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Clockwork Empire #1
The Doomsday Vault
In a clockwork Britannia, Alice's prospects are slim. At 21, her age and her unladylike interest in automatons have sealed her fate as an undesirable marriage prospect. But a devastating plague sends Alice off in a direction beyond the pale—towards a clandestine organization, mad inventors, life-altering secrets, and into the arms of an intrepid fiddle-playing airship pilot.
382 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2011
40 people are currently reading
2660 people want to read
About the author
Steven Harper
53 books119 followersA pseudonym of Steven Piziks
Steven Harper Piziks was born with a name that no one can reliably spell or pronounce, so he often writes under the pen name Steven Harper. He lives in Michigan with his family. When not at the keyboard, he plays the folk harp, fiddles with video games, and pretends he doesn’t talk to the household cats. In the past, he’s held jobs as a reporter, theater producer, secretary, and substitute teacher. He maintains that the most interesting thing about him is that he writes books.
Steven is the creator of The Silent Empire series, the Clockwork Empire steampunk series, and the Books of Blood and Iron series for Roc Books. All four Silent Empire novels were finalists for the Spectrum Award, a first!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
January 26, 2012
From the cover and what I skimmed of the description, I was expecting a trashy steampunk romance novel, where the dashing but stranded airman sweeps the poor but brilliant society lady off her feet and they have adventures.
In retrospect, I kind of wish it HAD been that trashy. It would have been more interesting.
I feel like this book really wanted to be a clever adventure in the vein of "Soulless" and the other books in the Parasol Protectorate, but it never quite got there. For one, although "The Doomsday Vault" tries to put its heroine in scary but seemingly absurd situations (like fighting zombies in a ball gown at 3am), the narration doesn't have the self-awareness to pull it off, and Alice is just too weak a character.
The book has a few good ideas, and there are little hints of what could have become a truly great story. Take this situation: the heroes are in love, and they've just gotten information about the mastermind behind the unusual circumstances that have been happening. They find the villain, revealed to be a relative of the leading lady, who explains that they are the mastermind behind an incredible invention: a cure for the zombie plague that afflicts hundreds. Unfortunately, the cure was stolen by the same organization the heroes work for, and they must infiltrate the top-security 'Doomsday Vault' in order to retrieve it. To make the situation even more dire, the heroes realize that the lady's lover himself has been infected by the plague, forcing them to undertake this difficult task or watch him die slowly.
All of that is the set up for a really great plot! Unfortunately, in 'The Doomsday Vault', all of that information and action is crammed into the last 50 pages or so. Instead, for the first 300 pages we have the main lady Alice CONSTANTLY whining and waffling back and forth on a decision that should be no decision at all. A secret society wants her to join them and put her amazing engineering skills to good work! But no, she is poor and so she must marry her hated, but rich, fiancee, so he can pay her debts! But she is REALLY NEEDED at the secret society! But she just can't agree to join them! Oh, but she wants to! But she can't! But she must! THREE HUNDRED PAGES OF THIS, with a character who has very little personality of her own. By the end of the book I wanted to strangle Alice, she was so annoying and useless.
If the drama about the relationship absolutely had to be included (and I don't think it did, the plot as I outlined above is WAY more interesting) then there needed to be much higher stakes-- perhaps Alice is the only one who could do the job, and every time she refuses more people die. Or she's being blackmailed by her fiancee. SOMETHING to give her a better reason to say no, because as is it's just incredibly frustrating. She is a heroine in a steampunk novel. She should jump at any and every chance at adventure.
When Alice finally does get over her awful engagement and pursues our hero, Gavin, the relationship feels very artificial and constructed. We know the characters are in love because the narration tells us, not because they show each other any affection or have any chemistry.
I also had some issues with the idea of the 'clockwork plague.' This is a plague that turns the vast majority of people into "zombies" who are not walking corpses but badly diseased individuals whose flesh is rotting from their frames. However, in a tiny percentage of people it accelerates their mind into genius before driving them mad and then killing them. Well enough. But for what is supposed to be a rare condition, there seem to be dozens of "clockworkers" (as the geniuses are called) in England alone, and plenty in other countries. How does that work? And why it it even called the "clockwork plague"? There doesn't seem to be any connection between the name and the disease-- the connection with the geniuses makes some sense, but why call it that if the vast majority of people just rot away and die? It feels like the author threw in clockwork because it's a steampunk novel and that's what you do.
There was a lot of potential here, but overall the book just falls flat. The plot doesn't even happen until the last 100 pages, where explanations are rapidly handed out and then everything is rushed together. The actual raid on the Doomsday Vault takes perhaps five pages at most, which makes me wonder why the book was titled after something so unimportant. The main character is completely boring, although the other characters are interesting. It is those other characters that save this book from a 1-star rating. Honestly, if the entire book had been written from Gavin's perspective, or perhaps from Aunt Edwina's, it would have been much more engaging. As-is, I certainly won't be reading any more in this series, and the book itself will be chucked in a box to be sent off to the used bookstore.
In retrospect, I kind of wish it HAD been that trashy. It would have been more interesting.
I feel like this book really wanted to be a clever adventure in the vein of "Soulless" and the other books in the Parasol Protectorate, but it never quite got there. For one, although "The Doomsday Vault" tries to put its heroine in scary but seemingly absurd situations (like fighting zombies in a ball gown at 3am), the narration doesn't have the self-awareness to pull it off, and Alice is just too weak a character.
The book has a few good ideas, and there are little hints of what could have become a truly great story. Take this situation: the heroes are in love, and they've just gotten information about the mastermind behind the unusual circumstances that have been happening. They find the villain, revealed to be a relative of the leading lady, who explains that they are the mastermind behind an incredible invention: a cure for the zombie plague that afflicts hundreds. Unfortunately, the cure was stolen by the same organization the heroes work for, and they must infiltrate the top-security 'Doomsday Vault' in order to retrieve it. To make the situation even more dire, the heroes realize that the lady's lover himself has been infected by the plague, forcing them to undertake this difficult task or watch him die slowly.
