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gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting adventure fantasy. Definitely as American as apple pie.
papidoc's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad for a book targeted to young teens. While it was clearly oriented to that age level, I think when I was a teen, I would have really enjoyed this book. The Nine Pound Hammer is the first in a trilogy that weaves old American legends (John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, etc.) into a modern retelling and reimagining of those legendary figures. For example, the machine conquered by John Henry in the legend is, in this retelling, the embodiment of evil (Magog), given life and directed by a man bound to take over the world to his own evil purposes (Gog). The only ones standing in his way are the children of the legendary American heroes, endowed with budding powers by their parents.
I think any teen would enjoy these books, and it might inspire them to look back to the original American mythology. I hope so…sadly, those stories that used to be told around American hearths on cold winter evenings are rapidly being forgotten.
I think any teen would enjoy these books, and it might inspire them to look back to the original American mythology. I hope so…sadly, those stories that used to be told around American hearths on cold winter evenings are rapidly being forgotten.
rbreade's review against another edition
Most of the book is told from the POV of Ray Cobb, an orphan of 12, with occasional flashes of omniscience, although I can't tell if these were intentional or the result of a first-time writer losing momentary control of viewpoint. This is enjoyable steampunk fantasy for a middle-grade audience, and a great way to introduce that audience to characters, such as John Henry, from the pages of America's tall tales.
The premise is that those tall-tale legends were a loosely organized group called the Ramblers, who drew their power from America's wilderness and protected people from malevolent forces. As the book opens, the Ramblers are all dead or presumed dead after a battle with their arch-enemy, the Gog. The story shows a new generation of future Ramblers, including John Henry's son, coalescing around a traveling medicine show as the Gog rises again.
This villain can be thought of as the personification of greed and of capitalism's dark underbelly--the use of machines and timetables, not to help people and make their lives better, but for the opulence and wealth and power of a few. Thus, sweatshops and child labor and dangerous working conditions and so forth. There are some terrific action scenes involving a biomechanical Hoarhound, imaginative use of Americana such as nation sacks, bottle trees, and root work, and enough good character development to carry a reader past the sometimes clunky prose and make it worthwhile to pick up the second book of Bemis's Clockwork Dark series.
The premise is that those tall-tale legends were a loosely organized group called the Ramblers, who drew their power from America's wilderness and protected people from malevolent forces. As the book opens, the Ramblers are all dead or presumed dead after a battle with their arch-enemy, the Gog. The story shows a new generation of future Ramblers, including John Henry's son, coalescing around a traveling medicine show as the Gog rises again.
This villain can be thought of as the personification of greed and of capitalism's dark underbelly--the use of machines and timetables, not to help people and make their lives better, but for the opulence and wealth and power of a few. Thus, sweatshops and child labor and dangerous working conditions and so forth. There are some terrific action scenes involving a biomechanical Hoarhound, imaginative use of Americana such as nation sacks, bottle trees, and root work, and enough good character development to carry a reader past the sometimes clunky prose and make it worthwhile to pick up the second book of Bemis's Clockwork Dark series.
adliteracy's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this cute story and its motley group of characters! It was a fun read. The audiobook was an especially incredible performance which definitely augmented the positive qualities of the book. The ending was a bit weird and the continuity at times felt immature, but I enjoyed it overall!
dogtrax's review against another edition
3.0
Good promise in the premise ... but didn't quite work for me.
tabithar's review against another edition
2.0
Part of the concept is intriguing but the story was rambling and not well executed. The plot is also rather vague. I don't recommend it.
wagmore's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting idea to conjure a fantasy world based on old American legends and tall tales. The plot and characterization is generally good. Hard to put my finger on it, but sometimes the author seemed to just skate over his work in places.
shanny1366's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure whether or not this qualifies as steampunk, but I'm really starting to enjoy this kind of book. It reminded me of a more mature version of The League of Seven. The characters are all multi-dimensional and very interesting, which is a nice change from a lot of children's books. I love that this author doesn't underestimate his audience just because they are young. A lot of the "surprises" I did see coming, but I still really enjoyed the journey that this book takes readers through. The ending was exciting, although since it's the first in a trilogy I did not expect things to wrap up the way that they did. I will be interested to see where the author takes the next two books.
pmg227's review against another edition
4.0
I heard this author speak at a writers' meeting. Appreciate the way he is looking at some American myths and writing stories for young people. This is the kind of story my own kids would have greatly enjoyed a few years ago; and probably still would.