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scrow1022's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this so much, can't wait to read more by this author. The ending was a little quick and it was disconcertingly chaste (mostly b/c I've read very steamy stuff by him), but overall I really enjoyed this.
hartd's review against another edition
5.0
This is a lovely short work, with very appealing characters and a clever steampunk-flavored plot.
Clement is an autosmith, a maker of mechanical creatures; he runs his own business, even though his real talent is in making artistic creations. There are a lot of details about how he makes his automatons. As with Elliot Cooper's book Junk Mage, the setting is not incidental. Everything in this story flows from who Clement is, as well as his goals and skills, and he and his profession really come alive. Clement's business is seriously struggling. He doesn't want his business to fail, and he also doesn't want to let down his assistant, Elsa, who has become his best friend.
I couldn't predict how the romance between Clement and his business rival would happen here, and I wouldn't have guessed the ending, either. It was very sweet, in a quiet sort of way, and was a satisfying conclusion to the story.
I thought the length was perfect, allowing the whole story to be told, with an intriguing plot and a good amount of character development for Elsa and Clement. Clement's love interest, Duke, is less developed, but certainly well-drawn enough. Duke also has a handlebar mustache, which is pretty great!
The plot works so well because Clement is easy to cheer for, with all his stubborn pride and dedication to his work. The writing style is very clear; descriptions are somewhat detailed, but nothing ever feels unnecessary. And the mechanical creatures were adorable!
I loved this book, and I'm very excited to read more of Elliot Cooper's work in the future.
Clement is an autosmith, a maker of mechanical creatures; he runs his own business, even though his real talent is in making artistic creations. There are a lot of details about how he makes his automatons. As with Elliot Cooper's book Junk Mage, the setting is not incidental. Everything in this story flows from who Clement is, as well as his goals and skills, and he and his profession really come alive. Clement's business is seriously struggling. He doesn't want his business to fail, and he also doesn't want to let down his assistant, Elsa, who has become his best friend.
I couldn't predict how the romance between Clement and his business rival would happen here, and I wouldn't have guessed the ending, either. It was very sweet, in a quiet sort of way, and was a satisfying conclusion to the story.
I thought the length was perfect, allowing the whole story to be told, with an intriguing plot and a good amount of character development for Elsa and Clement. Clement's love interest, Duke, is less developed, but certainly well-drawn enough. Duke also has a handlebar mustache, which is pretty great!
The plot works so well because Clement is easy to cheer for, with all his stubborn pride and dedication to his work. The writing style is very clear; descriptions are somewhat detailed, but nothing ever feels unnecessary. And the mechanical creatures were adorable!
I loved this book, and I'm very excited to read more of Elliot Cooper's work in the future.
alisonalisonalison's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this. It's a gentle and lighthearted romance novella about a charming craftsman with a struggling business who finds love. Clement designs and builds life-like mechanical animals and, while he is a brilliant artist and engineer, he's not a very good businessperson. I enjoyed all the detail and the secondary characters are wonderful, as are the animals themselves. This is a lovely little steampunk story that's nicely written and a little bit delightful.
edenares's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautifully imagined and perfectly written novella. The characters were rich and multi-dimensional and I fell in love with the main character's creations. I enjoyed this immensely!
prgchrqltma's review against another edition
3.0
Well balanced for a short story. I would love to see longer works in this world, and I'll read more by this author.
hartd's review
5.0
This is a lovely short work, with very appealing characters and a clever steampunk-flavored plot.
Clement is an autosmith, a maker of mechanical creatures; he runs his own business, even though his real talent is in making artistic creations. There are a lot of details about how he makes his automatons. As with Elliot Cooper's book Junk Mage, the setting is not incidental. Everything in this story flows from who Clement is, as well as his goals and skills, and he and his profession really come alive. Clement's business is seriously struggling. He doesn't want his business to fail, and he also doesn't want to let down his assistant, Elsa, who has become his best friend.
I couldn't predict how the romance between Clement and his business rival would happen here, and I wouldn't have guessed the ending, either. It was very sweet, in a quiet sort of way, and was a satisfying conclusion to the story.
I thought the length was perfect, allowing the whole story to be told, with an intriguing plot and a good amount of character development for Elsa and Clement. Clement's love interest, Duke, is less developed, but certainly well-drawn enough. Duke also has a handlebar mustache, which is pretty great!
The plot works so well because Clement is easy to cheer for, with all his stubborn pride and dedication to his work. The writing style is very clear; descriptions are somewhat detailed, but nothing ever feels unnecessary. And the mechanical creatures were adorable!
I loved this book, and I'm very excited to read more of Elliot Cooper's work in the future.
Clement is an autosmith, a maker of mechanical creatures; he runs his own business, even though his real talent is in making artistic creations. There are a lot of details about how he makes his automatons. As with Elliot Cooper's book Junk Mage, the setting is not incidental. Everything in this story flows from who Clement is, as well as his goals and skills, and he and his profession really come alive. Clement's business is seriously struggling. He doesn't want his business to fail, and he also doesn't want to let down his assistant, Elsa, who has become his best friend.
I couldn't predict how the romance between Clement and his business rival would happen here, and I wouldn't have guessed the ending, either. It was very sweet, in a quiet sort of way, and was a satisfying conclusion to the story.
I thought the length was perfect, allowing the whole story to be told, with an intriguing plot and a good amount of character development for Elsa and Clement. Clement's love interest, Duke, is less developed, but certainly well-drawn enough. Duke also has a handlebar mustache, which is pretty great!
The plot works so well because Clement is easy to cheer for, with all his stubborn pride and dedication to his work. The writing style is very clear; descriptions are somewhat detailed, but nothing ever feels unnecessary. And the mechanical creatures were adorable!
I loved this book, and I'm very excited to read more of Elliot Cooper's work in the future.
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