What do you think?
Rate this book
Aerial City #1
Clockwork Horizon
Aerial Book One
As a major airship port, Aerial City welcomes visitors from all over the world. Despite being surrounded by new inventions and colorful people, Malachi Covington partakes of little outside his books and studies. He aches for adventure and excitement but labors under the rules and expectations of his wealthy uncle.
Five airships arrive in port, keeping his uncle busy and, as Malachi’s best friend Millie reminds him, they’re carrying parties full of crew members. Excitement finds him in the form of Ian, a charming airship pilot who invites him to tour his ship, the Mockingbird. With Ian at his side, Malachi discovers a world beyond his books and takes daring steps to become his own man.
As a major airship port, Aerial City welcomes visitors from all over the world. Despite being surrounded by new inventions and colorful people, Malachi Covington partakes of little outside his books and studies. He aches for adventure and excitement but labors under the rules and expectations of his wealthy uncle.
Five airships arrive in port, keeping his uncle busy and, as Malachi’s best friend Millie reminds him, they’re carrying parties full of crew members. Excitement finds him in the form of Ian, a charming airship pilot who invites him to tour his ship, the Mockingbird. With Ian at his side, Malachi discovers a world beyond his books and takes daring steps to become his own man.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 3, 2017
Rating: 2.75* of five, rounded up
Sweet, slight insta-love tale with steampunk trappings. I picked it up for 99¢s; and was adequately diverted by it.
Sweet, slight insta-love tale with steampunk trappings. I picked it up for 99¢s; and was adequately diverted by it.
April 3, 2014
I read this author's The Trouble With Elves and really liked it and since I haven't read a lot of steampunk stories I wanted to give this one a try.
Malachi comes across a little like the poor little rich boy, he is the heir to imperium, but he lives a very sheltered life.
“You are twenty years old, more educated than even Inventor Pepperly, your only friend is a girl who helped break your arm, and the only excitement you have is when you read your silly pulp stories about airship pirates.”
A chance encounter with Ian gives him a reason and the push he needs to break out of his rut and maybe just maybe live a very different kind of life.
“It hurt to know that having a stranger smile at him in the street was the most adventure he would probably ever have outside of the plots of books and columns of numbers.”
I liked that things weren't quite like they seemed at first, the steampunk aspects were interesting and well described ( at least I, as a steampunk novice thought so). The relationship between Ian and Malachi was really sweet, and I enjoyed his friendship with Millie too.
I'm glad I gave this one a try and only wish it had been a bit longer, so I could have gotten to know all of them better and maybe see where it goes from here. I wasn't ready for it to end.
Hearts On Fire Reviews
April 6, 2014
I was smitten with the previous two stories by Therese Woodson. So when I saw this being listed at Dreamspinner Press, I knew I would have to read it. Especially because it had steampunk elements and it matched with the theme of my personal reading challenge this April.
And I LOVED it.
Malachi or “Mac” to his friend starting off as a shy young man who kept things to himself. He studied a lot, trying to be the best student, best accountant based on his uncle’s expectations. Mac only had one friend (well, two, if you count his clockwork pet). BUT, he did read dime novels (about pirates and airships!) and he dreamed of adventure. Then he met Ian. Who worked at airship. And it made Mac throw caution to the wind and reach for something more…
Yes, the story was on the short side (it was only 16k) but it was able to put a HUGE smile on my face and made me happy. For me, that mattered. A LOT.
Mac was adorable. I loved him so much. Sure, I might not know a lot about Ian (his love interest) but it didn’t matter. Because it always warms my heart whenever I read a character’s journey – and Mac definitely experienced that. A journey to do something he loved and stepping out of his ‘safe’ world.
I thought the ‘steampunk’ world was sufficient enough for someone like myself who 1) didn’t really have huge knowledge about steampunk fiction or 2) didn’t really want the technicality of steampunk world to drag down the story.
With this short, safe to say, I think Therese Woodson has officially entered my list of “watch-out-for-her-works” authors. Looking forward to more stories from her.
And I LOVED it.
Malachi or “Mac” to his friend starting off as a shy young man who kept things to himself. He studied a lot, trying to be the best student, best accountant based on his uncle’s expectations. Mac only had one friend (well, two, if you count his clockwork pet). BUT, he did read dime novels (about pirates and airships!) and he dreamed of adventure. Then he met Ian. Who worked at airship. And it made Mac throw caution to the wind and reach for something more…
Yes, the story was on the short side (it was only 16k) but it was able to put a HUGE smile on my face and made me happy. For me, that mattered. A LOT.
