I'm in the habit of listening at about 1.5 speed, so this felt a little like everyone was talking in slow motion.
Note: some of my dislike may be because I had to listen at normal speed; I'm in the habit of listening at about 1.5 speed, so this felt a little like everyone was talking in slow motion.
May 10, 2017
From start to finish I loved this book and was caught up a lot in the story and its characters from the first book and loved the little additions at the bottom of the page going further behind the plot of the story, this was a real page turner that was hard to put down and can't wait for more in this series.
July 6, 2017
Have I said that you must buy this book? I was wrong. You must put a copy of this series in every library on this planet instead. Trust me, it is that good. A very fascinating universe awaits those who dare plunder this peculiar fantasy. The format of the book is slightly different from the first volume with the addition of hilarious background information in the footnotes.
July 9, 2017
A small bit of heartache happened, and was got over. And people losing limbs and dying, but not in a terrible way, more like a we-saw-this-coming-so-we-can't-really-be-sad-about-it kind of way. I really can't wait for the next installment. This just might have the requisite qualities for a modern day epic. ;)
July 28, 2023
As far as I can tell, this is mostly a transcription of the comics. The rhythm of the dialogue is often based on the comics, so I think I will stick with the comics from now on.
This book has helped me to look up new words and this is the only steampunk I read.
I'm really interested in the circus and Agatha finding a place there.
This book has helped me to look up new words and this is the only steampunk I read.
I'm really interested in the circus and Agatha finding a place there.
March 13, 2018
This series is an absolute pleasure to read! The characters are unique and interesting, the dialogue is witty and engaging, the plot fast-paced and exciting. Everything I could ask for with the added bonuses of steampunk creatures and mad scientists!
April 22, 2018
Novel covering the events of the "Clockwork Princess" & "Golden Trilobite" graphic novels. It's a bit racier than the graphic novels, and there are minor differences, but they're pretty much the same. I think I prefer the graphic novels, but it's pretty close.
June 24, 2018
With the addition of copious irreverent footnotes reminiscent of the Bartimaeus demon series, this book is even better than the first. the climactic last portion of the novel was a bit frenetic for my tastes, but it's all still a treasure.
August 5, 2018
This second book in this series was far more enjoyable to me than the first. I laughed out loud many times, enjoyed the plot and the characters, and truly appreciated the writing style. The comical footnotes were also a great addition!
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