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Straggletaggle
The clockwork kingdom of Saxonia engineered itself into a machine of the law, refashioning even its citizens' bodies into cogs and pistons. Before the chirurgeons and engineers splice his brain inside the crown, Prince Hollownot escapes into the kingdom's flogistan soul, where he sees all possible futures. In one, Princess Sapsorrow can break the law with contradiction and shatter the kingdom. But saving the world from the machine comes at a high price: Her love, her family, and her physical body will all be destroyed. The neighboring kingdom of Bavaria has seen nothing come past the great clockwork wall of Saxonia for centuries until a Straggletaggle appears with an odd physiognomy - maybe human, maybe not - and an incredible tale of escape from Saxonia. She claims ignorance of the nearby fatal airship crash and the exquisite prosthetic foot in the wreckage. When a phonograph wrapped in the shell of a man arrives demanding Princess Sapsorrow's return, Bavaria's disgraced prince and scientist princess, with their intrepid bodyguard, embark on a perilous mission with the Straggletaggle as their guide, to stop a war that, should it start, can only end with Saxonia turning the people of Bavaria into components of its horrific machine.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2014
240 people want to read
About the author
J.M. McDermott
37 books78 followersHis first novel was plucked from a slush pile and went on to be #6 on Amazon.com's Year's Best SF/F of 2008, shortlisted for a Crawford Prize, and on Locus Magazine's Recommended Reading List for Debuts. His short fiction has appeared in Weird Tales Magazine, Fantasy Magazine, Apex Magazine, and Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, among other places. He has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an MFA in Popular Fiction from the Stonecoast program of the University of Southern Maine.
By night, he wanders a maze of bookshelves and empty coffee cups, and by day he wanders the streets of San Antonio, where he lives and works.
He tries to write in between.
By night, he wanders a maze of bookshelves and empty coffee cups, and by day he wanders the streets of San Antonio, where he lives and works.
He tries to write in between.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 20, 2021
If you like science fiction/ fantasy with a liberal dose of weird, this is a book for you.
I enjoyed the characters (nicely quirky), and the world building was fantastic. Most overtly, the story serves as a metaphor for what happens when we sacrifice our humanity to efficiency, law, and I’ll-defined “progress.” Additional themes include the making (and breaking) of society’s roles, how we deal with failure, and the nature of love.
There is some body horror here (of the machine-human merger variety), but I was able to dial back my imagination when it got to be too much.
The first chapter serves a necessary plot purpose, but stylistically it was perhaps my least favorite part of the book. If you are dissuaded by the start, stick around for the second chapter before deciding whether to keep reading.
The ending was surprising and satisfying.
I enjoyed the characters (nicely quirky), and the world building was fantastic. Most overtly, the story serves as a metaphor for what happens when we sacrifice our humanity to efficiency, law, and I’ll-defined “progress.” Additional themes include the making (and breaking) of society’s roles, how we deal with failure, and the nature of love.
There is some body horror here (of the machine-human merger variety), but I was able to dial back my imagination when it got to be too much.
The first chapter serves a necessary plot purpose, but stylistically it was perhaps my least favorite part of the book. If you are dissuaded by the start, stick around for the second chapter before deciding whether to keep reading.
The ending was surprising and satisfying.
July 4, 2015
As always, McDermott weaves a lovely tale. Straggletaggle is the story of a kingdom made from metal, gears, and blood, with a mad king willing to do the unthinkable to keep it all together and a princess who fights to stop the insanity from continuing.
Straggletaggle is beautifully written. There is just enough description to paint each scene but not too much as to be overwhelming. Each chapter is from the POV of a different character, which was a very interesting way to relay the story. It allowed for each character to have a voice, to tell their own part of the story as they each had an important role.
The first chapter was a bit tedious as the character is in a different realm of sorts. He is setting up the story but the ethereal nature of his state makes him hard to follow. The next few chapters are introductions of the main players and when these are done, the story begins to fall into place. It was engaging, thrilling, and I was not disappointed.
McDermott never fails to surprise me with his ability. His stories are not for simple entertainment. They are thought provoking and compelling. Straggletaggle is typical McDermott and I love the steampunk Saxonia and alternate Europe that is the location for the story. This is definitely worth the read.
Straggletaggle is beautifully written. There is just enough description to paint each scene but not too much as to be overwhelming. Each chapter is from the POV of a different character, which was a very interesting way to relay the story. It allowed for each character to have a voice, to tell their own part of the story as they each had an important role.
The first chapter was a bit tedious as the character is in a different realm of sorts. He is setting up the story but the ethereal nature of his state makes him hard to follow. The next few chapters are introductions of the main players and when these are done, the story begins to fall into place. It was engaging, thrilling, and I was not disappointed.
McDermott never fails to surprise me with his ability. His stories are not for simple entertainment. They are thought provoking and compelling. Straggletaggle is typical McDermott and I love the steampunk Saxonia and alternate Europe that is the location for the story. This is definitely worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews