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Clocktaur War #2
The Wonder Engine
Pull three people out of prison--a disgraced paladin, a convicted forger, and a heartless assassin. Give them weapons, carnivorous tattoos, and each other. Point them at the enemy.
What could possibly go wrong?
In the sequel to CLOCKWORK BOYS, Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City, the source of the mysterious Clockwork Boys. But the secrets they're keeping could well destroy them, before the city even gets the chance...
What could possibly go wrong?
In the sequel to CLOCKWORK BOYS, Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City, the source of the mysterious Clockwork Boys. But the secrets they're keeping could well destroy them, before the city even gets the chance...
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2018
663 people are currently reading
8091 people want to read
About the author
T. Kingfisher
57 books24.8k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
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March 3, 2018The second half of Clocktaur Wars (it's one book, let's not mess about) is as glorious as the first. Kingfisher says this took her over a decade to write: you would not know it from the flowing ease of the writing, which feels joyously effortless.
Delightful characters, witty narrative, laugh-out-loud gags, big themes dealt with subtly and sensitively, a quietly powerful and complex moral core about decency to others. Basically Kingfisher is filling up the hole in my heart left by Terry Pratchett. And there is a lovely romance too. Ngh.
Get book one first, then get this, then get everything else she's written. Top of my list for writers who just make you feel better.
Delightful characters, witty narrative, laugh-out-loud gags, big themes dealt with subtly and sensitively, a quietly powerful and complex moral core about decency to others. Basically Kingfisher is filling up the hole in my heart left by Terry Pratchett. And there is a lovely romance too. Ngh.
Get book one first, then get this, then get everything else she's written. Top of my list for writers who just make you feel better.
September 28, 2024
Enjoyable if predictable.
Mention should be made that this is a continuation of the cliffhanger from Clockwork Boys. I do not know that this would stand on its own. I liked the ultimate villain/problem plotline and the way the threads came together. I appreciate that part of the issue is the mechanism of bureaucracy and capitalist interest. I'm iffy on the romantic plotline.
Interestingly, having read both back to back, I notice a tonal shift between the two. I suppose that can be one of the problem with friends as editors and cobbling together a story written over such a long time. Book one had a better balance of awfulness tempered by moments of thoughtful compassion. Book two trades most of that in for body horror, emotional outbursts, and quips, funny as they were.
“'Damn. No one ever tells me I’ve got a tidy mind.'
'It’s tidier than mine,' said Brenner.
'Yes, but yours is full of spiders.'
The assassin looked absurdly flattered by this."
The leads were incredibly stupid in their fatalism, and need to rely upon helpful strangers to accomplish their goals. I couldn't help but notice the reunion between our leads feels angry, lacking the frank communication that they had at their beginning in book one. It's like Princess Bride without the sweetness of the Princess. Not an awful way to spend the evening, but hoped for more after Clockwork Boys.
two and a half clockworks
Mention should be made that this is a continuation of the cliffhanger from Clockwork Boys. I do not know that this would stand on its own. I liked the ultimate villain/problem plotline and the way the threads came together. I appreciate that part of the issue is the mechanism of bureaucracy and capitalist interest. I'm iffy on the romantic plotline.
Interestingly, having read both back to back, I notice a tonal shift between the two. I suppose that can be one of the problem with friends as editors and cobbling together a story written over such a long time. Book one had a better balance of awfulness tempered by moments of thoughtful compassion. Book two trades most of that in for body horror, emotional outbursts, and quips, funny as they were.
“'Damn. No one ever tells me I’ve got a tidy mind.'
'It’s tidier than mine,' said Brenner.
'Yes, but yours is full of spiders.'
The assassin looked absurdly flattered by this."
The leads were incredibly stupid in their fatalism, and need to rely upon helpful strangers to accomplish their goals. I couldn't help but notice the reunion between our leads feels angry, lacking the frank communication that they had at their beginning in book one. It's like Princess Bride without the sweetness of the Princess. Not an awful way to spend the evening, but hoped for more after Clockwork Boys.
two and a half clockworks
April 13, 2020
Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
The Wonder Engine, a Locus award-nominated novel, is the second half of a fantasy duology by T. Kingfisher that began with Clockwork Boys, and it’s absolutely necessary to read that book first (a few minor spoilers for that book are in this review). Clockwork Boys relates how a company of condemned criminals ― Slate the forger, Brenner the assassin, and Caliban the paladin ― plus one straitlaced, misogynistic scholar named Learned Edmund, are assembled and sent on a mission to the distant Anuket City. This is the place where the so-called Clockwork Boys or, more properly, clocktaurs, originate: immense magical mechanical creatures that smash everything and kill everyone in their paths, and are nearly unstoppable. The group’s mission: stop the unstoppable, or die trying.
The group has just arrived in Anuket City as this story begins, having been joined by Grimehug the gnole, an intelligent creature resembling a badger, whose people form a servant class used by the humans in Anuket City. To make sure none of the team abandons the mission, their government had them inked with carnivorous tattoos that literally will chew them to pieces if they try to desert. But there are a lot of hurdles to overcome: they have to figure out where in the city the clocktaurs are being created, who is responsible, how they are made, and how to stop that process.
Another unexpected difficulty is the secrets that some of the members of the group are keeping. Slate spent several years living in Anuket City and is in grave danger if her return is discovered, but she refuses to share the reason why. The dead-ish demon inside of Caliban has gone ominously silent since the group’s escape from the runes, murderous deer-like people led by a demon-possessed shaman, during their journey to Anuket City. The group is also relying on the help of Grimehug, but no one is certain whether the gnole is trustworthy.
Kingfisher tells an exciting story with imaginative details, focusing the story on the personalities in this group and how they change as they interact with each other. Slate and Caliban are gradually becoming attracted to each other, despite their differences, and the dark-hearted Brenner ― Slate’s former lover ― is not at all okay with that. Learned Edmund, who is gradually overcoming his deeply-ingrained prejudices against women after seeing Slate’s heroic actions during the journey, is searching for a brilliant artificer, Ashes Magnus, who may be able to help him find a missing scholar from his brotherhood in the city, and gets a shock when he finds Ashes.
The Wonder Engine ramps up the tension and excitement level from the first book. That, plus a particular twist in the plot that was truly startling despite being reasonably foreshadowed, make this volume an improvement over Clockwork Boys, which focused on the group’s journey to Anuket City, developing the characters, and building this world. In most ways it’s a medieval European type of fantasy world, but the addition of wonder-engines (huge, ancient artifacts that produce varying magical products) and the clocktaurs themselves are an unusual, steampunkish addition to this fantasy world.
The Wonder Engine does spend a fair amount of time developing the romantic relationship between Slate and Caliban. After an exciting and horrific climax to the main plot, the rest of the book drags a little as it deals with the fallout from the results of the mission, especially its effect on a romantic relationship. Some readers may enjoy this part, but personally I wanted to slap certain people upside the head. In any case, because of this I’d recommend this CLOCKTAUR WAR duology to readers who appreciate strong romantic subplots in their fantasy reading.
The Wonder Engine didn’t really change my initial assessment, after reading Clockwork Boys, that this duology is a fairly typical fantasy heist by a company of strangers who are gradually coalescing into a team, but Kingfisher is a talented storyteller who makes this journey worthwhile.
Content note. A sexual scene or two, somewhat explicit.
The Wonder Engine, a Locus award-nominated novel, is the second half of a fantasy duology by T. Kingfisher that began with Clockwork Boys, and it’s absolutely necessary to read that book first (a few minor spoilers for that book are in this review). Clockwork Boys relates how a company of condemned criminals ― Slate the forger, Brenner the assassin, and Caliban the paladin ― plus one straitlaced, misogynistic scholar named Learned Edmund, are assembled and sent on a mission to the distant Anuket City. This is the place where the so-called Clockwork Boys or, more properly, clocktaurs, originate: immense magical mechanical creatures that smash everything and kill everyone in their paths, and are nearly unstoppable. The group’s mission: stop the unstoppable, or die trying.
The group has just arrived in Anuket City as this story begins, having been joined by Grimehug the gnole, an intelligent creature resembling a badger, whose people form a servant class used by the humans in Anuket City. To make sure none of the team abandons the mission, their government had them inked with carnivorous tattoos that literally will chew them to pieces if they try to desert. But there are a lot of hurdles to overcome: they have to figure out where in the city the clocktaurs are being created, who is responsible, how they are made, and how to stop that process.
Another unexpected difficulty is the secrets that some of the members of the group are keeping. Slate spent several years living in Anuket City and is in grave danger if her return is discovered, but she refuses to share the reason why. The dead-ish demon inside of Caliban has gone ominously silent since the group’s escape from the runes, murderous deer-like people led by a demon-possessed shaman, during their journey to Anuket City. The group is also relying on the help of Grimehug, but no one is certain whether the gnole is trustworthy.
Kingfisher tells an exciting story with imaginative details, focusing the story on the personalities in this group and how they change as they interact with each other. Slate and Caliban are gradually becoming attracted to each other, despite their differences, and the dark-hearted Brenner ― Slate’s former lover ― is not at all okay with that. Learned Edmund, who is gradually overcoming his deeply-ingrained prejudices against women after seeing Slate’s heroic actions during the journey, is searching for a brilliant artificer, Ashes Magnus, who may be able to help him find a missing scholar from his brotherhood in the city, and gets a shock when he finds Ashes.
The Wonder Engine ramps up the tension and excitement level from the first book. That, plus a particular twist in the plot that was truly startling despite being reasonably foreshadowed, make this volume an improvement over Clockwork Boys, which focused on the group’s journey to Anuket City, developing the characters, and building this world. In most ways it’s a medieval European type of fantasy world, but the addition of wonder-engines (huge, ancient artifacts that produce varying magical products) and the clocktaurs themselves are an unusual, steampunkish addition to this fantasy world.
The Wonder Engine does spend a fair amount of time developing the romantic relationship between Slate and Caliban. After an exciting and horrific climax to the main plot, the rest of the book drags a little as it deals with the fallout from the results of the mission, especially its effect on a romantic relationship. Some readers may enjoy this part, but personally I wanted to slap certain people upside the head. In any case, because of this I’d recommend this CLOCKTAUR WAR duology to readers who appreciate strong romantic subplots in their fantasy reading.
The Wonder Engine didn’t really change my initial assessment, after reading Clockwork Boys, that this duology is a fairly typical fantasy heist by a company of strangers who are gradually coalescing into a team, but Kingfisher is a talented storyteller who makes this journey worthwhile.
Content note. A sexual scene or two, somewhat explicit.
July 27, 2025
The first thing they saw when they got into Anuket City was a corpse.
The forger/ team leader, ex-knight/ demon-corpse host/ flippant assassin, naive scholar and a gnole have to stop the army of the Clockwork Boys threatening havoc in their enemy cities by going for their source in Anuket City... and trying to destroy it. While dealing with all the other dangers of the city like bounties, furious mob leaders, demons and female scholars.
The Wonder Engine takes off from the end of the first book/ part The Clockwork Boys with the same deadpan humour, a little bit extra action and a lot of teamwork. The team members know each other better now, and can work together but with some exasperation and T. Kingfisher's trademark droll internal monologues. The arcane world-building is further developed and some mysteries of the automatons are revealed. The focus is on the plot and action, as in the first book, and is paced well except for a couple of plot points or fixes towards the end that seemed unnecessary.
On the whole, a fun read, the duology recommended for T.. Kingfisher fans and anybody looking to try her writing with a couple of small-medium books.
“You want my socks?” Caliban would have laid down his life for Slate, probably with a sense of relief, but a man’s socks…that was asking a lot.
The Clocktaur War series:
Book 1: The Clockwork Boys
Book 2: The Wonder Engine
🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters and their growth; 3/4 star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 1/2 stars in total.]
The forger/ team leader, ex-knight/ demon-corpse host/ flippant assassin, naive scholar and a gnole have to stop the army of the Clockwork Boys threatening havoc in their enemy cities by going for their source in Anuket City... and trying to destroy it. While dealing with all the other dangers of the city like bounties, furious mob leaders, demons and female scholars.
The Wonder Engine takes off from the end of the first book/ part The Clockwork Boys with the same deadpan humour, a little bit extra action and a lot of teamwork. The team members know each other better now, and can work together but with some exasperation and T. Kingfisher's trademark droll internal monologues. The arcane world-building is further developed and some mysteries of the automatons are revealed. The focus is on the plot and action, as in the first book, and is paced well except for a couple of plot points or fixes towards the end that seemed unnecessary.
On the whole, a fun read, the duology recommended for T.. Kingfisher fans and anybody looking to try her writing with a couple of small-medium books.
“You want my socks?” Caliban would have laid down his life for Slate, probably with a sense of relief, but a man’s socks…that was asking a lot.
The Clocktaur War series:
Book 1: The Clockwork Boys
Book 2: The Wonder Engine
🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters and their growth; 3/4 star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 1/2 stars in total.]
October 27, 2022
The second part of The Clocktaur War and I enjoyed the first part so much I just moved straight on into it.
Slate, Brenner, Caliban and the Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City and now face so many problems that Slate is sure they are all about to die. With the aid of Grimehug and his friendly Gnoles things get better until they get worse and then...... well you just need to read the book!
I loved it all and I am sure there is a nod here to Terry Pratchett. Every time I read Anuket City I thought Ankh-Morpork, and Brenner surely could have come straight from the Assassin's Guild. The humour was similar too. There were many laugh aloud moments and there were many really gruesome bits too.
I am not a fan of romances but never mind a good romance as a secondary theme. Watching Slate and Caliban try to wreck a really good thing was hilarious. I do not often quote in a review but this one is too good to miss. It says everything about their relationship.
“The perfect gentle knight. She had a strong urge to kick him in the shins. Which would do precisely nothing and he'd look confused at me. And then probably offer to take his shin armor off so I could try again without hurting my foot.”
You can understand her problem.
A treasure of a tale. I am looking forward to reading much more by this author.
Slate, Brenner, Caliban and the Learned Edmund have arrived in Anuket City and now face so many problems that Slate is sure they are all about to die. With the aid of Grimehug and his friendly Gnoles things get better until they get worse and then...... well you just need to read the book!
I loved it all and I am sure there is a nod here to Terry Pratchett. Every time I read Anuket City I thought Ankh-Morpork, and Brenner surely could have come straight from the Assassin's Guild. The humour was similar too. There were many laugh aloud moments and there were many really gruesome bits too.
I am not a fan of romances but never mind a good romance as a secondary theme. Watching Slate and Caliban try to wreck a really good thing was hilarious. I do not often quote in a review but this one is too good to miss. It says everything about their relationship.
“The perfect gentle knight. She had a strong urge to kick him in the shins. Which would do precisely nothing and he'd look confused at me. And then probably offer to take his shin armor off so I could try again without hurting my foot.”
You can understand her problem.
A treasure of a tale. I am looking forward to reading much more by this author.
May 23, 2025
BAD NEWS: this book does not stick the landing. I still enjoyed myself quite a bit, but this book veers away from "heist" as a primary genre to focus more on the romance. It's a decent story, but it does the pacing of the previous book a disservice, and - in my opinion - cheapens the worldbuilding. The beats of the plot are less about the perilous journey and are more about the development of the relationships, which means that the plot feels less important. It takes away from Slate's fatalism, as . It's disappointing because T. Kingfisher upends many tropes or makes them unique in the first part of this story, but the latter half of this book is overrun by tropes of all shapes and sizes - most egregiously, . Maybe it's all my fault because I wasn't .
The only part of the ending I found surprising was , which perhaps speaks more to the other books that I read in this genre than the quality of this one. In fact, I might have even liked the book more if it had ended with I would have found that a more interesting ending, and it would have had the nuance that I expect and enjoy in T. Kingfisher books.
I did buy and read this entire book in the span of a few hours, so take all of this with a hefty dose of salt.
The only part of the ending I found surprising was , which perhaps speaks more to the other books that I read in this genre than the quality of this one. In fact, I might have even liked the book more if it had ended with I would have found that a more interesting ending, and it would have had the nuance that I expect and enjoy in T. Kingfisher books.
I did buy and read this entire book in the span of a few hours, so take all of this with a hefty dose of salt.
December 29, 2020
🤧 It's All about the Handkerchiefs Buddy Read (IAatHBR™) with Fluffy, Karen and Kate over at the MacHalo Asylum and stuff 🤧
A thirty-year-old, NOT beautiful, NOT white heroine (will wonders never cease and stuff?!) + bestiality and sheep (you don't want to know) + crazy slate, big man, dark man and book man and Grimehug, oh my! + cloud of hummingbirds on tiny jeweled leashes + hahahahahahaha + the excessive usage of thumbs + ruthless assassins who look like large, lethal shrubberies + uncontrollable, manic teapots that whistle irritably + clean underwear taking precedence over suicide missions + it is a truth universally acknowledged that a man with an endless supply of clean handkerchiefs has got to have extra socks + thou shalt not twist thy whiskers too hard. No, thou shalt not + paladins who double as seamstresses (but not as resurrectionists) + gender fluidity, gnole-style + “Frederick’s not yelping. Be like Frederick” + one should not torture people at home for it ruins the carpet and stuff + automatic fish strainers and abalone peelers and horse castrators, oh my! + oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no + being stupid over and over again + bad guys who are concerned about the environment and moonlight as zero wasters + “not normal human shit” + hahahahahahaha again + Slate's socks, aka the heroes of the sock world + scrumptiously horrible stuff + two baths, ten baths, not enough baths + “stupid’s a good mate for crazy” =
Oh, and also: WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THERE ARE NO MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES??!!
· Book 1: Clockwork Boys ★★★★★
A thirty-year-old, NOT beautiful, NOT white heroine (will wonders never cease and stuff?!) + bestiality and sheep (you don't want to know) + crazy slate, big man, dark man and book man and Grimehug, oh my! + cloud of hummingbirds on tiny jeweled leashes + hahahahahahaha + the excessive usage of thumbs + ruthless assassins who look like large, lethal shrubberies + uncontrollable, manic teapots that whistle irritably + clean underwear taking precedence over suicide missions + it is a truth universally acknowledged that a man with an endless supply of clean handkerchiefs has got to have extra socks + thou shalt not twist thy whiskers too hard. No, thou shalt not + paladins who double as seamstresses (but not as resurrectionists) + gender fluidity, gnole-style + “Frederick’s not yelping. Be like Frederick” + one should not torture people at home for it ruins the carpet and stuff + automatic fish strainers and abalone peelers and horse castrators, oh my! + oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no + being stupid over and over again + bad guys who are concerned about the environment and moonlight as zero wasters + “not normal human shit” + hahahahahahaha again + Slate's socks, aka the heroes of the sock world + scrumptiously horrible stuff + two baths, ten baths, not enough baths + “stupid’s a good mate for crazy” =
Oh, and also: WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THERE ARE NO MORE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES??!!
· Book 1: Clockwork Boys ★★★★★
January 11, 2025
So after a week, I finally finished the book. I think I'm partly at fault here as life is messing with me way too much. Also, the fact I stopped so many times, and the way I didn't highlight everything I wanted to. I also think this needs to be read close to the 1st one. I'm usually ok with big gaps and I normally don't reread past installments before the next ones but I think I could have really changed my experience.
I love the narrator, amazing job there. I love the banter the comebacks and the way the characters interact with one another. I liked the way I had no idea what was coming and had no guesses about the ending. I really appreciate that this book and the 1st made me realize maybe I can read more diversly as this is not the type of book I usually pick up but I had a nice time.
I look forward to trying out more stuff from T. Kingfisher.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know what's wrong with me. I really liked book 1 and the audio narration is good but I have started this book like 3 times already. Please, be my accountability, and make sure I read it this time 🙏
I love the narrator, amazing job there. I love the banter the comebacks and the way the characters interact with one another. I liked the way I had no idea what was coming and had no guesses about the ending. I really appreciate that this book and the 1st made me realize maybe I can read more diversly as this is not the type of book I usually pick up but I had a nice time.
I look forward to trying out more stuff from T. Kingfisher.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know what's wrong with me. I really liked book 1 and the audio narration is good but I have started this book like 3 times already. Please, be my accountability, and make sure I read it this time 🙏
January 12, 2021
2.25 stars
Huh.
Okay, so I had expected so much from this book and clearly, there was a lot of disappointment involved. The first book was a mix of funny and witty banter. It was a nice, light, fun read with a slight undertone of romance. It had not been great but I was entertained and well, that's doing much better than so many other books.
However, the second part just failed to do it for me. First of all, I felt that this book could do some serious editing. There were times where Brother Amadai was suddenly being spelt as Brother Amaudai and the book kept interchanging the plural of "gnole" between gnoles and gnolls. And there was a bunch of other sentences that straight up seemed weird to me. I don't know about anyone else, but things like these bother me a lot.
Moving on, I had been expecting some character developments. Some heartwarming friendships, wholesome moments and whatnot. Well, I got none of that. All we had here was the whole Slate and Caliban romance going on. And, yes, I'll admit that I had been quite interested in their possible romance in the previous book and had been somewhat looking forward to seeing how their relationship played out. Well, speaking of that, the way it played out was so to speak, quite anticlamatic .
I felt no chemistry. Just whining, brooding and getting pissed off and then maybe making out a little. I was not interested. And I just felt that their bloody thing, whatever they had going on, had become the main focus of the book. You know, what I was really invested in was Caliban and Brenner's friendship. Which never happened. Not even a little bit. To be completely honest, I agree with one of the reviews here which talks about how both the male leads we had were bi and had way too much chemistry with each other than either of them had with the female lead. It really was a huge opportunity at tremendously mindblowing enemies to lovers romance lost. But yes, whatever.
I was zoning out here ned there. Some parts were still funny but it all felt very all over the place. The ending too, I have no idea what did these guys had expected to do when they decided to break in the warehouse and stop the clocktaurs. Like, yes, it is a fun plan, an entertaining one, at least for the readers. BUt thaT is so stupid and unrealistic. They had no frigging plan.
I will still admit, it was the climax that sort of made me re-interested in the story and one particular part that... dammit . I was also surprised by one or two things at the end which was itself surprising because everything else was so predictable that I was not expecting to be surprised at all.
Having said all of that, I believe there is another book, Swordheart, if I am not wrong, that is set in the same universe. I wasn't sure if I was going to read it but I didn't hate these books. I felt like they had so much more potential, this one at least. And they could have been done much better. So here is to hoping that Swordheart will be done much better (or has been done since it has already been published).
Huh.
Okay, so I had expected so much from this book and clearly, there was a lot of disappointment involved. The first book was a mix of funny and witty banter. It was a nice, light, fun read with a slight undertone of romance. It had not been great but I was entertained and well, that's doing much better than so many other books.
However, the second part just failed to do it for me. First of all, I felt that this book could do some serious editing. There were times where Brother Amadai was suddenly being spelt as Brother Amaudai and the book kept interchanging the plural of "gnole" between gnoles and gnolls. And there was a bunch of other sentences that straight up seemed weird to me. I don't know about anyone else, but things like these bother me a lot.
Moving on, I had been expecting some character developments. Some heartwarming friendships, wholesome moments and whatnot. Well, I got none of that. All we had here was the whole Slate and Caliban romance going on. And, yes, I'll admit that I had been quite interested in their possible romance in the previous book and had been somewhat looking forward to seeing how their relationship played out. Well, speaking of that, the way it played out was so to speak, quite anticlamatic .
I felt no chemistry. Just whining, brooding and getting pissed off and then maybe making out a little. I was not interested. And I just felt that their bloody thing, whatever they had going on, had become the main focus of the book. You know, what I was really invested in was Caliban and Brenner's friendship. Which never happened. Not even a little bit. To be completely honest, I agree with one of the reviews here which talks about how both the male leads we had were bi and had way too much chemistry with each other than either of them had with the female lead. It really was a huge opportunity at tremendously mindblowing enemies to lovers romance lost. But yes, whatever.
I was zoning out here ned there. Some parts were still funny but it all felt very all over the place. The ending too, I have no idea what did these guys had expected to do when they decided to break in the warehouse and stop the clocktaurs. Like, yes, it is a fun plan, an entertaining one, at least for the readers. BUt thaT is so stupid and unrealistic. They had no frigging plan.
I will still admit, it was the climax that sort of made me re-interested in the story and one particular part that... dammit . I was also surprised by one or two things at the end which was itself surprising because everything else was so predictable that I was not expecting to be surprised at all.
Having said all of that, I believe there is another book, Swordheart, if I am not wrong, that is set in the same universe. I wasn't sure if I was going to read it but I didn't hate these books. I felt like they had so much more potential, this one at least. And they could have been done much better. So here is to hoping that Swordheart will be done much better (or has been done since it has already been published).
September 24, 2023
While I think the pacing of this book isn't as strong as the first (I think there was some lag in the middle), I did really love this series as a whole! Though to be honest, this is really one book that's split into 2 parts - I think reading them back to back made that even clearer. If I still wrote fanfic, I would 10000% be writing some Slate/Caliban smut
February 4, 2024
4.5 stars
This was delightful and fixed the issues I had with book 1. I really think this should have been a single novel though, just slightly trimmed down. So if you pick up Clockwork Boys, plan to jump right into this one. I liked where the plot went, the humor and character banter worked for me, and the worldbuilding was interesting. Also I love all the gnoles! Cozy adjacent, character driven fantasy with some light steampunk vibes.
This was delightful and fixed the issues I had with book 1. I really think this should have been a single novel though, just slightly trimmed down. So if you pick up Clockwork Boys, plan to jump right into this one. I liked where the plot went, the humor and character banter worked for me, and the worldbuilding was interesting. Also I love all the gnoles! Cozy adjacent, character driven fantasy with some light steampunk vibes.
February 7, 2019
The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher is the second and final book in the Clocktaur War duology. It picks up precisely where the first book left off, aside from a faux prologue in the beginning that summarizes the first book in case the reader decided to start with the second. The plot threads from the first book are further explored and tied together in the second, with no mystery left hanging by the end. As far as the overall plot goes, Kingfisher did an excellent job of seeing everything through to a satisfying conclusion, and the mystery, adventure, and action do not disappoint.
Unfortunately, a key tenant of this book -- the romance -- leaves much to be desired.
All in all, while I enjoyed the overall plot, worldbuilding, characters, and Kingfisher's writing style, the romantic plot tumor that permeated most of the book was not to my taste. While I was previously eagerly awaiting devouring Kingfisher's book, I'm now feeling wary about the one I'll begin reading tomorrow. I would recommend The Wonder Engine to anyone who read Clockwork Boys so they can see how the story ends, but I am sad to say that, for me, this book did not live up to its predecessor.
Unfortunately, a key tenant of this book -- the romance -- leaves much to be desired.
All in all, while I enjoyed the overall plot, worldbuilding, characters, and Kingfisher's writing style, the romantic plot tumor that permeated most of the book was not to my taste. While I was previously eagerly awaiting devouring Kingfisher's book, I'm now feeling wary about the one I'll begin reading tomorrow. I would recommend The Wonder Engine to anyone who read Clockwork Boys so they can see how the story ends, but I am sad to say that, for me, this book did not live up to its predecessor.
July 29, 2024
I’m going to start this review with a PSA: if you are going to read the “Clocktaur War” books, do yourself a favor and just read them back-to-back: they are both pretty short, and feel more like a novel cleaved in half than like two separate books.
“The Wonder Engines” picks up immediately where “The Clockwork Boys” left off, so I am going to be very brief here, as I don’t want to give away too much. Sufficed to say, our little bunch of miscreants is back and ready to try and fight the clocktaurs! This book is where the action really ramps up, which is another great reason to read both books from this duology as close together as possible.
Our bunch of misfit adventurers finally arrive at Anuket City, after a rather harrowing journey, but they don’t really get much of a break before they have to face the real enemy they have been sent to defeat.
The relationship between Slate and Caliban is, in trademark Kingfisher fashion, a sweet and awkward courtship dance between two damaged people who don’t think of themselves as someone anyone would want to be with but find comfort in each other. I have never been great at noticing it when people flirt with me, but even I know that when a guy consistently has hankies for you when you have allergies, he definitely cares. A lot.
I would say that I liked this book a tiny bit more than the first simply because I was now familiar enough with the characters and the set-up that I could really just kick back and enjoy. Even Learned Edmund, despite his many, many faults, was now someone I looked forward to reading about every time I picked up the book. Their dynamic is great, complex and engaging - and Kingfisher doesn't rely on the easy or cliché to define them, which is wonderful.
Kingfisher has become my go-to when I need something fun and comforting, and I get the feeling that I will be revisiting her “World of the White Rat” novels when I need something warm and fuzzy and smart to read. I must say I prefer the “Saint of Steel” books because they are longer and have more breathing room for plot and character development. These books were fun, but they would have been even better with an extra hundred page each, to flesh out the story even more. All the elements that make the “World of the White Rat” universe wonderful are here, these just feel a bit rushed. If she sees fit to write more books set in this universe, I will cheerfully throw money at her.
Not to be missed if you want something cozy and clever.
“The Wonder Engines” picks up immediately where “The Clockwork Boys” left off, so I am going to be very brief here, as I don’t want to give away too much. Sufficed to say, our little bunch of miscreants is back and ready to try and fight the clocktaurs! This book is where the action really ramps up, which is another great reason to read both books from this duology as close together as possible.
Our bunch of misfit adventurers finally arrive at Anuket City, after a rather harrowing journey, but they don’t really get much of a break before they have to face the real enemy they have been sent to defeat.
The relationship between Slate and Caliban is, in trademark Kingfisher fashion, a sweet and awkward courtship dance between two damaged people who don’t think of themselves as someone anyone would want to be with but find comfort in each other. I have never been great at noticing it when people flirt with me, but even I know that when a guy consistently has hankies for you when you have allergies, he definitely cares. A lot.
I would say that I liked this book a tiny bit more than the first simply because I was now familiar enough with the characters and the set-up that I could really just kick back and enjoy. Even Learned Edmund, despite his many, many faults, was now someone I looked forward to reading about every time I picked up the book. Their dynamic is great, complex and engaging - and Kingfisher doesn't rely on the easy or cliché to define them, which is wonderful.
Kingfisher has become my go-to when I need something fun and comforting, and I get the feeling that I will be revisiting her “World of the White Rat” novels when I need something warm and fuzzy and smart to read. I must say I prefer the “Saint of Steel” books because they are longer and have more breathing room for plot and character development. These books were fun, but they would have been even better with an extra hundred page each, to flesh out the story even more. All the elements that make the “World of the White Rat” universe wonderful are here, these just feel a bit rushed. If she sees fit to write more books set in this universe, I will cheerfully throw money at her.
Not to be missed if you want something cozy and clever.
May 1, 2023
Ugh. I am so ticked.
Honestly, the last 30 or so pages ruined the book/series for me. It just didn't read as realistic (too many plot holes) and I ended up despising one of the characters.
Full review:
Well the biggest issue I am seeing now is that maybe this should have been three books? I think that this one focused too much on Slate (with no resolution) and then we jumped around a lot and there were so many plot holes left open that I just went fine.
"The Wonder Engine" now has Slate, Caliban, Brennan, Edmund, and their new friend. They merry band is closer than ever to figuring out the clocktaurs, but Slate's past has come back to bite the group in the end.
So, this one didn't really work. I think as others said, we spend too much time on Slate, but with no really good resolutions. I also didn't buy Slate and her "romance". I honestly thought that the sexual tension between her and Caliban was pretty annoying in the last book and this one didn't make up for it at all.
