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sglaser's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cornmaven's review against another edition
2.0
A steampunk type of story involving automatons whose origins are thousands of years old, and whose destiny is nefarious. I rarely, rarely do this, but I abandoned this book with about 30 minutes left to listen. Just couldn't stand it anymore, and I grew to not care about what happens. Which is sad.
The writing wasn't very good in the beginning, and got worse as the novel progressed to the "exciting" parts. TOO MANY ADJECTIVES!!!!!!! And bad ones at that. So much so, that the readers were forced to be over the top on their voicing, and this just made it worse. I also grew to hate the idea that some ancient force 5 thousand years ago had created these things. Maybe a 1000 year BCE, but not before that.
I would have much preferred an I Robot sort of theme with automatons placed in the 19th century when they became more popular, and moved on from there.
The writing wasn't very good in the beginning, and got worse as the novel progressed to the "exciting" parts. TOO MANY ADJECTIVES!!!!!!! And bad ones at that. So much so, that the readers were forced to be over the top on their voicing, and this just made it worse. I also grew to hate the idea that some ancient force 5 thousand years ago had created these things. Maybe a 1000 year BCE, but not before that.
I would have much preferred an I Robot sort of theme with automatons placed in the 19th century when they became more popular, and moved on from there.
lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not usually keen on the steampunk genre, but thankfully the mechanical 'avtomats' in this novel are less like clanking robots and more like Anne Rice's vampires: functionally immortal humanoids whose origins are shrouded in mystery and who live among us in secret. In fact, Rice's Interview with the Vampire seems the ideal comparison point for this story, right down to the eighteenth-century setting and the decades-old creature who chafes at her physical appearance as a little girl.
Despite these similarities, The Clockwork Dynasty tells a wholly original story, and I enjoyed it immensely. Author Daniel H. Wilson alternates each chapter's perspective, so that we get to see both an avtomat's history unfolding in the past and a human woman getting drawn into his world in the present. Both narratives are engaging, although the heroine does sometimes feel more like a YA teenager than the postdoc scientist she's supposed to be. But that's a minor issue for a story as great as this. It's a standalone work for now, but I'd love to read further adventures with these characters.
Despite these similarities, The Clockwork Dynasty tells a wholly original story, and I enjoyed it immensely. Author Daniel H. Wilson alternates each chapter's perspective, so that we get to see both an avtomat's history unfolding in the past and a human woman getting drawn into his world in the present. Both narratives are engaging, although the heroine does sometimes feel more like a YA teenager than the postdoc scientist she's supposed to be. But that's a minor issue for a story as great as this. It's a standalone work for now, but I'd love to read further adventures with these characters.
jrosenstein's review against another edition
2.0
I never really got into this. The characters' motivations seemed rather unclear and I often didn't understand why the avtomata were fighting. This seems like the setup to a series and I don't feel compelled to keep reading.
draconishotpot's review against another edition
4.0
This book has an intriguing premise and it feels more like an origin story than a standalone novel. I enjoyed the alternating narration between Peter and June a lot more than I thought I would. It gave the story more weight, and really showcased the long history of Peter’s life. The Leizu/Huangdi showdown near the end was a bit underwhelming. I expected more because of the buildup, and I wanted to know more about them and how they ended up together. But, overall, I enjoyed the book and wouldn’t mind a sequel since the ending feels like a good jumping off point.
theeclecticreview's review against another edition
5.0
June Stefanov, anthropologist, and Pyotr (Peter) Alexeyevich (aka avtomat/robot) are destined to meet and discover the secrets they have lived with for so many years. June will find the origin of an old brass key her grandfather left her and Peter will find out what it means to be avtomat.
This is a story about the past and the future, about secrets and truths, about loyalty and betrayal, and about happiness and despair. It is fast-paced and exhilarating to find out about Peter’s past and how the avtomats came to be. A wonderful science fiction read for my collection!
This is a story about the past and the future, about secrets and truths, about loyalty and betrayal, and about happiness and despair. It is fast-paced and exhilarating to find out about Peter’s past and how the avtomats came to be. A wonderful science fiction read for my collection!
milena3's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
josiexmaex's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0