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Daniel Quare #1
The Emperor of all Things
Tempus Rerum Time, Emperor of All Things
1758. England is embroiled in a globe-spanning conflict that stretches from her North American colonies to Europe and beyond. Across the Channel, the French prepare for an invasion ― an invasion rumored to be led by none other than Bonnie Prince Charlie. It seems the map of Europe is about to be redrawn. Yet behind these dramatic scenes, another war is raging - a war that will determine not just the fate of nations but of humanity itself...
Daniel Quare is a journeyman in an ancient guild, The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. He is also a Regulator, part of an elite network within the guild devoted to searching out and claiming for England's exclusive use any horological innovation that could give them an upperhand, whether in business or in war.
Just such a mission has brought Quare to the London townhouse of eccentric collector, Lord Wichcote. He seeks a pocket watch rumoured to possess seemingly impossible properties that are more to do with magic than with any science familiar to Quare or to his superiors. And the strange
timepiece has attracted the attention of others as the mysterious masked thief known only as Grimalkin, and a deadly French spy who stop at nothing to bring the prize back to his masters. Soon Quare finds himself on a dangerous trail of intrigue and murder that leads far from the world he knows into an otherwhere of dragons and demigods, in which nothing is as it seems . . . time least of all.
1758. England is embroiled in a globe-spanning conflict that stretches from her North American colonies to Europe and beyond. Across the Channel, the French prepare for an invasion ― an invasion rumored to be led by none other than Bonnie Prince Charlie. It seems the map of Europe is about to be redrawn. Yet behind these dramatic scenes, another war is raging - a war that will determine not just the fate of nations but of humanity itself...
Daniel Quare is a journeyman in an ancient guild, The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. He is also a Regulator, part of an elite network within the guild devoted to searching out and claiming for England's exclusive use any horological innovation that could give them an upperhand, whether in business or in war.
Just such a mission has brought Quare to the London townhouse of eccentric collector, Lord Wichcote. He seeks a pocket watch rumoured to possess seemingly impossible properties that are more to do with magic than with any science familiar to Quare or to his superiors. And the strange
timepiece has attracted the attention of others as the mysterious masked thief known only as Grimalkin, and a deadly French spy who stop at nothing to bring the prize back to his masters. Soon Quare finds himself on a dangerous trail of intrigue and murder that leads far from the world he knows into an otherwhere of dragons and demigods, in which nothing is as it seems . . . time least of all.
576 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2013
9 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
Paul Witcover
93 books36 followersThe author of Waking Beauty, Paul Witcover has also written a biography of Zora Neale Hurston and numerous short stories. He is the co-creator, with Elizabeth Hand, of the cult comic book series Anima and has served as the curator of the New York Review of Science Fiction reading series. His work has also appeared on HBO. He lives and writes in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 3, 2013
From the book: ‘1758. England is embroiled in a globe-spanning conflict that stretches from her North American colonies to Europe and beyond. Across the Channel, the French prepare for an invasion - an invasion rumored to be led by none other than Bonnie Prince Charlie. It seems the map of Europe is about to be redrawn. Yet behind these dramatic scenes, another war is raging - a war that will determine not just the fate of nations but of humanity itself...
Daniel Quare is a journeyman in an ancient guild, The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. He is also a Regulator, part of an elite network within the guild devoted to searching out and claiming for England's exclusive use any horological innovation that could give them an upper hand, whether in business or in war.
Just such a mission has brought Quare to the London townhouse of eccentric collector, Lord Wichcote. He seeks a pocket watch rumoured to possess seemingly impossible properties that are more to do with magic than with any science familiar to Quare or to his superiors. And the strange timepiece has attracted the attention of others as well: the mysterious masked thief known only as Grimalkin, and a deadly French spy who stop at nothing to bring the prize back to his masters. Soon Quare finds himself on a dangerous trail of intrigue and murder that leads far from the world he knows into an otherwhere of dragons and demigods, in which nothing is as it seems . . . time least of all. Tempus Rerum Imperator: Time, Emperor of All Things.’
Paul’s novel is an excitingly and brilliantly realised, poetically written tale of magic, subterfuge and intrigue. Not to mention clocks.
It is a book of three parts. The first is, as the description above might suggest, an exciting trip through eighteen century London, full of spies and competing secret societies.
The characters themselves are rather Dickensian in their tone, mannerisms and attributes, with aspects that are both recognisable and yet distinct. Quare finds himself ensnared as a journeyman in the bureaucratic mechanisms of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, with him manoeuvring around the opposing demands of Grandmaster Thaddeus Wolfe and Quare’s mentor, Theophilus Magnus. We have honourable heroes and strong female characters that we can root for, villains that we can easily dislike, and an exhilarating plot that dashes from exciting place to thrilling locale, from places that seem to be straight out of history to places that seem out of fantasyland. The places visited are full of atmosphere and vibrant imagery that make the characters feel that they’re in a fully functioning world.
It is quite an energetic development.
The second part is, to my mind, less successful. Here the tale changes from third person perspective to first person, as Lord Wichcote relates the tale of what happened to him in an almost Lost Horizon scenario*. Whilst searching for further evidence of unusual timepieces, like the strange hunter pocket watch described already, he finds himself stranded in the Alpine village of Marchen, in Winter, cut off from the rest of the world. The village is peopled with some very unusual characters, but strangest of all things is a clock tower in the middle of the village square, named Wachter’s Folly. Wichcote’s examination of the tower leads to some very strange goings on, with the clock’s timings seemingly at random and its mechanisms most unusual.
By the end of this section we have a tale of love, sex and horology, which seemed rather at odds to me from the first part. It must be said that the tale is not superfluous, and there are major revelations to Wichcote (aka Longinus) in this section and a realisation by him that perhaps love rules all, even time. The clock and some of the people in the village are much more than they initially seem.
Whilst this section of the tale is undoubtedly entertaining, it worked less well for me. There are some rather discontinuous events here that sit oddly with what has gone before. The fast paced actions Quare the super-agent in the first section is disconcertedly replaced by a rather more humorous (some might say buffoon-like) performance from Wichcote in the second. Whilst the setting was imaginatively presented, things become increasingly unreal, and bizarre. I did find that the oft-repeated erotic ‘reaction’ to being near other-worldly presences was rather superfluous and unnecessary. There is romance here, which is predictable, yet not too cloying. It must be said that the story at this point, for all its meandering, does serve a purpose to the tale.
The third section returns to the espionage activities of Quare, who, now knowing the major revelation of the novel in Part Two, has to deal with multiverses, vampyrric timepieces and dragons. I found a certain amusement at reading about troglodytian dwellers below London referred to as ‘Morecockneyans’ (because they’re ‘more than Cockneys’, see?) and wondered if Mike knows! Things move to a resolution of sorts, although a reader looking for a simple all-encompassing ending will be disappointed. The conflict between England and France, barely mentioned until this point, reappears with a flourish and seems to be of more important in the next book.
Although there are parts I was less enamoured with, I really liked this one in the end. It’s a book with great imagination, a joy of language, and with an interesting take on a well-realised fantasy world.
Literate, intelligent and generally entertaining, this one receives my recommendation.
*Lost Horizon, a book by James Hilton (and a 1937 film of the same name) depicts a group of travellers stranded in the Himalayas, who whilst there discover the lost fabled land of Shangri-La hidden in the mountains.
Daniel Quare is a journeyman in an ancient guild, The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. He is also a Regulator, part of an elite network within the guild devoted to searching out and claiming for England's exclusive use any horological innovation that could give them an upper hand, whether in business or in war.
Just such a mission has brought Quare to the London townhouse of eccentric collector, Lord Wichcote. He seeks a pocket watch rumoured to possess seemingly impossible properties that are more to do with magic than with any science familiar to Quare or to his superiors. And the strange timepiece has attracted the attention of others as well: the mysterious masked thief known only as Grimalkin, and a deadly French spy who stop at nothing to bring the prize back to his masters. Soon Quare finds himself on a dangerous trail of intrigue and murder that leads far from the world he knows into an otherwhere of dragons and demigods, in which nothing is as it seems . . . time least of all. Tempus Rerum Imperator: Time, Emperor of All Things.’
Paul’s novel is an excitingly and brilliantly realised, poetically written tale of magic, subterfuge and intrigue. Not to mention clocks.
It is a book of three parts. The first is, as the description above might suggest, an exciting trip through eighteen century London, full of spies and competing secret societies.
The characters themselves are rather Dickensian in their tone, mannerisms and attributes, with aspects that are both recognisable and yet distinct. Quare finds himself ensnared as a journeyman in the bureaucratic mechanisms of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, with him manoeuvring around the opposing demands of Grandmaster Thaddeus Wolfe and Quare’s mentor, Theophilus Magnus. We have honourable heroes and strong female characters that we can root for, villains that we can easily dislike, and an exhilarating plot that dashes from exciting place to thrilling locale, from places that seem to be straight out of history to places that seem out of fantasyland. The places visited are full of atmosphere and vibrant imagery that make the characters feel that they’re in a fully functioning world.
It is quite an energetic development.
The second part is, to my mind, less successful. Here the tale changes from third person perspective to first person, as Lord Wichcote relates the tale of what happened to him in an almost Lost Horizon scenario*. Whilst searching for further evidence of unusual timepieces, like the strange hunter pocket watch described already, he finds himself stranded in the Alpine village of Marchen, in Winter, cut off from the rest of the world. The village is peopled with some very unusual characters, but strangest of all things is a clock tower in the middle of the village square, named Wachter’s Folly. Wichcote’s examination of the tower leads to some very strange goings on, with the clock’s timings seemingly at random and its mechanisms most unusual.
By the end of this section we have a tale of love, sex and horology, which seemed rather at odds to me from the first part. It must be said that the tale is not superfluous, and there are major revelations to Wichcote (aka Longinus) in this section and a realisation by him that perhaps love rules all, even time. The clock and some of the people in the village are much more than they initially seem.
Whilst this section of the tale is undoubtedly entertaining, it worked less well for me. There are some rather discontinuous events here that sit oddly with what has gone before. The fast paced actions Quare the super-agent in the first section is disconcertedly replaced by a rather more humorous (some might say buffoon-like) performance from Wichcote in the second. Whilst the setting was imaginatively presented, things become increasingly unreal, and bizarre. I did find that the oft-repeated erotic ‘reaction’ to being near other-worldly presences was rather superfluous and unnecessary. There is romance here, which is predictable, yet not too cloying. It must be said that the story at this point, for all its meandering, does serve a purpose to the tale.
The third section returns to the espionage activities of Quare, who, now knowing the major revelation of the novel in Part Two, has to deal with multiverses, vampyrric timepieces and dragons. I found a certain amusement at reading about troglodytian dwellers below London referred to as ‘Morecockneyans’ (because they’re ‘more than Cockneys’, see?) and wondered if Mike knows! Things move to a resolution of sorts, although a reader looking for a simple all-encompassing ending will be disappointed. The conflict between England and France, barely mentioned until this point, reappears with a flourish and seems to be of more important in the next book.
Although there are parts I was less enamoured with, I really liked this one in the end. It’s a book with great imagination, a joy of language, and with an interesting take on a well-realised fantasy world.
Literate, intelligent and generally entertaining, this one receives my recommendation.
*Lost Horizon, a book by James Hilton (and a 1937 film of the same name) depicts a group of travellers stranded in the Himalayas, who whilst there discover the lost fabled land of Shangri-La hidden in the mountains.
March 28, 2013
Read the Original Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/03/....
“The Emperor of All Things is one of the most fun reads I’ve had so far in 2013. Very brilliant.” ~The Founding Fields
It’s not often I get to read a Steampunk novel but when I do I usually find them very enjoyable. His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman remains my favourite YA work of fiction to date, and both Cyber Circus by Kim Lakin-Smith and The Great Game by Lavie Tidhar have been strong reads. I was very intrigued by the following blurb of The Emperor of All Things, even if it is quite possibly one of the longest that I’ve come across in a while:
Tempus Rerum Imperator: Time, Emperor of All Things.
The year is 1758. England is at war, embroiled in a globe-spanning conflict that stretches from her North American colonies to Europe and beyond. And now, after more than two years of military and diplomatic setbacks, the country itself is at risk. Across the Channel, the French prepare for an invasion – an invasion rumored to be led by none other than Bonnie Prince Charlie. It seems the map of Europe is about to be redrawn …again. Yet beneath the surface, behind the scenes, another war is raging. A war that will determine not just the fate of nations but of humanity itself.
Daniel Quare is a journeyman in the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, an ancient guild whose royal charter confers absolute authority over the manufacture of timepieces. But Quare is more than he seems. He is a Regulator, a member of an elite spy network within the guild – a network devoted to searching out and claiming for England’s exclusive use any horological innovation that could conceivably result in an advantage for Britain over her adversaries, whether in business or in war. It is just such a mission that brings him one moonlit night to the London townhouse of the eccentric collector Lord Wichcote. But there he finds more than he bargained for. A pocket watch possessed of seemingly impossible properties – deadly properties that seem to have more to do with magic than with any science familiar to Quare or to his superiors in the guild, Sir Thaddeus Wolfe, Grandmaster of the Order, and Theophilus Magnus, head of the Most Secret and Exalted Order of Regulators. But the strange watch has drawn the attention of others as well. The mysterious masked thief known only as Grimalkin, and a French spy – and cold-blooded killer – who seeks to bring the prize back to his masters.
Soon Quare finds himself following a trail of intrigue and murder that leads far from the world he knows into an otherwhere of dragons and demigods, in which nothing is as it seems …time least of all.
The Emperor of All Things takes place in 1785, a very different period to what you’ll have come across if you’ve studied that area of history, for it is a time filled with all sorts of fantasy elements, magic, dragons, stuff that is unexplained and makers of clocks that are more then they appear. The book itself is divided into three, with the opening act taking place in London focusing on Quare and a lot of fighting with swords, whilst the second part of the tale takes us through an older story dealing with a colossal clock tower, a town stranded from the rest of the world and an obsession, whilst the third and final act will take the readers back to London to end a book that I’ve already stated as one of the most fun reads of 2013 so far.
The first part of the novel, for me – is the more interesting one, as the description above suggests – this tale drags the reader on an exciting journey through London in 1785, and deals with spies, secret societies and as mentioned above, lots of sword fighting. The pace as a result moves along at a lightning-fast pace which doesn’t relent throughout the entire book, allowing for a page-turning read. However, in some parts – The Emperor of All Things gets ahead of itself and in order to understand what’s going on, you have to flick back a few pages and re-read them.
The second act of the novel for me is probably the weakest, in that it just didn’t work for me as well as the first and the last acts did. The fast paced actions that were common throughout them were cast aside in favour of a more entertaining element of the novel, and whilst this book may be bursting with imaginative content, it sometimes comes across as a bit too bizarre for my tastes at least in this part of the book. I get the fact that this is meant to be Steampunk, and bizarre ideas are commonplace (see The Great Game), but… there is a line.
Thankfully though, I was allowed to return to Quare’s adventures before the end of the book and was swept a long at an awesome ride. So it’s safe to say that for the most part, the book is a strong read, filled with action, swashbuckling fun in an alternate London. Witcover has managed to create an entertaining tale that you should find as enjoyable to read as I did. I would even go so far as to call this the most fun read that I’ve had in 2013, but I’m currently reading The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher which I’m enjoying a bit more. However, make no mistake – if you want a fun, steampunk world with some bizarre elements to it as well as for the most part, a strong book, then The Emperor of All Things is unmissable for you.
VERDICT: 4/5
“The Emperor of All Things is one of the most fun reads I’ve had so far in 2013. Very brilliant.” ~The Founding Fields
It’s not often I get to read a Steampunk novel but when I do I usually find them very enjoyable. His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman remains my favourite YA work of fiction to date, and both Cyber Circus by Kim Lakin-Smith and The Great Game by Lavie Tidhar have been strong reads. I was very intrigued by the following blurb of The Emperor of All Things, even if it is quite possibly one of the longest that I’ve come across in a while:
Tempus Rerum Imperator: Time, Emperor of All Things.
The year is 1758. England is at war, embroiled in a globe-spanning conflict that stretches from her North American colonies to Europe and beyond. And now, after more than two years of military and diplomatic setbacks, the country itself is at risk. Across the Channel, the French prepare for an invasion – an invasion rumored to be led by none other than Bonnie Prince Charlie. It seems the map of Europe is about to be redrawn …again. Yet beneath the surface, behind the scenes, another war is raging. A war that will determine not just the fate of nations but of humanity itself.
Daniel Quare is a journeyman in the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, an ancient guild whose royal charter confers absolute authority over the manufacture of timepieces. But Quare is more than he seems. He is a Regulator, a member of an elite spy network within the guild – a network devoted to searching out and claiming for England’s exclusive use any horological innovation that could conceivably result in an advantage for Britain over her adversaries, whether in business or in war. It is just such a mission that brings him one moonlit night to the London townhouse of the eccentric collector Lord Wichcote. But there he finds more than he bargained for. A pocket watch possessed of seemingly impossible properties – deadly properties that seem to have more to do with magic than with any science familiar to Quare or to his superiors in the guild, Sir Thaddeus Wolfe, Grandmaster of the Order, and Theophilus Magnus, head of the Most Secret and Exalted Order of Regulators. But the strange watch has drawn the attention of others as well. The mysterious masked thief known only as Grimalkin, and a French spy – and cold-blooded killer – who seeks to bring the prize back to his masters.
Soon Quare finds himself following a trail of intrigue and murder that leads far from the world he knows into an otherwhere of dragons and demigods, in which nothing is as it seems …time least of all.
The Emperor of All Things takes place in 1785, a very different period to what you’ll have come across if you’ve studied that area of history, for it is a time filled with all sorts of fantasy elements, magic, dragons, stuff that is unexplained and makers of clocks that are more then they appear. The book itself is divided into three, with the opening act taking place in London focusing on Quare and a lot of fighting with swords, whilst the second part of the tale takes us through an older story dealing with a colossal clock tower, a town stranded from the rest of the world and an obsession, whilst the third and final act will take the readers back to London to end a book that I’ve already stated as one of the most fun reads of 2013 so far.
The first part of the novel, for me – is the more interesting one, as the description above suggests – this tale drags the reader on an exciting journey through London in 1785, and deals with spies, secret societies and as mentioned above, lots of sword fighting. The pace as a result moves along at a lightning-fast pace which doesn’t relent throughout the entire book, allowing for a page-turning read. However, in some parts – The Emperor of All Things gets ahead of itself and in order to understand what’s going on, you have to flick back a few pages and re-read them.
The second act of the novel for me is probably the weakest, in that it just didn’t work for me as well as the first and the last acts did. The fast paced actions that were common throughout them were cast aside in favour of a more entertaining element of the novel, and whilst this book may be bursting with imaginative content, it sometimes comes across as a bit too bizarre for my tastes at least in this part of the book. I get the fact that this is meant to be Steampunk, and bizarre ideas are commonplace (see The Great Game), but… there is a line.
Thankfully though, I was allowed to return to Quare’s adventures before the end of the book and was swept a long at an awesome ride. So it’s safe to say that for the most part, the book is a strong read, filled with action, swashbuckling fun in an alternate London. Witcover has managed to create an entertaining tale that you should find as enjoyable to read as I did. I would even go so far as to call this the most fun read that I’ve had in 2013, but I’m currently reading The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher which I’m enjoying a bit more. However, make no mistake – if you want a fun, steampunk world with some bizarre elements to it as well as for the most part, a strong book, then The Emperor of All Things is unmissable for you.
VERDICT: 4/5
March 17, 2013
This review is from And Then I Read A Book (http://andthenireadabook.blogspot.com...)
Welcome to 1758, a tumultuous time in English history, a time of war and invasion fears. Also a time of reason and Enlightenment, as knowledge blossomed. And a time of magic, the unexplained, fearsome dragons and treacherous clockmakers. Hang on, something's not quite right there, this is not the 1758 I've read about in history books. In The Emperor of All Things time is taking a different turn.
We begin in an attic overflowing with timepieces, all slightly out of sync with each other, and there is a hint of alchemy around the room. A curious mouse runs amongst the objects, a grey-clad thief slips silently through the window and an elegantly-dressed gentleman emerges from within a clock. A battle of wits turns quickly into one of swords and pistols, as Lord Wichcote defends his property against the infamous Grimalkin. But, Grimalkin gets the prize and escapes, only to have it stolen by yet another intent on owning it.
