tinkeringcheck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
As for the characters, the concepts were fantastic and bursting with not-quite-realized potential. I adored every little bit of information we got about the talented and mysterious Mr. Mori, but I felt that much of Thaniel's character was left between the lines to the point of him becoming quite boring as things went on. (How this was managed despite having unique narration tics with his synesthesia, I've no idea). And while I found the drag-wearing, anti-suffragette physicist Grace quite fun and offbeat in the beginning - especially her banter with Matsumoto, the dandy friend who lets her raid his closet - she had an abrupt change of priorities and comprehensibility halfway through the book that left me disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing
Spoiler
Mori and Thaniel's relationship growing, especially since this book's been recommended for its LGBTQ+ representation, but all the heart of it was left offscreen in a way that left me feeling hollow - like Katsu curled around the cold space in Mori's bed where he should've been.But what soured what had still been an enjoyable read for me was when I figured out what the final act was becoming. I nearly threw my phone at the wall. I almost DNF'd with just chapters left.
Spoiler
I only skimmed through to the end to see if Katsu was alright (more on this in the content warnings)Spoiler
made some truly baffling choices in the back half the book that felt like the author's invisible hand squashing a square peg in a round hole marked 'villainess' instead of an organic character arcThere's also an honestly uncomfortable amount of casual racism and xenophobia from the white characters' perspectives. It's clearly meant to be period-typical because it disappears in the POV chapters set in Japan, but it still felt excessive. Japanese and Japanese-British characters (including Mori) are constantly referred to as small and delicate and juvenile, and they're described by these racialized features exponentially more often than the white characters. For example, Thaniel's grey eyes and other physical descriptors are mentioned offhandedly, meanwhile each time Mori is described physically - like his tanned skin or short height or small hands - it's always tacked on with some remark inexplicably tying it up with his Japanese-ness. (Matsumoto, being a tall man, is described as being 'English-raised' instead.) At some point I was just desperate for ANY descriptor for these characters that wasn't racialized and was left disappointed.
Overall, I wanted to fully love this book (and nearly did for awhile!) but the overall execution and the plot choices in the climax unfortunately killed some of my enjoyment. I did love the premise of a mysterious, talented-beyond-his-time clockwork maker in his wondrous workshop - and I felt the middle portion of the story was the strongest in part because it focused on unveiling Mori's world. But as the book went on and we were moved from his workshop into the strange 3rd act drama with less compelling characters, I wondered if what I loved about it was more about the possibilities I was imagining for myself than what was suggested on the page. Katsu the adorable clockwork octopus, kind and lonely Mori, and dearly underused Matsumoto were the shining stars for me though, and I just might tune into the next book to see how they fare.
Graphic: Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Biphobia, Classism, Gun violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Death, Stalking, and Homophobia
Minor: Chronic illness, Grief, Animal death, and Body horror
Animal death: Personally, even though it's not really graphic andSpoiler
technically about a clockwork animal (though one that is so lifelike it seems to have the soul of an artificially intelligent lapdog),Spoiler
he returns in the next one, if skimming goodreads reviews is to be believed, but I'm not sure how or in what form.Spoiler
Doesn't turn out to be true, but it's discussed frequently in depth and may still be distressing, especially for people who are sensitive to discussions about domestic stalking.Spoiler
Thaniel is waiting in the hospital. Skip the part about the gallery until Thaniel's back outside.hexe_19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, Biphobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Police brutality
Minor: Classism and Sexism
nekoshka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexism, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Police brutality
sternbrunchdaddy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, and Violence