All of that is the set up for a really great plot! Unfortunately, in 'The Doomsday Vault', all of that information and action is crammed into the last 50 pages or so. Instead, for the first 300 pages we have the main lady Alice CONSTANTLY whining and waffling back and forth on a decision that should be no decision at all. A secret society wants her to join them and put her amazing engineering skills to good work! But no, she is poor and so she must marry her hated, but rich, fiancee, so he can pay her debts! But she is REALLY NEEDED at the secret society! But she just can't agree to join them! Oh, but she wants to! But she can't! But she must! THREE HUNDRED PAGES OF THIS, with a character who has very little personality of her own. By the end of the book I wanted to strangle Alice, she was so annoying and useless.
If the drama about the relationship absolutely had to be included (and I don't think it did, the plot as I outlined above is WAY more interesting) then there needed to be much higher stakes-- perhaps Alice is the only one who could do the job, and every time she refuses more people die. Or she's being blackmailed by her fiancee. SOMETHING to give her a better reason to say no, because as is it's just incredibly frustrating. She is a heroine in a steampunk novel. She should jump at any and every chance at adventure.
When Alice finally does get over her awful engagement and pursues our hero, Gavin, the relationship feels very artificial and constructed. We know the characters are in love because the narration tells us, not because they show each other any affection or have any chemistry.
I also had some issues with the idea of the 'clockwork plague.' This is a plague that turns the vast majority of people into "zombies" who are not walking corpses but badly diseased individuals whose flesh is rotting from their frames. However, in a tiny percentage of people it accelerates their mind into genius before driving them mad and then killing them. Well enough. But for what is supposed to be a rare condition, there seem to be dozens of "clockworkers" (as the geniuses are called) in England alone, and plenty in other countries. How does that work? And why it it even called the "clockwork plague"? There doesn't seem to be any connection between the name and the disease-- the connection with the geniuses makes some sense, but why call it that if the vast majority of people just rot away and die? It feels like the author threw in clockwork because it's a steampunk novel and that's what you do.
There was a lot of potential here, but overall the book just falls flat. The plot doesn't even happen until the last 100 pages, where explanations are rapidly handed out and then everything is rushed together. The actual raid on the Doomsday Vault takes perhaps five pages at most, which makes me wonder why the book was titled after something so unimportant. The main character is completely boring, although the other characters are interesting. It is those other characters that save this book from a 1-star rating. Honestly, if the entire book had been written from Gavin's perspective, or perhaps from Aunt Edwina's, it would have been much more engaging. As-is, I certainly won't be reading any more in this series, and the book itself will be chucked in a box to be sent off to the used bookstore.
August 12, 2013
Confession 1: I might have picked this book up because I liked the dress the girl wore on the cover (even if, historically speaking, it is a monstrosity).
Confession 2: I might also have bought it because there was a mention of someone named Gavin on the back, and I love the name Gavin.
Confession 3: I did not buy it because of the zombies. More like in spite of the zombies. Zombies bore me. There. I said it.
That's not a crime, right? In any case, I actually did like it. (And I might have crushed on the previously mentioned Gavin as well.) The first steampunk book I read didn't really catch my interest. Everyone had impossible to pronounce, illogical names with apostrophes (I do hate names with apostrophes) and there were tons of farfetched races and political parties and histories and, while world building is awesome, it was all a little overwhelming. So, okay, I was RELIEVED when I started reading this and found that it was close enough to what I'm familiar with that I didn't need a guidebook to follow it.
I like the characters, though I felt Gavin was better developed and more likeable than Alice. For the most part, their motivations and actions seemed genuine.
I enjoyed the storyline. Some of the concepts seemed a little farfetched (catching a certain disease will either turn you into a stupid, decaying corpse and kill you, or it will turn you into a genius who spits out world-changing inventions . . . and then kill you), but, hey, it's steampunk/fantasy. It's okay.
The writing was pretty decent. There were a few things that I didn't love. The one that annoyed me most was a characterization kind of thing.
Despite the shortcomings, though, I really enjoyed it, and I'll probably pick up the sequel when it comes out.
Confession 2: I might also have bought it because there was a mention of someone named Gavin on the back, and I love the name Gavin.
Confession 3: I did not buy it because of the zombies. More like in spite of the zombies. Zombies bore me. There. I said it.
That's not a crime, right? In any case, I actually did like it. (And I might have crushed on the previously mentioned Gavin as well.) The first steampunk book I read didn't really catch my interest. Everyone had impossible to pronounce, illogical names with apostrophes (I do hate names with apostrophes) and there were tons of farfetched races and political parties and histories and, while world building is awesome, it was all a little overwhelming. So, okay, I was RELIEVED when I started reading this and found that it was close enough to what I'm familiar with that I didn't need a guidebook to follow it.
I like the characters, though I felt Gavin was better developed and more likeable than Alice. For the most part, their motivations and actions seemed genuine.
I enjoyed the storyline. Some of the concepts seemed a little farfetched (catching a certain disease will either turn you into a stupid, decaying corpse and kill you, or it will turn you into a genius who spits out world-changing inventions . . . and then kill you), but, hey, it's steampunk/fantasy. It's okay.
The writing was pretty decent. There were a few things that I didn't love. The one that annoyed me most was a characterization kind of thing.
Despite the shortcomings, though, I really enjoyed it, and I'll probably pick up the sequel when it comes out.
did-not-finish
September 28, 2012Every now and then I stumble upon a book with a concept that makes me prematurely fall in love with it... and every now and then, something about said book makes me fall out-of-love with it. I want to enjoy the novel--because who actually enjoys rating someone's pride and joy poorly?--but I simply cannot.
