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silly_little_clown's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This was such an interesting read!! Not gonna lie, the book didn’t really pick up for me until after the 30% mark, but I’m so glad that I toughed it out.
I don’t think I’ve ever read any historical fiction written in the modern times that felt so much like I was reading about people that were actually living in that era. Even the parts that were set in Japan, I felt totally immersed into the world. The author has such a way of building up atmosphere and creating dialogues that just makes everything feel so realistic despite the fact that there are some magical realism aspects to it. I also love the work that has gone into researching all the politics at the time. It’s very interesting to have a glimpse of the international power struggles in the past.
One weird thing that I really appreciate about this book is the casual racism that were expressed by multiple characters. As a POC, while I do not condone and tolerate racism, I think it’s important to acknowledge that those were the norm in those days and they usually went on unchallenged. We are growing to evolve out of it, can’t say the same about everyone, but racism is definitely not cool now. It’s not to say that the POC characters just silently takes it, I loved it when Mori casually refuted the police’s own logic when he was confronted at the end. But I’m glad that the author decided to include those things in the story, even though it might be difficult to read for some people. It made the story all the more real, and I think as readers with critical minds, we should be well equipped to understand that depiction of a horrible thing does not mean condoning of said thing.
I love Thaniel and Mori’s dynamic so much!! They’re not the kind of couple that has a lot of tension going on, but I think that made them even more lovable. The simmering longing that is just bubbling under the surface. That’s how I would describe their pining of each other. It’s especially angsty for Mori becausehe’s the person that had seen all the possible happy ever after outcomes and yet reality keeps robbing him of them one by one. Especially when he forgets things that will happen in the future that made him who he is now. My heart ached so much when he started losing his northern accent and then losing English as a language that he knows how to communicate with. However, he’s such a clever and calculating soul that it complements Thaniel’s character so well and just makes sense for him and Thaniel to fall for each other. At least that’s what I think.
I must say I’m not a fan of Grace. Herracism aside, she’s just not a type of woman in STEM that I like haha. Her POV chapter was introduced too soon for me, because I’ve barely go to know Thaniel at that point. So I was a bit confused about what she’s doing here. And I just didn’t really care about her whole weird pining for Matsumoto (I’m not a fan of hetero “forbidden” romance, like get over yourself, seriously). And her chaotic plot of getting herself intentionally hurt so she can prove her point?? With a freaking bomb?? Reckless and stupid and she PUNCHED Keita for it. The police should’ve arrested her. She literally BLEW UP a building because she wants to prove a point and she’s not even punished. At least the Irish had good reasons. She literally did it for the fun of it like. Poor Katsu, he’s just a little clockwork octopus, he didn’t deserve to be blown to smithereens. I don’t know, I know she’s smart but she just irks me the wrong way. She’s also the type of selfish character that I don’t enjoy too, like on what grounds is she standing on to demand Thaniel spend less time with Mori. It was a plain and simple contractual marriage, I was so angry when she just nonchalantly told the workers to destroy the clockwork vines on the pear trees and straight up chopped all those trees down. The audacity. I’m actually kind of pissed that the book ended with her POV. Sorry to the Grace lovers out there. She’s just not the gaslight gatekeeper girlboss she thinks she is.
To end this review with a positive note, I can’t wait to read to spin-off and sequel! :D
I don’t think I’ve ever read any historical fiction written in the modern times that felt so much like I was reading about people that were actually living in that era. Even the parts that were set in Japan, I felt totally immersed into the world. The author has such a way of building up atmosphere and creating dialogues that just makes everything feel so realistic despite the fact that there are some magical realism aspects to it. I also love the work that has gone into researching all the politics at the time. It’s very interesting to have a glimpse of the international power struggles in the past.
One weird thing that I really appreciate about this book is the casual racism that were expressed by multiple characters. As a POC, while I do not condone and tolerate racism, I think it’s important to acknowledge that those were the norm in those days and they usually went on unchallenged. We are growing to evolve out of it, can’t say the same about everyone, but racism is definitely not cool now. It’s not to say that the POC characters just silently takes it, I loved it when Mori casually refuted the police’s own logic when he was confronted at the end. But I’m glad that the author decided to include those things in the story, even though it might be difficult to read for some people. It made the story all the more real, and I think as readers with critical minds, we should be well equipped to understand that depiction of a horrible thing does not mean condoning of said thing.
I love Thaniel and Mori’s dynamic so much!! They’re not the kind of couple that has a lot of tension going on, but I think that made them even more lovable. The simmering longing that is just bubbling under the surface. That’s how I would describe their pining of each other. It’s especially angsty for Mori because
I must say I’m not a fan of Grace. Her
To end this review with a positive note, I can’t wait to read to spin-off and sequel! :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Murder and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Suicide attempt, War, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
blubbn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Homophobia
biobeetle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gaslighting, Violence, Death, Medical content, and Misogyny
Minor: Blood
tinkeringcheck's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It's hard to review this book. It took me a bit to get into, then I practically devoured the rest. The pacing was meandering in a charming way then skipped along too quick. The style has an inscrutable plainness that leaves a lot unsaid. On one hand it felt like it was respecting my intelligence as a reader to put things together, but as it went on it felt like most of the emotion, deeper thoughts, and motivations of the characters were left offscreen. I loved the idea of the world and the clockwork wonders it evoked, but I felt distant from it - like watching it behind a foggy pane of glass - because of the sparse style.
As for the characters, the concepts were fantastic and bursting with not-quite-realized potential. I adored every little bit of information we got about the talented and mysterious Mr. Mori, but I felt that much of Thaniel's character was left between the lines to the point of him becoming quite boring as things went on. (How this was managed despite having unique narration tics with his synesthesia, I've no idea). And while I found the drag-wearing, anti-suffragette physicist Grace quite fun and offbeat in the beginning - especially her banter with Matsumoto, the dandy friend who lets her raid his closet - she had an abrupt change of priorities and comprehensibility halfway through the book that left me disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing Mori and Thaniel's relationship growing, especially since this book's been recommended for its LGBTQ+ representation, but all the heart of it was left offscreen in a way that left me feeling hollow - like Katsu curled around the cold space in Mori's bed where he should've been.
But what soured what had still been an enjoyable read for me was when I figured out where the final act was going. I nearly threw my phone at the wall. I almost DNF'd with just chapters left. I only skimmed through to the end to see ifKatsu was alright (more on this in the content warnings) and then reluctantly turned back for the characters I still cared about - ie. Mori and Matsumoto. Grace, who I'd enjoyed despite her purposeful dash of unlikability, made some truly baffling choices in the back half the book that felt like the author's invisible hand squashing a square peg in a round hole marked 'villainess' instead of an organic character arc and was ruined for me. Thaniel still felt like a rudderless mystery even after spending so much time with him. Convoluted plots and character arcs were introduced then quickly wrapped up in neat little bows in a way that felt more like a convenient epilogue than a true finish. Even now I feel overly critical writing about it, but that's how much the climax soured me on the rest of the story. It made those things I'd brushed aside before weigh a little more heavily against it.
There's also an honestly uncomfortable amount of casual racism and xenophobia from the white characters' perspectives. It's clearly meant to be period-typical and reflect the society they grew up in because it disappears in the POV chapters set in Japan, but it still felt excessive. Japanese and Japanese-British characters (including Mori) are constantly referred to as small and delicate and juvenile, and they're described by these racialized features exponentially more often than the white characters, even late into the story. For example, Thaniel's grey eyes and other physical descriptors are mentioned offhandedly, meanwhile each time Mori is described physically - like his tanned skin or short height or small hands - it's always tacked on with some remark inexplicably tying it up with him being Japanese. (Matsumoto, being a tall man, is described as being 'English-raised' instead.) At some point I was just desperate for ANY descriptor for these characters that wasn't racialized and was left disappointed.
Overall, I wanted to fully love this book (and nearly did for awhile!) but the overall execution and the plot choices in the climax unfortunately killed a lot of my enjoyment. I did love the premise of a mysterious, talented-beyond-his-time clockwork maker in his wondrous workshop - and I felt the middle portion of the story was the strongest in part because it focused on unveiling Mori's world. But as the book went on and we were moved from his workshop into the strange 3rd act drama with less compelling characters, I wondered if what I loved about it was more about the possibilities I was imagining for myself than what was on the page. Katsu the adorable clockwork octopus, kind and lonely Mori, and dearly underused Matsumoto were the shining stars for me, though I'm not sure I'll be tuning into the next book to see how they fare.
As for the characters, the concepts were fantastic and bursting with not-quite-realized potential. I adored every little bit of information we got about the talented and mysterious Mr. Mori, but I felt that much of Thaniel's character was left between the lines to the point of him becoming quite boring as things went on. (How this was managed despite having unique narration tics with his synesthesia, I've no idea). And while I found the drag-wearing, anti-suffragette physicist Grace quite fun and offbeat in the beginning - especially her banter with Matsumoto, the dandy friend who lets her raid his closet - she had an abrupt change of priorities and comprehensibility halfway through the book that left me disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing
But what soured what had still been an enjoyable read for me was when I figured out where the final act was going. I nearly threw my phone at the wall. I almost DNF'd with just chapters left. I only skimmed through to the end to see if
There's also an honestly uncomfortable amount of casual racism and xenophobia from the white characters' perspectives. It's clearly meant to be period-typical and reflect the society they grew up in because it disappears in the POV chapters set in Japan, but it still felt excessive. Japanese and Japanese-British characters (including Mori) are constantly referred to as small and delicate and juvenile, and they're described by these racialized features exponentially more often than the white characters, even late into the story. For example, Thaniel's grey eyes and other physical descriptors are mentioned offhandedly, meanwhile each time Mori is described physically - like his tanned skin or short height or small hands - it's always tacked on with some remark inexplicably tying it up with him being Japanese. (Matsumoto, being a tall man, is described as being 'English-raised' instead.) At some point I was just desperate for ANY descriptor for these characters that wasn't racialized and was left disappointed.
Overall, I wanted to fully love this book (and nearly did for awhile!) but the overall execution and the plot choices in the climax unfortunately killed a lot of my enjoyment. I did love the premise of a mysterious, talented-beyond-his-time clockwork maker in his wondrous workshop - and I felt the middle portion of the story was the strongest in part because it focused on unveiling Mori's world. But as the book went on and we were moved from his workshop into the strange 3rd act drama with less compelling characters, I wondered if what I loved about it was more about the possibilities I was imagining for myself than what was on the page. Katsu the adorable clockwork octopus, kind and lonely Mori, and dearly underused Matsumoto were the shining stars for me, though I'm not sure I'll be tuning into the next book to see how they fare.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Biphobia, Classism, Domestic abuse, Blood, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Stalking
Minor: Body horror, Chronic illness, Animal death, and Grief
Animal death: Personally, even though it's not really graphic andemilyjanebrain's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs
andrea_95's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Obwohl der Anfang führ mich etwas schleppend ging, hat sich dieses Buch, gerade in den letzten beiden Teilen, wirklich als totaler Glücksgriff herausgestellt. Die Charaktere haben es geschafft, mich in ihren Bann zu ziehen, die Story hat sich extrem interessant entwickelt und den letzten Teil des Buches habe ich dann richtig verschlungen.
Thaniel war zu Anfang ein seltsamer Hauptcharakter, bei dem es gedauert hat, bis ich mit ihm warm geworden bin. Wo er mir anfangs recht farblos vorkam, entpuppte er sich dann doch als wundervoller Charakter, der nur ein wenig Zeit brauchte, um sich richtig zu entfalten, was, rückblickend gesehen, auch sehr gut zur Story passte. Als er bei Mori einzieht, fängt die Entwicklung seines Charakters erst richtig an und die Faszination, die Thaniel Mori gegenüber empfindet, springt auf den Leser über. Als Thaniel dann Grace kennen lernt, die sich gezwungen sieht zu heiraten, um weiter der wissenschaftlichen Forschung weiter gehen zu können, wird es dann auch richtig spannend.
Thaniel's Beziehung zu Grace entwickelt sich schnell, und für mich auch sehr überraschend, gerade angesichts der innigen Zuneigung, die Mori und Thaniel füreinander empfinden. Als Grace und Thaniel sich entschließen zu heiraten, war ich bis zu der letzten Sekunde überzeugt, dass irgendetwas dazwischen kommen würde, um dies zu verhindern.
