Steven Piziks

I picked up this book almost on a lark, having used its first chapter (featured on Tor.com) as an example of "steampunk atmosphere" for my science fiction class. It has taken me a while to get around to reading the rest of the book and, though it has some flaws, I have to say that the whole package is pretty darn entertaining. The novel, which is thoroughly saturated in a steampunk sensibility seasoned with heavy doses of adventure and romance as well as a pinch of humor, concerns Alice show more Michaels, daughter of a baron, and Gavin Ennock, son of nobody in particular. The perspective of each guides the novel, in separate chapters, as we watch their respective adventures unfold and then collide. Gavin is navigating the skies in an airship until he is brought violently to earth; Alice is just trying to navigate society without ruining her marriage prospects until she is brought violently into contact with Gavin. And then the real adventure gets started.

On their adventure, our heroes encounter clockwork cats and giant mechanical men and something suspiciously like a tricked out Ent. In fact, there seem to be very few limits on the "technology" of this steampunked vision of the world, which often defies physics and sometimes defies credulity as well. While it is delightful fun to explore a setting where just about anything can be invented, there are a few moments in which the reader's patience is tried by just how randomly things are juxtaposed: electricity, steam-power, clockwork, a bit of magic perhaps... even implied nanotechnology (!) are all in the ether here. The mad inventors of the world are sufferers of a "clockwork plague" -- and Alice and Gavin must battle the zombies that are in the unlucky end stages of that plague on more than one occasion -- but they seem unlimited in what they can create and what power sources they can use. That openness defeats some of the tension, sacrificing real emotional stakes for ooh-shiny-toy plot points.

And, yeah, did you catch that there are zombies? Also, air pirates. And a mysterious police force. And a mechanical butler. And tea. There is definitely tea.

So, in sum, this is a novel that tries to encompass everything steampunk is and beyond. Frankly, sometimes it tries too hard, and that overexertion shows itself particularly in the last third of the novel, where both the pacing and the characterization seem to come over all wobbly. It overreaches with such unadulterated glee, however, that it still manages to be a ripping good time. I found myself turning pages and wanting more even when it colored outside the lines of good sense. While it is not as hysterically clever as Gail Carriger's Soulless series, this novel may appeal to fans of her work and other folks who don't mind when their steampunk is inconsistent and irrationally, sometimes hilariously, ambitious. show less

I don’t usually do this, but I’m abandoning this at about the halfway point. Because of that, I’m not rating it, but I will state my reasons for not finishing.

This one had potential, but it all seemed wildly unexplored. The alien race in question, the Chiar, with their ever-changing colored coats, reminded me of My Little Pony creatures, for those who can remember their kids playing with these. It was well written and breezy initially, for about the first 100 pages or so, but it seemed show more like an entrée, and while I kept waiting on the main meal to be served, it didn’t seem to be on the menu.

There are some somewhat interesting aspects to the beginning of feelings between Chakotay and Seven of Nine, and a few other things, but that’s all it seemed like to me — a book filled with somewhat interesting or enjoyable asides without a main story big enough or worthy enough to turn them into actual asides, tangental to the big goings on. Once Tom and Seven are kidnapped by these creatures, and we get into the slave stuff, Tom’s interaction with the Chiar, and some superficial stuff with the nano technology, I just felt like I was at a table filled with entrées and desserts, but no meat.

I simply lost interest because the story that might have been here, was never fully explored. It’s the only Voyager book I picked up recently that I felt was a bust, all the others being fun reads. At 330 pages this was way too long for a Star Trek story in paperback. I began thinking this was more suited to a comic book or graphic novel the longer I read, which was up to about page 170. I skimmed through sections from that point forward and it seemed just more of the same to me. It may seem strange to use the term superficial to describe a Star Trek book in paperback, which are mostly for Trek fans, but that was how I felt. It fools you at the outset however because it’s smooth and well written superficial. But that’s all it is.

I probably would have been generous to give this one three stars, but a lot of other people seem to love this one. It wasn’t my cup of tea at all, however, and I have some better stuff to read, so I’m abandoning this one, and calling it a day. show less

The Impossible Cube blew me away! It was even better than the explosive Doomsday Vault.

There are only few steampunk series so far that really impressed me, and Clockwork Empire is one of them. Non-stop crazy adventures, complex and extremely entertaining world-building, fantastic team of main and secondary characters, and gadgets, gadgets, gadgets...

In book one Gavin and Alice release cure for the clockwork plague in London, but it doesn't help Gavin whose illness progresses with a much show more faster pace than normal because of Alice's aunt experimentation on him. Young man experiences more and more episodes of clockworker brilliance when his mind races at an inhuman speed inventing dangerous and brilliant constructions. While he is in his fugue as they call it, he is nasty, unreasonable and very aggressive. When he comes back to himself he doesn't remember what he said or done and how much time he lost, how much he might have hurt Alice...

Alice carries her own cross or shall I say, mechanical spider, which attached itself to her hand in London and now transforms her blood which she sprays at clockwork zombies as a cure. She is undernourished, weak, suffers from constant blood loss and heartache, because she can't help everyone.

Alice, Gavin and their motley crew are on the run from lieutenant Phipps after destroying Doomsday Vault and all the chances of British Empire to win against China. Their goal is to get to China and seek one of their dragonmen (clockworkers) to try and cure dying Gavin. But Phipps is so close that the fugitives decide to hide in a travelling circus on the way to extremely unstable Ukraine ruled by clockworkers and their war machines.

So there is this crazy chase, Ukrainian villains, possible time warp and the destruction of the universe... No pressure and all in good fun, of course! Powerful insane imagery and wild adventure, grab and read it, don't miss this little gem! show less

Danny at sixteen is happy with his life living by the lake with his mother in northern Michigan, but that is about to change when his mother takes up with and then moves in with a new man. Danny's new 'stepfather' Myron seems OK and gets on well with him, more than can be said for Myron's son Eryx, who goes out of his way to cause trouble for Danny; that is until the day it all turns. Eryx reveals that Danny's new home is rigged with hidden cameras, and Danny is now a porn star, sharing his show more fate with Eryx, but there is worse, it is one thing to be unknowingly captured on camera, quite another when Myron brings home two men expecting to enjoy the virgin Danny.

Danny sees no option other than to run away, and despite Eryx attitude towards him seeks to rescue him too and take him with him. So they escape to Florida, but to what? It seems to be a case of out of the frying pan into the fire.

We read Danny's story through his diary entries, were he also seeks refuge in his own imaginings as he recreates the story of Ganymede captured away from Earth by Zeus to become his lover, and where he meets Iris and Eros. But how much of this does Danny really imagine, and what is his connection with Ganymede, and what bearing does all this have on events taking place or about to occur. Stephen Harper weaves an intricate tale in which Danny and his new friends confront their fears and finally face up to those taking advantage, and in which a beautiful youth from a few thousand years past may have a bearing.

Danny is an appealing character, who is content to be without friends, although as he gets to know Eryx, and then Irene whom they encounter later, he not only learns the value but also the responsibilities of friendship. He also experiences a sexual awakening that is more than a little ambiguous.

Stephen Harper writes well and has created an engaging and increasingly gripping tale, and while dealing with a theme of sexual exploitation manages to keep the writing chaste leaving it very much to the reader to fill in the blanks after offering just a few hints as to what occurs between consenting boy/boy, boy/girl, boys/girl and non-consenting boy/man. show less