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gilroy0's review against another edition
5.0
well-drawn wotld-building with a steampunk, or clockpunk, flair
The first of a planned trilogy, The Mechanicals is a solid introduction to a well-fleshed-out alternate world in which Huygens built on, or stole, Newton's alchemy to make clockwork golems a reality, thus launching a Duthc Empire that conquers England and France and rules the world. It's somehwat unbelievable that any one power could forever maintain such a secret as the alchemical means of creating life, but if you can accept the premise, the books reads nicely as it follows a secret French sympathier, a disgraced spymastr
Er, and a rogue mechanical who has attained Free Will.
The first of a planned trilogy, The Mechanicals is a solid introduction to a well-fleshed-out alternate world in which Huygens built on, or stole, Newton's alchemy to make clockwork golems a reality, thus launching a Duthc Empire that conquers England and France and rules the world. It's somehwat unbelievable that any one power could forever maintain such a secret as the alchemical means of creating life, but if you can accept the premise, the books reads nicely as it follows a secret French sympathier, a disgraced spymastr
Er, and a rogue mechanical who has attained Free Will.
jencam11's review
4.0
Jax was great, Visser was okay, Berenice I couldn't connect with at all. Visser got more interesting by the end, but not enough to make me want to read any more. I would follow Jax through 10 books, but will skip the next ones cause I don't want to have to slog through the stories of the other two.
meghaha's review
3.0
This book was a lot of fun; an alternate steampunk history set in 1926 where the Calvinist Dutch Empire, due to its invention of Clakkers (automatons) in the 1600's, is the dominant world power and the Catholic French kingdom, exiled to Canada, is the only, albeit weak, challenger.
I did enjoy this book a lot, and my favorite scene was when the Clakker airship was given consciousness and free will and turned out to be a poet once able to speak! All in all, the world-building was complex and quite fascinating, as were Tregillis' musings (backed up by Rousseau and Spinoza) on the nature of free will and whether an automaton -- or for that matter, a human-- can possess a soul or complete agency over their actions and decisions.
On the other hand, I was bothered by a few things. As per usual, when there are three main characters I liked some better than others. I wished The Mechanical had only centered on Clakker (automaton) Jax, because Berenice's arrogant incompetence as a French spymaster was hard to witness (aside: how in the world can she understand Clakker speech??? That makes no sense), though I do admit the priest Visser's fate was sort of fittingly ghastly. I also don't know if I like how the climatic destruction was brought about by what accounts to lucky bumbling (indeed I was bothered by how the plot/goals of the characters sort of veered off at the end but maybe that's because this is a two book series). Also after a while the exaggerated cursing was making my eye twitch; unusual expressions are okay as a single character's quirk, but if more than one person speaks that way, it becomes unrealistic.
Still, very enjoyable and I'll probably read the sequel sometime.
I did enjoy this book a lot, and my favorite scene was when the Clakker airship was given consciousness and free will and turned out to be a poet once able to speak! All in all, the world-building was complex and quite fascinating, as were Tregillis' musings (backed up by Rousseau and Spinoza) on the nature of free will and whether an automaton -- or for that matter, a human-- can possess a soul or complete agency over their actions and decisions.
On the other hand, I was bothered by a few things. As per usual, when there are three main characters I liked some better than others. I wished The Mechanical had only centered on Clakker (automaton) Jax, because Berenice's arrogant incompetence as a French spymaster was hard to witness (aside: how in the world can she understand Clakker speech??? That makes no sense), though I do admit the priest Visser's fate was sort of fittingly ghastly. I also don't know if I like how the climatic destruction was brought about by what accounts to lucky bumbling (indeed I was bothered by how the plot/goals of the characters sort of veered off at the end but maybe that's because this is a two book series). Also after a while the exaggerated cursing was making my eye twitch; unusual expressions are okay as a single character's quirk, but if more than one person speaks that way, it becomes unrealistic.