Zwar fand ich Grace's Abneigung gegenüber Mori durchaus verständlich, gerade weil sie ihn durchschaut hatte, und verstanden hatte, dass er eifersüchtig auf ihre Beziehung mit Thaniel war, dennoch fand ich ihr Beharren darauf, dass Mori ihr etwas antun würde, obwohl sie ihn nie als gewalttätigen Mann kennen gelernt hatte und auch von Thaniel mehrmals versichert bekam, dass Mori ihr nichts tun würde, extrem anstrengend und sogar nervig. Sie war zwar der festen Meinung, dass Mori Thaniel von vorne bis hinten manipuliert hätte, dennoch konnte sie nicht sehen, dass sie selbst Thaniel gegenüber extrem eigennützig handelt. Sie heiratet ihn des Hauses wegen, sie lässt zuerst ihr Labor einrichten (was Mori ihr gegenüber anmerkt und fragt, warum kein Piano in dem Haus ist), sie merkt, dass er Freude an den Birnenbäumen hat und als er sie mit Mori's Erfindungen schmückt, lässt sie die Bäumen fällen. Als sie Thaniel in der Hochzeitsnacht zurück in die Filigree Street folgt und er ihr versichert, dass er zu ihr zurück kommen wird und nur diese eine Nacht möchte, hat sie meiner Meinung nach, keinen Grund ihm nicht zu glauben. Thaniel ist kein Lügner und war bereit, ein Leben mit ihr zu leben, in dem er sich für immer würde verstecken müssen, war bereit mit ihr Kinder zu bekommen und das alles, um den Kindern seiner Schwester ein gutes Leben zu ermöglichen und Grace ihre Arbeit zu ermöglichen und dennoch geht sie und ruiniert ihm nicht nur die eine Nacht, um die er sie gebeten hat, sondern versucht für immer einen Keil zwischen Mori und Thaniel zu treiben, indem sie ihn nicht nur eine Entführung an ihr anhängen will, sondern sogar eine Bombe legt, um ihm diese auch noch anzuhängen.
Mori war der Meinung, dass er sterben würde und hat sein Leben riskiert, um das Ausmaß der Bombe einzudämmen, und als er Thaniel bittet, sich von Grace nicht klein machen zu lassen, kamen mir tatsächlich die Tränen. Auch der Moment, als Thaniel ihn fragt, warum er seinen Akzent geändert hat und er ihm erklärt, dass er sich ändert, weil Thaniel ihn Zukunft nicht mehr regelmäßig mit ihm sprechen wird, machte mich unendlich traurig.
Alles in allem, kam mir Mori wie ein extrem einsamer Mann vor, der verzweifelt nach einer Verbindung zu einem anderen Menschen gesucht hat und das in Thaniel letztendlich gefunden hat. Alles was er getan hat, tat er um Thaniel glücklich zu machen. Schon allein deswegen, war ich mehr als froh, zu sehen, dass sich Thaniel, der Grace durchschaut hatte, letztendlich dafür entschied, bei Mori zu bleiben. Auch die Tatsache, dass er und Mori Six zu sich nahmen, fand ich wunderschön und selbst Grace habe ich ihr Happy End mit Matsumoto gegönnt, auch wenn sie ein komplizierter Charakter war und schwer zu mögen für mich persönlich.
Trotz Startschwierigkeiten mit dem Buch, würde ich es jederzeit weiterempfehlen, da sich der Plot, ganz gleich einem Uhrwerk, immer perfekt zu fügen schien.
Thaniel war zu Anfang ein seltsamer Hauptcharakter, bei dem es gedauert hat, bis ich mit ihm warm geworden bin. Wo er mir anfangs recht farblos vorkam, entpuppte er sich dann doch als wundervoller Charakter, der nur ein wenig Zeit brauchte, um sich richtig zu entfalten, was, rückblickend gesehen, auch sehr gut zur Story passte. Als er bei Mori einzieht, fängt die Entwicklung seines Charakters erst richtig an und die Faszination, die Thaniel Mori gegenüber empfindet, springt auf den Leser über. Als Thaniel dann Grace kennen lernt, die sich gezwungen sieht zu heiraten, um weiter der wissenschaftlichen Forschung weiter gehen zu können, wird es dann auch richtig spannend.
Zwar fand ich Grace's Abneigung gegenüber Mori durchaus verständlich, gerade weil sie ihn durchschaut hatte, und verstanden hatte, dass er eifersüchtig auf ihre Beziehung mit Thaniel war, dennoch fand ich ihr Beharren darauf, dass Mori ihr etwas antun würde, obwohl sie ihn nie als gewalttätigen Mann kennen gelernt hatte und auch von Thaniel mehrmals versichert bekam, dass Mori ihr nichts tun würde, extrem anstrengend und sogar nervig. Sie war zwar der festen Meinung, dass Mori Thaniel von vorne bis hinten manipuliert hätte, dennoch konnte sie nicht sehen, dass sie selbst Thaniel gegenüber extrem eigennützig handelt. Sie heiratet ihn des Hauses wegen, sie lässt zuerst ihr Labor einrichten (was Mori ihr gegenüber anmerkt und fragt, warum kein Piano in dem Haus ist), sie merkt, dass er Freude an den Birnenbäumen hat und als er sie mit Mori's Erfindungen schmückt, lässt sie die Bäumen fällen. Als sie Thaniel in der Hochzeitsnacht zurück in die Filigree Street folgt und er ihr versichert, dass er zu ihr zurück kommen wird und nur diese eine Nacht möchte, hat sie meiner Meinung nach, keinen Grund ihm nicht zu glauben. Thaniel ist kein Lügner und war bereit, ein Leben mit ihr zu leben, in dem er sich für immer würde verstecken müssen, war bereit mit ihr Kinder zu bekommen und das alles, um den Kindern seiner Schwester ein gutes Leben zu ermöglichen und Grace ihre Arbeit zu ermöglichen und dennoch geht sie und ruiniert ihm nicht nur die eine Nacht, um die er sie gebeten hat, sondern versucht für immer einen Keil zwischen Mori und Thaniel zu treiben, indem sie ihn nicht nur eine Entführung an ihr anhängen will, sondern sogar eine Bombe legt, um ihm diese auch noch anzuhängen.
Mori war der Meinung, dass er sterben würde und hat sein Leben riskiert, um das Ausmaß der Bombe einzudämmen, und als er Thaniel bittet, sich von Grace nicht klein machen zu lassen, kamen mir tatsächlich die Tränen. Auch der Moment, als Thaniel ihn fragt, warum er seinen Akzent geändert hat und er ihm erklärt, dass er sich ändert, weil Thaniel ihn Zukunft nicht mehr regelmäßig mit ihm sprechen wird, machte mich unendlich traurig.
Alles in allem, kam mir Mori wie ein extrem einsamer Mann vor, der verzweifelt nach einer Verbindung zu einem anderen Menschen gesucht hat und das in Thaniel letztendlich gefunden hat. Alles was er getan hat, tat er um Thaniel glücklich zu machen. Schon allein deswegen, war ich mehr als froh, zu sehen, dass sich Thaniel, der Grace durchschaut hatte, letztendlich dafür entschied, bei Mori zu bleiben. Auch die Tatsache, dass er und Mori Six zu sich nahmen, fand ich wunderschön und selbst Grace habe ich ihr Happy End mit Matsumoto gegönnt, auch wenn sie ein komplizierter Charakter war und schwer zu mögen für mich persönlich.
Trotz Startschwierigkeiten mit dem Buch, würde ich es jederzeit weiterempfehlen, da sich der Plot, ganz gleich einem Uhrwerk, immer perfekt zu fügen schien.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, Xenophobia, Classism, Colonisation, and Racial slurs
sleepybythelake's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
So so so confusing. The premise was good but it was poorly developed; besides I didn't quite get what the plot was supposed to be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia
hannahsutherland's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
The descriptions of all the Japanese characters are horrendously racist. They read like the book actually was written in the 1880's.
The main female character is quite misogynistic. She has a severe case of, "I'm not like other girls".
I thought there might be some character development that adressed these things, but nope.
There were things I liked. The descriptions of the clockwork were beautiful. The plot was engaging- particularly the last two thirds. Despite enjoying parts of the book, I won't be reading the sequel or Natasha Pulley's other work. One racist book was enough for me.
The main female character is quite misogynistic. She has a severe case of, "I'm not like other girls".
I thought there might be some character development that adressed these things, but nope.
There were things I liked. The descriptions of the clockwork were beautiful. The plot was engaging- particularly the last two thirds. Despite enjoying parts of the book, I won't be reading the sequel or Natasha Pulley's other work. One racist book was enough for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia
bek_p87's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I wanted to like this more than I did. It was an interesting concept - a man who could tell the future, a man who saw sounds as colours, and a woman who was a physicist collide in the mid-1880s - but it was slow-paced and even though a few key events happened, I didn't feel like many questions were answered. As it ended, I didn't have a good sense of how and why everything happened, and what would happen next - so much of the story was left open-ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Violence
leanneymu's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A compelling plot and a good cast of flawed characters, who's choices drive the story. The elements of magical realism and victoriana were right up my street, but there is also a content warning for some xenophobic language (period appropriate) so if that doesn't appeal, it might be worth giving this one a miss.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Xenophobia