Mac was adorable. I loved him so much. Sure, I might not know a lot about Ian (his love interest) but it didn’t matter. Because it always warms my heart whenever I read a character’s journey – and Mac definitely experienced that. A journey to do something he loved and stepping out of his ‘safe’ world.
I thought the ‘steampunk’ world was sufficient enough for someone like myself who 1) didn’t really have huge knowledge about steampunk fiction or 2) didn’t really want the technicality of steampunk world to drag down the story.
With this short, safe to say, I think Therese Woodson has officially entered my list of “watch-out-for-her-works” authors. Looking forward to more stories from her.
April 2, 2014
I’ve grown to love Therese Woodson’s books over the last several months. Twelve Tasks and her holiday short were so damn adorable and I know I’m always going to get something that makes me forget about the real world and go somewhere sunny & sweet.
That being said: this was not my favorite of hers. I still liked this a lot and I understand it was going for steampunk and given it was short, only had so much room to tell its story. But I feel it lost its way for me as it went on. Or rather, I lost interest.
I loved the beginning. Malachi is the sheltered, rich, studious boy living with his stern uncle and friends with a feisty, female inventor, Millie. He stumbles in to every person’s fantasy. A big, beautiful man who’s charming and sly working on an airship. Sweet. I’m on board. No pun intended given the subject matter.
But then…the book’s spark dimmed for me. The interactions between Malachi and Ian lost tension. Gone was this ravishing stranger that intrigued me and in his place was this mildly insecure, sugary man. Everything happened so quickly. Yes, they dated and spent time together, but I felt I was told it rather than shown it, or at least a big enough chunk of it for me to get attached to either character. I sound like I’m downing it and I’m trying not to because I think people will really adore this, but maybe I was in the mood
for something grittier? It’s a simple, short story. A boy wants life’s adventures, he meets a dashing man, they fall for each other, and they hope for a future together. Fairy tale-like. I just needed more…something.
Cute overall, still a fan of this author, but I’m looking forward to something longer from her.
This review can be found at Sid Love.
That being said: this was not my favorite of hers. I still liked this a lot and I understand it was going for steampunk and given it was short, only had so much room to tell its story. But I feel it lost its way for me as it went on. Or rather, I lost interest.
I loved the beginning. Malachi is the sheltered, rich, studious boy living with his stern uncle and friends with a feisty, female inventor, Millie. He stumbles in to every person’s fantasy. A big, beautiful man who’s charming and sly working on an airship. Sweet. I’m on board. No pun intended given the subject matter.
But then…the book’s spark dimmed for me. The interactions between Malachi and Ian lost tension. Gone was this ravishing stranger that intrigued me and in his place was this mildly insecure, sugary man. Everything happened so quickly. Yes, they dated and spent time together, but I felt I was told it rather than shown it, or at least a big enough chunk of it for me to get attached to either character. I sound like I’m downing it and I’m trying not to because I think people will really adore this, but maybe I was in the mood
for something grittier? It’s a simple, short story. A boy wants life’s adventures, he meets a dashing man, they fall for each other, and they hope for a future together. Fairy tale-like. I just needed more…something.
Cute overall, still a fan of this author, but I’m looking forward to something longer from her.
This review can be found at Sid Love.
April 3, 2014
This review can be found at The Blogger Girls review site.
Malachi lives in a world that consists of going to school and living up to his Uncle’s expectations and rules. Unfortunately, this means his only pleasure comes from the adventure novels he reads. When he’s given the opportunity to finally bring some excitement into his dull life, he meets Ian, a dashingly charming airship pilot. The attraction between them is instant and before Mac realizes it, he’s skipping school to spend his days working next to Ian. Sadly, Ian’s bound to be leaving within a few weeks and when that time is up, will Mac return to his boring life or will he finally take a chance and live.
This was such a sweet story. It’s adorable and the characters are very tentative and… well, gooey. Their relationship is built off a sweet romance where Ian is even willing to court Mac, although it’s not long before they’re passed the courting stage. Mac is shy and uncomfortable with the way he doesn’t fit into Ian’s life. At the same time, Ian is brash and confident. They even each other out and Ian brings out something in Mac that makes him want to throw caution to the wind and really explore the world like he’s always dreamed. Honestly, there’s no other way to explain this story beyond sweet, cute and simply adorable. The romance is ‘soft’ in that there really isn’t any conflict or issues between them, it’s basically just Mac getting a taste of a life he never thought he could have.