In THE DOOMSDAY VAULT (TDV), the voice was what ultimately made me give up. While it has an interesting concept, and while I enjoy both steampunk and zombies, I could not become immersed within this world.
There is no way that I can eloquently describe what I took issue with, so I'll be blunt: TDV was too monotone for my tastes. I felt that this title gets lost in a lot of unimportant details at times, which makes the world seem somewhat lifeless (as opposed to being vibrant). The tone was the same for both characters, thus making it difficult to differentiate between the two. Thankfully, Steven does not shy away from using the character names quite often throughout the pages, so there is no possible way to mix up the two.
Intricate details regarding the technical aspects of fights--as opposed to delving further into character thoughts and emotions--added to my lack of enjoyment. What were awesome fights in theory became labor intensive to read about. The chunky paragraphs also added to my disenchantment with this book.
Too much telling and not enough showing was another culprit. Info dumping way too early on, combined with the telling, made me wonder why I should care about the characters and world.
I read roughly 50 pages before calling it quits. I hate that I did not enjoy this, but it's bound to happen every so often. Perhaps others will enjoy this title and find the voice engaging. I suggest that you do not base your decision on whether to read (or avoid) this book based on my review alone. Take my review with a grain of salt, and read a preview first. As for me, I think it's time to give zombies a temporary break.
In THE DOOMSDAY VAULT (TDV), the voice was what ultimately made me give up. While it has an interesting concept, and while I enjoy both steampunk and zombies, I could not become immersed within this world.
There is no way that I can eloquently describe what I took issue with, so I'll be blunt: TDV was too monotone for my tastes. I felt that this title gets lost in a lot of unimportant details at times, which makes the world seem somewhat lifeless (as opposed to being vibrant). The tone was the same for both characters, thus making it difficult to differentiate between the two. Thankfully, Steven does not shy away from using the character names quite often throughout the pages, so there is no possible way to mix up the two.
Intricate details regarding the technical aspects of fights--as opposed to delving further into character thoughts and emotions--added to my lack of enjoyment. What were awesome fights in theory became labor intensive to read about. The chunky paragraphs also added to my disenchantment with this book.
Too much telling and not enough showing was another culprit. Info dumping way too early on, combined with the telling, made me wonder why I should care about the characters and world.
I read roughly 50 pages before calling it quits. I hate that I did not enjoy this, but it's bound to happen every so often. Perhaps others will enjoy this title and find the voice engaging. I suggest that you do not base your decision on whether to read (or avoid) this book based on my review alone. Take my review with a grain of salt, and read a preview first. As for me, I think it's time to give zombies a temporary break.
September 8, 2012
It is the first book in a series and it is definitely steampunk.
A lot of gadgets, interesting twists and turns.
There are two reasons why I did not give five stars:
- From my point of view some of the solutions have been a way too easy
- Alice Michaels, one of the main characters, has been a pain in my neck too often.
Anyway I own a copy of The Impossible Cube which is the secon book in the series and I will definitely read it.
A lot of gadgets, interesting twists and turns.
There are two reasons why I did not give five stars:
- From my point of view some of the solutions have been a way too easy
- Alice Michaels, one of the main characters, has been a pain in my neck too often.
Anyway I own a copy of The Impossible Cube which is the secon book in the series and I will definitely read it.
December 1, 2011
All across the world, zombies roam the streets at night, infecting those they touch with the Clockwork Plague. Most of the infected die horrible, drawn-out, deaths, but some people are affected differently and instead of destroying their brains the plague enhances them. These people are called Clockworkers and they are responsible for creating the greatest inventions of the time. Unfortunately the disease eventually causes them to go mad.
In Victorian England, Alice Michaels lives with the horrible knowledge that it was because of her that her family was infected by the Clockwork Plague, leading to death of her mother and brother. Alice will therefore do whatever it takes to bring her father the happiness he deserves, even if it means attending balls in order to capture for herself a wealthy husband. Unfortunately Alice's social standings have dropped so far that no one in Society is interested in having anything to do with her, until Mr. Norbert Williamson shows up. Mr. Williamson is new to London and a bit of a mystery, but Alice doesn't much care as long as he is willing to provide for her and her father, even if he doesn't excite her the way the romance novels and poetry describe.
But Alice's resolve to go along with her father's plans wavers when she gets her first taste of excitement and adventure, after helping quell a zombie attack. Alice's loyalties to her father, and propriety, are strained even further when her path crosses that of a young man who makes her feel the excitement that she never felt with Mr. Williamson. But despite her own desires Alice knows that her duty to her father comes first. Though when a new Clockworker appears, stirring the zombies to attack the populace, Alice may be the only one who can stop it because for some reason it keeps seeking her out.
Gavin Ennock is a seventeen year-old cabin boy, on the USS Juniper airship, with a talent for playing the violin. Gavin can't imagine any other life other than that on an airship, but after his ship is attached by pirates Gavin finds himself alone and destitute on the streets of London. By playing his violin in the park Gavin manages to make enough money to feed himself, and hopefully enough to eventually get him back home. But Gavin's talent gains him unwanted attention and once again he finds himself captured, and at a stranger's mercy. Though this time Gavin is saved by a beautiful young woman who helps direct him onto a new path of adventure and excitement, working for a secret government organization, fighting zombies and capturing Clockworkers.
I'm not sure what it is about Victorian England but for some reason I really enjoy reading stories that take place in that time and setting and The Doomsday Vault was no exception. The Doomsday Vault was a fun and thrilling fast-paced adventure full of engaging characters and plenty of surprises. The premise of the story was unique, with all of biggest inventions of the time being credited to this rare form of the zombie Plague that enhances the inventor's skills, before leading them to madness. I particularly enjoyed all the interesting and unexpected twists that kept popping up, just when I thought I had the story figured out, particularly towards the end.
