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A review by karatics
The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
((This review doesn't contain spoilers))
This read surprised me beyond expectation. Just a little bit of background about myself, I am a woman who practically devours every fantasy novel that I find for that is the genre I have always been partial too. But I found this book calling to me in the oddest way. I have never read anything with these themes, I don't gravitate towards steampunk or just general robotics for that matter. The only thing that I usually gravitate to is Russian history. Still, this book seemed to be constantly begging for me to pick it up, so I did.
And I don't regret my choice one bit. I usually am not the biggest fan of shifting POV (I blame George R.R. Martin and numerous other authors that love character soup) but for this book it made sense. The constant back and forth never interrupted the flow of the action and made me want to see the outcome of each time frame. I have a feeling that Daniel Wilson wanted you to have the feel of an avtomat. An ancient robot that has a hard time keeping track of, well time. So as humans it is hard to wrap our head around being alive for eons and seeing the passage of time of human history in what constitutes as a day for us.
Now I am not going to review the plot because most of it is done by other reviews and the synopsis. But I will tell you that the characters, even the antagonists, all have their individuality and not annoying or not fleshed out. I was so glad that the main lead, June, was a great mind when it came to machinery but also could admit when she didn't know something or she was scared. And oh boy are there some heart thudding moments. And the other main character, Peter, I think I might love his character a bit more than I thought I would. He may be an ancient robot but he has the makings of some of my favorite characters in other works of art. He is stoic and calm and collected most of the time but he has moments when he is naive and blinded. Also, his love for his kin is incredibly heartwarming. Things happen, as in most families, where rifts are formed and words are said, but Peter's love always seems to persevere through the hardships.
I would recommend this book to anyone who either is like me and loves fantasy and history and wants to try out a sci-fi read or just someone who feels compelled to pick it up. I wouldn't say this would be a read for anyone younger than 18 for the violence gets pretty gruesome (like popping someone's skull from their spine). But this was a wonderful journey and I hope Daniel Wilson extends the series.
This read surprised me beyond expectation. Just a little bit of background about myself, I am a woman who practically devours every fantasy novel that I find for that is the genre I have always been partial too. But I found this book calling to me in the oddest way. I have never read anything with these themes, I don't gravitate towards steampunk or just general robotics for that matter. The only thing that I usually gravitate to is Russian history. Still, this book seemed to be constantly begging for me to pick it up, so I did.
And I don't regret my choice one bit. I usually am not the biggest fan of shifting POV (I blame George R.R. Martin and numerous other authors that love character soup) but for this book it made sense. The constant back and forth never interrupted the flow of the action and made me want to see the outcome of each time frame. I have a feeling that Daniel Wilson wanted you to have the feel of an avtomat. An ancient robot that has a hard time keeping track of, well time. So as humans it is hard to wrap our head around being alive for eons and seeing the passage of time of human history in what constitutes as a day for us.
Now I am not going to review the plot because most of it is done by other reviews and the synopsis. But I will tell you that the characters, even the antagonists, all have their individuality and not annoying or not fleshed out. I was so glad that the main lead, June, was a great mind when it came to machinery but also could admit when she didn't know something or she was scared. And oh boy are there some heart thudding moments. And the other main character, Peter, I think I might love his character a bit more than I thought I would. He may be an ancient robot but he has the makings of some of my favorite characters in other works of art. He is stoic and calm and collected most of the time but he has moments when he is naive and blinded. Also, his love for his kin is incredibly heartwarming. Things happen, as in most families, where rifts are formed and words are said, but Peter's love always seems to persevere through the hardships.
I would recommend this book to anyone who either is like me and loves fantasy and history and wants to try out a sci-fi read or just someone who feels compelled to pick it up. I wouldn't say this would be a read for anyone younger than 18 for the violence gets pretty gruesome (like popping someone's skull from their spine). But this was a wonderful journey and I hope Daniel Wilson extends the series.