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eb00kie's review against another edition
3.0
To adress the short introduction, the last time I read, steampunk was a subgenre of SF who used technology motifs and whose stories took place during the Regency period and were set in Great Britain, mostly England. Based on this, ''Clockwork Heart'' is about as steampunk as most novels set in a city named Odinium and set in an unspecified time.
The character Taya has very little to distinguish her apart from the great mass of now cliche badass female type but her passion for flying and her... that's about it. Cristof has a rather uncomplicated personality too. The glasses are a nice idea, but the other glimpses we get of him are rather simple in nature and get along as clumsily as he does.
The character Taya has very little to distinguish her apart from the great mass of now cliche badass female type but her passion for flying and her... that's about it. Cristof has a rather uncomplicated personality too. The glasses are a nice idea, but the other glimpses we get of him are rather simple in nature and get along as clumsily as he does.
oodadoo's review against another edition
Not well written. Suffers from the habit of amateur writers to attempt world building by info dumping in the first two pages. If it was written again with some patience to let the world unfold, it could be very good.
itabar's review against another edition
2.0
Two thirds of the way into the book, when the heroine has discovered who the villain is and that he has murdered several people, the villain asks the heroine to lie for him, to corroborate his version of events. He is high caste, good looking, charming. He can guarantee that her career advances.
Right answer:
Yes, that's a good idea. I find you sexy and I appreciate that you will help me in my career. (She surreptitiously unsheathes her knife so she can stab him and get away).
Wrong answer:
Never! I will expose you and make sure you pay for your evil deeds.
This is where the book lost me. The heroine gives the WRONG ANSWER. She is in peril and at the mercy of the villain. ARGH! The book was fairly decent up to that point, although a bit predictable. Long tedious fight ensues and we get various versions of the Wrong Answer several times as the villain tries to change the heroine's mind. Then more adventures, which I found fault with because the author had pretty much lost me.
Right answer:
Yes, that's a good idea. I find you sexy and I appreciate that you will help me in my career. (She surreptitiously unsheathes her knife so she can stab him and get away).
Wrong answer:
Never! I will expose you and make sure you pay for your evil deeds.
This is where the book lost me. The heroine gives the WRONG ANSWER. She is in peril and at the mercy of the villain. ARGH! The book was fairly decent up to that point, although a bit predictable. Long tedious fight ensues and we get various versions of the Wrong Answer several times as the villain tries to change the heroine's mind. Then more adventures, which I found fault with because the author had pretty much lost me.
mdlaclair's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the world the author has built with different cast systems. The mystery kept you guessing until the end overall it was a good book. I did not like the romance in the book or that the author made a big change to it in the middle of the book. to me the romance felt a little forced but the storyline was an interesting one with a wide cast of characters.
scribewarden's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
ethoslost's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. This is a decent steampunk novel featured in a world which relied on great engines to function and had a fairly stable caste system. I wish the caste system was explored more with additional details about what distinguished the lower castes. This is a romance but that certainly was an undercurrent of the novel which was more of a suspenseful detective storyline. The caste/job of “icarri,” who wore metal winged armature to fly across the city as messengers, were the most interesting characters in my opinion.
ampersammich's review against another edition
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and world in this book. Although sometimes the romance got a bit cheesy, I stayed until the end for the interesting story.
marlan's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite of all the steampunk novels I've read. The world was carefully created without having the style-before-substance feeling found in a lot of steampunkery. In other books, it seems as though the exposition had to perform gymnastics in order to explain why everyone is wearing goggles. Here, the world makes a reasonable amount of sense, considering it's fantasy.
Unfortunately, the characters didn't have the depth I would have liked. The characters don't have significant arcs, ending pretty much as they started. The protagonist is enjoyable, but the other characters either feel interchangable or a little too similar to other YA books (one romantic lead bears a striking resemblance to Snape, both in appearance and personality).
The pacing is a bit off, the main climax occurring about 100 pages before the end, so it feels like a shorter book with a *very* long wrap-up.
Still, this was a light and enjoyable book. The use of early computers (with punch cards!) added an interesting element. Worth checking out if this flavor of fantasy is your thing.
Unfortunately, the characters didn't have the depth I would have liked. The characters don't have significant arcs, ending pretty much as they started. The protagonist is enjoyable, but the other characters either feel interchangable or a little too similar to other YA books (one romantic lead bears a striking resemblance to Snape, both in appearance and personality).
The pacing is a bit off, the main climax occurring about 100 pages before the end, so it feels like a shorter book with a *very* long wrap-up.
Still, this was a light and enjoyable book. The use of early computers (with punch cards!) added an interesting element. Worth checking out if this flavor of fantasy is your thing.
reginaexmachina's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this book a lot. The world building was interesting and the writing was excellent. It doesn't have a lot of action going on, but I was still glued to the pages. It almost reminded me a little of Tamora Pierce's writing, only replace a little magic with a little steampunk. My only complaint is towards the end, it sort of felt like Taya (the main character) was sort of pulled from one thing to another and it felt kind of disjointed. The romance was really sweet though and the author's website says she's written a sequel. I'll definitely be looking forward to it.