We're quickly led to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, where Daniel Quare is a journeyman and Regulator. He is part of the Most Secret and Exalted Order of Regulators, whose mission it is to enforce standards of timepieces whilst searching for technological innovations to appropriate in the name of the King. It is Quare who wrests the prized watch from Grimalkin, but despite his success he is still in the unenviable position of having to explain himself to his two masters. Quare's position with the company is made very difficult by his split loyalties. Grandmaster Wolfe is the head of the Company, and has been for decades. He is a conventional man, doing things the Company way. Master Magnus is an innovator who works amongst chaos and cats. Quare's sensibilities are with Magnus, but he tries to please both. The successful completion of his mission hasn't left either man completely satisfied, and he seems to have fallen foul of Magnus' servant too.
Not to worry, things are about to get much much worse for Quare. It's probable he wishes he had never come across the thin silver Hunter pocketwatch, with strange black symbols around the dial. That watch holds dangerous secrets, which might be better left unlocked. It exerts a strong influence though, drawing people to it, people that would kill to have it in their possession. It is quickly apparent that Quare should be very cautious about who he trusts. The very city itself holds mysteries and surprises, let alone characters such as Grimalkin.
The Emperor of All Things is split into three parts. The first is set in London, with the watch, and Quare, and plenty of sword-fighting action. The second part narrates a different, older story, about an obsession, a monumental clocktower, and a town cut off from the rest of the world. Here the supernatural buzzes just out of view, if you're lucky. I wouldn't say it exactly makes everything clearer, but this tale starts to explain just what it is that is being meddled with. The last section throws you back to London, and what must be done to avert disaster. The end is not The End, rather a pause to let the reader catch their breath in readiness for the second book.
I was utterly baffled at times about what was going on, but not in a bad way. I really enjoyed both parts of the story. The swashbuckling swordplay and unfamiliar/familiar London were great fun, and the slowly building menace of the cut off town was creepily good. There are some moments of terror along the way, and the price of owning the watch is very high indeed. This is Book 1 of 'The Productions of Time', and I wish I had Book 2 to hand because we are left hanging at the end. I'm not sure when the sequel is due for publication, but sooner rather than later is my preference.
Welcome to 1758, a tumultuous time in English history, a time of war and invasion fears. Also a time of reason and Enlightenment, as knowledge blossomed. And a time of magic, the unexplained, fearsome dragons and treacherous clockmakers. Hang on, something's not quite right there, this is not the 1758 I've read about in history books. In The Emperor of All Things time is taking a different turn.
We begin in an attic overflowing with timepieces, all slightly out of sync with each other, and there is a hint of alchemy around the room. A curious mouse runs amongst the objects, a grey-clad thief slips silently through the window and an elegantly-dressed gentleman emerges from within a clock. A battle of wits turns quickly into one of swords and pistols, as Lord Wichcote defends his property against the infamous Grimalkin. But, Grimalkin gets the prize and escapes, only to have it stolen by yet another intent on owning it.
We're quickly led to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, where Daniel Quare is a journeyman and Regulator. He is part of the Most Secret and Exalted Order of Regulators, whose mission it is to enforce standards of timepieces whilst searching for technological innovations to appropriate in the name of the King. It is Quare who wrests the prized watch from Grimalkin, but despite his success he is still in the unenviable position of having to explain himself to his two masters. Quare's position with the company is made very difficult by his split loyalties. Grandmaster Wolfe is the head of the Company, and has been for decades. He is a conventional man, doing things the Company way. Master Magnus is an innovator who works amongst chaos and cats. Quare's sensibilities are with Magnus, but he tries to please both. The successful completion of his mission hasn't left either man completely satisfied, and he seems to have fallen foul of Magnus' servant too.
Not to worry, things are about to get much much worse for Quare. It's probable he wishes he had never come across the thin silver Hunter pocketwatch, with strange black symbols around the dial. That watch holds dangerous secrets, which might be better left unlocked. It exerts a strong influence though, drawing people to it, people that would kill to have it in their possession. It is quickly apparent that Quare should be very cautious about who he trusts. The very city itself holds mysteries and surprises, let alone characters such as Grimalkin.
The Emperor of All Things is split into three parts. The first is set in London, with the watch, and Quare, and plenty of sword-fighting action. The second part narrates a different, older story, about an obsession, a monumental clocktower, and a town cut off from the rest of the world. Here the supernatural buzzes just out of view, if you're lucky. I wouldn't say it exactly makes everything clearer, but this tale starts to explain just what it is that is being meddled with. The last section throws you back to London, and what must be done to avert disaster. The end is not The End, rather a pause to let the reader catch their breath in readiness for the second book.
I was utterly baffled at times about what was going on, but not in a bad way. I really enjoyed both parts of the story. The swashbuckling swordplay and unfamiliar/familiar London were great fun, and the slowly building menace of the cut off town was creepily good. There are some moments of terror along the way, and the price of owning the watch is very high indeed. This is Book 1 of 'The Productions of Time', and I wish I had Book 2 to hand because we are left hanging at the end. I'm not sure when the sequel is due for publication, but sooner rather than later is my preference.
April 1, 2013
There is a good idea for a story hidden somewhere in this book, if only it wasn't so badly done. Roughly two thirds of the book is back story, and when in the last 3rd things start to actually happen, the books cuts out. I know he is writing a sequel, but you need to have some form of ending for your first volume.
I find that the author repeats himself throughout the book a hell of a lot. using the same memes and often the same description over and over. Why the male characters had to continuously ejaculate involuntarily I have no idea... is this just to assure the reader that it is 'adult'?
Like I said the idea for the story isn't a bad one... just don't write 50% of the book in exposition and then trail off in the middle of a scene. Suffice to say while I am a little intrigued as to what will happen next, I won't be buying volume 2 to find out.
This review could have been much linger, I just don't want to add spoilers for anyone who will find this more interesting than I did.
I find that the author repeats himself throughout the book a hell of a lot. using the same memes and often the same description over and over. Why the male characters had to continuously ejaculate involuntarily I have no idea... is this just to assure the reader that it is 'adult'?
Like I said the idea for the story isn't a bad one... just don't write 50% of the book in exposition and then trail off in the middle of a scene. Suffice to say while I am a little intrigued as to what will happen next, I won't be buying volume 2 to find out.
This review could have been much linger, I just don't want to add spoilers for anyone who will find this more interesting than I did.
April 28, 2014
This would have to take the prize for one of the worst written books I've read in a while. There is a half decent story in here, but it's probably better suited to being a graphic novel or a CG heavy fantasy film as most of this text is devoted to scene descriptions and dialogue.
OOOH the dialogue!!! This is hilariously bad - It sounds like something by a ren faire ham - or out of the mouth of an all too earnest reveler at a steam punk cosplay convention. It's so packed with fake Brit idioms I wondered if the author had written this after an all night session of Downton Abbey on G&Ts channeling Dick Van Dyke's bad Poppins chim(chiminey) sweep guv.
