Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After the success of Anderson and Peart's diverting first fantasy novel, Clockwork Angels, they return to expand the mythology of their steampunk world. Forgoing a recap of the previous novel, this book instead introduces Marinda Peake, a woman unwillingly charged by her late father, an inventor, with seeking out "the true gift of life." Forced to collect the life stories of others via a magical journal, Peake embarks on wide-ranging adventures that become interspersed with these new tales in a panorama of stories, à la Canterbury Tales. As Peake travels the shores of Albion and beyond, reading the lives of a pickpocket, a bookseller, and a fisherman, she learns that her own life, like the lives she collects, is quickly becoming "a novel no one else has read." This concept-that all lives share the capacity to become epics-is an especially fine idea for a fantasy, but this book is not up to the challenge. The many stories become repetitious, each narrated in the same flat voice. The prose is mundane where it should take flight. The book may preach the importance of storytelling, but it's held back by the limits of its own style. Agent: John Silbersack, Trident Media Group. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by Library Journal Review
Life has passed Miranda Peake by, but she has never complained. Taking care of her ailing father and keeping to her regimented schedule keeps her occupied. Miranda's father (former adventurer, alchemist, and clock keeper) is heartbroken at what she is missing. To rectify this, at his death Miranda is only bequeathed an alchemy-treated journal that she must fill with the stories of other lives-lives of adventure, love, pain, joy, and additional elements so lacking in her own. Miranda has no choice but to take the streamliner into the luscious Crown City, where clockwork angels are prophets, gangs roam the airships, the Watchmaker rules from his metal tower, and everyone's story begins-including Miranda's. Verdict Sf author Anderson and Peart (songwriter and Rush drummer) return readers to the steampunk world they introduced in Clockwork Angels. With captivating illustrations by Robles, it is easy to imagine the backdrop of the lives Miranda (and the reader) collects. Fantasy fans will be captivated by this steampunk version of The Canterbury Tales.-Jennifer Funk, McKendree Univ. Lib., Lebanon, IL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