Alice is great character, and one who I was easily able to sympathize with. Her run-in with the zombies has given her a taste for adventure and the desire to use her skills to make a difference in the world, even as she struggles to stay on the path of propriety for the sake of her father. She is constantly in fear of becoming one of those wild Ad Hoc women that she has heard so much about, even though this is exactly the kind of woman she really longs to be.
One of my favorite interaction between Alice and Gavin comes right after she assists him in capturing a crazed Clockworker, which leads them to spending the night together unchaperoned. The next day Alice insists they come up with a cover-story so that no one will suspect her of impropriety.
“Speaking of which,” Alice put in, “how are we going to handle the travel and explanations?”
Gavin looked puzzled. “I don't understand.”
“Gavin,” she said gently, “as a traditional woman, I can drive about London with a man who isn't my husband or father as long as we are in public. But I can't go overnight with him. Even an Ad Hoc lady couldn't do that. I'm not even coming back in my own clothes.”
“Oh. Right. It's always something stupid,” He scratched his cheek, which was growing raspy. “Look, I don't think anyone saw you leave London with me....If anyone does know you left town overnight, we'll tell him Baron captured you. I, an agent of the Crown, rescued you in a daring raid at dawn, and now I'm seeing you home. Your dress was badly torn in the rescue so you bravely donned a spare set of man's clothes. How's that?”
“Why am I the one who gets captured?”
“You're the traditional lady.”
So while Alice would love to run around, battling zombies and saving the day she feels bound to follow of the role of a traditional lady, because that's what's expected of her.
What I found interesting about Gavin was that he's so different from the kind of male protagonist that are usually featured in these kind of stories. Usually the male is a real Alpha personality, a larger-than life character who is confident, handsome and overly protective of his female counterpart, whom he is often in a constant battle of wills with. Some examples that come to mind are Lord Maccon from Gail Carriger's Soulless, James Easton from Y.S Lee's Agency series and Alexi Rychman from Leanna Renee Hieber's Strangely Beautiful series.
Gavin, though, was a lot more, well, normal. While he was handsome, as a good male lead should be, he wasn't overly confident, or brave or of superior intelligence . But he was more of an average guy, though a very nice and talented one. It was also unusual that he was actually a few years younger then Alice. While I thought it was rather nice to have this unconventional kind of hero, I was also a bit disappointed because I do like those Alpha males. I kept expecting him to be more forceful whenever Alice pulled away, and to chase her a bit more, but this wasn't the case. I wonder if the fact that the author is a male gave him a different perspective in creating Gavin. I don't think any of the other similar book that I've read were by male authors.
I usually enjoy reading about the different steampunk inventions in these books but I didn't find the ones in The Doomsday Book very convincing. Alice's robots seemed strangely independent for mechanical creations and there is a huge mechanical tree that shows up though I couldn't imagine why anyone would create a huge tree as a means of transportation. It seemed very impractical to me.
The Doomsday Book has almost everything I like in a good book including adventure, romance, some humor and a strong female protagonist. It was a lot of fun and can't wait for the next installment in the series.
In Victorian England, Alice Michaels lives with the horrible knowledge that it was because of her that her family was infected by the Clockwork Plague, leading to death of her mother and brother. Alice will therefore do whatever it takes to bring her father the happiness he deserves, even if it means attending balls in order to capture for herself a wealthy husband. Unfortunately Alice's social standings have dropped so far that no one in Society is interested in having anything to do with her, until Mr. Norbert Williamson shows up. Mr. Williamson is new to London and a bit of a mystery, but Alice doesn't much care as long as he is willing to provide for her and her father, even if he doesn't excite her the way the romance novels and poetry describe.
But Alice's resolve to go along with her father's plans wavers when she gets her first taste of excitement and adventure, after helping quell a zombie attack. Alice's loyalties to her father, and propriety, are strained even further when her path crosses that of a young man who makes her feel the excitement that she never felt with Mr. Williamson. But despite her own desires Alice knows that her duty to her father comes first. Though when a new Clockworker appears, stirring the zombies to attack the populace, Alice may be the only one who can stop it because for some reason it keeps seeking her out.
Gavin Ennock is a seventeen year-old cabin boy, on the USS Juniper airship, with a talent for playing the violin. Gavin can't imagine any other life other than that on an airship, but after his ship is attached by pirates Gavin finds himself alone and destitute on the streets of London. By playing his violin in the park Gavin manages to make enough money to feed himself, and hopefully enough to eventually get him back home. But Gavin's talent gains him unwanted attention and once again he finds himself captured, and at a stranger's mercy. Though this time Gavin is saved by a beautiful young woman who helps direct him onto a new path of adventure and excitement, working for a secret government organization, fighting zombies and capturing Clockworkers.
I'm not sure what it is about Victorian England but for some reason I really enjoy reading stories that take place in that time and setting and The Doomsday Vault was no exception. The Doomsday Vault was a fun and thrilling fast-paced adventure full of engaging characters and plenty of surprises. The premise of the story was unique, with all of biggest inventions of the time being credited to this rare form of the zombie Plague that enhances the inventor's skills, before leading them to madness. I particularly enjoyed all the interesting and unexpected twists that kept popping up, just when I thought I had the story figured out, particularly towards the end.
Alice is great character, and one who I was easily able to sympathize with. Her run-in with the zombies has given her a taste for adventure and the desire to use her skills to make a difference in the world, even as she struggles to stay on the path of propriety for the sake of her father. She is constantly in fear of becoming one of those wild Ad Hoc women that she has heard so much about, even though this is exactly the kind of woman she really longs to be.
One of my favorite interaction between Alice and Gavin comes right after she assists him in capturing a crazed Clockworker, which leads them to spending the night together unchaperoned. The next day Alice insists they come up with a cover-story so that no one will suspect her of impropriety.
“Speaking of which,” Alice put in, “how are we going to handle the travel and explanations?”
Gavin looked puzzled. “I don't understand.”
“Gavin,” she said gently, “as a traditional woman, I can drive about London with a man who isn't my husband or father as long as we are in public. But I can't go overnight with him. Even an Ad Hoc lady couldn't do that. I'm not even coming back in my own clothes.”
“Oh. Right. It's always something stupid,” He scratched his cheek, which was growing raspy. “Look, I don't think anyone saw you leave London with me....If anyone does know you left town overnight, we'll tell him Baron captured you. I, an agent of the Crown, rescued you in a daring raid at dawn, and now I'm seeing you home. Your dress was badly torn in the rescue so you bravely donned a spare set of man's clothes. How's that?”
“Why am I the one who gets captured?”
“You're the traditional lady.”
So while Alice would love to run around, battling zombies and saving the day she feels bound to follow of the role of a traditional lady, because that's what's expected of her.
What I found interesting about Gavin was that he's so different from the kind of male protagonist that are usually featured in these kind of stories. Usually the male is a real Alpha personality, a larger-than life character who is confident, handsome and overly protective of his female counterpart, whom he is often in a constant battle of wills with. Some examples that come to mind are Lord Maccon from Gail Carriger's Soulless, James Easton from Y.S Lee's Agency series and Alexi Rychman from Leanna Renee Hieber's Strangely Beautiful series.
Gavin, though, was a lot more, well, normal. While he was handsome, as a good male lead should be, he wasn't overly confident, or brave or of superior intelligence . But he was more of an average guy, though a very nice and talented one. It was also unusual that he was actually a few years younger then Alice. While I thought it was rather nice to have this unconventional kind of hero, I was also a bit disappointed because I do like those Alpha males. I kept expecting him to be more forceful whenever Alice pulled away, and to chase her a bit more, but this wasn't the case. I wonder if the fact that the author is a male gave him a different perspective in creating Gavin. I don't think any of the other similar book that I've read were by male authors.
I usually enjoy reading about the different steampunk inventions in these books but I didn't find the ones in The Doomsday Book very convincing. Alice's robots seemed strangely independent for mechanical creations and there is a huge mechanical tree that shows up though I couldn't imagine why anyone would create a huge tree as a means of transportation. It seemed very impractical to me.
The Doomsday Book has almost everything I like in a good book including adventure, romance, some humor and a strong female protagonist. It was a lot of fun and can't wait for the next installment in the series.
December 31, 2017
See my full thoughts here: https://youtu.be/SMTit-Cl234
I have very little to say here. Just look at the cover of this book and imagine how stupid it is, then add a little more stupidity on top of that. This is overbloated cheesy fun of the highest order. I could pick it apart and examine every problem if I wanted, I just don't want to. When a book has a scene where a man fires an electric rifle into a crowd of zombies, you know it isn't meant to be taken the least bit seriously. If this sounds even remotely fun, give it a shot.
I have very little to say here. Just look at the cover of this book and imagine how stupid it is, then add a little more stupidity on top of that. This is overbloated cheesy fun of the highest order. I could pick it apart and examine every problem if I wanted, I just don't want to. When a book has a scene where a man fires an electric rifle into a crowd of zombies, you know it isn't meant to be taken the least bit seriously. If this sounds even remotely fun, give it a shot.
March 26, 2012
Reviewed for Vampire Book Club.
There are a couple of things you need to know right off the bat: I'm a big fan of steampunk and I can't resist a good cover. I guess I'm trying to say that this book was practically custom made for my palate. And that was before I even opened it. Then it had to go and be all super awesome what with the plague zombies and the clockwork bits and the fighting. Oh, and the vaguely frowned upon romance between an upper crust lady and a lowly airman who's *gasp* younger than she is. Love it!
One thing I will say is that this book is dense. There's a lot of worldbuilding and character building going on here. It works beautifully, I must say. The dirty streets of London, haunted by those that have fallen to the Clockwork Plague, come alive with ease. The lovely Alice Michaels, fallen on hard times and trying desperately to be a proper young lady in a time when women are beginning to rise up and take their places among the men, shines as an example of a woman of noble birth torn between doing what is socially correct and following her heart. Gavin Ennock, cabin boy and musician, suffers misfortune after misfortune until he finally finds a place where his extraordinary talent for music can be put to good use. Honestly, even the background characters were wonderfully drawn and complex.
As a fan of steampunk, I adored the gadgets and mechanical pieces that populated the scenery. Alice has an affinity for the gears and clockwork bits and she manages to indulge it despite the way society frowns upon a woman showing interest in those sort of things. Although I may have disagreed with some of the decisions she made in her personal life, I applaud a person who can sneak in a good bout of wrench wranglin' every once in a while.
With secret organizations, zombies that come in several levels of gross, and a quiet, star-crossed love that I found myself rooting for, The Doomsday Vault was an imaginative ride. Fans of steampunk, zombies, and twisted morals (or any combination of those three) will enjoy dipping their toes into this world.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
There are a couple of things you need to know right off the bat: I'm a big fan of steampunk and I can't resist a good cover. I guess I'm trying to say that this book was practically custom made for my palate. And that was before I even opened it. Then it had to go and be all super awesome what with the plague zombies and the clockwork bits and the fighting. Oh, and the vaguely frowned upon romance between an upper crust lady and a lowly airman who's *gasp* younger than she is. Love it!
One thing I will say is that this book is dense. There's a lot of worldbuilding and character building going on here. It works beautifully, I must say. The dirty streets of London, haunted by those that have fallen to the Clockwork Plague, come alive with ease. The lovely Alice Michaels, fallen on hard times and trying desperately to be a proper young lady in a time when women are beginning to rise up and take their places among the men, shines as an example of a woman of noble birth torn between doing what is socially correct and following her heart. Gavin Ennock, cabin boy and musician, suffers misfortune after misfortune until he finally finds a place where his extraordinary talent for music can be put to good use. Honestly, even the background characters were wonderfully drawn and complex.
As a fan of steampunk, I adored the gadgets and mechanical pieces that populated the scenery. Alice has an affinity for the gears and clockwork bits and she manages to indulge it despite the way society frowns upon a woman showing interest in those sort of things. Although I may have disagreed with some of the decisions she made in her personal life, I applaud a person who can sneak in a good bout of wrench wranglin' every once in a while.
With secret organizations, zombies that come in several levels of gross, and a quiet, star-crossed love that I found myself rooting for, The Doomsday Vault was an imaginative ride. Fans of steampunk, zombies, and twisted morals (or any combination of those three) will enjoy dipping their toes into this world.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
September 8, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. I am not generally a fan of alternative history or zombies, but this story has both and I enjoyed it. Set in the late 1800s it is a mishmash of 19th century and more modern technology as the backdrop for Steven Harper's enjoyable tale of a young American "sailor" who finds himself abandon in London after his "ship" was taken by pirates. Some of his shipmates were killed, while others were ransomed to the shipping company. Being just a cabin boy, he does not rate being ransomed and must fend for himself.
Mixed in with familiar 19th century life is a plethora of robotic gadgets that have a level of artificial intelligence. They are comprised of complicated gears and steam power. At this time in London a "clockwork" plague is spreading which has turned a large portion of the population into zombies. But every once in a while the infected person does not become a zombie but a "clockworker". The clockworker has heightened intellectual and creative abilities. These are the people that create all of the "clockwork" gadgets, most of which are animatons of animals, human servants, etc. In one scene an orchestra is made entirely of automated clockwork musicians and instruments. It's a lot of fun to see what Mr, Harper chooses to be an advanced clockwork creation versus the mundane 19th century items we know and love.
But he also weaves a good story and reveals a mystery with some espionage, love, patriotism, betrayal, loyalty, and just good fun. He builds good characters in Alice and Gavin and they play off each other quite well. There is also an enjoyable cast of supporting characters: Alice's father the baron, her Aunt Edwina, her friend Louisa, the fiance Norbert, the clandestine Third Ward group, mad clockworkers, and more.
It is a "steam punk" genre novel. I had never heard of that, but Wikipedia describes it as a genre that "incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction." That explains it!
I'm interested in reading more from this series and maybe exploring more Steam Punk authors.
Mixed in with familiar 19th century life is a plethora of robotic gadgets that have a level of artificial intelligence. They are comprised of complicated gears and steam power. At this time in London a "clockwork" plague is spreading which has turned a large portion of the population into zombies. But every once in a while the infected person does not become a zombie but a "clockworker". The clockworker has heightened intellectual and creative abilities. These are the people that create all of the "clockwork" gadgets, most of which are animatons of animals, human servants, etc. In one scene an orchestra is made entirely of automated clockwork musicians and instruments. It's a lot of fun to see what Mr, Harper chooses to be an advanced clockwork creation versus the mundane 19th century items we know and love.
But he also weaves a good story and reveals a mystery with some espionage, love, patriotism, betrayal, loyalty, and just good fun. He builds good characters in Alice and Gavin and they play off each other quite well. There is also an enjoyable cast of supporting characters: Alice's father the baron, her Aunt Edwina, her friend Louisa, the fiance Norbert, the clandestine Third Ward group, mad clockworkers, and more.
It is a "steam punk" genre novel. I had never heard of that, but Wikipedia describes it as a genre that "incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction." That explains it!
I'm interested in reading more from this series and maybe exploring more Steam Punk authors.
March 22, 2012
My limited experience with steampunk has been of the more gritty variety. Most of the steampunk I've read has been more the Cherie Priest variety, where the setting is more dark and things are Very Wrong and not so much fun. Thus, when I read a book like All Men of Genius or this, it feels different and fresh for me.
This was a fun one. On one hand, you have Alice, she of high society in London and great with a wrench. On the other, Gavin, a cabin boy flying over to Europe in a dirigible from Boston. When Gavin's ship is hijacked by pirates, Gavin escapes and eventually crosses paths with Alice, opening the door for a much wider situation.
The book pretty much had everything I was looking for: fun with machines, zombies, a government conspiracy, some sci-fi elements, and a fun, fast-paced plot that didn't telegraph too much and didn't seem out of place or too reliant on the setting. I couldn't tell you why I chose to pick this up, but I did and I'm glad.
Definitely recommended if steampunk is your cup of tea, and definitely recommended if you're looking to dip your toe into the steampunk waters. Really high quality, and with a sequel coming out very soon, I'm fairly anxious to see what comes next.
This was a fun one. On one hand, you have Alice, she of high society in London and great with a wrench. On the other, Gavin, a cabin boy flying over to Europe in a dirigible from Boston. When Gavin's ship is hijacked by pirates, Gavin escapes and eventually crosses paths with Alice, opening the door for a much wider situation.
The book pretty much had everything I was looking for: fun with machines, zombies, a government conspiracy, some sci-fi elements, and a fun, fast-paced plot that didn't telegraph too much and didn't seem out of place or too reliant on the setting. I couldn't tell you why I chose to pick this up, but I did and I'm glad.
Definitely recommended if steampunk is your cup of tea, and definitely recommended if you're looking to dip your toe into the steampunk waters. Really high quality, and with a sequel coming out very soon, I'm fairly anxious to see what comes next.
April 22, 2012
I hope this wonderful book becomes widely known in the steampunk community. It has all the elements we love in the genre--airships, gadgetry, mad geniuses, automatons--plus an unexpected and delightful aspect revolving around the power and possibilities of music. Moreover, not only the protagonists but the secondary characters as well are beautifully drawn--human, believable, and complex. Particularly notable is the assortment of strong and interesting female characters, who play a variety of roles in relation to the protagonists and who are essential to the story's development. The protagonists themselves (twenty-two-year-old impoverished noblewoman Alice Michaels and eighteen-year-old American airman Gavin Ennock) grow in ways that are both realistic and sometimes surprising. The plot is absorbing, well paced, and twisty, with an excellent balance of mystery, intrigue, and romance. I can't wait for the next installment of this series!
November 28, 2011
The book almost lost me a few chapters in. I think it was due to the fact that I initially wasn't buying the main character's situation. Someone with a mind which worked like that should be able to shake off the social conventions or at least work around them especially with the examples provided elsewhere in the postulated society. I think I would have believed the set up more if there had been some sort of legal/outside impediment to breaking the social mold rather than just a cartload of psychological guilt which the reader doesn't actually find out about until almost the end of the book. I would have even run with the psychological angle if the author had set it out a bit more clearly earlier on. Other than that the tale was enjoyable once I finally got into it. The characters were interesting enough so that I most likely will be reading thier further adventures.
January 16, 2015
I really loved the premise of this novel. I loved the idea of the clockwork plague, loved both Gavin and Alice, loved the evolution of the characters through the story.
But I disliked a lot more than I loved. I take exception to the word 'zombie' being tossed around in any alternative history novel that doesn't have clear ties to the word's history. The storytelling was confused, there seemed to be a sudden shift at the end where either the author realized he wanted to take this (or the next) book in a different direction or if there were plot points leading up to the end that I missed. It felt very sudden.
Mr. Harper also often re-uses phrases, sometimes restates past actions in whole paragraphs that read like either the author has forgotten he's already said that or is attempting to make up word count.
But I disliked a lot more than I loved. I take exception to the word 'zombie' being tossed around in any alternative history novel that doesn't have clear ties to the word's history. The storytelling was confused, there seemed to be a sudden shift at the end where either the author realized he wanted to take this (or the next) book in a different direction or if there were plot points leading up to the end that I missed. It felt very sudden.
Mr. Harper also often re-uses phrases, sometimes restates past actions in whole paragraphs that read like either the author has forgotten he's already said that or is attempting to make up word count.
February 20, 2013
A steampunk romance; a 22 yr old spinster whose family was killed/crippled by clockwork plague, (a plague that either kills you or turns you into a superbrilliant inventor) tries to reenter society, becomes engaged to Norbert Williamson, who runs an automaton bordello secretly; then meets a handsome young airman who escaped pirates and falls in love. Her aunt Edwina, a clockworker, engineered their meeting and coerces them to free her from prison and spread the CURE for the clockwork plague; lighthearted and great fun.
October 23, 2011
If you are a fan of steampunk, suspense, plot twists, romance, and a slight historical romance feel, I'd recommend giving this book a shot. Also, did I mention zombies? This book has many elements that oddly works well together with this particular story and writing style. I really enjoyed this book as a fan of all the subgenres I listed. Very much looking forward to the sequel. You can read my full review on my blog Nov. 1, the release date.
www.ataleofmanyreviews.com
www.ataleofmanyreviews.com
September 20, 2012
I really enjoyed this one. The characters were interesting and the story was lots of fun. There were a few odd bits I could have done without, the plot was a twisty thing that never stopped winding and the main character surprised and saddened me at the same time.
Overall, a fun, invention-mad, genius' fever dream of an adventure.
Overall, a fun, invention-mad, genius' fever dream of an adventure.
October 12, 2012
I found it difficult to get into this book. The ideas of science in the 1900's version on this book, was interesting. But the characters weren't very well developed for me, and hence I found the story had less impact.
July 28, 2013
started out okay but got progressively sillier. The romance angle lacked any heat or chemistry so that didn't help.
August 8, 2017
Sometimes, a book carries you along so easily and so completely that you don't notice minor issues. The Doomsday Vault is such a book for me. The story is told in third person, in alternating character points of view. Gavin, an American dirigible airman and musician, is the story's soul. His origin story is traumatic, and his choices, bad and good, feel authentic. Descriptions of Gavin flying, playing the fiddle, riding a giant automaton into battle--I could have read the whole book in his viewpoint.
Alice gets more page time. She is a capable and intelligent, but she thinks she must marry for money in this steampunk Victorian London. My issue is that because I didn't get to know her father, her dead family, or her unhappy associations with being cast out of society, I just didn't buy her refusing to run away with the obviously adorable Gavin. Seriously, Alice!
But this and a few other minor problems doesn't take away from how this book made me stay up late and hate getting to the end.
I liked it more than other steampunk I've read because it wasn't relentlessly dark--it was funny and sweet. Thanks, Steven!
Alice gets more page time. She is a capable and intelligent, but she thinks she must marry for money in this steampunk Victorian London. My issue is that because I didn't get to know her father, her dead family, or her unhappy associations with being cast out of society, I just didn't buy her refusing to run away with the obviously adorable Gavin. Seriously, Alice!
But this and a few other minor problems doesn't take away from how this book made me stay up late and hate getting to the end.
I liked it more than other steampunk I've read because it wasn't relentlessly dark--it was funny and sweet. Thanks, Steven!
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May 29, 2025⭐ DNF — Thank you so much to the publisher for the e-ARC!
Unfortunately, Doomsday Vault just wasn’t the right fit for me, and I ended up having to DNF it. While the premise was genuinely intriguing and the concept had a lot of potential, I found it difficult to connect with the characters and stay engaged with the plot. Sometimes, a story doesn’t resonate personally, and that’s totally okay.
That said, I’m still really grateful for the opportunity to read this in advance. I can see how fans of sci-fi or apocalyptic fiction might enjoy this book more than I did, and I truly hope it reaches readers who connect with it the way it was meant to. Thank you again for the chance to read Doomsday Vault early—it means a lot, even if it didn’t work for me.
Unfortunately, Doomsday Vault just wasn’t the right fit for me, and I ended up having to DNF it. While the premise was genuinely intriguing and the concept had a lot of potential, I found it difficult to connect with the characters and stay engaged with the plot. Sometimes, a story doesn’t resonate personally, and that’s totally okay.
That said, I’m still really grateful for the opportunity to read this in advance. I can see how fans of sci-fi or apocalyptic fiction might enjoy this book more than I did, and I truly hope it reaches readers who connect with it the way it was meant to. Thank you again for the chance to read Doomsday Vault early—it means a lot, even if it didn’t work for me.
December 14, 2020
I stopped reading after about 80 pages. While I thought some of the ideas here were compelling, I never felt any real attachment to the characters.
I only have a little time in my life right now for reading, so I am highly selective about the books I read. I give a book 50 pages to capture my attention. By that point it has either done so or it has not. If it is the latter, I'll go and read some reviews for it, and after I read some reviews about the overall story, I decided to give it 30 more pages and then I gave up.
Some people may enjoy this book--that's why there are so many books out there--but I did not.
I only have a little time in my life right now for reading, so I am highly selective about the books I read. I give a book 50 pages to capture my attention. By that point it has either done so or it has not. If it is the latter, I'll go and read some reviews for it, and after I read some reviews about the overall story, I decided to give it 30 more pages and then I gave up.
Some people may enjoy this book--that's why there are so many books out there--but I did not.
January 18, 2025
I loved the steampunk era aspect of this book, the author really did a great job at portraying the story. It made me feel like I was right there with the MC and their adventures throughout the book. I am such a sucker for a good zombie story, the clockwork plaque isn't something I would have ever imagined and i thought that was such a great touch.
The audiobook narrator really brought the book to life.
The audiobook narrator really brought the book to life.
July 6, 2017
Steampunk adventure. Very PG-13, though, why they are using modern swear words in the 1800's, I'll never know.
She has nothing, but a name and he is a young man from America left with nothing after pirates take his captain and the dirigible they were flying in.
Oh, and there's a plague.
She's older - He's younger.
Stilted. A summer read.
She has nothing, but a name and he is a young man from America left with nothing after pirates take his captain and the dirigible they were flying in.
Oh, and there's a plague.
She's older - He's younger.
Stilted. A summer read.
April 22, 2018
It's a nice, light read. I read some of the reviews before reading the book, and worried a little - but I didn't feel it was so bad on the details as others believed. And it worked with what I already knew of Steven Harper's Clockwork Empire books. It does have a bit more romance than I was expecting, but that's not a drawback in my estimation.
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June 22, 2018Many of the expected elements of steampunk, a few less expected... Adult themes such as a young male character's near brush with rape are treated subtly and appropriately for a YA audience. Writing and plot are reasonable but story pacing is off -- could easily have started 3-4 chapters later than it does.
March 15, 2019
Geek heaven
Yeah, I'm talking about me. And I just can't help but like a good Steampunk yarn. Alternate history, Victorian England with plenty of silly English class ways, wild and wonderful gadgets galore, with some good characterizations and plot twists to round out the story. Works for me.
Yeah, I'm talking about me. And I just can't help but like a good Steampunk yarn. Alternate history, Victorian England with plenty of silly English class ways, wild and wonderful gadgets galore, with some good characterizations and plot twists to round out the story. Works for me.
September 21, 2024
Starts intriguing and with lots of promise and while the book has a lot of inventiveness, the action is of the non-stop eventually jumping-the-shark type with the book reading more like a cartoon where the heroes go from peril to peril unscathed and without really any repercussion or reflection, so it kind of gets boring at some point; sadly no more books in the series, and most likely from the author for me
February 28, 2025
I liked it. It was a wild ride. We have Bridgerton with societal rules and expectations with Zombies and steampunk little animatronics. It was lots of genres in one, Sci-fi, romance, action/adventure. The audio was enjoyable. It’s duel POV and it’s narrated as such.
Thank you NetGalley for gifting me access to the audiobook in exchange for a honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for gifting me access to the audiobook in exchange for a honest review.
April 8, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review
A very unique plot with some unique and great characters, I really enjoyed this the whole way through. The writing was incredible and just the imagination through this story is amazing! How do you think up all this stuff ?! I really enjoyed this and I recommend!
A very unique plot with some unique and great characters, I really enjoyed this the whole way through. The writing was incredible and just the imagination through this story is amazing! How do you think up all this stuff ?! I really enjoyed this and I recommend!
abandoned
November 15, 2021Abandoned at page 8.
I didn't really give this one much time to win me over but it was such a typical storyline that I felt like I could predict the majority of the plot. Also, I thought I was reading a steampunk mystery-like fiction.....not a zombie plague outbreak.
I didn't really give this one much time to win me over but it was such a typical storyline that I felt like I could predict the majority of the plot. Also, I thought I was reading a steampunk mystery-like fiction.....not a zombie plague outbreak.
February 18, 2023
I've not read much steampunk and picked this up at a discount store on a whim. While it began a bit slow, once the pace picked up, it got much more interesting. I enjoyed the interplay between Gavin and Alice. Well written, it's a fascinating journey.
Well done.
Well done.
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