Still, very enjoyable and I'll probably read the sequel sometime.
sofieros's review
4.0
Loved the idea and the backdrop, but maybe the characters could've be made (even?) more sympathetic or could've had more meaningful social connections. It often felt like focus was (mostly) on forwarding plot. Which is fine, I just think some additions could've created a more emotional journey/connection. Sort of related - 3/4 of the book I had a big preference for Jax's POV. Berenice just lagged behind. Visser ranked a bit in between. So the POVs felt kinda uneven, investment-wise. But still a great read. Would very much recommend to sci-lovers.
jrosenstein's review
3.0
Tregillis certainly has an impressive imagination and comes up with intriguing concepts for his fictional worlds. Here he finds a way to ponder the nature of free will, the existence of a soul, and what it means to be human through a vaguely steampunk concept. I don't know if this is a problem or not, but it was very hard to figure out exactly when the novel is supposed to be taking place, and when an actual year is mentioned it was very jarring and did not fit at all with the details of the world that had been established up to that point. There's plenty of action, though I tended to get bored with the big action set-pieces. It was a bit hard to follow the movement of the characters through space.
I did find the characters intriguing and well-developed, and I'm certainly hooked to read the rest of the series.
I did find the characters intriguing and well-developed, and I'm certainly hooked to read the rest of the series.
sevenlefts's review
4.0
This came onto my radar from having read the Milkweed Triptych. His writing was very familiar, and again, he looks at an alternative history. But as much as I liked the previous series, I'm liking this one even more.
At some point in the 17th-century, the knowledge accumulated by physicist Isaac Newton, mathematician Christian Huygens and philosopher Baruch Spinoza somehow results in the invention of a system for imbuing clockwork "mechanicals" with life -- of a sort. These Clakkers, as they are known, are compelled to serve their masters. Indeed, if they do not, they experience incredible pain. The seat of this knowledge is The Netherlands, and thus the Dutch rule much of the known world, with their nearly indestructible and tireless workforce (and armies) of mechanicals.
Interestingly, this scientific breakthrough has resulted in a strange derailing of invention. With mechanical beings to pull carts, carry loads, propel ships, etc., there hasn't been any impetus to invent trains, cars, airplanes, radio, or the telephone. Steam power is considered something of a technological footnote.
The primary characters are one of these mechanicals, a Catholic priest acting as a spy, and the spymaster for the exiled King of France, residing in the new world.
This story is so imaginative, and quite fast-paced. As with the Milkweed books, this one has a very cinematic feel -- but not in a distracting way. It can be quite gruesomely violent at times, so beware. But I really do love this idea
At some point in the 17th-century, the knowledge accumulated by physicist Isaac Newton, mathematician Christian Huygens and philosopher Baruch Spinoza somehow results in the invention of a system for imbuing clockwork "mechanicals" with life -- of a sort. These Clakkers, as they are known, are compelled to serve their masters. Indeed, if they do not, they experience incredible pain. The seat of this knowledge is The Netherlands, and thus the Dutch rule much of the known world, with their nearly indestructible and tireless workforce (and armies) of mechanicals.
Interestingly, this scientific breakthrough has resulted in a strange derailing of invention. With mechanical beings to pull carts, carry loads, propel ships, etc., there hasn't been any impetus to invent trains, cars, airplanes, radio, or the telephone. Steam power is considered something of a technological footnote.
The primary characters are one of these mechanicals, a Catholic priest acting as a spy, and the spymaster for the exiled King of France, residing in the new world.
This story is so imaginative, and quite fast-paced. As with the Milkweed books, this one has a very cinematic feel -- but not in a distracting way. It can be quite gruesomely violent at times, so beware. But I really do love this idea
duvallmel's review
3.0
The concept was interesting but there was too much violence for my taste. I would give this two stars if the system would like me to register a rating.
timinbc's review
3.0
I just read another philosophy-heavy book so maybe I was impatient with this. But the philosophy isn't why I withheld two stars.
There's some very good worldbuilding here, and a good basic idea.
First, I was really annoyed by the coincidences that brought THREE characters across the ocean to a certain place and had them all arrive JUST when narrativium required them. There were several other "oh, how convenient" moments.
Second, and this is a genre problem, I don't like it when "alchemy" overcomes physics, so that clakkers can move improbably fast (except, of course, when doing so would make it impossible for key characters to elude them).
