Shawn M. Peters

The steampunk elements are incredibly steampunky, and pretty unnerving. The themes of man, machine, power, and man as machine are interesting. The plot is … pretty standard, unfortunately, and the characters don’t really bring it to life. Close, in parts, but not quite. There are some spots where the plot diverges from, “Oliver will get out of this and keep saving the day” and a fair number of those were cool, but lost points for being slightly confusing. Like, I had to stop and read the passages over to work out what had happened? But if all you want is literal human machines and clockwork animals and giant steam guns and robots, well, have I got a book for you.

6/10… (meer)

This was one of those books that I couldn't stop reading and yet once I did, because the story had ended, I was ultimately unsatisfied.

The imagery and atmosphere were gorgeous. I picked this book up because I wanted to read something steampunk and this book not only did not disappoint, it went over and above in providing me what I was craving. I could so easily visualize this heavily-industrialized area of London, from its frightening Gods to its citizens who were ill with the clacks.

Where the book lost me was with its characters. I found myself fascinated with Missy, Bergen, Tommy, Oliver, and even Baron Hume, but in the end the only character I really felt I had a handle on was Jeremy Longshore, a clickrat of great achievements.

All in all I enjoyed it even though it seemed there was a bit too much crammed into one small book.… (meer)