There are a lot of folk giving this thing 4 and 5 stars - So I'm wondering if I've missed the point of this book and the genre in general. I have found most books in the Steam punk genre (and this cog fetish spin-off) are little better than badly written fanfic. Perhaps that's actually the point - Maybe this is a type of community art made by and read by the cosplayers. Maybe all the usual cliché tropes have to be rolled out in each and every one of these works and celebrated in all their silliness (clockwork limbs, the girl who does "boy" stuff better than the boys, the fop who hides secret skills, the dirigibles or in this case the personal flotation device, the gears, the cogs, the clockwork) - a bit like a Punch and Judy show or a trag Christmas panto. We know all the badly choreographed moves by heart - but we still come back to relish them every year. Perhaps this genre is simply an affirmation & celebration of a community's consensual hallucination.
OOOH the dialogue!!! This is hilariously bad - It sounds like something by a ren faire ham - or out of the mouth of an all too earnest reveler at a steam punk cosplay convention. It's so packed with fake Brit idioms I wondered if the author had written this after an all night session of Downton Abbey on G&Ts channeling Dick Van Dyke's bad Poppins chim(chiminey) sweep guv.
There are a lot of folk giving this thing 4 and 5 stars - So I'm wondering if I've missed the point of this book and the genre in general. I have found most books in the Steam punk genre (and this cog fetish spin-off) are little better than badly written fanfic. Perhaps that's actually the point - Maybe this is a type of community art made by and read by the cosplayers. Maybe all the usual cliché tropes have to be rolled out in each and every one of these works and celebrated in all their silliness (clockwork limbs, the girl who does "boy" stuff better than the boys, the fop who hides secret skills, the dirigibles or in this case the personal flotation device, the gears, the cogs, the clockwork) - a bit like a Punch and Judy show or a trag Christmas panto. We know all the badly choreographed moves by heart - but we still come back to relish them every year. Perhaps this genre is simply an affirmation & celebration of a community's consensual hallucination.
February 12, 2013
For a thorough review check Mark's (from sffworld) below
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I do not disagree with the presentation of the book as it's fairly accurate, just that for me it did not work so well for two reasons - to start with we are dropped into a comedic situation typical of the 19th century "swashbuckler" novels except that here we are supposed to take it seriously and it simply lacks the "panache" for that; later when the novel becomes more "fantastic" and it transforms into a London with supernatural stuff, I just shrugged as I am not a fan of such.
There is narrative energy so I kept turning the pages while the sort-of-steampunk stuff in the beginning is intriguing, but in the first half the book lacks the exuberance needed for such to be really enjoyable (see Lavie Tidhar Bookman series for how to write this kind of stuff well), while in the second part the book goes in a direction I did not care for.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I do not disagree with the presentation of the book as it's fairly accurate, just that for me it did not work so well for two reasons - to start with we are dropped into a comedic situation typical of the 19th century "swashbuckler" novels except that here we are supposed to take it seriously and it simply lacks the "panache" for that; later when the novel becomes more "fantastic" and it transforms into a London with supernatural stuff, I just shrugged as I am not a fan of such.
There is narrative energy so I kept turning the pages while the sort-of-steampunk stuff in the beginning is intriguing, but in the first half the book lacks the exuberance needed for such to be really enjoyable (see Lavie Tidhar Bookman series for how to write this kind of stuff well), while in the second part the book goes in a direction I did not care for.
September 30, 2019
3.5 timely starz because this freaky book surely has some merits but then again, sadly, the idea is better than the execution.
I do not mind freakishness in books, but this one was a sort of dragging freak that took a really long time to gain momentum. it had a certain degree of predictability, not very bothersome, but then again for most of the time one had no idea what on earth was happening or why we should actually care about it.
Daniel Quare as a character is not very well defined. We do not know why we should like/dislike him. Sure, he is very good with clocks (so we are told, yet we are rarely shown). Sure, as an orphan, he is on a quest to find his daddy. Sure, he looks up to Master Magnus, a misshappen man with an extraordinary intellect and good teeth(?!). But what are DQs merits? I failed to see them. The other characters are rather on the dislikable side. ALL OF THEM.
What redeems this long book is its third act, which, more alert than the other two, finally sinks the reader into the depths of its mythology.
What I found "distracting", beyond the book's unnecessary length, was the language, the numerous expressions and puns that only a contemporary person would understand and that by no means would be used by someone from the eighteenth century (e.g. "ladies first").
All in all> it could have been great, amazing even, but it was simply not bad. It remains a guilty pleasure :D
I do not mind freakishness in books, but this one was a sort of dragging freak that took a really long time to gain momentum. it had a certain degree of predictability, not very bothersome, but then again for most of the time one had no idea what on earth was happening or why we should actually care about it.
Daniel Quare as a character is not very well defined. We do not know why we should like/dislike him. Sure, he is very good with clocks (so we are told, yet we are rarely shown). Sure, as an orphan, he is on a quest to find his daddy. Sure, he looks up to Master Magnus, a misshappen man with an extraordinary intellect and good teeth(?!). But what are DQs merits? I failed to see them. The other characters are rather on the dislikable side. ALL OF THEM.
What redeems this long book is its third act, which, more alert than the other two, finally sinks the reader into the depths of its mythology.
What I found "distracting", beyond the book's unnecessary length, was the language, the numerous expressions and puns that only a contemporary person would understand and that by no means would be used by someone from the eighteenth century (e.g. "ladies first").
All in all> it could have been great, amazing even, but it was simply not bad. It remains a guilty pleasure :D
April 22, 2022
It had so much promise.... But it just dragged on and on. With so much unnecessary detail, it was more times than not just painful. I gave up after chapter 9. I figured I'd you don't enjoy it... Dump it.
January 14, 2018
Who would have thought that the life of a clockmaker could be so exciting! Possibly the most original adventure I have been on in a long time.
November 24, 2023
Clive Barker? I find that offensive to Clive Barker. This is a stagnant pool of useless detail and dialogue. Just don’t.
February 24, 2013
*Courtesy of Random House UK, via Netgalley
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I first started it, but whatever it was, I got it. It's a combination of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, steampunk, and high fantasy. In a world obsessed with timekeeping, it's great to see things thrown on their heads - clocks are no longer instruments which humans have mastery over, but are gateways to their potential destruction. It's terrifying, but somewhat philosophical in a metaphorical sense, and this novel really made me think about something I hadn't thought about before, in terms of time and the creation of the universe and also of how it relates to us, the ways a clock showing the wrong time disorients us and makes us uncomfortable. Time, the fourth dimension in this novel, is captured and woven into a fantasy novel that is interesting to read.
Quare, our protagonist, is a cog in the English clockmakers guild, the Worshipful Company, and is thrown into a world where people in power are fighting to find and keep a mysterious watch called the hunter. Along the way he hears a story of what can only be described as an alternate universe, where gods or angels or demons live, and this is the origin of the hunter. There are betrayals, there's magic, of a kind, there's some blood and gore and even the slightest hints of romance. All of this set against a backdrop of a time where tensions between England and France are running high. Though there isn't much about this tension, it would have been nice for the historical element to be explored further, as it seeks to construct a world without actually constructing a world; without the mentions that the characters are Englishmen (or Scottsmen, Frenchmen, Americans, etc.), this novel could well be taking place in an invented fantasy realm. It doesn't quite do what novels like Gaiman's Neverwhere does, which superimposes a fantasy land, unknown to mere mortals, upon reality, but seeks to reshape it. However there is nothing solid in this world building, and though the world is believable, it's not believable as an alternate history of our world.
