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The Lost Future of Pepperharrow
(The Watchmaker of Filigree Street #2)
by
1888. Five years after they met in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, Thaniel Steepleton, an unassuming translator, and Keita Mori, the watchmaker who remembers the future, are traveling to Japan. Thaniel has received an unexpected posting to the British legation in Tokyo, and Mori has business that is taking him to Yokohama.
Thaniel's brief is odd: the legation staff have ...more
Thaniel's brief is odd: the legation staff have ...more
ebook, 512 pages
Published
February 18th 2020
by Bloomsbury Publishing
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Start your review of The Lost Future of Pepperharrow (The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, #2)

Jan 30, 2020
Robin Hobb
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
fans of steampunk, ghost stories, clairvoyance and romance
Shelves:
fantasy
The usual caveat: I received this book free as an advance reading copy from the publisher. I do not think that prevents me from giving an honest review.
Another caveat: While this book can stand alone, I believe one should read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street before diving into The Lost Future of Pepperharrow.
This story takes place a handful of years after the events related in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
Most of the events take place in 1888 and in a Japan that almost might have existed. ...more
Another caveat: While this book can stand alone, I believe one should read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street before diving into The Lost Future of Pepperharrow.
This story takes place a handful of years after the events related in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
Most of the events take place in 1888 and in a Japan that almost might have existed. ...more

I often find it much harder to write a review about a good book than I do a bad one. The Lost Future of Pepperharrow is, in my mind pretty, near perfect so I am struggling for some suitable comments to make! Anyway I will try.
Firstly, do not read this without reading The Watchmaker of Filigree Street first. You need the context and you need to already love the characters before fully appreciating the events of the second book. Thaniel and Mori's relationship is easier to understand when you know ...more
Firstly, do not read this without reading The Watchmaker of Filigree Street first. You need the context and you need to already love the characters before fully appreciating the events of the second book. Thaniel and Mori's relationship is easier to understand when you know ...more

Jul 13, 2017
Catherine
marked it as to-read
MOTHERFUCKING YES Y'ALL
...more

Dear God, I loved this book. I read it in ARC. Go pre-order it now and just trust me.
It's a sequel to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, which I also loved, but I think you can read it as a standalone.
Look, the voice in this is so strong. Each character feels vividly real. I love what she does with... a lot. But in particular, I love her handling of Six. This little girl is so clearly loved by her adopted fathers as she is. She's also, to a modern eye, clearly autistic but they don't have the w ...more
It's a sequel to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, which I also loved, but I think you can read it as a standalone.
Look, the voice in this is so strong. Each character feels vividly real. I love what she does with... a lot. But in particular, I love her handling of Six. This little girl is so clearly loved by her adopted fathers as she is. She's also, to a modern eye, clearly autistic but they don't have the w ...more

★★✰✰✰ 2 stars
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow is a somewhat disappointing followup to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
Having really enjoyed The Watchmaker of Filigree Street I was really looking forward to be reunited with Thaniel and Mori.
Within the first chapters I had a slight sense of deja vu. The main difference between this sequel and its predecessor is the setting: whereas The Watchmaker of Filigree Street took place in London, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow whisks us to an alternate- ...more
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow is a somewhat disappointing followup to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
Having really enjoyed The Watchmaker of Filigree Street I was really looking forward to be reunited with Thaniel and Mori.
Within the first chapters I had a slight sense of deja vu. The main difference between this sequel and its predecessor is the setting: whereas The Watchmaker of Filigree Street took place in London, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow whisks us to an alternate- ...more

Nov 10, 2017
Auribelle
marked it as remember
Thank Neptune, Katsu is back <3 Don't think I was ever so devastated over the 'death' of any fictional character... ever.
Oh, excited about the rest of the book, too ;) ...more
Oh, excited about the rest of the book, too ;) ...more

rep: gay mc, mlm Japanese li, Japanese characters & setting
this is actually 10 stars but gr won't let me do that.
me @ this book: (mr knightley voice) if i loved u less, i might be able to talk abt it more ...more
this is actually 10 stars but gr won't let me do that.
me @ this book: (mr knightley voice) if i loved u less, i might be able to talk abt it more ...more

***Re-read with a group of friends on Skype during Covid-19. As with the prequel, reading it with friends is just much more enjoyable and entertaining. I haven’t laughed this much in ages, just listening to our different opinions. And I still love this universe to death***
I struggle to find words how to decsribe this, because to say that I loved it is too little. I’m utterly, unequivocally in love with Natasha Pulley’s delicate, affecting, melancholy writing, with her universe of clockwork and m ...more
I struggle to find words how to decsribe this, because to say that I loved it is too little. I’m utterly, unequivocally in love with Natasha Pulley’s delicate, affecting, melancholy writing, with her universe of clockwork and m ...more

PULLEY HIVE RISE

It was only after I had finished the book and sat and thought on it for a few minutes, that I realized what the fucking title means. I knew what it meant but I didn't realise that I knew what it meant. That makes no sense does it.
The sequel to the dazzling The Watchmaker Of Filigree Street ultimately didn't shine as brightly as it's predecessor. Despite all the electricity in this one. If you enjoyed book one then there is not much that you'll find to dislike here. However, if you fucking loved ...more
The sequel to the dazzling The Watchmaker Of Filigree Street ultimately didn't shine as brightly as it's predecessor. Despite all the electricity in this one. If you enjoyed book one then there is not much that you'll find to dislike here. However, if you fucking loved ...more

Have you ever finished a book and it gives you whiplash? You are all immersed in it, you're ride or die with the characters, plot, and writing style, and then it ends and you feel like you went from 70mph to hitting a tree and the airbags just hit you in the gut and you're laying there confused about what to do now in life?
Yeah that was me with this one.
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow has all the mystery and eerie magical realism that Pulley's other books do. I think out of all of them Pepperhar ...more
Yeah that was me with this one.
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow has all the mystery and eerie magical realism that Pulley's other books do. I think out of all of them Pepperhar ...more

I'M IN FUCKIN BITS LADS
...more

Discovering that this book existed was akin to receiving a much hoped and desperately longed for present. I could not believe my eyes. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is one of my all time favorites. It's one of those delightful books you're too awed by and never fully understand. But it was magical, and it cast a bubble of transportation around me, so that I felt myself inside it and saw everything as if with my own two eyes.
TLFOP explores Mori's origins and his powers in a manner that was mo ...more

This is the second instalment in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street series.
Thaniel and Mori were two of the most immediately lovable characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about and I am so glad Pulley allowed the readers to journey on another adventure, alongside them. This instalment saw the duo leave the smog-laden air of London far behind as they ventured to Japan. Mori proved as mysterious as ever and Thaniel as determined to unearth the truths his reticent partner was keeping fr ...more
Thaniel and Mori were two of the most immediately lovable characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about and I am so glad Pulley allowed the readers to journey on another adventure, alongside them. This instalment saw the duo leave the smog-laden air of London far behind as they ventured to Japan. Mori proved as mysterious as ever and Thaniel as determined to unearth the truths his reticent partner was keeping fr ...more

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow, the sequel to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, is Natasha Pulley’s third novel and one of the most exquisite works of historical fiction I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Once again Ms Pulley showcases her immense storytelling talent and writes with a devastatingly deft hand. I would highly recommend reading the preceding book beforehand as you will better understand the characters' motivations and why they developed to be how they currently are. This ti
...more

I'm not sure just quite how to review this book.
It's such a complex narrative, wrapping a number of different threads together to create a rich mix of historical fiction with a steampunk style and a quiet bit of queer romance.
There's no spoilers here, it would utterly ruin the beautiful way Natasha Pulley's sequel to the truly brilliant The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, slowly gives up its secrets.
My heart was in my mouth on many occasions. The title itself a nod to a plot line which turns ou ...more
It's such a complex narrative, wrapping a number of different threads together to create a rich mix of historical fiction with a steampunk style and a quiet bit of queer romance.
There's no spoilers here, it would utterly ruin the beautiful way Natasha Pulley's sequel to the truly brilliant The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, slowly gives up its secrets.
My heart was in my mouth on many occasions. The title itself a nod to a plot line which turns ou ...more

I've actually read this now ppl who dont know what they're talking about can stop commenting on my review.
I'll write a PROPER one later but: gorgeous, stunning, Mori and Thaniel invented love.
I need a third book. A novella series. a n y t h i n g ...more
I'll write a PROPER one later but: gorgeous, stunning, Mori and Thaniel invented love.
I need a third book. A novella series. a n y t h i n g ...more

I don’t tolerate you. I can’t breathe when you’re not here, I can’t think, I can’t write music properly, I spend my whole bloody life waiting for the post. I never said because I thought you didn’t want to hear it. We don’t talk about – any of that.
On my blog.
Rep: mlm mc with synesthaesia, Japanese mlm mc, autistic side character, Japanese characters and setting
Galley provided by publisher
Hubris is thinking you are ready to write a review of a book that absolutely gutted you mere days after ...more

I forgot how much I love the way Natasha writes, especially because our customers tend to be so Marmite about it. I understand why it doesn't work for some readers but I fall hard on the 'oh fuck I love what this does to me' side. It's full of detail and winding, to the point where about a hundred pages in I was getting to the 'okay Thaniel's just whining now, and while it's justified, it's still just whining' and then I had a Rebecca moment because DUH I should have trusted Natasha but I'm very
...more

Shattering, complex, beautifully written, and kind of unbearable. Thaniel Steepleton is dying of tuberculosis; he's been sent by the Foreign Office to the British legation in Tokyo because they can, weirdly, see ghosts; Mori has come with him but is holding him at a distance, for reasons that are unclear but seem sinister. Things get complicated. More than that would spoil a perfect, complex and intricate plot, and also a devastating emotional arc, but this is a spectacular book and probably my
...more

[Gifted]
Plotted as intricately as clockwork, this weaves together historical political warfare with electromagnetic science research and magical clairvoyance. The characters are what really makes this sing, though: secretive, morally grey Mori, insecure and devastated Nathaniel and their adopted daugher Six, who is obsessed with electrics, and has autism. I love them all, and would happily read a whole series of their adventures.
Plotted as intricately as clockwork, this weaves together historical political warfare with electromagnetic science research and magical clairvoyance. The characters are what really makes this sing, though: secretive, morally grey Mori, insecure and devastated Nathaniel and their adopted daugher Six, who is obsessed with electrics, and has autism. I love them all, and would happily read a whole series of their adventures.

After I realised that reading Corona, Climate, Chronic Emergency: War Communism in the Twenty-First Century was making me feel terrible, it was obvious that I should pick an escapist book instead. 'The Lost Future of Pepperharrow' was ideal for the purpose, as well as being apposite for halloween. It returns the reader to the world of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Bedlam Stacks, although I found the plot more compelling in this book. It's also more eerie than The Watchmaker of Filigr
...more

Good! Thaniel and Mori, Six, and even Grace! are back, some years after Watchmaker. Some good new characters also. Don't read this if you haven't read Watchmaker, I think.
This somehow feels both smoother, and less polished than Watchmaker or The Bedlam Stacks. Smoother in the sense of overall story flow and less polished as in more tiny little burrs that I imagine might have been knocked off by more rigorous editing in the earlier books. That's my impression anyway.
The bulk of this one takes pl ...more
This somehow feels both smoother, and less polished than Watchmaker or The Bedlam Stacks. Smoother in the sense of overall story flow and less polished as in more tiny little burrs that I imagine might have been knocked off by more rigorous editing in the earlier books. That's my impression anyway.
The bulk of this one takes pl ...more

4.5 stars
I really think that Natasha Pulley is one of the most underrated authors writing today. There is nothing I've read that is anything like the her three novels. And Mori is one of the maot fascinating characters I've read. While I think that Bedlam Stacks is my favorite of the three novels so far, this one lived up to the other two. A little creepy, a little steampunk, and a lot of mystery. And Katsu the clockwork octopus of course, joined by Owlbert the owl. ...more
I really think that Natasha Pulley is one of the most underrated authors writing today. There is nothing I've read that is anything like the her three novels. And Mori is one of the maot fascinating characters I've read. While I think that Bedlam Stacks is my favorite of the three novels so far, this one lived up to the other two. A little creepy, a little steampunk, and a lot of mystery. And Katsu the clockwork octopus of course, joined by Owlbert the owl. ...more

I read and loved The Watchmaker of Filigree Street last year, loved it. Thought about it a lot after I was finished and recommended it to lots of readers at school both staff and students. I was so excited to get hold of a galley of this one which is the third book in the series. I haven't read the second one but it didn't matter as I was immediately back in the world Thaniel and Mori and it felt like pulling on a lovely comfortable cardigan on a wintery day. This is exactly the kind of book tha
...more

So here’s the thing... you either love Natasha Pulley’s writing or you don’t. And as this is the second book in this series (and third of her books overall, I recommend The Bedlam Stacks, it’s my favorite) you’ll know what you’re getting into with another Watchmaker book. Her style is so unique. It’s low and slow and mysterious, encompassing a number of genres while also not adhering to any of them. It’s historical with a touch of steampunk, solid mystery and intrigue, elements of fantasy and/or
...more

Mar 29, 2019
Meep
marked it as i-ll-return-mayhaps
Unclear when this book is due but the blurb contains the magic word - KATSU
Obviously I NEED to read this ;)
Obviously I NEED to read this ;)

I received a publisher's advance review copy.
First off, you really must read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street before reading this. Natasha Pulley doesn’t waste a lot of time filling us in on the backstory of Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, Grace Carrow, and Six, before we’re quickly in Japan.
Foreign office translator Thaniel is sent to Tokyo to look into strange stories about ghosts in the British legation, while Mori (the watchmaker of the prior book’s title), a Japanese baron, is returning h ...more
First off, you really must read The Watchmaker of Filigree Street before reading this. Natasha Pulley doesn’t waste a lot of time filling us in on the backstory of Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, Grace Carrow, and Six, before we’re quickly in Japan.
Foreign office translator Thaniel is sent to Tokyo to look into strange stories about ghosts in the British legation, while Mori (the watchmaker of the prior book’s title), a Japanese baron, is returning h ...more

Natasha Pulley’s writing superpower is to make me not care about the flaws in her books. (And, yes, there always are some.) I’m generally too entranced to care about the problems. That didn’t happen with this book.
A friend of mine said, about a different and far worse book, “the book is bad, but the feelings ... the feelings are good,” and while this book is far from bad, its primary value for me was the feelings. If you like a ton of pining in your pining, and then topped with extra pining, my ...more
A friend of mine said, about a different and far worse book, “the book is bad, but the feelings ... the feelings are good,” and while this book is far from bad, its primary value for me was the feelings. If you like a ton of pining in your pining, and then topped with extra pining, my ...more
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Natasha Pulley is a British author, best known for her debut novel,
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
, which won a Betty Trask Award.
...more
Other books in the series
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
(2 books)
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“I don't tolerate you. I can't breathe when you're not here, I can't think, I can't write music properly, I spend my whole bloody life waiting for the post.”
—
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“It was the great evil of plays that every character had some kind of purpose. Absorb too much of them, and you could go about believing there was something wrong with you if you drifted unremarked towards your thirties, and coasted into a quiet beach of no interest to anyone.”
—
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