Third, another genre problem. Did GRRM start this or just fuel the fire? Authors are going more and more to gritty realism. Arms are hacked off, eyes poked out, torture is front and centre, etc. Maybe it's time to move back to the "tell, don't show" side of things in this area.
Then, shitcakes, the modern language in the 1800s? What next? "So I'm like 'Whoa' and he's all 'yaar' and he like draws his sword and go noping outa there and he goes 'Argh!' " ?
And the airship. Shucks, that could have been developed more. Maybe it will be ...
And so we come to the ending. First, I was annoyed to see and up at the top of the next page "EPILOGUE". But I was MORE annoyed after reading the goldarn epilogue. We've just spent 400 pages being told that the Forge is a hell-furnace, a window into the heart of a star, an Unmaker of the first degree. We watched as Jax struggled when his parts expanded in moderate heat. And now Bah. Bah, pfui, this is flummery, do you take me for a witling? (Bonus point if you know what I'm referring to there).
I was interested to see several odd typos. I wondered if they were put in deliberately to trap illegal copiers.
Anyway, this is a book that could have been great, and is quite good anyway. I wouldn't give it an award, but I think Tregillis may have an award in him for a future book.
Will I read #2? I don't know.
There's some very good worldbuilding here, and a good basic idea.
First, I was really annoyed by the coincidences that brought THREE characters across the ocean to a certain place and had them all arrive JUST when narrativium required them. There were several other "oh, how convenient" moments.
Second, and this is a genre problem, I don't like it when "alchemy" overcomes physics, so that clakkers can move improbably fast (except, of course, when doing so would make it impossible for key characters to elude them).
Third, another genre problem. Did GRRM start this or just fuel the fire? Authors are going more and more to gritty realism. Arms are hacked off, eyes poked out, torture is front and centre, etc. Maybe it's time to move back to the "tell, don't show" side of things in this area.
Then, shitcakes, the modern language in the 1800s? What next? "So I'm like 'Whoa' and he's all 'yaar' and he like draws his sword and go noping outa there and he goes 'Argh!' " ?
And the airship. Shucks, that could have been developed more. Maybe it will be ...
And so we come to the ending. First, I was annoyed to see
Spoiler
Jax falling into the ForgeSpoiler
he falls into the bleeping forge, is fished out what must be hours later, AND HE'S FINE! "He went dormant," we're told. Must be the alchemy-trumps-physics thing again, in which Magick suddenly renders metal unmeltable.I was interested to see several odd typos. I wondered if they were put in deliberately to trap illegal copiers.
Anyway, this is a book that could have been great, and is quite good anyway. I wouldn't give it an award, but I think Tregillis may have an award in him for a future book.
Will I read #2? I don't know.
crowsandprose's review
5.0
Impeccably researched alternate historical fiction meets with amazingly built characters to create a fantastic novel. We travel through the world through the eyes of three characters: Jax, a mechanical man, Visser, a secret Catholic, and Berniece, spymaster of New France.
With some of the best character work I've seen -- especially in regards to Berniece, whose a female lead we don't get to see very often -- we go on a wild ride through the politics and passions of the struggle between the power of the Dutch and the dreams of New France with the fate of millions of mechanical souls and not a few human ones in the balance. While we don't finish the overall arc in this volume, as it is a trilogy, it still satisfies.
The detail work is impeccable. The action sequences amazing. The attention paid to every nuance of a character's inner life and outter life is grand. Honestly, I haven't read a book this good in ages, and highly recommend it.
With some of the best character work I've seen -- especially in regards to Berniece, whose a female lead we don't get to see very often -- we go on a wild ride through the politics and passions of the struggle between the power of the Dutch and the dreams of New France with the fate of millions of mechanical souls and not a few human ones in the balance. While we don't finish the overall arc in this volume, as it is a trilogy, it still satisfies.
The detail work is impeccable. The action sequences amazing. The attention paid to every nuance of a character's inner life and outter life is grand. Honestly, I haven't read a book this good in ages, and highly recommend it.