There were some things I couldn't understand the point of - Quare spontaneously ejaculating whenever he came into contact with Tiamat, the strange dragon creature, doesn't make any sense. No real reason is given except that he has no control over his body, but that seems a poor excuse when it happens more than once.
Also quite a few things seem to be left to the reader to puzzle out, for example, Longinus' appearance as an automaton on the clock in Otherwhere doesn't mean much until the end, where the reader is left to join the dots that he is part of the world because he left something of himself behind in it (his daughter). Various betrayals are not yet fully comprehensible, although I suppose that's an issue whose resolution will be found in the sequel, and intricacies of the world and its laws and its characters don't quite make sense; I suspect Witcover tried to fit too much into one novel and while most of it survived, there are blotted places in the fabric of the story that could have been cleared up; however, again, I suspect the answers will be in the sequels.
Other things that are just too unrealistic include Quare's seeming inability to feel pain whenever something traumatic happens to his body; it's probably a side effect of the hunter's magic, but it's too unrealistic to make a reader want to sympathise with him everytime something happens to his body.
Also, there are, in my opinion, far too many times were a character is rendered unconscious during which time important things happen to them and then are glossed over as a retelling afterwards. It feels like bad story telling because of all the blank time, and as a reader, I want to know not only what happened, but how it happened. When the doctor replaced Longinus' foot in Otherwhere, was there an argument from Doppler and Inge? did he do it secretly? did he have second thoughts about whether he was doing the right thing? Those are the kinds of questions that aren't answered, which, admittedly, have the potential to be answered in further books, but probably won't be. It's difficult to read about an aftermath without really seeing the original fallout.
On its own, it's a novel that's promising, but stands on shaky legs. As part of a series, I'm sure we'll find that it's been a very solid foundation. Indeed, it's a good read, but not a great one.
I had no idea what to expect from this book when I first started it, but whatever it was, I got it. It's a combination of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, steampunk, and high fantasy. In a world obsessed with timekeeping, it's great to see things thrown on their heads - clocks are no longer instruments which humans have mastery over, but are gateways to their potential destruction. It's terrifying, but somewhat philosophical in a metaphorical sense, and this novel really made me think about something I hadn't thought about before, in terms of time and the creation of the universe and also of how it relates to us, the ways a clock showing the wrong time disorients us and makes us uncomfortable. Time, the fourth dimension in this novel, is captured and woven into a fantasy novel that is interesting to read.
Quare, our protagonist, is a cog in the English clockmakers guild, the Worshipful Company, and is thrown into a world where people in power are fighting to find and keep a mysterious watch called the hunter. Along the way he hears a story of what can only be described as an alternate universe, where gods or angels or demons live, and this is the origin of the hunter. There are betrayals, there's magic, of a kind, there's some blood and gore and even the slightest hints of romance. All of this set against a backdrop of a time where tensions between England and France are running high. Though there isn't much about this tension, it would have been nice for the historical element to be explored further, as it seeks to construct a world without actually constructing a world; without the mentions that the characters are Englishmen (or Scottsmen, Frenchmen, Americans, etc.), this novel could well be taking place in an invented fantasy realm. It doesn't quite do what novels like Gaiman's Neverwhere does, which superimposes a fantasy land, unknown to mere mortals, upon reality, but seeks to reshape it. However there is nothing solid in this world building, and though the world is believable, it's not believable as an alternate history of our world.
There were some things I couldn't understand the point of - Quare spontaneously ejaculating whenever he came into contact with Tiamat, the strange dragon creature, doesn't make any sense. No real reason is given except that he has no control over his body, but that seems a poor excuse when it happens more than once.
Also quite a few things seem to be left to the reader to puzzle out, for example, Longinus' appearance as an automaton on the clock in Otherwhere doesn't mean much until the end, where the reader is left to join the dots that he is part of the world because he left something of himself behind in it (his daughter). Various betrayals are not yet fully comprehensible, although I suppose that's an issue whose resolution will be found in the sequel, and intricacies of the world and its laws and its characters don't quite make sense; I suspect Witcover tried to fit too much into one novel and while most of it survived, there are blotted places in the fabric of the story that could have been cleared up; however, again, I suspect the answers will be in the sequels.
Other things that are just too unrealistic include Quare's seeming inability to feel pain whenever something traumatic happens to his body; it's probably a side effect of the hunter's magic, but it's too unrealistic to make a reader want to sympathise with him everytime something happens to his body.
Also, there are, in my opinion, far too many times were a character is rendered unconscious during which time important things happen to them and then are glossed over as a retelling afterwards. It feels like bad story telling because of all the blank time, and as a reader, I want to know not only what happened, but how it happened. When the doctor replaced Longinus' foot in Otherwhere, was there an argument from Doppler and Inge? did he do it secretly? did he have second thoughts about whether he was doing the right thing? Those are the kinds of questions that aren't answered, which, admittedly, have the potential to be answered in further books, but probably won't be. It's difficult to read about an aftermath without really seeing the original fallout.
On its own, it's a novel that's promising, but stands on shaky legs. As part of a series, I'm sure we'll find that it's been a very solid foundation. Indeed, it's a good read, but not a great one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2016
Daniel Quare was a well respected watch maker who lived in England from the mid-seventeenth to early eighteenth century. His timepieces still sell at auctions today and were ground breaking when made.
In this book the author, Paul Witcover, has turned this unassuming horologist into a swash buckling version of his real life self. Now he works as a regulator, or spy, for the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, a trade guild based in the City of London, both in the story and in real life, although in the book guild doubles up as a sort of MI6 that spies on the Kings enemies abroad. The book is not steampunk in the strictest sense of the word as this would require it to be based in the Victorian era but this is essentially what it is with inventions that are way ahead of their time and situations arising that require use of tools and firearms that are far more advanced than they ever were in reality back then.
Over the course of the book Daniel Quare finds himself enmeshed in a story that takes in a Scottish spy working for the French, a Lord who whilst in his sixties is clearly younger than he should be for his age, and a woman who is not of this world but seems to be tied to Daniel for some strange reason.
The overarching theme of this story is time. The title of this book comes from the Latin motto of the Worshipful company of Clockmakers ‘Tempus Rerum Imperator’ or Time the Emperor of all Things. All the action centres around a strange pocket watch which Daniel is tasked to steal at the start of the book and one which has a very strange way of being brought to life. The story centres on the struggle by two factions within the guild for the control of this time piece and the history behind it.
Whilst I enjoyed this book, I had a number of problems with it. The first was the fact that it was so episodic. It is split into three parts, the first and last being the story of Daniel Quare whilst the middle section is the story of the creatures who were behind the watch that Daniel has found. It is told by way of exposition which is something I think you have to be quite sparing with. In this case it is told by a character in one long flashback which goes on for the best part of a third of the book. It brought the narrative to a juddering halt and, certainly from my perspective, was too long and not very convincing. This was a real shame as I really enjoyed the rest of the story. Unfortunately, any sense of overwhelming peril just disappeared for me because I didn’t find the creatures hiding behind the curtain to be that scary or believable.
Because the book has been split into three it also means that it is very long and could quite easily have been maybe fifty to a hundred pages shorter, making for a much tighter narrative.
There have been a few reviews here that have commented on the vernacular of the characters. I didn’t have a problem with that as I found it to be reasonably straight forward and lent a sense of authenticity to the characters within the book.
Overall not a bad book, in fact it’s quite good but the structure of it meant that I was in effect reading two stories not one and that came to be quite laborious. For that reason I have given it three stars.
In this book the author, Paul Witcover, has turned this unassuming horologist into a swash buckling version of his real life self. Now he works as a regulator, or spy, for the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, a trade guild based in the City of London, both in the story and in real life, although in the book guild doubles up as a sort of MI6 that spies on the Kings enemies abroad. The book is not steampunk in the strictest sense of the word as this would require it to be based in the Victorian era but this is essentially what it is with inventions that are way ahead of their time and situations arising that require use of tools and firearms that are far more advanced than they ever were in reality back then.
Over the course of the book Daniel Quare finds himself enmeshed in a story that takes in a Scottish spy working for the French, a Lord who whilst in his sixties is clearly younger than he should be for his age, and a woman who is not of this world but seems to be tied to Daniel for some strange reason.
The overarching theme of this story is time. The title of this book comes from the Latin motto of the Worshipful company of Clockmakers ‘Tempus Rerum Imperator’ or Time the Emperor of all Things. All the action centres around a strange pocket watch which Daniel is tasked to steal at the start of the book and one which has a very strange way of being brought to life. The story centres on the struggle by two factions within the guild for the control of this time piece and the history behind it.
Whilst I enjoyed this book, I had a number of problems with it. The first was the fact that it was so episodic. It is split into three parts, the first and last being the story of Daniel Quare whilst the middle section is the story of the creatures who were behind the watch that Daniel has found. It is told by way of exposition which is something I think you have to be quite sparing with. In this case it is told by a character in one long flashback which goes on for the best part of a third of the book. It brought the narrative to a juddering halt and, certainly from my perspective, was too long and not very convincing. This was a real shame as I really enjoyed the rest of the story. Unfortunately, any sense of overwhelming peril just disappeared for me because I didn’t find the creatures hiding behind the curtain to be that scary or believable.
Because the book has been split into three it also means that it is very long and could quite easily have been maybe fifty to a hundred pages shorter, making for a much tighter narrative.
There have been a few reviews here that have commented on the vernacular of the characters. I didn’t have a problem with that as I found it to be reasonably straight forward and lent a sense of authenticity to the characters within the book.
Overall not a bad book, in fact it’s quite good but the structure of it meant that I was in effect reading two stories not one and that came to be quite laborious. For that reason I have given it three stars.
October 3, 2013
Okay, I tried to rate this three stars and somehow it came out four. I'm going to take that as a sign since I was actually torn between the two. I really wish there were half stars like on Flixster, because I would prefer a 3.5.
I liked the book overall, but there were too many faults for me to completely get behind a four star rating, especially when I compare it to the last book I read that I gave four to: The Black Guard. Now that book made me relish reading for the first time in a long time.
Clocks interest me, as does the time period, but I think I got a bit to much of references to different aspects of clocks/time. It got old about a third of the way into the book. Oh, and the constant references to copious amounts of semen. Uck. Not my favorite topic in any way, ever, ever. Ever. Can I say that enough times? No, because I really did not enjoy that. I started going "No, come on, no," every time one of And the middle third of the book was close to unbearably boring. This is one of those rare instances in which I really enjoyed the first third of the book, and was disappointed by the rest. Oh, and the ending is freaking bs,
What I did like was the originality. That is why I wanted to keep reading. It was a very imaginative world that Witcover created. This is definitely not typical fantasy or steampunk. Sure there were tropes here and there, but the setting was uncommon, and the world system was different from most of what I've read. If there will be a second book, I'm sort of obligated to read it, and if not...well...
I liked the book overall, but there were too many faults for me to completely get behind a four star rating, especially when I compare it to the last book I read that I gave four to: The Black Guard. Now that book made me relish reading for the first time in a long time.
Clocks interest me, as does the time period, but I think I got a bit to much of references to different aspects of clocks/time. It got old about a third of the way into the book. Oh, and the constant references to copious amounts of semen. Uck. Not my favorite topic in any way, ever, ever. Ever. Can I say that enough times? No, because I really did not enjoy that. I started going "No, come on, no," every time one of And the middle third of the book was close to unbearably boring. This is one of those rare instances in which I really enjoyed the first third of the book, and was disappointed by the rest. Oh, and the ending is freaking bs,
What I did like was the originality. That is why I wanted to keep reading. It was a very imaginative world that Witcover created. This is definitely not typical fantasy or steampunk. Sure there were tropes here and there, but the setting was uncommon, and the world system was different from most of what I've read. If there will be a second book, I'm sort of obligated to read it, and if not...well...
August 18, 2015
Like a fine timepiece, this story is intricate and elaborate, exceptional and precise.
It is unique and engrossing. Incredible and inspired.
It really is a hell of an achievement, and more than that it is a instantly compelling, immensely enjoyable read.
Set in 1758 London (mainly), in a world where England is locked in a war with France. In a world where military superiority could hinge of who has the finest timepiece and can manage their troops more accurately. There’s a hint of steam punk, a drop of history, a twist of fantastical fairy tale. In to this mix comes a pocket watch , rumoured to possess unbelievable qualities that seem almost magical. Whoever holds it and can unlock it’s secrets may have a huge and deadly advantage against their enemies.
Commence the squabble to have it.
But it’s much more than that. (This barely scratches the surface)
The storyline twists and wriggles in your hands like the memory of a cat. You think you know what kind of story it is, then you hear a faint click and as you look up to see what has made the sound you feel it writhe in your grip again, and when you look back it is something slightly different. Something even more compelling.
It is s tale full of beauty, like moonlight on virgin snow. A tranquil scene that captivates the senses, but as you stare you notice a smear of dark blood, cast like a ruined shadow across cold canvas, and you can’t help but look a little closer.
Not since The name of the Wind (Rothfuss) have I been so surprised and impressed by a book.
I think this is a must read for everyone.
I cannot wait for the more. Give me more!
It is unique and engrossing. Incredible and inspired.
It really is a hell of an achievement, and more than that it is a instantly compelling, immensely enjoyable read.
Set in 1758 London (mainly), in a world where England is locked in a war with France. In a world where military superiority could hinge of who has the finest timepiece and can manage their troops more accurately. There’s a hint of steam punk, a drop of history, a twist of fantastical fairy tale. In to this mix comes a pocket watch , rumoured to possess unbelievable qualities that seem almost magical. Whoever holds it and can unlock it’s secrets may have a huge and deadly advantage against their enemies.