Caliban just read "off" to me throughout. Brennan warned Slate about him and honestly I agree.
Brennan. Sigh.
Edmund had a 180 that didn't feel at all believable or earned.
The writing was fine, but the pace was glacial. The whole plot of the first book seems forgotten in this second one.
The ending just was very disappointing.
Honestly, the last 30 or so pages ruined the book/series for me. It just didn't read as realistic (too many plot holes) and I ended up despising one of the characters.
Full review:
Well the biggest issue I am seeing now is that maybe this should have been three books? I think that this one focused too much on Slate (with no resolution) and then we jumped around a lot and there were so many plot holes left open that I just went fine.
"The Wonder Engine" now has Slate, Caliban, Brennan, Edmund, and their new friend. They merry band is closer than ever to figuring out the clocktaurs, but Slate's past has come back to bite the group in the end.
So, this one didn't really work. I think as others said, we spend too much time on Slate, but with no really good resolutions. I also didn't buy Slate and her "romance". I honestly thought that the sexual tension between her and Caliban was pretty annoying in the last book and this one didn't make up for it at all.
Caliban just read "off" to me throughout. Brennan warned Slate about him and honestly I agree.
Brennan. Sigh.
Edmund had a 180 that didn't feel at all believable or earned.
The writing was fine, but the pace was glacial. The whole plot of the first book seems forgotten in this second one.
The ending just was very disappointing.
April 21, 2019
I loved this duology. It had everything, the most important of which was humour. It was original, imaginative and great entertainment. Loved the gnoles. #wantagnoleforxmas
April 30, 2022
This is better than Clockwork Boys in all the ways that count - plot, putdownability, and world-building- but if you didn't buy the characters and their relationships in the first book, you probably still won't care about them here.
Slate, Caliban, Brenner, Learned Edmund, and Grimehug (the requisite cute fuzzy sidekick) have made it to Anuket City, where things are...not well. There's a plague, a mess of crimelords who remember Slate all too well, and of course, the mysterious origin of the Clocktaurs. You know, the centaur-robots of mass destruction. Turns out it's harder to be a spy when there's a huge bounty on your head.
The pace is brisker than book 1, and the sense of danger more imminent. It still takes Slate & co. a very long time to figure out the origin of the Clocktaurs (okay, the title of the book is perhaps not as much a giveaway to the characters as it is to readers), and in the meantime, there are heists and torturings and skullduggery to accomplish. The tone is slick, and the banter is fun:
What's decidedly less fun is Caliban and Slate's remarkable ability to keep finding tortured reasons to not hook up - and the resulting anguished longing: "For a half-dozen heartbeats, he'd imagined taking her right there, up against a tree, and both their wounds be damned. Hard and fast until she cried out his name and he forgot that there had ever been a demon that wore her face." Um. Awkward. How about cleaning up those wounds first so you don't a) die of infection in a week; or b) bleed all over each other?
The glib sarcasm that typifies the narration is at odds with the emotional impact Kingfisher seems to be simultaneously going for in The Wonder Engine. I shrugged at the dramatics toward the end and tossed both books on my get-rid-of pile. Is it bad that the one thing my brain is hung up on is
Slate, Caliban, Brenner, Learned Edmund, and Grimehug (the requisite cute fuzzy sidekick) have made it to Anuket City, where things are...not well. There's a plague, a mess of crimelords who remember Slate all too well, and of course, the mysterious origin of the Clocktaurs. You know, the centaur-robots of mass destruction. Turns out it's harder to be a spy when there's a huge bounty on your head.
The pace is brisker than book 1, and the sense of danger more imminent. It still takes Slate & co. a very long time to figure out the origin of the Clocktaurs (okay, the title of the book is perhaps not as much a giveaway to the characters as it is to readers), and in the meantime, there are heists and torturings and skullduggery to accomplish. The tone is slick, and the banter is fun:
"Now, remember," [Brenner] muttered. "Keep your mouth shut, and don't do anything noble. Bad things are going to be happening here, and you are going to let them keep happening. You are not going to intervene, you are not going to protect anyone, you are not going to stop to help women or pets or small children. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
[...] "Okay. One last thing. Give me your money."
[...] "Are you mugging me?" asked Caliban incredulously.
"Dammit, I'll give it back. But you look like a pickpocket's dreams come true. They'll pick you clean before you've gone ten feet. But if you don't have anything to steal, they'll assume you're hiding it really well, and leave you alone."
"And they won't try to steal from you?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
What's decidedly less fun is Caliban and Slate's remarkable ability to keep finding tortured reasons to not hook up - and the resulting anguished longing: "For a half-dozen heartbeats, he'd imagined taking her right there, up against a tree, and both their wounds be damned. Hard and fast until she cried out his name and he forgot that there had ever been a demon that wore her face." Um. Awkward. How about cleaning up those wounds first so you don't a) die of infection in a week; or b) bleed all over each other?
The glib sarcasm that typifies the narration is at odds with the emotional impact Kingfisher seems to be simultaneously going for in The Wonder Engine. I shrugged at the dramatics toward the end and tossed both books on my get-rid-of pile. Is it bad that the one thing my brain is hung up on is
November 16, 2025
A really strong follow-up to an amazing start to a series. The Wonder Engine took everything good about The Clockwork Boys, expanded on it, and concluded it satisfyingly.
I have occasionally thought that these two books could sit as one, and I'm still not against that - it'd be an epic size, but so worth it. They do work as books on their own, as well, but this time I went straight to one from the other and loved it. The world that was laid out in the first book gets a chance to really be established in this one - there's a lot of lore and it all feels very naturally told. Plus, like I've come to rely on from T. Kingfisher, there's a great romance, plenty of humour, and some genuinely horrifying moments in amongst all the fantasy questing. This author mixes genres like no-one else and it comes out beautifully.
I have occasionally thought that these two books could sit as one, and I'm still not against that - it'd be an epic size, but so worth it. They do work as books on their own, as well, but this time I went straight to one from the other and loved it. The world that was laid out in the first book gets a chance to really be established in this one - there's a lot of lore and it all feels very naturally told. Plus, like I've come to rely on from T. Kingfisher, there's a great romance, plenty of humour, and some genuinely horrifying moments in amongst all the fantasy questing. This author mixes genres like no-one else and it comes out beautifully.
June 15, 2018
Once again, I just really loved spending time with our merry band of misfits! Plus the plot kicked up a notch, things were resolved, and we met even more interesting new characters! If you like banter, this book is for you.
June 21, 2018
Loveable characters, amusing banter, badger-like beings in abundance, great sendup of the paladin type of character, terrific use of an account/forger/thief/snarky being in Slate.
I enjoyed book one, loved this book, and want more Slate and Grimehug and Paladin. And even Learned Edmund.
I enjoyed book one, loved this book, and want more Slate and Grimehug and Paladin. And even Learned Edmund.
June 19, 2025
The ANGST? Delicious.
You know how there's media you love because it's actually technically excellent, but then there's media you love in spite of its many flaws because it just has a certain something about it that worms into your mind and takes over your life and makes you absolutely obsessed? These books are the second kind of love. They're the definition of a diamond in the rough. They're unpolished, intensely self indulgent, often meandering, oddly paced - and I didn't mind any of those things even a little bit. (There are some things about the ending that I'd definitely change, and I did mind that... a little.) I'm torn between wanting these to be picked up for trad pub so they can go through some edits, and feeling strongly that it isn't worth the risk of killing the magic.
Because I am OBSESSED. I love these characters so much I feel insane. This group of nasty miserable doomed people has taken up all the real estate in my brain. I actually feel so empty inside now that I'm out of World of the White Rat books. I have no idea what else to read
You know how there's media you love because it's actually technically excellent, but then there's media you love in spite of its many flaws because it just has a certain something about it that worms into your mind and takes over your life and makes you absolutely obsessed? These books are the second kind of love. They're the definition of a diamond in the rough. They're unpolished, intensely self indulgent, often meandering, oddly paced - and I didn't mind any of those things even a little bit. (There are some things about the ending that I'd definitely change, and I did mind that... a little.) I'm torn between wanting these to be picked up for trad pub so they can go through some edits, and feeling strongly that it isn't worth the risk of killing the magic.
