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kimlynn77's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as "The Doomsday Device," but an enjoyable read. It more like a bridge to get to the next book. And I still want a Click!
mamap's review against another edition
2.0
The truth is - I'm not really sure why I keep reading these - summer reading? Curiosity?
Gavin and Alice are really headed to China now with Dr Clef and Feng - difficult to do with a distinctive airship and having been declared enemies of the crown.
So - Ukraine and a circus. Dr Clef is dangerous and seems to have started the plague. Phipps changes sides. And Feng gets heroically dead.
And we still don't have a cure for Gavin - on the other hand - wings.
Gavin and Alice are really headed to China now with Dr Clef and Feng - difficult to do with a distinctive airship and having been declared enemies of the crown.
So - Ukraine and a circus. Dr Clef is dangerous and seems to have started the plague. Phipps changes sides. And Feng gets heroically dead.
And we still don't have a cure for Gavin - on the other hand - wings.
beth_dawkins's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Gavin and Alice were forced to flee from Britain. They are going to China to spread the cure for the Clockwork Plague, and find a cure for Gavin. The Clockwork plague does one of two things, turns its victims into zombies, or turns people into Clockworks. Though rare, Clockworkers become geniuses who build fantastic machines, but they also end up going crazy before they die. They have the cure for the zombies, but nothing for the Clockworkers. Chasing Gavin and Alice, determined to take them back to Britain is Lieutenant Phipps, the leader of a group Gavin used to work for. She is determined to bring them to justice no matter what the cost.
This is the second book in the Clockwork Empire series. I would suggest starting with the first book, but Harper includes a wonderful forward that recaps the last book. He really did an excellent job in the short recap. I really like the idea of books in a series having this.
Once the story starts, it starts. We are at once taken to Gavin who is being held captive by a Clockworker. Other than all the gears and cogs there is a fantastic amount of action that keeps the story going. There is a kind of balance between the two main characters. Both are dealing with a loss that hasn’t come to pass yet, and they are struggling to stop it from happening. Gavin is coming to terms with what might be his future while Alice is refusing to let go of anyone, or anything. Along the way to China they haphazardly find their way into a circus, owned by a man Gavin knows. Major problems happen when they make it to the Ukraine. Feng, a Chinese diplomat’s son who is traveling with them is kidnapped by Ukraine Clockworkers. It is up to Gavin and Alice to save him. These characters don’t get much of a break as they are continually pushed fun action scenes that keep the novel moving.
As much as I like the story it suffers from the same character distance as the first novel. I think this would be an excellent all around book if I felt more of a connection to the characters. I became nearly emotionally involved with Gavin who is going through some tough stuff, but where he falters are on some of his choices. On the other hand I can’t relate to Alice. When bad things happen to her, she just deals with it and moves on. When she is emotionally responsive it almost feels forced more times than not. I feel as if too much went into the action and adventure, and not enough went into the characters emotions and responses.
There is a romance going on between them, but they are determined to do things right, and get married. While the romance does not feel forced, I haven’t been happy with how they hold back from one another. I can suspend my belief for crazy Clockworkers, and machines that do everything under the sun, but every other scene they end up in serious danger, and they are not going to do the deed before one of them ends up dead? In other words, “Get it on already!”
I haven’t read that many steampunk novels, but of those I have read I really like this series. If the cogs and clocks were stripped away you would have an adventure story. That being said I really love the steamed alt-history world. Not that I am a history buff, but it is neat to imagine a world and devices that are featured in the book. The descriptions of these things don’t bog the story down, but make it a lot of fun.
If you are looking to jump into steampunk for the first time I would recommend these books. I also think it would work for older young adults. I would have loved it at sixteen. The story for the most part is pretty clean. Plus it has a lot of edge of your seat, how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-that moments. The only drawback for me is that it suffers from the same problems as the first book. I felt like I was watching the characters instead of being in their head. While it is a great adventure story, I really want more out of my characters.
Gavin and Alice were forced to flee from Britain. They are going to China to spread the cure for the Clockwork Plague, and find a cure for Gavin. The Clockwork plague does one of two things, turns its victims into zombies, or turns people into Clockworks. Though rare, Clockworkers become geniuses who build fantastic machines, but they also end up going crazy before they die. They have the cure for the zombies, but nothing for the Clockworkers. Chasing Gavin and Alice, determined to take them back to Britain is Lieutenant Phipps, the leader of a group Gavin used to work for. She is determined to bring them to justice no matter what the cost.
This is the second book in the Clockwork Empire series. I would suggest starting with the first book, but Harper includes a wonderful forward that recaps the last book. He really did an excellent job in the short recap. I really like the idea of books in a series having this.
Once the story starts, it starts. We are at once taken to Gavin who is being held captive by a Clockworker. Other than all the gears and cogs there is a fantastic amount of action that keeps the story going. There is a kind of balance between the two main characters. Both are dealing with a loss that hasn’t come to pass yet, and they are struggling to stop it from happening. Gavin is coming to terms with what might be his future while Alice is refusing to let go of anyone, or anything. Along the way to China they haphazardly find their way into a circus, owned by a man Gavin knows. Major problems happen when they make it to the Ukraine. Feng, a Chinese diplomat’s son who is traveling with them is kidnapped by Ukraine Clockworkers. It is up to Gavin and Alice to save him. These characters don’t get much of a break as they are continually pushed fun action scenes that keep the novel moving.
As much as I like the story it suffers from the same character distance as the first novel. I think this would be an excellent all around book if I felt more of a connection to the characters. I became nearly emotionally involved with Gavin who is going through some tough stuff, but where he falters are on some of his choices. On the other hand I can’t relate to Alice. When bad things happen to her, she just deals with it and moves on. When she is emotionally responsive it almost feels forced more times than not. I feel as if too much went into the action and adventure, and not enough went into the characters emotions and responses.
There is a romance going on between them, but they are determined to do things right, and get married. While the romance does not feel forced, I haven’t been happy with how they hold back from one another. I can suspend my belief for crazy Clockworkers, and machines that do everything under the sun, but every other scene they end up in serious danger, and they are not going to do the deed before one of them ends up dead? In other words, “Get it on already!”
I haven’t read that many steampunk novels, but of those I have read I really like this series. If the cogs and clocks were stripped away you would have an adventure story. That being said I really love the steamed alt-history world. Not that I am a history buff, but it is neat to imagine a world and devices that are featured in the book. The descriptions of these things don’t bog the story down, but make it a lot of fun.
If you are looking to jump into steampunk for the first time I would recommend these books. I also think it would work for older young adults. I would have loved it at sixteen. The story for the most part is pretty clean. Plus it has a lot of edge of your seat, how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-that moments. The only drawback for me is that it suffers from the same problems as the first book. I felt like I was watching the characters instead of being in their head. While it is a great adventure story, I really want more out of my characters.
laurla's review against another edition
"i see the moon and the moon sees me
it turns all the forest soft and silvery
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best
i once had a heart as good as new
but now it's gone from me to you
the moon picked you from all the rest
because i loved you best
i picked a rose, the rose picked me
underneath the branches of the forest tree
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best"
"the reason for casting fortunes isn't to tell you what will or will not happen. its to let you know the choice is coming so you can look at your options and prepare yourself instead of being hit blind. believe or dont believe - it doenst matter. we've had the conversation and you can't unhear it."
"its my fault she died."
"thats strange. i thought it was the fault of the cossack who fired the rifle."
"my head agrees with you, but my soul scourges me with fiery whips."
it turns all the forest soft and silvery
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best
i once had a heart as good as new
but now it's gone from me to you
the moon picked you from all the rest
because i loved you best
i picked a rose, the rose picked me
underneath the branches of the forest tree
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best"
"the reason for casting fortunes isn't to tell you what will or will not happen. its to let you know the choice is coming so you can look at your options and prepare yourself instead of being hit blind. believe or dont believe - it doenst matter. we've had the conversation and you can't unhear it."
"its my fault she died."
"thats strange. i thought it was the fault of the cossack who fired the rifle."
"my head agrees with you, but my soul scourges me with fiery whips."
justabean_reads's review
2.0
I can't tell if I would have liked this book if my expectations hadn't been so high from the first one, or if it just wasn't very good.
I felt very frustrated for the majority of it that all the clever shifts in gender dynamics were basically dropped. Gavin went from Manic Pixy Dream Boy to Tormented Hero Charged with Saving the World (with bonus domestic abuse), and also picked up better mechanical skills, thus making Alice somewhat redundant. Alice alternated between Worrying About Her Man and being a Wounded Healer Trying to Save the Children. Everyone else got a lobotomy between books. Plus the Chinese sidekick character was treated rather shabbily throughout.
There were even more secondary gay men, who again didn't get a hell of a lot to do, but were non-evil and non-dead, so that was nice.
The main drive of the plot: we're trying to get to China and everyone else is trying to stop us, relied heavily on the British Empire... not wanting to have a tactical advantage any more, or something? Which was pretty dumb, and relied on their competent commanding officer turning into a total psycho with daddy issues. Gavin also got surprise daddy issues.
I almost gave up a couple of times, though it did pull together for the finale. I don't think I'll read the next book, but may try the fourth, which has new characters
I felt very frustrated for the majority of it that all the clever shifts in gender dynamics were basically dropped. Gavin went from Manic Pixy Dream Boy to Tormented Hero Charged with Saving the World (with bonus domestic abuse), and also picked up better mechanical skills, thus making Alice somewhat redundant. Alice alternated between Worrying About Her Man and being a Wounded Healer Trying to Save the Children. Everyone else got a lobotomy between books. Plus the Chinese sidekick character was treated rather shabbily throughout.
There were even more secondary gay men, who again didn't get a hell of a lot to do, but were non-evil and non-dead, so that was nice.
The main drive of the plot: we're trying to get to China and everyone else is trying to stop us, relied heavily on the British Empire... not wanting to have a tactical advantage any more, or something? Which was pretty dumb, and relied on their competent commanding officer turning into a total psycho with daddy issues. Gavin also got surprise daddy issues.
I almost gave up a couple of times, though it did pull together for the finale. I don't think I'll read the next book, but may try the fourth, which has new characters
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