Commence the squabble to have it.
But it’s much more than that. (This barely scratches the surface)
The storyline twists and wriggles in your hands like the memory of a cat. You think you know what kind of story it is, then you hear a faint click and as you look up to see what has made the sound you feel it writhe in your grip again, and when you look back it is something slightly different. Something even more compelling.
It is s tale full of beauty, like moonlight on virgin snow. A tranquil scene that captivates the senses, but as you stare you notice a smear of dark blood, cast like a ruined shadow across cold canvas, and you can’t help but look a little closer.
Not since The name of the Wind (Rothfuss) have I been so surprised and impressed by a book.
I think this is a must read for everyone.
I cannot wait for the more. Give me more!
April 26, 2015
Paul Witcover locates some undervalued real estate with this novel. While most historical fantasy writers are comfortable with the Victorian era, Witcover takes us on a trip to the more interesting (to me at least) epoch of the Enlightenment. (Let's face it. Steampunk today is the sleeper car on a train that pulled out of the station 25 years ago.)
I don't want to throw any spoilers into this review, so I'll leave it purposefully vague. The characters are well drawn, but still capable of surprising even the most careful reader. It's to Witcover's credit that every time a character's exposition took a sharp left turn, I said to myself, "Of course. I should've seen that coming." If these tricks would've been played by a lesser author, my response would've been, "Really? Are you making this up as you go along?" But Witcover makes it work.
Beyond that, the author borrows from the best: Dickens (plucky orphan boy makes good in London), Gaiman and Barker (an unseen world in the shadows of our own), Orczy (a character seems to be based on the Scarlet Pimpernel), and Vollman (not 100% sure of this -- might be unintentional).
Ripping beach or commute read. Definitely worth your time.
I don't want to throw any spoilers into this review, so I'll leave it purposefully vague. The characters are well drawn, but still capable of surprising even the most careful reader. It's to Witcover's credit that every time a character's exposition took a sharp left turn, I said to myself, "Of course. I should've seen that coming." If these tricks would've been played by a lesser author, my response would've been, "Really? Are you making this up as you go along?" But Witcover makes it work.
Beyond that, the author borrows from the best: Dickens (plucky orphan boy makes good in London), Gaiman and Barker (an unseen world in the shadows of our own), Orczy (a character seems to be based on the Scarlet Pimpernel), and Vollman (not 100% sure of this -- might be unintentional).
Ripping beach or commute read. Definitely worth your time.
January 22, 2013
Paul Witcover is a writing colleague and close friend of mine whose work I very much admire. I first became acquainted with him when he was an editor in the Time Warner matrix. I found his editorial remarks to be some of the clearest and sharpest, and yet also the most subtle, I've encountered in my writing career. This discipline and depth of perception informs his own writing, and I found this latest work of his to be a very fine read, which takes some familiar devices and gives them new spin and life.
If you like alternative history / conspiracy and social awareness in your fantasy reading--or if you just enjoy good storytelling--I'd put this on your list.
If you like alternative history / conspiracy and social awareness in your fantasy reading--or if you just enjoy good storytelling--I'd put this on your list.
January 25, 2016
Not too bad. It tends to veer into Narnia-territory, with clocks (Clockpunk?) and the Enlightenment thrown in, echoing Crowley's view on Scientific Illuminism, written in a style reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle or even Mary Shelley, which may have been because Witcover wanted the novel to stay true to the era it was written in. Unfortunately, the styling tends to bog doen the pacing, but patience will soon reap the rewards. I would've given this 4 and a half, but the Rating system wouldn't allow me to do so.
January 25, 2015
Waterproof underwear a must.
A complete opposite to the book I read before this one (Throne of the Crescent Moon). That began well and died, this begins very weakly in cliché hell, to the point where I was almost considering taking it back to the Library. Happily I persevered, and we bound on into a quite bonkers and bewildering tale of time, theology, gods and umm adult stuff. It is all very familiar in some ways, and perhaps it may all fall apart in the next book, but I am enjoying the ride for now.
A complete opposite to the book I read before this one (Throne of the Crescent Moon). That began well and died, this begins very weakly in cliché hell, to the point where I was almost considering taking it back to the Library. Happily I persevered, and we bound on into a quite bonkers and bewildering tale of time, theology, gods and umm adult stuff. It is all very familiar in some ways, and perhaps it may all fall apart in the next book, but I am enjoying the ride for now.
April 6, 2013
This wasn't the book I thought it would be from the steam-punky cover & blurb. Not that I didn't like it, I did, it was just different. There are steam-punk elements but there's also a faerie fantasy section in the middle. There are some great in-jokes scattered throughout the prose too, an underground tunnel/moving carriage system is envisioned, christened 'the internet' :) There is a sequel in the works which I will definitely be reading too.
March 8, 2015
This is a pretty good story, and the world Witcover has created is very imaginative, with some excellent concepts. Unfortunately, the verbosity of the book leaves you feeling tired with it all, rather than enthralled. If it had been a hundred or so pages shorter, it would've been something really special.
The ending was interesting, however, and it raised my rating to three rather than two stars. I might read the sequel but I'm certainly not in a rush to do so.
The ending was interesting, however, and it raised my rating to three rather than two stars. I might read the sequel but I'm certainly not in a rush to do so.
March 16, 2013
4.5 stars.
Really enjoyed this one. Need a new steampunk fantasy to be absorbed in? This would be that one you're searching for.
The world building and use of mythology and fantasy within this book was outstanding, and combining that with the remarkable prose makes this a standout. It is magical and imaginative. Looking forward to the sequel very much.
Really enjoyed this one. Need a new steampunk fantasy to be absorbed in? This would be that one you're searching for.
The world building and use of mythology and fantasy within this book was outstanding, and combining that with the remarkable prose makes this a standout. It is magical and imaginative. Looking forward to the sequel very much.
April 21, 2013
I was really excited for this one, but it wasn't as good as I hoped. The story line was good, but the writing style was far too wordy and overly descriptive that things took way too long to happen and when there was action, it didn't feel like action because it was all described in too much detail. It made the story boring.
Did not finish
July 23, 2015Giving up on page 53 - too florid, too melodramatic, and while I was going to stick around for the potential of Grimalkin, the wide-eyed "but that's impossible!" face-off exchange sucked the optimism out of that one for me. Moving on.
July 5, 2013
Very much looking forward to the sequel. Physics of Einstein, mythology of Kronos and the dust of Philip Pullman came to mind while reading it.
January 5, 2014
Just brilliant! The best fantasy I've read in a long time. I can't wait for Book 2. Please Paul let us have the next exciting book asap, a fab page-turner.
April 4, 2014
Brilliant!!! Rare masterpiece! I want this guy, Witcover,in my living-room and talk with him for two days, enter in his head and live there just a bit :) Great, Great job ;)
April 16, 2014
Great book but the ending was a bit abrupt. I'm guessing a sequel?
April 20, 2014
I was initially put off by some of the reviews here but I am glad I read this book. It was an enjoyable read.
January 3, 2017
Can't wait for the next one!
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