Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Clockwork Boys

I can't believe this isn't more popular. It's funny, fast paced, well written, easy to read, the characters are great, the writing is great, the word is interesting and well established without big info dumps, and it's just an awesome experience overall. The setting is recognizably a fantasy world but felt creative enough to be it's own thing and not just cliche or a rip off of something else. The humour is witty and clever, and reminiscent of Terry Pratchett at times. It made me laugh out loud throughout the book. The story is compelling and easy to get into. The characters follow some fantasy archetypes but are well written, have distinct personalities and motivations, are well rounded, and easy to root for especially given how the story sets them up with each other. You can see arcs starting to happen. It is a satisfying book and worth the time.

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jwells's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

I was grabbed by Slate's voice right away, and could hardly put this down. Great mix of humor and darkness. Be sure to have the sequel ready to read next! This one does not stand alone.

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maryellen's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Bleak and humorous, CLOCKWORK BOYS follows three convicted criminals and a scholar sent to find out what they can about the terrifying and murderous "Clockwork Boys" who have been devastating their towns and villages.

As a journey narrative, CLOCKWORK BOYS focuses on the dynamic between the members of the party, as well as the internal struggles of the two point-of-view characters. Slate is a forger, Brenner is an assassin, Caliban is a paladin who has a dead demon rotting in his skull, they're on this trip in hopes of a pardon if they survive. Learned Edmund is a formerly cloistered misogynist from an order who prizes learning and instills a fear of mere proximity to women. There's a mix of genuine character growth and learning each other's edges, the kind of forced intimacy which is fostered by a suicide mission with terrible travel conditions in the middle of a war. The worldbuilding is conveyed through a mix of exposition, character reactions, and things encountered as they travel. Slate and Caliban think about themselves and their companions, often thinking things they don't dare or don't know how to say out loud.

CLOCKWORK BOYS ends on a cliffhanger, as the characters joined together and undertook a journey to a particular city, and the narrative abruptly ends when they arrive at their destination. The story is continued in THE WONDER ENGINE. Since it's the first book in a duology, it doesn't completely tie off anything before it ends, except perhaps that stage one of the plan (the journey there) is done and what remains is entering the city and maybe surviving (maybe not). The characters have been changed by the journey, now it remains to be seen whether they'll survive their destination.

I loved this and am excited to read the sequel!

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