While I really enjoyed this book, I felt like it wasn’t given enough descriptions to really capture the depth of feelings between Ian and Mac. They’re sweet together and their feelings for one another grow swiftly but I didn’t feel nor saw them develop into the love they have. I also think the world could have used more descriptions because I would have liked to explore more of this steampunk setting.
In the end, this was a very sweet story about Mac finally stepping outside his perfectly safe world and finding love. It’s about living dangerously (or at least as dangerously as Mac can live) and finally making his own decisions. It’s adorable to the point that I couldn’t help smiling throughout the whole story. For anyone looking for a pick-me-up or a light, quick read, definitely give this one a try.
Malachi lives in a world that consists of going to school and living up to his Uncle’s expectations and rules. Unfortunately, this means his only pleasure comes from the adventure novels he reads. When he’s given the opportunity to finally bring some excitement into his dull life, he meets Ian, a dashingly charming airship pilot. The attraction between them is instant and before Mac realizes it, he’s skipping school to spend his days working next to Ian. Sadly, Ian’s bound to be leaving within a few weeks and when that time is up, will Mac return to his boring life or will he finally take a chance and live.
This was such a sweet story. It’s adorable and the characters are very tentative and… well, gooey. Their relationship is built off a sweet romance where Ian is even willing to court Mac, although it’s not long before they’re passed the courting stage. Mac is shy and uncomfortable with the way he doesn’t fit into Ian’s life. At the same time, Ian is brash and confident. They even each other out and Ian brings out something in Mac that makes him want to throw caution to the wind and really explore the world like he’s always dreamed. Honestly, there’s no other way to explain this story beyond sweet, cute and simply adorable. The romance is ‘soft’ in that there really isn’t any conflict or issues between them, it’s basically just Mac getting a taste of a life he never thought he could have.
While I really enjoyed this book, I felt like it wasn’t given enough descriptions to really capture the depth of feelings between Ian and Mac. They’re sweet together and their feelings for one another grow swiftly but I didn’t feel nor saw them develop into the love they have. I also think the world could have used more descriptions because I would have liked to explore more of this steampunk setting.
In the end, this was a very sweet story about Mac finally stepping outside his perfectly safe world and finding love. It’s about living dangerously (or at least as dangerously as Mac can live) and finally making his own decisions. It’s adorable to the point that I couldn’t help smiling throughout the whole story. For anyone looking for a pick-me-up or a light, quick read, definitely give this one a try.
November 25, 2019
This was great! I was worried, there for a while, that things would go badly for Mac, but it turned out to be surprisingly sweet, instead.
December 9, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
As the first novella in the Aerial City steampunk series, this one was very sweet, amazingly hot, and with characters one couldn’t help but fall for. Malachi is the point of view protagonist, told in third person. He is someone who has dreamed of more but never before dared to actually reach for his dreams. A situation we can all relate to. He’s kind and good, modest and shy, but with a growing will to pursue his dreams. That makes him very brave and admirable.
Ian’s point of view wasn’t given as such. But I was swept away from his very first smile and adorable blush when courting Malachi. He’s an honorable, good man, and I liked the way the two young men explored their feelings and sensuality, growing closer with each passing day. The scenes aren’t particularly descriptive or detailed but they do quite subtly show the emotions both men feel.
Read Susan’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
As the first novella in the Aerial City steampunk series, this one was very sweet, amazingly hot, and with characters one couldn’t help but fall for. Malachi is the point of view protagonist, told in third person. He is someone who has dreamed of more but never before dared to actually reach for his dreams. A situation we can all relate to. He’s kind and good, modest and shy, but with a growing will to pursue his dreams. That makes him very brave and admirable.
Ian’s point of view wasn’t given as such. But I was swept away from his very first smile and adorable blush when courting Malachi. He’s an honorable, good man, and I liked the way the two young men explored their feelings and sensuality, growing closer with each passing day. The scenes aren’t particularly descriptive or detailed but they do quite subtly show the emotions both men feel.
Read Susan’s review in its entirety here.
April 5, 2015
Malachi "Mac" Covington dreams of adventure among the skies but feels trapped in his uncle's expectations of his going to university and becoming his heir. He meets the compelling Ian, an airship pilot, and soon is skipping classes and sneaking out to spend time with Ian and train as a member of an airship crew. A lively and sweet story set in a steampunk world, filled with vivid imagery of fantastic airships and a working society, Clockwork Horizon is a great start of this promising series. This first installment beautifully combines steampunk elements, romance, and themes of following one's heart and is a rich, satisfying read. Very much looking forward to the rest of the series.
