Run Like Clockwork: The Ruby Rings: Vol I

by E.C. Hibbs

Powered by clockwork and alchemy, populated by humans and shapeshifters, the City of Forest is not what it seems. Behind its majestic structures of stone and steel, the undesirable are stripped bare, and not even a blade of grass can grow.

One winter’s night, young Charlotte Bellamy is left as the only survivor of a brutal massacre. She carves out a new life for herself as a watch mechanic, but even as time passes, Charlotte cannot escape the attention of a dangerous society within the government. A society which will do anything to protect the status quo.

An immortal feline with a sharp tongue, a conflicted police officer running from his past, an assassin as vulnerable as she is formidable — all have a part to play in the web of secrets which slowly begins to unravel. United by Charlotte, their stories come together like cogs in a machine. And from above, an all-knowing eye looks on, counting down the seconds in a way no human can...

Genres: Fantasy

342 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2022

About the author

E. C. Hibbs is an award-winning author and artist, often found lost in the woods or in her own imagination. Her writing has been featured in the British Fantasy Society Journal, and she has provided artworks in various mediums for clients across the world. She is also a calligrapher and live storyteller, with a penchant for fairytales and legends. She adores nature, fantasy, history, and anything to do with winter. ​She lives with her family in Cheshire, England.

Reviews

[Laura Morrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of steampunk but it doesn't always have a unique story to tell as this book did! Gibbs weaves a world of her own, weaving werecats and dogs in with human beings in a steampunk city whose name Forest emphasises the irony of the treeless world. All the little details like the paper flowers and the clockwork mechanisms really draw you into the setting. The characters are a mix of protagonists and antagonists and none are flawless. Even those who do evil have humanity in them. The story has a potent mix of technology and magic and really has you dying to unwind all the mysteries. I absolutely recommend this! Absolutely gripped from start to finish!

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl from a noble family is the sole survivor of a massacre that takes the lives of 23 people including her parents. She is saved by a young constable. A family friend who is a watchmaker takes her in. They live in a 'city' that runs literally on clockwork. The nearby lands have been denuded to build the city and a strict caste system is in place with with poverty and crime in most sectors. The lowest caste is then'lunafauna'. He father was killed for learning the secret the others and many more are collateral damage.