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Clockwork Looking Glass
She woke up naked and alone with no memories, staring up into the eyes of a handsome soldier. She had no idea who she was, how she got here, or the fact that her presence would change reality forever.
Clockwork Looking Glass follows the journey of “Alice” as she struggles to make sense of her surroundings, piecing them together with the strange visions and nightmares that are her only link to who she really is. With the help of a dashing Confederate officer, a teenage witch and a paranoid manservant, Alice soon discovers that this world of airships and Tesla towers is prowled by ghastly magic-wielding monsters, ghostlike “Clockwork Carpenters,” and the cannibalistic greed of corporations like Thorne & Wolfe.
It's a fantasy set in an alternate reality, an urban Steampunk universe that moves from the bronze and iron towers of New Yorke and haunted Philadelphia to the plantations of Louisiana, the Citadel of Thinking Machines and finally to the key that could bring Alice home... or destroy everything: Atlantis.
Clockwork Looking Glass follows the journey of “Alice” as she struggles to make sense of her surroundings, piecing them together with the strange visions and nightmares that are her only link to who she really is. With the help of a dashing Confederate officer, a teenage witch and a paranoid manservant, Alice soon discovers that this world of airships and Tesla towers is prowled by ghastly magic-wielding monsters, ghostlike “Clockwork Carpenters,” and the cannibalistic greed of corporations like Thorne & Wolfe.
It's a fantasy set in an alternate reality, an urban Steampunk universe that moves from the bronze and iron towers of New Yorke and haunted Philadelphia to the plantations of Louisiana, the Citadel of Thinking Machines and finally to the key that could bring Alice home... or destroy everything: Atlantis.
583 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 24, 2014
Wow, this was different- in a good way. Time travel with a twist. It has romance, deep love, family, gangs,a witch, all put together quite nicely. This is not a regular- "back in time-fall & in love", story. It is much more complex than that. A good, but very different ending.
October 23, 2014
I loved the story. I liked the characters, except for the main male char, who seemed desperately 2d. I take exception to the writing itself, which read like a second--sometimes first!--draft.I look forward to seeing what else Mr. Rigg does, because it's sure to be entertaining. I'm just hoping he goes through the editing process with a professional editor first. Even diamonds need polishing.
June 22, 2021
Down the Rabbit Hole
In this time travel, alternate reality, steampunk, fantasy, mystery, Alice awakens in a world that is not her own while suffering from amnesia and is saved by her knight of Confederate royalty. The race is on as her memories return and the significance of her existence is realized.
I enjoyed setting of the alternate reality and how this world is different than our own. I don’t quite understand how magic and artificial intelligence came into being within a steam based society but it sure made things more interesting. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending which turned out to be irrelevant and make the sequel impossible. Maybe I missed something, regardless, overall an enjoyable steampunk adventure.
In this time travel, alternate reality, steampunk, fantasy, mystery, Alice awakens in a world that is not her own while suffering from amnesia and is saved by her knight of Confederate royalty. The race is on as her memories return and the significance of her existence is realized.
I enjoyed setting of the alternate reality and how this world is different than our own. I don’t quite understand how magic and artificial intelligence came into being within a steam based society but it sure made things more interesting. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending which turned out to be irrelevant and make the sequel impossible. Maybe I missed something, regardless, overall an enjoyable steampunk adventure.
August 15, 2019
A delightful read
I came to learn of this book via the Steamrollers Adventure Podcast. As a fan of steampunk, I was pleasantly surprised by the authors take on the genre. This book has plenty of action and intrigue! The characters all come to life wonderfully. And the villains get under your skin (as they should). This really was a joy to read.
I came to learn of this book via the Steamrollers Adventure Podcast. As a fan of steampunk, I was pleasantly surprised by the authors take on the genre. This book has plenty of action and intrigue! The characters all come to life wonderfully. And the villains get under your skin (as they should). This really was a joy to read.
April 28, 2018
2 stars. Seemed OK at first, but became a disjointed mess
August 1, 2018
This book did not grab my attention in the beginning and I just couldn't keep reading it.
May 20, 2016
After listening to The Stream Rollers Adventure Podcast, story-crafted by Mr Rigg, I had a compelling desire to hear more of the universe he had created. Upon hearing, in the podcast, that the novel would be free for a limited time I couldn't help but snatch up a copy. Having now completed the novel, I wish I had paid for it. Mr Rigg's Heart of Bronze Universe is unlike any other I have encountered. It is a world "all about domination and warfare through property acquisition" where capitalism and patriarchy have been pushed to the extreme.
