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ngiste 's review for:
The Mechanical
by Ian Tregillis
Very enjoyable read. A creative slant on an alternate history (the Dutch's near miss at greatness is undervalued), and pitting alchemical engineering against chemistry and Calvinist determinism against Papist free will are strong themes to explore throughout the story.
The Clakker Jax is by far the most interesting perspective. His experience of liberation, his questioning of human goodness, what to do with his free will (the importance of promises was particularly touching), and how to balance his own survival with his desire to free others make him complicated and nuanced in a way other characters in the book were lacking. I found Berenice to be a bit hypersexualized and overwrought. I would have enjoyed it more if the villains had more depth and rational motives instead of just being inherently evil. I also found some of the "action" scenes tedious in their description.
The Clakker Jax is by far the most interesting perspective. His experience of liberation, his questioning of human goodness, what to do with his free will (the importance of promises was particularly touching), and how to balance his own survival with his desire to free others make him complicated and nuanced in a way other characters in the book were lacking. I found Berenice to be a bit hypersexualized and overwrought. I would have enjoyed it more if the villains had more depth and rational motives instead of just being inherently evil. I also found some of the "action" scenes tedious in their description.