Because I am OBSESSED. I love these characters so much I feel insane. This group of nasty miserable doomed people has taken up all the real estate in my brain. I actually feel so empty inside now that I'm out of World of the White Rat books. I have no idea what else to read
July 11, 2023
“There never was. The morality of gods was not the morality of men”
De todos los libros que llevo de la autora y este mundo ninguno me ha decepcionado. Todos se encuentran, al menos desde mi punto de vista, bastante bien escritos, sus historias y mundo son bastante originales, personajes carismáticos y escenas graciosas. ¿Qué más pido?
“But I don’t want to be the sensible one. I want to be the one who kills people and gets paid a lots of money.”
Sin embargo, no es oro todo lo que reluce y sí que tengo una pega y es que siento que la autora no sabe escribir finales. Me explico, tiene buenísimas ideas para el inicio y desarrollo luego el final se queda bastante corto.
“I am probably too stupid to be allowed to live”.
A pesar de todo una gran autora, un gran descubrimiento de este mundo y su prosa. Enamorada.
“Ngha, ha, rhea-rhea-ha”
De todos los libros que llevo de la autora y este mundo ninguno me ha decepcionado. Todos se encuentran, al menos desde mi punto de vista, bastante bien escritos, sus historias y mundo son bastante originales, personajes carismáticos y escenas graciosas. ¿Qué más pido?
“But I don’t want to be the sensible one. I want to be the one who kills people and gets paid a lots of money.”
Sin embargo, no es oro todo lo que reluce y sí que tengo una pega y es que siento que la autora no sabe escribir finales. Me explico, tiene buenísimas ideas para el inicio y desarrollo luego el final se queda bastante corto.
“I am probably too stupid to be allowed to live”.
A pesar de todo una gran autora, un gran descubrimiento de este mundo y su prosa. Enamorada.
“Ngha, ha, rhea-rhea-ha”
June 18, 2018
Slate the forger has led her small band to Anuket City, the origin of the Clocktaurs. Caliban the paladin, Brenner the assassin, Learned Edmund the scholar and Grimehug the gnole need to use all their abilities to survive what they find their and do something about the nearly unstoppable Clocktaur army.
The first book in this two-parter assembled the party and began to define their characters and relationships. This book is the payoff, which a strong feeling of family in this small band, despite their various differences. and some wonderful banter to go along with these deeply flawed characters. The author maintains the discipline to focus on the characters of the party rather than going in depth on the villains of the piece or even the people for whom the party is on a mission for.
The first book in this two-parter assembled the party and began to define their characters and relationships. This book is the payoff, which a strong feeling of family in this small band, despite their various differences. and some wonderful banter to go along with these deeply flawed characters. The author maintains the discipline to focus on the characters of the party rather than going in depth on the villains of the piece or even the people for whom the party is on a mission for.
April 5, 2021
4.5 Humans Can't Smell Stars
The Clocktaur wars is what happens when an author has some very strong and spiteful feelings about how Paladin’s are portrayed in novels and really wants to shake it up.
The Clocktaur wars duology reads like a part I/part II of a fantasy novel. It is more like one complete story than two separate ones. You must read Clockwork Boys in order to have any idea what is going on in The Wonder Engine.
Our traveling party of Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund, heavy one gnole, Grimehug are now in the city and after cleaning up they are ready to tackle who is making the Clocktaurs and who is controlling them. Each brings a certain skill to the table between being demon killer, assassin, forger, book smart kid and the creature who can smell things. Slate used to live in this city and can help the crew find who and what they are looking for. But she is also very wanted in the city by someone who has a particularity bad reputation. Good thing that Brenner knows a thing or two about bad men.
Slate and Caliban are adorable together as they completely soft foot around the other waiting for them to make a move. Caliban so dense that he doesn’t want to put Slate in a bad position and Slate well she can’t decide whether to just kiss him or kick him.
Learned Edmund has also come a long way since leaving on the journey. He at least doesn’t think that his gentiles will wither and die by being close to a woman. But he is still so young and cutely naïve about the world.
I love the addition of Grimehug and the gnole community in the story. The way they speak and their caste system were really interesting. I also adore how he talks to Slate and is always calling her Crazy Slate, which is a bit spot on since they are on a suicide mission still. He is adorable and humans need someone there to tell it like it is and remind them that humans can’t smell.
I had a really great time with the story and finding out what was really going on with the Clocktaurs was surprising. I didn’t really see that one coming. I did guess something from the end of the last book that played into this story, but even it turned out differently than I expected so bravo to T. Kingfisher for that.
IMHO there isn’t enough good romantasy in the world and so I’m so happy to found an author who is balancing the fantasy story and the romance so well. I totally had a great time with this character driven fantasy that was interesting, funny, sometimes infuriating (Paladins) and really just a good time.
The Clocktaur wars is what happens when an author has some very strong and spiteful feelings about how Paladin’s are portrayed in novels and really wants to shake it up.
I suppose thanks must also go to the writers of fantasy paladins, lo these many years, without whom there would be no tradition to enrage me and force me to tackle the issue myself. Inspiration knocks now and again, but spite bangs on the door all year long.
The Clocktaur wars duology reads like a part I/part II of a fantasy novel. It is more like one complete story than two separate ones. You must read Clockwork Boys in order to have any idea what is going on in The Wonder Engine.
Our traveling party of Slate, Brenner, Caliban and Learned Edmund, heavy one gnole, Grimehug are now in the city and after cleaning up they are ready to tackle who is making the Clocktaurs and who is controlling them. Each brings a certain skill to the table between being demon killer, assassin, forger, book smart kid and the creature who can smell things. Slate used to live in this city and can help the crew find who and what they are looking for. But she is also very wanted in the city by someone who has a particularity bad reputation. Good thing that Brenner knows a thing or two about bad men.
“Nobody tortures people at home. It ruins the carpets.”
Slate and Caliban are adorable together as they completely soft foot around the other waiting for them to make a move. Caliban so dense that he doesn’t want to put Slate in a bad position and Slate well she can’t decide whether to just kiss him or kick him.
“The perfect gentle knight. She had a strong urge to kick him in the shins. Which would do precisely nothing and he'd look confused at me. And then probably offer to take his shin armor off so I could try again without hurting my foot.”
Learned Edmund has also come a long way since leaving on the journey. He at least doesn’t think that his gentiles will wither and die by being close to a woman. But he is still so young and cutely naïve about the world.
I love the addition of Grimehug and the gnole community in the story. The way they speak and their caste system were really interesting. I also adore how he talks to Slate and is always calling her Crazy Slate, which is a bit spot on since they are on a suicide mission still. He is adorable and humans need someone there to tell it like it is and remind them that humans can’t smell.
I had a really great time with the story and finding out what was really going on with the Clocktaurs was surprising. I didn’t really see that one coming. I did guess something from the end of the last book that played into this story, but even it turned out differently than I expected so bravo to T. Kingfisher for that.
IMHO there isn’t enough good romantasy in the world and so I’m so happy to found an author who is balancing the fantasy story and the romance so well. I totally had a great time with this character driven fantasy that was interesting, funny, sometimes infuriating (Paladins) and really just a good time.
July 6, 2021
2.5. This was disappointing. The fantasy and horror elements were interesting, but the pacing was off (especially at the end) and I really didn’t like how the romance went.
I’m honestly not sure what Slate and Caliban saw in each other. Slate was physically attracted to Caliban against her better judgement, and she was often mean to him. Caliban just let Slate be mean and accepted everything as his fault, even when it wasn’t. At the end, after Brenner’s death, Slate throws all of Caliban’s things out of her room, yells at him, and then doesn’t talk to him for two weeks. And then she’s worried that Caliban might not love her anymore because of the whole thing with Brenner. It just doesn’t make sense that she’d use Caliban as a punching bag the whole journey, regularly refuse his help, threaten to slit his throat, throw his stuff out of her room, and completely stop talking to him, only to worry that he MIGHT'VE gotten the idea that she doesn’t like him or want anything to do with him. How the fuck else is he supposed to take all of that?!
