A review by panikos
The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola

mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

A fascinating, immersive read that delves into a period of history that I knew very little about. Mazzola's sense of setting is unmatched - she conjures up 1700s Paris with such vivid clarity, and she doesn't hold back in painting it as filthy and unglamarous. In many ways, the setting is the best part of the book, but that isn't to say the plot and characters are bad. The story is intriguing and somewhat difficult to predict, and I like that we are left constantly uncertain as to whether there is something supernatural afoot. The characters, while they didn't completely get under my skin, are all interesting enough to root for. 

I did feel that the ending was a little pantomime, and somehow anticlimactic. The author just about pulled it off, but I'd been hoping for a more gasp-inducing twist. While there are certain elements of the plot that took me by surprise, I did see a handful of key things coming - not enough to seriously hurt my enjoyment, but enough that I wasn't totally blown away by some of the bigger revelations. There's so much intrigue built up throughout and I'm not sure the conclusion totally lives up to it.

But on the whole, it was a good read, and I'm likely to check out Mazzola's other books in future. The cover of this one is absolutely gorgeous, too, so I'll be keeping it on my shelf. 
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