While it does stick to the traditional elements of steampunk: no plastics, but plenty of airships, automatons, goggles etc. The book differs from the norm with its use of magic. Products/victims of ethically horrible corporate experiments, Witches are women who use a physical to tell manipulate the world around them and ghouls are boys who have become bestial savage monsters. Well until Teivel Hearse came along.
The villains of this story, Thorne and Hearse, showcase the despicable side of human nature and are the ultimate embodiments of materialism and megalomania. While both presenting strong cases for the nature vs nurture argument. Neither will stop at anything to get what they desire and let's just say you don't want to be on the wrong side of Thorne when "Frustration builds". They are fantastic antagonists their behavior is shocking, but not unbelievable considering the context in which they sit.
Contrastingly, the protagonist, Alice. She is the perfect character to frame the narrative of this story and this world as she wakes up The Centers of World Trade with no memory of who or where she is. Like us this world is completely alien to her allowing the reader, if unfamiliar to steampunk, a chance to adjust before exploring the wonderful nuances of this world. The Tesla bridge was a particular favorite of mine. From the offset it seems like she doesn't belong. A throughly modern women and this causes her to stick out like a sore thumb at times. Alice's Partner in crime is Captain Bryce Landry, He is the definitive article of a gentleman. Charming, kind, considerate and always polite, putting others needs above his, which results in some rather dire consequences.
There are a myriad of other wonderfully written characters, a few are cleverly concealed Chekhov gun's waiting for their moment to fire in the unsuspecting readers face. My only gripe, and it's a small one, is the use of narrative. Most of the book is first person narrative from Alice's point of view. However, a good chunk of the novel is third person omniscient narration, from the perspective of other characters who are away from Alice, but will effect her story. While this allows for a tremendous amount of dramatic irony and the ability to see every side of the story. It also serves to further highlight how out of place Alice is in the heart of bronze world, she doesn't even conform to narrative convention, the nuisance. So upon reflection this gripe only further serves the plot.
In conclusion, if you love science fiction, adventure and intrigue particularly that of the Victorian persuasion. This is the book for you and if you finish it and thirst for more, The Steam Rollers Adventure Podcast takes place in the same universe after the events of the book . New episodes of roughly an hour long are released each week and within them are many opportunities to win a free copy of this fantastic novel.
While it does stick to the traditional elements of steampunk: no plastics, but plenty of airships, automatons, goggles etc. The book differs from the norm with its use of magic. Products/victims of ethically horrible corporate experiments, Witches are women who use a physical to tell manipulate the world around them and ghouls are boys who have become bestial savage monsters. Well until Teivel Hearse came along.
The villains of this story, Thorne and Hearse, showcase the despicable side of human nature and are the ultimate embodiments of materialism and megalomania. While both presenting strong cases for the nature vs nurture argument. Neither will stop at anything to get what they desire and let's just say you don't want to be on the wrong side of Thorne when "Frustration builds". They are fantastic antagonists their behavior is shocking, but not unbelievable considering the context in which they sit.
Contrastingly, the protagonist, Alice. She is the perfect character to frame the narrative of this story and this world as she wakes up The Centers of World Trade with no memory of who or where she is. Like us this world is completely alien to her allowing the reader, if unfamiliar to steampunk, a chance to adjust before exploring the wonderful nuances of this world. The Tesla bridge was a particular favorite of mine. From the offset it seems like she doesn't belong. A throughly modern women and this causes her to stick out like a sore thumb at times. Alice's Partner in crime is Captain Bryce Landry, He is the definitive article of a gentleman. Charming, kind, considerate and always polite, putting others needs above his, which results in some rather dire consequences.
There are a myriad of other wonderfully written characters, a few are cleverly concealed Chekhov gun's waiting for their moment to fire in the unsuspecting readers face. My only gripe, and it's a small one, is the use of narrative. Most of the book is first person narrative from Alice's point of view. However, a good chunk of the novel is third person omniscient narration, from the perspective of other characters who are away from Alice, but will effect her story. While this allows for a tremendous amount of dramatic irony and the ability to see every side of the story. It also serves to further highlight how out of place Alice is in the heart of bronze world, she doesn't even conform to narrative convention, the nuisance. So upon reflection this gripe only further serves the plot.
In conclusion, if you love science fiction, adventure and intrigue particularly that of the Victorian persuasion. This is the book for you and if you finish it and thirst for more, The Steam Rollers Adventure Podcast takes place in the same universe after the events of the book . New episodes of roughly an hour long are released each week and within them are many opportunities to win a free copy of this fantastic novel.
February 15, 2016
This adventure is beautifully written in a world that combines the past present and future. Each character is strongly built with their unique quirks and stories that all cross cross throughout the mystery of Alice, the beautiful mysterious woman who has lost all her memories and wakes up in a foreign reality.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews