errantdreams's review
3.0
Steven Harper’s "The Havoc Machine" is the fourth in the “Clockwork Empire” series. However, it sits somewhat apart from the events of the other books, and the opening notes recommend it for new readers. It stands well on its own.
The details of the clockwork plague are captivating: one plague that creates both a zombie menace, and a two-sided boon/menace in the form of the clockworkers. They create astounding devices that can give their countries great power, but they also lose such touch with their humanity that they become incredibly dangerous to those around them.
Some of the ’secrets’ in the story are telegraphed, making it difficult to understand why the characters don’t pick up on them. Also, I found the tone of the book discordant: most of the tale is dark and gritty fantasy/steampunk, but the clockworkers occasionally veer into the silly end of comic book mad scientist villain territory. It was also difficult to understand the tsar’s decisions—sometimes they felt too convenient to the plot.
The question of free will in the context of automatons arises, but it seems to be handled a little inconsistently. Supposedly certain conditions have to be met before an automaton develops ’sentience’ as such (sorry for the vagueness; I’m trying not to give away plot points), but there are minor automaton characters (such as Dante the parrot) that seem to exhibit such traits without the relevant criteria having been met.
There are lovely plot twists and ideas in here, and a very nice exploration of the nature of clockworkers as well as their automatons. There is some minor dark material to be aware of (things occasionally get a bit bloody). The concept of clockworkers is brilliant, and I love how it’s handled. All in all this isn’t the best steampunk novel I’ve read, but it’s certainly an engrossing and interesting read.
[NOTE: review book provided by publisher]
For a longer review that includes a summary of the premise, you can see my original review: http://www.errantdreams.com/reviews/2013/05/02/the-havoc-machine-steven-harper/
The details of the clockwork plague are captivating: one plague that creates both a zombie menace, and a two-sided boon/menace in the form of the clockworkers. They create astounding devices that can give their countries great power, but they also lose such touch with their humanity that they become incredibly dangerous to those around them.
Some of the ’secrets’ in the story are telegraphed, making it difficult to understand why the characters don’t pick up on them. Also, I found the tone of the book discordant: most of the tale is dark and gritty fantasy/steampunk, but the clockworkers occasionally veer into the silly end of comic book mad scientist villain territory. It was also difficult to understand the tsar’s decisions—sometimes they felt too convenient to the plot.
The question of free will in the context of automatons arises, but it seems to be handled a little inconsistently. Supposedly certain conditions have to be met before an automaton develops ’sentience’ as such (sorry for the vagueness; I’m trying not to give away plot points), but there are minor automaton characters (such as Dante the parrot) that seem to exhibit such traits without the relevant criteria having been met.
There are lovely plot twists and ideas in here, and a very nice exploration of the nature of clockworkers as well as their automatons. There is some minor dark material to be aware of (things occasionally get a bit bloody). The concept of clockworkers is brilliant, and I love how it’s handled. All in all this isn’t the best steampunk novel I’ve read, but it’s certainly an engrossing and interesting read.
[NOTE: review book provided by publisher]
For a longer review that includes a summary of the premise, you can see my original review: http://www.errantdreams.com/reviews/2013/05/02/the-havoc-machine-steven-harper/
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