It also seemed like Slate cut Brenner and Edmund a lot of slack, but then she’d get mad at Caliban for just existing. Was Caliban really an arrogant asshole, or was Slate just unreasonably peeved that someone was showing practicality and genuine concern for her well-being?
Slate had a lot of misplaced anger, fear, and frustration for the entire series (especially at the end), and basically all of this was taken out on Caliban. I get that not every couple is going to have a perfectly healthy, communicative relationship. And I’ve read and enjoyed books where the main couple is more than a little bit fucked up. But this ending seemed like Slate and Caliban were together because they didn’t want to be alone, and not because they were actually healthily in love with each other. This is one of the few romances I’ve read where I think the main couple would genuinely be better off without each other.
The ending felt bleak and hopeless - because of the romance, because of the way in which Brenner died, and because the found-family disbanded.
I will say, however, that the other Kingfisher books I’ve read don’t have this problem, so don’t let this negativity deter you from picking up another of her books that isn’t part of this duology.
I’m honestly not sure what Slate and Caliban saw in each other. Slate was physically attracted to Caliban against her better judgement, and she was often mean to him. Caliban just let Slate be mean and accepted everything as his fault, even when it wasn’t. At the end, after Brenner’s death, Slate throws all of Caliban’s things out of her room, yells at him, and then doesn’t talk to him for two weeks. And then she’s worried that Caliban might not love her anymore because of the whole thing with Brenner. It just doesn’t make sense that she’d use Caliban as a punching bag the whole journey, regularly refuse his help, threaten to slit his throat, throw his stuff out of her room, and completely stop talking to him, only to worry that he MIGHT'VE gotten the idea that she doesn’t like him or want anything to do with him. How the fuck else is he supposed to take all of that?!
It also seemed like Slate cut Brenner and Edmund a lot of slack, but then she’d get mad at Caliban for just existing. Was Caliban really an arrogant asshole, or was Slate just unreasonably peeved that someone was showing practicality and genuine concern for her well-being?
Slate had a lot of misplaced anger, fear, and frustration for the entire series (especially at the end), and basically all of this was taken out on Caliban. I get that not every couple is going to have a perfectly healthy, communicative relationship. And I’ve read and enjoyed books where the main couple is more than a little bit fucked up. But this ending seemed like Slate and Caliban were together because they didn’t want to be alone, and not because they were actually healthily in love with each other. This is one of the few romances I’ve read where I think the main couple would genuinely be better off without each other.
The ending felt bleak and hopeless - because of the romance, because of the way in which Brenner died, and because the found-family disbanded.
I will say, however, that the other Kingfisher books I’ve read don’t have this problem, so don’t let this negativity deter you from picking up another of her books that isn’t part of this duology.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2024
The second book in the Clocktaur duology (really the second half of one book) picks up right where the previous left off, with our band of unlikely heroes entering the city that produces the dreaded 'Clockwork boys', or as they are deemed here, the 'Clocktaurs'. All they have to do now is find how the Clocktaurs are being made and shut it down! Of course they face horrible trials and tribulations along the way, as well as lots of romantic tension and strangeness within Kingfisher's steampunk fantasy world...
Again, trying to define a genre here becomes difficult, but 'cozy fantasy romance' comes pretty close. I must say that neither cozy or romance are my bag at all, but I still enjoyed this, primarily due to Kingfisher's flowing prose and pacing, and the wonderful, strange world she built here. Yet, the world really serves as an interesting background to the love story. Slate, a thief and master forger of documents, with one horribly failed marriage under her belt, and Caliban, the heroic Demon-slaying knight/paladin, who really just does not know how to communicate; well, for that matter, neither does does Slate. We also have our naïve young scholar who volunteered for the mission and of course the assassin Brenner, an old flame of Slate. I never would have tried this without some of my friends giving this glowing reviews, but I am glad I did. 4 romantic stars!
Again, trying to define a genre here becomes difficult, but 'cozy fantasy romance' comes pretty close. I must say that neither cozy or romance are my bag at all, but I still enjoyed this, primarily due to Kingfisher's flowing prose and pacing, and the wonderful, strange world she built here. Yet, the world really serves as an interesting background to the love story. Slate, a thief and master forger of documents, with one horribly failed marriage under her belt, and Caliban, the heroic Demon-slaying knight/paladin, who really just does not know how to communicate; well, for that matter, neither does does Slate. We also have our naïve young scholar who volunteered for the mission and of course the assassin Brenner, an old flame of Slate. I never would have tried this without some of my friends giving this glowing reviews, but I am glad I did. 4 romantic stars!
April 27, 2021
This book continues the quest by the motley crew from Clockwork Boys to find and stop whoever is creating giant clockwork killer robots in Anuket City and sending them out into the world to destroy everything and everyone they come in contact with.
I was a little meh (okay, more than a little) about Book One, and was almost glad when a library book with a lot of holds on it forced me to postpone reading this second installment.
But when I finally started this, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it was familiarity with the characters and world, but I enjoyed the story much more from the get-go. Even the humor improved, and started matching my expectations of T. Kingfisher.
And then, about halfway through this, I found myself completely blown away. Everything came together just, um, wonderfully (yeah, groan). The characters, the plot threads, even the religions started getting woven together in a way I hadn’t seen coming at all, and some details I had not been very impressed with turned out to be very, very important. The plot revealed itself to be much more clever and complex than I had been thinking through Book One. And there are some genius developments about gnole culture that were a great twist on
So while I was not enthusiastic about Clockwork Boys on its own, I greatly admire and greatly enjoyed this duology as one unified book. Just read the whole thing straight through. And if you’re not impressed (and a little sad to leave these characters behind when you finish), feel free to tell me so in the comments. :D
I was a little meh (okay, more than a little) about Book One, and was almost glad when a library book with a lot of holds on it forced me to postpone reading this second installment.
But when I finally started this, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it was familiarity with the characters and world, but I enjoyed the story much more from the get-go. Even the humor improved, and started matching my expectations of T. Kingfisher.
And then, about halfway through this, I found myself completely blown away. Everything came together just, um, wonderfully (yeah, groan). The characters, the plot threads, even the religions started getting woven together in a way I hadn’t seen coming at all, and some details I had not been very impressed with turned out to be very, very important. The plot revealed itself to be much more clever and complex than I had been thinking through Book One. And there are some genius developments about gnole culture that were a great twist on
So while I was not enthusiastic about Clockwork Boys on its own, I greatly admire and greatly enjoyed this duology as one unified book. Just read the whole thing straight through. And if you’re not impressed (and a little sad to leave these characters behind when you finish), feel free to tell me so in the comments. :D
July 3, 2022
3.5 stars!
this is the first time in literal years that i've had the motivation to read a sequel immediately after finishing the first book in a series, and i wholly credit t. kingfisher's unique and devastatingly charming brand of adventure/cozy SFF featuring dark humour and motley crew characters. a few parts in this book (and the first one) were a smidge repetitive, but everything i just mentioned more than made up for that. moreover, the clocktaur war series is also more explicitly threaded with romance themes compared to other kingfisher novels i've read, and wow - this is exactly the sort of romance i've been craving: offbeat, witty, and packed with yearning. 😂
Swordheart , here i come!!
this is the first time in literal years that i've had the motivation to read a sequel immediately after finishing the first book in a series, and i wholly credit t. kingfisher's unique and devastatingly charming brand of adventure/cozy SFF featuring dark humour and motley crew characters. a few parts in this book (and the first one) were a smidge repetitive, but everything i just mentioned more than made up for that. moreover, the clocktaur war series is also more explicitly threaded with romance themes compared to other kingfisher novels i've read, and wow - this is exactly the sort of romance i've been craving: offbeat, witty, and packed with yearning. 😂
Swordheart , here i come!!
August 14, 2022
I’m dividing into two sections 1) normal-ish review (in my low standards) and 2) just fangirl rant.
So, review thing:
This is much better than the first installment and Kingfisher picks up on many little things that had been mentioned there, which I thought was brilliant and I think it made me realize this was way better writing and world-development than I had gathered from book 1. Rating-wise, I am very torn. Realistically, I guess this is a 4 stars. Subjectively, I want to give this either a 5 stars or a 1 star (I am very upset about a thing) - regardless, I am rating this as a 5 stars read and if I am overly upset later on, I will change this.
Anyways, the good:
- Funnier than the first book;
- The effing characters, seriously. I love them all to bits.
- Brenner. Just Brenner. Bless his soul. He’s up there in my fave characters of all time.
- I cried so much I had to take a break to sober myself up.
- A character grieves a loss and I thought it was done beautifully (for the most part).
- There is a never-ending supply of handkerchiefs.
- Gnoles are cute and I am adding ‘humans can’t smell’ in my vocab from now on.
The bad:
- The romance blossoms in this one and, honestly, it’s a bit too much. I also did not need or care for the sexy bits thank you.
- Just Caliban’s jealousy in imagining love triangles where there is none. Get a life (and a sense of humor while you’re at it).
2) Spoiler rant: (this is all about the ending so don't click or it'll ruin it for you)
So, review thing:
This is much better than the first installment and Kingfisher picks up on many little things that had been mentioned there, which I thought was brilliant and I think it made me realize this was way better writing and world-development than I had gathered from book 1. Rating-wise, I am very torn. Realistically, I guess this is a 4 stars. Subjectively, I want to give this either a 5 stars or a 1 star (I am very upset about a thing) - regardless, I am rating this as a 5 stars read and if I am overly upset later on, I will change this.
Anyways, the good:
- Funnier than the first book;
- The effing characters, seriously. I love them all to bits.
- Brenner. Just Brenner. Bless his soul. He’s up there in my fave characters of all time.
- I cried so much I had to take a break to sober myself up.
- A character grieves a loss and I thought it was done beautifully (for the most part).
- There is a never-ending supply of handkerchiefs.
- Gnoles are cute and I am adding ‘humans can’t smell’ in my vocab from now on.
The bad:
- The romance blossoms in this one and, honestly, it’s a bit too much. I also did not need or care for the sexy bits thank you.
- Just Caliban’s jealousy in imagining love triangles where there is none. Get a life (and a sense of humor while you’re at it).
2) Spoiler rant: (this is all about the ending so don't click or it'll ruin it for you)
July 1, 2025
Живу як тварина, нема сил писать відгуки навіть на ті книжки, що сподобались(
Дуже приємна дилогія у світі Кінгфішерівських паладинів, цього разу за команду паладинів у нас Калібан, лорд-рицар Сплячого бога, вірні якого займаються боротьбою з демонами. Калібан ретельно і незамисловато знищував демонів, аж поки сам не став одержимим, влаштував масову різаними, втратив зв'язок зі своїм Богом і опинився у в'язниці х вічний почуттям провини. Звідти його витягнула героїня, яка грає за команду "несподіваний любовний інтерес зневіреного, травмованого і сумновго паладина", крадійка/бухгалтерка/фальшувальниця документів, але витягнула не просто так, а щоб відправитися у самогубчу місію - з'ясувати, як знищити загадкові живі механізми, які розорюють країну. На місії їх супроводжує дещо психопатичний найманий вбивця (колишній героїні, який не проти стати нинішнім) і мізогінний юний геній - задрот з ордену Багаторукого бога.
Ну і далі як завжди у Кінгфішер - герої котики, злочинний світ, релігія, політика, соціальні проблеми, і через це наші герої продираються, знаходять дружбу, кохання і відповідь на запитання, що за хрінь ці "заводні хлопці".
Вражає, як прикольно авторка робить характери, як логічно, послідовно і обґрунтовано діють персонажі і персонажки, які вони справжні у неї виходять.
От просто до прикладу - паладини Сплячого бога, над якими у інших книжках циклу всі підсилюються, бо вони красиві, але тупенькі. А тут ми читаємо, що їх спеціально обирають з uncomplicated натур, з людей із простими бажаннями і не схил ний до мозгойоьу і душевних терзань, аби ці просто бажання можна було задовольнити, і у демонів, з якими ці обрані мають справу щодня, був мінімум шансів спокусити паладинів.
І от ми маємо конфлікт між простотою та ясністю служіння богові, коли герой точно знає, що правильно, а що ні, коли він робить очевидно корисну справу, і це допомагає витримувати фізичні і моральні труднощі демоноборства, і його дуже muddy почуттями до героїні, як взагалі-то злочиниця, і не схил на бачити світ чорно-білим.
Хочеться, аби авторка продовжувала серію паладинів, дуже гарний світ!
Дуже приємна дилогія у світі Кінгфішерівських паладинів, цього разу за команду паладинів у нас Калібан, лорд-рицар Сплячого бога, вірні якого займаються боротьбою з демонами. Калібан ретельно і незамисловато знищував демонів, аж поки сам не став одержимим, влаштував масову різаними, втратив зв'язок зі своїм Богом і опинився у в'язниці х вічний почуттям провини. Звідти його витягнула героїня, яка грає за команду "несподіваний любовний інтерес зневіреного, травмованого і сумновго паладина", крадійка/бухгалтерка/фальшувальниця документів, але витягнула не просто так, а щоб відправитися у самогубчу місію - з'ясувати, як знищити загадкові живі механізми, які розорюють країну. На місії їх супроводжує дещо психопатичний найманий вбивця (колишній героїні, який не проти стати нинішнім) і мізогінний юний геній - задрот з ордену Багаторукого бога.
Ну і далі як завжди у Кінгфішер - герої котики, злочинний світ, релігія, політика, соціальні проблеми, і через це наші герої продираються, знаходять дружбу, кохання і відповідь на запитання, що за хрінь ці "заводні хлопці".
Вражає, як прикольно авторка робить характери, як логічно, послідовно і обґрунтовано діють персонажі і персонажки, які вони справжні у неї виходять.
От просто до прикладу - паладини Сплячого бога, над якими у інших книжках циклу всі підсилюються, бо вони красиві, але тупенькі. А тут ми читаємо, що їх спеціально обирають з uncomplicated натур, з людей із простими бажаннями і не схил ний до мозгойоьу і душевних терзань, аби ці просто бажання можна було задовольнити, і у демонів, з якими ці обрані мають справу щодня, був мінімум шансів спокусити паладинів.
І от ми маємо конфлікт між простотою та ясністю служіння богові, коли герой точно знає, що правильно, а що ні, коли він робить очевидно корисну справу, і це допомагає витримувати фізичні і моральні труднощі демоноборства, і його дуже muddy почуттями до героїні, як взагалі-то злочиниця, і не схил на бачити світ чорно-білим.
Хочеться, аби авторка продовжувала серію паладинів, дуже гарний світ!
July 29, 2018
4.5* Second part and end of the story.
Our misfits have reached their destination. Now comes the unsurmountable task of finding out all they can about the Clockwork Boys in order to destruct them, all this in enemy territory!
This narrative has more action than the first instalment but the focus still remains firmly on our disparate characters. What can I say? I love following our forger, paladin, assassin, scholar, and gnole. There is still plenty of banter for our entertainment, but their dynamics have changed too, their relationship developing through their shared experiences and creating a true bond between them all. The resolution was also nicely orchestrated.
Definitely reading more T. Kingfisher :O)
Our misfits have reached their destination. Now comes the unsurmountable task of finding out all they can about the Clockwork Boys in order to destruct them, all this in enemy territory!
This narrative has more action than the first instalment but the focus still remains firmly on our disparate characters. What can I say? I love following our forger, paladin, assassin, scholar, and gnole. There is still plenty of banter for our entertainment, but their dynamics have changed too, their relationship developing through their shared experiences and creating a true bond between them all. The resolution was also nicely orchestrated.
Definitely reading more T. Kingfisher :O)
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