April 12, 2014
A really sweet story and I just wanted a little bit of that something more that completes a story. I got attached to the characters pretty quickly and loved their connection. Young love written very well.
September 8, 2016
Mal is such a responsible guy, it was great to see him go after something he really wanted.
November 27, 2014
I wish this had been longer,I wanted to know about the world created here and all that stuff. But even if it was short it was still a very enjoyable read :)
March 11, 2017
Malachi is adorable! This was a wonderfully sweet story.
Favorite Quote:
"You've got the sky in your eyes."
Favorite Quote:
"You've got the sky in your eyes."
January 6, 2023
3.5 stars
September 6, 2017
** 3.5 Stars **
February 22, 2017
Note to self: check the number of pages before you start reading, so you know it's a novella! The story definitely has an abrupt ending, finishing right when the action was just getting started. Even if there are more books in this series, I think there was far too little plot in this one. What plot there was, however, was very enjoyable, and the setting was great. I was enjoying it far too much for it to end so suddenly!
July 20, 2015
I quite enjoyed this story. It is a "meet cute" love story set in a steampunk/airship Britain analogue. The author has a very descriptive style and uses all of the senses to create her settings and set the mood.
Mac is the adopted heir of a rich merchant uncle. His uncle has defined his life choices, and he is studying accounting. Meanwhile he dreams of the skies and hangs out with his best friend, a female assistant to an airship designer.
He meets Ian, an airship pilot. They hook up and become involved. Ian invites him to learn how to be an airship crew member, so Mac ditches school to try it out.
I liked the development of Mac and Ian's relationship, which is very positive and loving. The story is short, though, and there is only so much content. It just doesn't cover much in terms of either time or events.
It ends when Mac is finally confronted by his uncle over his deception and absence. This was the part that I had most issue with. On the surface, the scene reads as a positive interaction between Mac and his uncle, with his uncle agreeing to allow Mac to follow his dreams. The actual outcome, though, is that Mac's uncle simply changed his orders, but still in the end retained total control over Mac's choices.
I honestly am confused about what the author intended here. I thought maybe she was leaving the relationship strained for use in the continued story, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It seems that she saw this as a resolution in a way that it just isn't, at least to me.
But since that is a minor plot line and the main plot following the romance was well done, I think it still gets a strong 3.5 stars. This is a great read for people that like their romances sweet and don't demand a lot of sex. There is some, but it is fairly tame.
Mac is the adopted heir of a rich merchant uncle. His uncle has defined his life choices, and he is studying accounting. Meanwhile he dreams of the skies and hangs out with his best friend, a female assistant to an airship designer.
He meets Ian, an airship pilot. They hook up and become involved. Ian invites him to learn how to be an airship crew member, so Mac ditches school to try it out.
I liked the development of Mac and Ian's relationship, which is very positive and loving. The story is short, though, and there is only so much content. It just doesn't cover much in terms of either time or events.
It ends when Mac is finally confronted by his uncle over his deception and absence. This was the part that I had most issue with. On the surface, the scene reads as a positive interaction between Mac and his uncle, with his uncle agreeing to allow Mac to follow his dreams. The actual outcome, though, is that Mac's uncle simply changed his orders, but still in the end retained total control over Mac's choices.
I honestly am confused about what the author intended here. I thought maybe she was leaving the relationship strained for use in the continued story, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It seems that she saw this as a resolution in a way that it just isn't, at least to me.
But since that is a minor plot line and the main plot following the romance was well done, I think it still gets a strong 3.5 stars. This is a great read for people that like their romances sweet and don't demand a lot of sex. There is some, but it is fairly tame.
October 7, 2014
I love a good novella. I love being able to jump into the middle of a couple of lives and invest in their life story for the length of a dental appointment. Walking away humming with satisfaction at having read another great book. And I love steampunk. The beauty of old and new, clash of technology and alternate steam powered instead of petrol run earth. The gadgets and airships, the romance of leather and glass.
Clockwork Horizon was a fantastic dip into both of those.
Mac is reserved, afraid, bored, and believes he has no future. Ian is impulsive, hard working, loving, and draws Malachi out of his shell. There is attraction both of the outside, but also of the inside. I loved that each of them saw past the exterior and wanted to know more about what made the other tic.
Even though it’s a short read the few secondary characters are built into the context perfectly. They allowed for the world building while the main characters developed their love story. In the end that created an incredibly satisfying short read. When the pages ended I wasn’t left with holes in the story, or nagging questions. It was perfectly complete. And completely perfect.
Reviewed by Beans
To see more of this review and others like it please visit us at Gay List Book Reviews at www.gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com
Clockwork Horizon was a fantastic dip into both of those.
Mac is reserved, afraid, bored, and believes he has no future. Ian is impulsive, hard working, loving, and draws Malachi out of his shell. There is attraction both of the outside, but also of the inside. I loved that each of them saw past the exterior and wanted to know more about what made the other tic.
Even though it’s a short read the few secondary characters are built into the context perfectly. They allowed for the world building while the main characters developed their love story. In the end that created an incredibly satisfying short read. When the pages ended I wasn’t left with holes in the story, or nagging questions. It was perfectly complete. And completely perfect.
Reviewed by Beans
To see more of this review and others like it please visit us at Gay List Book Reviews at www.gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com
December 22, 2015
Review also posted on http://www.wodfreview.com
Clockwork Horizon is a cute little Steampunk novella. The characters are likable and fit well together the stories pacing is good. The Steampunk world is well written, I found myself visualizing it in my head like a movie in my mind. There isn’t any angst or drama it’s just a sweet romance, a very enjoyable read.
After the death of his parents Malachi’s uncle takes custody of him and he lives a very sheltered life. Worried he’ll be hurt his uncle sets out some impossible rules for a young man that wants to spread his wings. Malachi’s interest in Steamships has him sneaking out one night with a friend to explore the ships. He meets a man named Ian who turns out to be the Pilot of one of those Steamships. They are instantly attracted but take things slowly, which made the novella all the more enduring.
I connected with Malachi and Ian, I loved both of them and their romance. The story drew me in immediately and didn’t lose me anywhere along the way. Malachi’s character development is perfect and believable, I can’t wait to read more about these two in the sequel Clockwork Bargin (Ariel City #2)
June 30, 2014
After reading an angst-filled dark story, I thought this would be the perfect book to read. It is sweet and nice, and it has an innocence that permeates the story even to it's conclusion, but it fizzled out and left me unsatisfied. It is nice. Really. It has nice characters. Really. The steampunk part was nicely done. Really. But that was just it. Nice. Even the conflict ended up being no conflict at all and was quickly dispatched with a quick resolution and a happy-for-now ending. I guess I needed more, but still, it was nice...
December 9, 2014
As the first novella in the Aerial City steampunk series, this one was very sweet, amazingly hot, and with characters one couldn’t help but fall for. Malachi is the point of view protagonist, told in third person. He is someone who has dreamed of more but never before dared to actually reach for his dreams. A situation we can all relate to. He’s kind and good, modest and shy, but with a growing will to pursue his dreams. That makes him very brave and admirable.
Read the full review at Joyfully Jay
Read the full review at Joyfully Jay
April 4, 2014
I love steampunk and I love m/m romance -- this story hit both my loves in the best way. Malachi wormed his way into my heart and Ian... mmmm. He's that kind of bright soul that hums with an independent energy all his own. They're perfect for each other. I loved the world-building in this story, to the point that I could almost smell the fresh air. And the romantic moments? Steamy! Definitely a good read, and I look forward to more from Ms. Woodson.
November 2, 2014
This was so lovely! I've enjoyed this author's past works so I knew I was going to like this and I did! :)
No major angst, steampunk (yay!), and adorable Mac and Ian!
I was also very glad the uncle wasn't wicked! ;)
No major angst, steampunk (yay!), and adorable Mac and Ian!
I was also very glad the uncle wasn't wicked! ;)
Want to read
March 17, 2014preordered.
June 27, 2016
Reread (for 3rd or 4th time) June 2016. I love this book more every time I read it. Bumping up rating to a 5.
April 6, 2014
I thought this was adorable and I really enjoyed it! Loved the world building in this and I enjoyed the characters. Solid writing throughout, and made me wanting more at the end.
January 11, 2015
This was very short but a great introduction to the adventures which I hope are still to come.
April 30, 2014
3.7 stars.
September 9, 2016
So cute *_*
I'm lost for words! I love it! I want MORE! ASAP! XD
I'm lost for words! I love it! I want MORE! ASAP! XD
August 11, 2015
Wish it was longer. I'd like to know what happens in Mac and Ian's future.
May 4, 2014
Quite a heart warming story. I really liked this one a lot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews