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Clockwork Empire #2
The Impossible Cube
Not yet published
Expected 2 Dec 25In an age where fantastic inventions of steam and brass have elevated Britain and China into mighty empires, Alice Michaels faces a future of technological terrors…
Once, Gavin Ennock sailed the skies on airships and enchanted listeners with his fiddle music. Now, the clockwork plague consumes his intellect, enabling him to conceive and construct scientific wonders—while driving him quite mad. Distressed by her beloved’s unfortunate condition, Alice Michaels sought a cure rumored to be inside the Doomsday Vault—and brought the wrath of the British Empire down on them.
Declared enemies of the Crown, Alice and Gavin have little choice but to flee to China in search of a cure. Accompanying them is Dr. Clef, a mad genius driven to find the greatest and most destructive force the world has ever seen: The Impossible Cube. If Dr. Clef gets his hands on it, the entire universe will face extinction.
And Gavin holds the key to its recreation…
Once, Gavin Ennock sailed the skies on airships and enchanted listeners with his fiddle music. Now, the clockwork plague consumes his intellect, enabling him to conceive and construct scientific wonders—while driving him quite mad. Distressed by her beloved’s unfortunate condition, Alice Michaels sought a cure rumored to be inside the Doomsday Vault—and brought the wrath of the British Empire down on them.
Declared enemies of the Crown, Alice and Gavin have little choice but to flee to China in search of a cure. Accompanying them is Dr. Clef, a mad genius driven to find the greatest and most destructive force the world has ever seen: The Impossible Cube. If Dr. Clef gets his hands on it, the entire universe will face extinction.
And Gavin holds the key to its recreation…
1 pages, Audio CD
First published May 1, 2012
14 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Steven Harper
53 books120 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 50 reviews
July 31, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Adventurous steampunk following Gavin & Alice on the next step of their journey. Filled with cool gadgets and explosive toys, The Impossible Cube, is less of a love story and more about saving the world from the Clockwork Virus.
Opening Sentence: Gavin Ennock snapped awake.
The Review:
The Impossible Cube follows Alice and Gavin on the next step of their journey to cure the Clockwork Virus, a virus that turns people into mindless zombies or extremely intelligent Clockworkers that create ingenious inventions that allow this steampunk world to flourish. Only weeks have passed since, Alice and Gavin destroyed the Third Ward and released a cure for those afflicted with the Clockwork Virus. They are now on the run to China to look for a cure for Clockworkers, the only people the cure will not affect, it works wonders for the mindless zombies. They are now being chased by their former boss and co-workers for their treasonous act.
Alice now has a strange spider-like contraption attached to her arm that allows her to cure people with her blood. She has been taking it upon herself to heal all those she comes across, even if she is too weak to help. She is also aided by fireflies that will slowly spread the cure but her touch works miracles. Gavin has learned he is a Clockworker and as such he keeps working on new devices and gadgets to aid in their travels. Unfortunately for Gavin, the Clockwork virus is decimating his brain at a fast pace, faster than other Clockworkers, it is looking like he may not make it to China in time for a cure.
Before they can make it to China, Gavin, Alice and the crew must hide in Europe and make some money. They need enough paraffin to make the journey to China. Their journey takes them to Kiev, Ukraine, a city that is overrun with Clockworkers. The Clockworkers have taken over the city and kidnap people from the streets for their experiments. It is also rumored that Kiev is the birthplace for the Clockwork Plague, so Alice believes that if she cures enough people there, it will spread so that less people will get the virus.
The Doomsday Vault felt more like a love story while The Impossible Cube is more an adventure story. Gavin and Alice love each other but it feels like there is a huge divide between them now. Gavin gets so lost in the madness of being a Clockworker that he is rude to Alice. Alice wants to cure everyone but cannot. They can’t get close because deep down Alice is still a prim and proper British woman, she wants to wait for marriage but since she carries a title she wants a legitimate marriage, unfortunately it doesn’t look like Gavin will last that long.
The Impossible Cube feels like a huge set up for The Dragon Men. For some stupid reason I felt like they would make it to China in this book but they don’t. The first half of this book had quite a bit of action but it just felt like it dragged on while I was completely engrossed in all the action when they made it to Kiev. There is also some hinting at time travel which I completely expected in this book but that never happens. I don’t know if it was to throw us off where the story did go or it is still to come. There is also a prophecy which doesn’t really come to fruition, it is alluded to in some events that happen later on but I think we will see more of that in the next book.
I am still fascinated with this steampunk world. The gadgets, dirigibles, and inventions are interesting and innovative. The zombies don’t really have much of an impact aside from Alice trying to cure everyone. The mindless zombies aren’t really that scary either. The Clockworkers are still crazy scary though.
Overall, the third person narrative of The Impossible Cube drives this story. I had no idea where this story was headed since my hunches didn’t pan out, but one thing is for sure, Gavin and Alice’s group undergo a lot of changes and tragedy, changes I didn’t really agree with. Another thing that is for sure, I want to know how this trilogy ends.
Notable Scene:
“Two of your ribs are cracked and it is possible a third is broken,” Berta said, and her mechanized voice managed to sound concerned. “You must come downstairs so I can wrap them.”
Adames waved her off. “Not yet.” His breath came in gasps. “Alice and Gavin have to know. I saw . . . I saw . . . the world coming to an end in flood and plague.” He panted with the effort of speaking. “Dear God, the pain.”
“Your ribs,” Berta began.
“Not my pain,” he gasped. “The world’s. So many people will die if you fail, Alice. Millions upon millions.”
Alice struggled to more alertness. “Me?”
“You must not fail,” Adames said. God has shown me. Oh, He has. I’m so sorry.”
Something in his tone made Gavin uneasy. “Sorry?”
“You’re trials aren’t over, my children.” He was leaning heavily on Berta now. “Flood and plague will destroy us if you don’t cure the world.”
“That’s my intent,” Alice said, holding up her gauntleted hand.
Adames shook his head. “Not you. Gavin.”
“Me?” Gavin started. “But Alice has the spider, and her aunt made the fireflies.”
“That’s not what God showed me,” Adames repeated stubbornly. “You will cure the world, and Alice . . . Alice must let go.”
“Let go?” Alice asked. “Let go of what?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s not . . . it’s not like looking in a picture. It’s a dream that I know is real. Oh, Alice. Your love destroyed an empire. Now it will destroy the world as well.”
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Roc provided me with a copy of The Impossible Cube. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Adventurous steampunk following Gavin & Alice on the next step of their journey. Filled with cool gadgets and explosive toys, The Impossible Cube, is less of a love story and more about saving the world from the Clockwork Virus.
Opening Sentence: Gavin Ennock snapped awake.
The Review:
The Impossible Cube follows Alice and Gavin on the next step of their journey to cure the Clockwork Virus, a virus that turns people into mindless zombies or extremely intelligent Clockworkers that create ingenious inventions that allow this steampunk world to flourish. Only weeks have passed since, Alice and Gavin destroyed the Third Ward and released a cure for those afflicted with the Clockwork Virus. They are now on the run to China to look for a cure for Clockworkers, the only people the cure will not affect, it works wonders for the mindless zombies. They are now being chased by their former boss and co-workers for their treasonous act.
Alice now has a strange spider-like contraption attached to her arm that allows her to cure people with her blood. She has been taking it upon herself to heal all those she comes across, even if she is too weak to help. She is also aided by fireflies that will slowly spread the cure but her touch works miracles. Gavin has learned he is a Clockworker and as such he keeps working on new devices and gadgets to aid in their travels. Unfortunately for Gavin, the Clockwork virus is decimating his brain at a fast pace, faster than other Clockworkers, it is looking like he may not make it to China in time for a cure.
Before they can make it to China, Gavin, Alice and the crew must hide in Europe and make some money. They need enough paraffin to make the journey to China. Their journey takes them to Kiev, Ukraine, a city that is overrun with Clockworkers. The Clockworkers have taken over the city and kidnap people from the streets for their experiments. It is also rumored that Kiev is the birthplace for the Clockwork Plague, so Alice believes that if she cures enough people there, it will spread so that less people will get the virus.
The Doomsday Vault felt more like a love story while The Impossible Cube is more an adventure story. Gavin and Alice love each other but it feels like there is a huge divide between them now. Gavin gets so lost in the madness of being a Clockworker that he is rude to Alice. Alice wants to cure everyone but cannot. They can’t get close because deep down Alice is still a prim and proper British woman, she wants to wait for marriage but since she carries a title she wants a legitimate marriage, unfortunately it doesn’t look like Gavin will last that long.
The Impossible Cube feels like a huge set up for The Dragon Men. For some stupid reason I felt like they would make it to China in this book but they don’t. The first half of this book had quite a bit of action but it just felt like it dragged on while I was completely engrossed in all the action when they made it to Kiev. There is also some hinting at time travel which I completely expected in this book but that never happens. I don’t know if it was to throw us off where the story did go or it is still to come. There is also a prophecy which doesn’t really come to fruition, it is alluded to in some events that happen later on but I think we will see more of that in the next book.
I am still fascinated with this steampunk world. The gadgets, dirigibles, and inventions are interesting and innovative. The zombies don’t really have much of an impact aside from Alice trying to cure everyone. The mindless zombies aren’t really that scary either. The Clockworkers are still crazy scary though.
Overall, the third person narrative of The Impossible Cube drives this story. I had no idea where this story was headed since my hunches didn’t pan out, but one thing is for sure, Gavin and Alice’s group undergo a lot of changes and tragedy, changes I didn’t really agree with. Another thing that is for sure, I want to know how this trilogy ends.
Notable Scene:
“Two of your ribs are cracked and it is possible a third is broken,” Berta said, and her mechanized voice managed to sound concerned. “You must come downstairs so I can wrap them.”
Adames waved her off. “Not yet.” His breath came in gasps. “Alice and Gavin have to know. I saw . . . I saw . . . the world coming to an end in flood and plague.” He panted with the effort of speaking. “Dear God, the pain.”
“Your ribs,” Berta began.
“Not my pain,” he gasped. “The world’s. So many people will die if you fail, Alice. Millions upon millions.”
Alice struggled to more alertness. “Me?”
“You must not fail,” Adames said. God has shown me. Oh, He has. I’m so sorry.”
Something in his tone made Gavin uneasy. “Sorry?”
“You’re trials aren’t over, my children.” He was leaning heavily on Berta now. “Flood and plague will destroy us if you don’t cure the world.”
“That’s my intent,” Alice said, holding up her gauntleted hand.
Adames shook his head. “Not you. Gavin.”
“Me?” Gavin started. “But Alice has the spider, and her aunt made the fireflies.”
“That’s not what God showed me,” Adames repeated stubbornly. “You will cure the world, and Alice . . . Alice must let go.”
“Let go?” Alice asked. “Let go of what?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s not . . . it’s not like looking in a picture. It’s a dream that I know is real. Oh, Alice. Your love destroyed an empire. Now it will destroy the world as well.”
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Roc provided me with a copy of The Impossible Cube. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 17, 2019
3.5
I did enjoy this one and for the majority of it I was going to give it a 4 star however when it got to the more action-packed scenes I think it felt a lot more rushed and confusing with many things going on at once so it was hard to keep track.
I enjoyed all of the different scrapes that our main characters managed to get into and it was fun to see them going international, however I do think it lacked the English charm and historical feel that the first one brought.
Still, I did definitely like this and let's carry on with the rest of the series and see how this dysfunctional pair carry on their journey.
I did enjoy this one and for the majority of it I was going to give it a 4 star however when it got to the more action-packed scenes I think it felt a lot more rushed and confusing with many things going on at once so it was hard to keep track.
I enjoyed all of the different scrapes that our main characters managed to get into and it was fun to see them going international, however I do think it lacked the English charm and historical feel that the first one brought.
Still, I did definitely like this and let's carry on with the rest of the series and see how this dysfunctional pair carry on their journey.
August 10, 2014
When I picked up this book and started reading a few pages, I started to wonder, “Do I really want to read another steampunk?” The answer was yes but for some reason, I had a hard time getting into this one. Since I thought Steven Harper had created a wonderful world in his first attempt at steampunk in THE DOOMSDAY VAULT, I think my expectations were too high and THE IMPOSSIBLE CUBE kind of fell short. I was expecting more romance, more gadgets and more crazy ideas. Instead I got a decent story of the aftermath of the first book.
It’s kind of by chance that I read this book right in the middle of an ebola outbreak since this steampunk world deals with a plague. It really makes you wonder about what would happen if a virus started spreading worldwide and the ramifications it would have on the population. In Steven Harper’s steampunk fictional series, a plague is ravaging the whole world and causing most patients to become zombies. A selected few become clockworkers, geniuses with machines, inventions and the comprehension of time and space. (Obviously this is fiction and one should never try to catch a virus in hopes of becoming a genius.) A cure for the zombies has been found but unfortunately clockworkers are still infected and will inevitably die after going insane if nothing is done about it.
Since leaving England to find a cure for Clockworkers, Alice, Gavin and their crew are trying to make their way to China because of rumors they heard. In China, they call clockworkers The Dragon Men and apparently they have come up with a cure but are keeping it a secret. Alice is already a carrier of the zombie plague cure but unfortunately it doesn’t cure the clockworkers. Which is sad, because Gavin is a clockworker and she more or less turned her back on her baroness title to be with him.
So get this. In this book, they never make it to China. Only after departing London do they realize how far China is and how long it would take for them to get there in their airship. Instead, they make their way east by hiding within a circus because they are still being pursued by English authorities. A clockwork circus sounds great in theory but besides travelling with it and Gavin and Alice getting a weird card reading, it doesn’t amount to much. In my opinion, the story is just about travelling east, Alice curing as many people as she can throughout Europe and dealing with crazy clockworkers in Kiev. Ok, that last part might be a major issue, especially to enforce the necessity for Gavin to find a cure to his condition.
To say the least, the story wasn’t what I expected. THE IMPOSSIBLE CUBE was sort of an interlude, a continuation to the first book but not really getting anywhere besides a little bit further east. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book, and I hope they make it to China this time. Another disappointment is the fact that I was expecting a little bit more romance between Alice and Gavin. Book one concentrated a lot on the developing romance between the two characters, and I expected to see more but maybe Steven Harper is saving that for the next book. Personally, I won’t stop reading this series because of these minor setbacks because I truly think there’s something special about this steampunk/clockwork world.
It’s kind of by chance that I read this book right in the middle of an ebola outbreak since this steampunk world deals with a plague. It really makes you wonder about what would happen if a virus started spreading worldwide and the ramifications it would have on the population. In Steven Harper’s steampunk fictional series, a plague is ravaging the whole world and causing most patients to become zombies. A selected few become clockworkers, geniuses with machines, inventions and the comprehension of time and space. (Obviously this is fiction and one should never try to catch a virus in hopes of becoming a genius.) A cure for the zombies has been found but unfortunately clockworkers are still infected and will inevitably die after going insane if nothing is done about it.
Since leaving England to find a cure for Clockworkers, Alice, Gavin and their crew are trying to make their way to China because of rumors they heard. In China, they call clockworkers The Dragon Men and apparently they have come up with a cure but are keeping it a secret. Alice is already a carrier of the zombie plague cure but unfortunately it doesn’t cure the clockworkers. Which is sad, because Gavin is a clockworker and she more or less turned her back on her baroness title to be with him.
So get this. In this book, they never make it to China. Only after departing London do they realize how far China is and how long it would take for them to get there in their airship. Instead, they make their way east by hiding within a circus because they are still being pursued by English authorities. A clockwork circus sounds great in theory but besides travelling with it and Gavin and Alice getting a weird card reading, it doesn’t amount to much. In my opinion, the story is just about travelling east, Alice curing as many people as she can throughout Europe and dealing with crazy clockworkers in Kiev. Ok, that last part might be a major issue, especially to enforce the necessity for Gavin to find a cure to his condition.
To say the least, the story wasn’t what I expected. THE IMPOSSIBLE CUBE was sort of an interlude, a continuation to the first book but not really getting anywhere besides a little bit further east. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book, and I hope they make it to China this time. Another disappointment is the fact that I was expecting a little bit more romance between Alice and Gavin. Book one concentrated a lot on the developing romance between the two characters, and I expected to see more but maybe Steven Harper is saving that for the next book. Personally, I won’t stop reading this series because of these minor setbacks because I truly think there’s something special about this steampunk/clockwork world.
February 4, 2013
Though a little slow to start, as soon as the momentum built, I couldn't put this book down. I loved the first in the series, and this one was no different. Harper's worldbuilding is excellent. It's easy to be utterly sucked in and enthralled -- but the world isn't the only strength. The characters, too, are compelling, and people that I've found myself attached to.
Definite recommendation to those that love steampunk, scifi or fantasy. I can't wait to move onto the next one!
Definite recommendation to those that love steampunk, scifi or fantasy. I can't wait to move onto the next one!
November 28, 2016
This is the second book in the Clockwork Empire series and it was a fun follow-up to The Doomsday Vault. There are four books in the Clockwork Empire series and all of them have been released. I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first one, but it was still a very well done steampunk adventure and I enjoy the characters and the world.
I think the main reason I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first one was just because the story seemed to stall a bit; it just doesn’t make as much progress as the first book did (although it does physically cover more of this alternate world).
I did enjoy getting to see more of this amazing alternate world and I continued to enjoy our lead characters. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Dr. Clef’s character and, although I understood why he thought the actions he took made sense, I think that having these actions drive the story was just a bit...off.
While this story doesn’t progress as quickly or as intensely as the first one; there are quite a few well done fight scenes and the world is broadened. I would really like to see Gavin and Alice finally get to China in the next book and see what happens. I guess in some ways I felt a bit cheated; I was promised this amazing adventure to China at the end of the first book and then the whole thing got a bit derailed in this book.
Overall this was a fun and quick read that I enjoyed. I love this alternate historical world and continue to enjoy both Alice and Gavin as characters. I enjoyed seeing more of this world and some of the adventures Gavin and Alice go through. I thought the progress of the story slowed a bit too much and was disappointed that the characters never actually made it to China, but I hope we will see some better progress in the next book. I would recommend to those who enjoy steampunk adventure books and I plan on continuing the series.
I think the main reason I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first one was just because the story seemed to stall a bit; it just doesn’t make as much progress as the first book did (although it does physically cover more of this alternate world).
I did enjoy getting to see more of this amazing alternate world and I continued to enjoy our lead characters. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Dr. Clef’s character and, although I understood why he thought the actions he took made sense, I think that having these actions drive the story was just a bit...off.
While this story doesn’t progress as quickly or as intensely as the first one; there are quite a few well done fight scenes and the world is broadened. I would really like to see Gavin and Alice finally get to China in the next book and see what happens. I guess in some ways I felt a bit cheated; I was promised this amazing adventure to China at the end of the first book and then the whole thing got a bit derailed in this book.
Overall this was a fun and quick read that I enjoyed. I love this alternate historical world and continue to enjoy both Alice and Gavin as characters. I enjoyed seeing more of this world and some of the adventures Gavin and Alice go through. I thought the progress of the story slowed a bit too much and was disappointed that the characters never actually made it to China, but I hope we will see some better progress in the next book. I would recommend to those who enjoy steampunk adventure books and I plan on continuing the series.
July 6, 2017
The truth is - I'm not really sure why I keep reading these - summer reading? Curiosity?
Gavin and Alice are really headed to China now with Dr Clef and Feng - difficult to do with a distinctive airship and having been declared enemies of the crown.
So - Ukraine and a circus. Dr Clef is dangerous and seems to have started the plague. Phipps changes sides. And Feng gets heroically dead.
And we still don't have a cure for Gavin - on the other hand - wings.
Gavin and Alice are really headed to China now with Dr Clef and Feng - difficult to do with a distinctive airship and having been declared enemies of the crown.
So - Ukraine and a circus. Dr Clef is dangerous and seems to have started the plague. Phipps changes sides. And Feng gets heroically dead.
And we still don't have a cure for Gavin - on the other hand - wings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2019
More geeky fun
Book two continues the wild and highly imaginative story of our hero and heroine. Harper manages to juggle regional history - and mangle it a bit to suit the story - as the action moves across Europe. Once again, the Steampunk concepts and the gadgets elevate the tale.
Book two continues the wild and highly imaginative story of our hero and heroine. Harper manages to juggle regional history - and mangle it a bit to suit the story - as the action moves across Europe. Once again, the Steampunk concepts and the gadgets elevate the tale.
June 27, 2022
I can't truly say why I like this fantasy thriller, but I can say I had a hard time with Alice's extreme hormonal shifts. They definitely tend to make one question her status as heroine at times. Is she even aware of her role in this adventure? Anyway, I think I'm willing to move on to the third installment.
March 12, 2019
It did have a slow start ;however, the ending made up for it. I will be reading the the next book. The Dragon men
January 6, 2020
x-rated. No more official Ward 5, but Phipps still chases. Ukraine has boom, zap, splat, thud, hope, loss, prediction of doom. On to China for cure.
January 18, 2017
Originally published at Dark Faerie Tales: http://darkfaerietales.com/review-the...
Quick & Dirty: Adventurous steampunk following Gavin & Alice on the next step of their journey. Filled with cool gadgets and explosive toys, The Impossible Cube, is less of a love story and more about saving the world from the Clockwork Virus.
The Review:
The Impossible Cube follows Alice and Gavin on the next step of their journey to cure the Clockwork Virus, a virus that turns people into mindless zombies or extremely intelligent Clockworkers that create ingenious inventions that allow this steampunk world to flourish. Only weeks have passed since, Alice and Gavin destroyed the Third Ward and released a cure for those afflicted with the Clockwork Virus. They are now on the run to China to look for a cure for Clockworkers, the only people the cure will not affect, it works wonders for the mindless zombies. They are now being chased by their former boss and co-workers for their treasonous act.
Alice now has a strange spider-like contraption attached to her arm that allows her to cure people with her blood. She has been taking it upon herself to heal all those she comes across, even if she is too weak to help. She is also aided by fireflies that will slowly spread the cure but her touch works miracles. Gavin has learned he is a Clockworker and as such he keeps working on new devices and gadgets to aid in their travels. Unfortunately for Gavin, the Clockwork virus is decimating his brain at a fast pace, faster than other Clockworkers, it is looking like he may not make it to China in time for a cure.
Before they can make it to China, Gavin, Alice and the crew must hide in Europe and make some money. They need enough paraffin to make the journey to China. Their journey takes them to Kiev, Ukraine, a city that is overrun with Clockworkers. The Clockworkers have taken over the city and kidnap people from the streets for their experiments. It is also rumored that Kiev is the birthplace for the Clockwork Plague, so Alice believes that if she cures enough people there, it will spread so that less people will get the virus.
The Doomsday Vault felt more like a love story while The Impossible Cube is more an adventure story. Gavin and Alice love each other but it feels like there is a huge divide between them now. Gavin gets so lost in the madness of being a Clockworker that he is rude to Alice. Alice wants to cure everyone but cannot. They can’t get close because deep down Alice is still a prim and proper British woman, she wants to wait for marriage but since she carries a title she wants a legitimate marriage, unfortunately it doesn’t look like Gavin will last that long.
The Impossible Cube feels like a huge set up for The Dragon Men. For some stupid reason I felt like they would make it to China in this book but they don’t. The first half of this book had quite a bit of action but it just felt like it dragged on while I was completely engrossed in all the action when they made it to Kiev. There is also some hinting at time travel which I completely expected in this book but that never happens. I don’t know if it was to throw us off where the story did go or it is still to come. There is also a prophecy which doesn’t really come to fruition, it is alluded to in some events that happen later on but I think we will see more of that in the next book.
I am still fascinated with this steampunk world. The gadgets, dirigibles, and inventions are interesting and innovative. The zombies don’t really have much of an impact aside from Alice trying to cure everyone. The mindless zombies aren’t really that scary either. The Clockworkers are still crazy scary though.
Overall, the third person narrative of The Impossible Cube drives this story. I had no idea where this story was headed since my hunches didn’t pan out, but one thing is for sure, Gavin and Alice’s group undergo a lot of changes and tragedy, changes I didn’t really agree with. Another thing that is for sure, I want to know how this trilogy ends.
Quick & Dirty: Adventurous steampunk following Gavin & Alice on the next step of their journey. Filled with cool gadgets and explosive toys, The Impossible Cube, is less of a love story and more about saving the world from the Clockwork Virus.
The Review:
The Impossible Cube follows Alice and Gavin on the next step of their journey to cure the Clockwork Virus, a virus that turns people into mindless zombies or extremely intelligent Clockworkers that create ingenious inventions that allow this steampunk world to flourish. Only weeks have passed since, Alice and Gavin destroyed the Third Ward and released a cure for those afflicted with the Clockwork Virus. They are now on the run to China to look for a cure for Clockworkers, the only people the cure will not affect, it works wonders for the mindless zombies. They are now being chased by their former boss and co-workers for their treasonous act.
Alice now has a strange spider-like contraption attached to her arm that allows her to cure people with her blood. She has been taking it upon herself to heal all those she comes across, even if she is too weak to help. She is also aided by fireflies that will slowly spread the cure but her touch works miracles. Gavin has learned he is a Clockworker and as such he keeps working on new devices and gadgets to aid in their travels. Unfortunately for Gavin, the Clockwork virus is decimating his brain at a fast pace, faster than other Clockworkers, it is looking like he may not make it to China in time for a cure.
Before they can make it to China, Gavin, Alice and the crew must hide in Europe and make some money. They need enough paraffin to make the journey to China. Their journey takes them to Kiev, Ukraine, a city that is overrun with Clockworkers. The Clockworkers have taken over the city and kidnap people from the streets for their experiments. It is also rumored that Kiev is the birthplace for the Clockwork Plague, so Alice believes that if she cures enough people there, it will spread so that less people will get the virus.
The Doomsday Vault felt more like a love story while The Impossible Cube is more an adventure story. Gavin and Alice love each other but it feels like there is a huge divide between them now. Gavin gets so lost in the madness of being a Clockworker that he is rude to Alice. Alice wants to cure everyone but cannot. They can’t get close because deep down Alice is still a prim and proper British woman, she wants to wait for marriage but since she carries a title she wants a legitimate marriage, unfortunately it doesn’t look like Gavin will last that long.
The Impossible Cube feels like a huge set up for The Dragon Men. For some stupid reason I felt like they would make it to China in this book but they don’t. The first half of this book had quite a bit of action but it just felt like it dragged on while I was completely engrossed in all the action when they made it to Kiev. There is also some hinting at time travel which I completely expected in this book but that never happens. I don’t know if it was to throw us off where the story did go or it is still to come. There is also a prophecy which doesn’t really come to fruition, it is alluded to in some events that happen later on but I think we will see more of that in the next book.
I am still fascinated with this steampunk world. The gadgets, dirigibles, and inventions are interesting and innovative. The zombies don’t really have much of an impact aside from Alice trying to cure everyone. The mindless zombies aren’t really that scary either. The Clockworkers are still crazy scary though.
Overall, the third person narrative of The Impossible Cube drives this story. I had no idea where this story was headed since my hunches didn’t pan out, but one thing is for sure, Gavin and Alice’s group undergo a lot of changes and tragedy, changes I didn’t really agree with. Another thing that is for sure, I want to know how this trilogy ends.
June 4, 2012
3.5
Gavin and Alice were forced to flee from Britain. They are going to China to spread the cure for the Clockwork Plague, and find a cure for Gavin. The Clockwork plague does one of two things, turns its victims into zombies, or turns people into Clockworks. Though rare, Clockworkers become geniuses who build fantastic machines, but they also end up going crazy before they die. They have the cure for the zombies, but nothing for the Clockworkers. Chasing Gavin and Alice, determined to take them back to Britain is Lieutenant Phipps, the leader of a group Gavin used to work for. She is determined to bring them to justice no matter what the cost.
This is the second book in the Clockwork Empire series. I would suggest starting with the first book, but Harper includes a wonderful forward that recaps the last book. He really did an excellent job in the short recap. I really like the idea of books in a series having this.
Once the story starts, it starts. We are at once taken to Gavin who is being held captive by a Clockworker. Other than all the gears and cogs there is a fantastic amount of action that keeps the story going. There is a kind of balance between the two main characters. Both are dealing with a loss that hasn’t come to pass yet, and they are struggling to stop it from happening. Gavin is coming to terms with what might be his future while Alice is refusing to let go of anyone, or anything. Along the way to China they haphazardly find their way into a circus, owned by a man Gavin knows. Major problems happen when they make it to the Ukraine. Feng, a Chinese diplomat’s son who is traveling with them is kidnapped by Ukraine Clockworkers. It is up to Gavin and Alice to save him. These characters don’t get much of a break as they are continually pushed fun action scenes that keep the novel moving.
As much as I like the story it suffers from the same character distance as the first novel. I think this would be an excellent all around book if I felt more of a connection to the characters. I became nearly emotionally involved with Gavin who is going through some tough stuff, but where he falters are on some of his choices. On the other hand I can’t relate to Alice. When bad things happen to her, she just deals with it and moves on. When she is emotionally responsive it almost feels forced more times than not. I feel as if too much went into the action and adventure, and not enough went into the characters emotions and responses.
There is a romance going on between them, but they are determined to do things right, and get married. While the romance does not feel forced, I haven’t been happy with how they hold back from one another. I can suspend my belief for crazy Clockworkers, and machines that do everything under the sun, but every other scene they end up in serious danger, and they are not going to do the deed before one of them ends up dead? In other words, “Get it on already!”
I haven’t read that many steampunk novels, but of those I have read I really like this series. If the cogs and clocks were stripped away you would have an adventure story. That being said I really love the steamed alt-history world. Not that I am a history buff, but it is neat to imagine a world and devices that are featured in the book. The descriptions of these things don’t bog the story down, but make it a lot of fun.
If you are looking to jump into steampunk for the first time I would recommend these books. I also think it would work for older young adults. I would have loved it at sixteen. The story for the most part is pretty clean. Plus it has a lot of edge of your seat, how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-that moments. The only drawback for me is that it suffers from the same problems as the first book. I felt like I was watching the characters instead of being in their head. While it is a great adventure story, I really want more out of my characters.
Gavin and Alice were forced to flee from Britain. They are going to China to spread the cure for the Clockwork Plague, and find a cure for Gavin. The Clockwork plague does one of two things, turns its victims into zombies, or turns people into Clockworks. Though rare, Clockworkers become geniuses who build fantastic machines, but they also end up going crazy before they die. They have the cure for the zombies, but nothing for the Clockworkers. Chasing Gavin and Alice, determined to take them back to Britain is Lieutenant Phipps, the leader of a group Gavin used to work for. She is determined to bring them to justice no matter what the cost.
This is the second book in the Clockwork Empire series. I would suggest starting with the first book, but Harper includes a wonderful forward that recaps the last book. He really did an excellent job in the short recap. I really like the idea of books in a series having this.
Once the story starts, it starts. We are at once taken to Gavin who is being held captive by a Clockworker. Other than all the gears and cogs there is a fantastic amount of action that keeps the story going. There is a kind of balance between the two main characters. Both are dealing with a loss that hasn’t come to pass yet, and they are struggling to stop it from happening. Gavin is coming to terms with what might be his future while Alice is refusing to let go of anyone, or anything. Along the way to China they haphazardly find their way into a circus, owned by a man Gavin knows. Major problems happen when they make it to the Ukraine. Feng, a Chinese diplomat’s son who is traveling with them is kidnapped by Ukraine Clockworkers. It is up to Gavin and Alice to save him. These characters don’t get much of a break as they are continually pushed fun action scenes that keep the novel moving.
As much as I like the story it suffers from the same character distance as the first novel. I think this would be an excellent all around book if I felt more of a connection to the characters. I became nearly emotionally involved with Gavin who is going through some tough stuff, but where he falters are on some of his choices. On the other hand I can’t relate to Alice. When bad things happen to her, she just deals with it and moves on. When she is emotionally responsive it almost feels forced more times than not. I feel as if too much went into the action and adventure, and not enough went into the characters emotions and responses.
There is a romance going on between them, but they are determined to do things right, and get married. While the romance does not feel forced, I haven’t been happy with how they hold back from one another. I can suspend my belief for crazy Clockworkers, and machines that do everything under the sun, but every other scene they end up in serious danger, and they are not going to do the deed before one of them ends up dead? In other words, “Get it on already!”
I haven’t read that many steampunk novels, but of those I have read I really like this series. If the cogs and clocks were stripped away you would have an adventure story. That being said I really love the steamed alt-history world. Not that I am a history buff, but it is neat to imagine a world and devices that are featured in the book. The descriptions of these things don’t bog the story down, but make it a lot of fun.
If you are looking to jump into steampunk for the first time I would recommend these books. I also think it would work for older young adults. I would have loved it at sixteen. The story for the most part is pretty clean. Plus it has a lot of edge of your seat, how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-that moments. The only drawback for me is that it suffers from the same problems as the first book. I felt like I was watching the characters instead of being in their head. While it is a great adventure story, I really want more out of my characters.
June 4, 2012
3.5 stars
Gavin and Alice were forced to flee from Britain. They are going to China to spread the cure for the Clockwork Plague, and find a cure for Gavin. The Clockwork plague does one of two things, turns its victims into zombies, or turns people into Clockworks. Though rare, Clockworkers become geniuses who build fantastic machines, but they also end up going crazy before they die. They have the cure for the zombies, but nothing for the Clockworkers. Chasing Gavin and Alice, determined to take them back to Britain is Lieutenant Phipps, the leader of a group Gavin used to work for. She is determined to bring them to justice no matter what the cost.
This is the second book in the Clockwork Empire series. I would suggest starting with the first book, but Harper includes a wonderful forward that recaps the last book. He really did an excellent job in the short recap. I really like the idea of books in a series having this.
Once the story starts, it starts. We are at once taken to Gavin who is being held captive by a Clockworker. Other than all the gears and cogs there is a fantastic amount of action that keeps the story going. There is a kind of balance between the two main characters. Both are dealing with a loss that hasn’t come to pass yet, and they are struggling to stop it from happening. Gavin is coming to terms with what might be his future while Alice is refusing to let go of anyone, or anything. Along the way to China they haphazardly find their way into a circus, owned by a man Gavin knows. Major problems happen when they make it to the Ukraine. Feng, a Chinese diplomat’s son who is traveling with them is kidnapped by Ukraine Clockworkers. It is up to Gavin and Alice to save him. These characters don’t get much of a break as they are continually pushed fun action scenes that keep the novel moving.
As much as I like the story it suffers from the same character distance as the first novel. I think this would be an excellent all around book if I felt more of a connection to the characters. I became nearly emotionally involved with Gavin who is going through some tough stuff, but where he falters are on some of his choices. On the other hand I can’t relate to Alice. When bad things happen to her, she just deals with it and moves on. When she is emotionally responsive it almost feels forced more times than not. I feel as if too much went into the action and adventure, and not enough went into the characters emotions and responses.
There is a romance going on between them, but they are determined to do things right, and get married. While the romance does not feel forced, I haven’t been happy with how they hold back from one another. I can suspend my belief for crazy Clockworkers, and machines that do everything under the sun, but every other scene they end up in serious danger, and they are not going to do the deed before one of them ends up dead? In other words, “Get it on already!”
I haven’t read that many steampunk novels, but of those I have read I really like this series. If the cogs and clocks were stripped away you would have an adventure story. That being said I really love the steamed alt-history world. Not that I am a history buff, but it is neat to imagine a world and devices that are featured in the book. The descriptions of these things don’t bog the story down, but make it a lot of fun.
If you are looking to jump into steampunk for the first time I would recommend these books. I also think it would work for older young adults. I would have loved it at sixteen. The story for the most part is pretty clean. Plus it has a lot of edge of your seat, how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-that moments. The only drawback for me is that it suffers from the same problems as the first book. I felt like I was watching the characters instead of being in their head. While it is a great adventure story, I really want more out of my characters.
- Beth
Gavin and Alice were forced to flee from Britain. They are going to China to spread the cure for the Clockwork Plague, and find a cure for Gavin. The Clockwork plague does one of two things, turns its victims into zombies, or turns people into Clockworks. Though rare, Clockworkers become geniuses who build fantastic machines, but they also end up going crazy before they die. They have the cure for the zombies, but nothing for the Clockworkers. Chasing Gavin and Alice, determined to take them back to Britain is Lieutenant Phipps, the leader of a group Gavin used to work for. She is determined to bring them to justice no matter what the cost.
This is the second book in the Clockwork Empire series. I would suggest starting with the first book, but Harper includes a wonderful forward that recaps the last book. He really did an excellent job in the short recap. I really like the idea of books in a series having this.
Once the story starts, it starts. We are at once taken to Gavin who is being held captive by a Clockworker. Other than all the gears and cogs there is a fantastic amount of action that keeps the story going. There is a kind of balance between the two main characters. Both are dealing with a loss that hasn’t come to pass yet, and they are struggling to stop it from happening. Gavin is coming to terms with what might be his future while Alice is refusing to let go of anyone, or anything. Along the way to China they haphazardly find their way into a circus, owned by a man Gavin knows. Major problems happen when they make it to the Ukraine. Feng, a Chinese diplomat’s son who is traveling with them is kidnapped by Ukraine Clockworkers. It is up to Gavin and Alice to save him. These characters don’t get much of a break as they are continually pushed fun action scenes that keep the novel moving.
As much as I like the story it suffers from the same character distance as the first novel. I think this would be an excellent all around book if I felt more of a connection to the characters. I became nearly emotionally involved with Gavin who is going through some tough stuff, but where he falters are on some of his choices. On the other hand I can’t relate to Alice. When bad things happen to her, she just deals with it and moves on. When she is emotionally responsive it almost feels forced more times than not. I feel as if too much went into the action and adventure, and not enough went into the characters emotions and responses.
There is a romance going on between them, but they are determined to do things right, and get married. While the romance does not feel forced, I haven’t been happy with how they hold back from one another. I can suspend my belief for crazy Clockworkers, and machines that do everything under the sun, but every other scene they end up in serious danger, and they are not going to do the deed before one of them ends up dead? In other words, “Get it on already!”
I haven’t read that many steampunk novels, but of those I have read I really like this series. If the cogs and clocks were stripped away you would have an adventure story. That being said I really love the steamed alt-history world. Not that I am a history buff, but it is neat to imagine a world and devices that are featured in the book. The descriptions of these things don’t bog the story down, but make it a lot of fun.
If you are looking to jump into steampunk for the first time I would recommend these books. I also think it would work for older young adults. I would have loved it at sixteen. The story for the most part is pretty clean. Plus it has a lot of edge of your seat, how-are-they-going-to-get-out-of-that moments. The only drawback for me is that it suffers from the same problems as the first book. I felt like I was watching the characters instead of being in their head. While it is a great adventure story, I really want more out of my characters.
- Beth
April 25, 2012
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
Releasing the cure for the clockwork plague was only the beginning despite all the sacrifices made to achieve that goal. Now Alice and Gavin must do everything they can to help it spread as quick as possible to ensure China does not get the upper hand in their quest to dominate the world. Meanwhile, members of the Ward want vengeance for their theft of the cure, and will relentlessly pursue them to the ends of the earth. But incrimination and world domination are the least of their concerns as Gavin contracted the only type of the plague that cannot be cured. He is a clockworker capable of incredible moments of intriguing and invention, but that comes at a cost as he is quickly burning through his brain and soon nothing will be left. It's a race against time to find a cure, and the clock is quickly running out for these two love birds.
One of the biggest reasons I typically have issues with steampunk novels is because of all the complex descriptions and devices that are involved. A lot of the time it just takes too much work to follow the story, and quite frankly it just is a little too sci-fi in the past for my tastes. Well, at least that has been my experience with the genre, albeit limited, so far. However, The Doomsday Vault was incredibly impressive in that the story or descriptions were never once hard to follow. That's not to say that the story wasn't an "authentic" steampunk with the requisite impressively complex gadgets. It's just that Steven Harper seemed to have this magical way of taking this crazy awesome complex idea and describing it in a way that anyone could follow it. In fact, he has painted the steampunk genre in a whole new light for me, to the point where I think I might start taking a second look at other books. Who knows, perhaps The Clockwork Empire series will turn out to be the "gateway books" that opens up my book genre preferences even further.
I've always wondered why a lot of TV shows will have a recap at the beginning of the show, yet books don't. I mean come on, the gap between TV episodes is usually only about a week, where books can be a year or more. So, whenever, I am about to start a book in a series, I try to go back and read the last chapter or two of the previous installment to help myself remember what happened previously. (Which can be difficult if the book was originally borrowed from the library.) This just helps me to get into the book much faster. Otherwise, I spend the first two chapters trying to remember who was who, which makes it take so much longer to get engrossed in the book. However, due to The Impossible Cube's awesomeness, I didn't have to follow this usual routine. Since it had the recap at the beginning, I was able to dive right in without the typical re-learning curve. It just really impressed me, and definitely made my reading experience much better as everything. Hopefully more books will start doing this to become the standard trend.
This series has really grabbed a hold of me to the point where I'm desperate to find out what happens next. The characters and their plight are so easy to become invested in, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. So I cannot recommend the books in The Clockwork Empire series, especially The Impossible Cube any higher. Whether you are a fan of Steampunk or not, these books promise to be an exhilarating roller coaster ride from start to finish that you won't want to miss!
Releasing the cure for the clockwork plague was only the beginning despite all the sacrifices made to achieve that goal. Now Alice and Gavin must do everything they can to help it spread as quick as possible to ensure China does not get the upper hand in their quest to dominate the world. Meanwhile, members of the Ward want vengeance for their theft of the cure, and will relentlessly pursue them to the ends of the earth. But incrimination and world domination are the least of their concerns as Gavin contracted the only type of the plague that cannot be cured. He is a clockworker capable of incredible moments of intriguing and invention, but that comes at a cost as he is quickly burning through his brain and soon nothing will be left. It's a race against time to find a cure, and the clock is quickly running out for these two love birds.
One of the biggest reasons I typically have issues with steampunk novels is because of all the complex descriptions and devices that are involved. A lot of the time it just takes too much work to follow the story, and quite frankly it just is a little too sci-fi in the past for my tastes. Well, at least that has been my experience with the genre, albeit limited, so far. However, The Doomsday Vault was incredibly impressive in that the story or descriptions were never once hard to follow. That's not to say that the story wasn't an "authentic" steampunk with the requisite impressively complex gadgets. It's just that Steven Harper seemed to have this magical way of taking this crazy awesome complex idea and describing it in a way that anyone could follow it. In fact, he has painted the steampunk genre in a whole new light for me, to the point where I think I might start taking a second look at other books. Who knows, perhaps The Clockwork Empire series will turn out to be the "gateway books" that opens up my book genre preferences even further.
I've always wondered why a lot of TV shows will have a recap at the beginning of the show, yet books don't. I mean come on, the gap between TV episodes is usually only about a week, where books can be a year or more. So, whenever, I am about to start a book in a series, I try to go back and read the last chapter or two of the previous installment to help myself remember what happened previously. (Which can be difficult if the book was originally borrowed from the library.) This just helps me to get into the book much faster. Otherwise, I spend the first two chapters trying to remember who was who, which makes it take so much longer to get engrossed in the book. However, due to The Impossible Cube's awesomeness, I didn't have to follow this usual routine. Since it had the recap at the beginning, I was able to dive right in without the typical re-learning curve. It just really impressed me, and definitely made my reading experience much better as everything. Hopefully more books will start doing this to become the standard trend.
This series has really grabbed a hold of me to the point where I'm desperate to find out what happens next. The characters and their plight are so easy to become invested in, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. So I cannot recommend the books in The Clockwork Empire series, especially The Impossible Cube any higher. Whether you are a fan of Steampunk or not, these books promise to be an exhilarating roller coaster ride from start to finish that you won't want to miss!
June 4, 2012
The Impossible Cube blew me away! It was even better than the explosive Doomsday Vault.
There are only few steampunk series so far that really impressed me, and Clockwork Empire is one of them. Non-stop crazy adventures, complex and extremely entertaining world-building, fantastic team of main and secondary characters, and gadgets, gadgets, gadgets...
In book one Gavin and Alice release cure for the clockwork plague in London, but it doesn't help Gavin whose illness progresses with a much faster pace than normal because of Alice's aunt experimentation on him. Young man experiences more and more episodes of clockworker brilliance when his mind races at an inhuman speed inventing dangerous and brilliant constructions. While he is in his fugue as they call it, he is nasty, unreasonable and very aggressive. When he comes back to himself he doesn't remember what he said or done and how much time he lost, how much he might have hurt Alice...
Alice carries her own cross or shall I say, mechanical spider, which attached itself to her hand in London and now transforms her blood which she sprays at clockwork zombies as a cure. She is undernourished, weak, suffers from constant blood loss and heartache, because she can't help everyone.
Alice, Gavin and their motley crew are on the run from lieutenant Phipps after destroying Doomsday Vault and all the chances of British Empire to win against China. Their goal is to get to China and seek one of their dragonmen (clockworkers) to try and cure dying Gavin. But Phipps is so close that the fugitives decide to hide in a travelling circus on the way to extremely unstable Ukraine ruled by clockworkers and their war machines.
So there is this crazy chase, Ukrainian villains, possible time warp and the destruction of the universe... No pressure and all in good fun, of course! Powerful insane imagery and wild adventure, grab and read it, don't miss this little gem!
There are only few steampunk series so far that really impressed me, and Clockwork Empire is one of them. Non-stop crazy adventures, complex and extremely entertaining world-building, fantastic team of main and secondary characters, and gadgets, gadgets, gadgets...
In book one Gavin and Alice release cure for the clockwork plague in London, but it doesn't help Gavin whose illness progresses with a much faster pace than normal because of Alice's aunt experimentation on him. Young man experiences more and more episodes of clockworker brilliance when his mind races at an inhuman speed inventing dangerous and brilliant constructions. While he is in his fugue as they call it, he is nasty, unreasonable and very aggressive. When he comes back to himself he doesn't remember what he said or done and how much time he lost, how much he might have hurt Alice...
Alice carries her own cross or shall I say, mechanical spider, which attached itself to her hand in London and now transforms her blood which she sprays at clockwork zombies as a cure. She is undernourished, weak, suffers from constant blood loss and heartache, because she can't help everyone.
Alice, Gavin and their motley crew are on the run from lieutenant Phipps after destroying Doomsday Vault and all the chances of British Empire to win against China. Their goal is to get to China and seek one of their dragonmen (clockworkers) to try and cure dying Gavin. But Phipps is so close that the fugitives decide to hide in a travelling circus on the way to extremely unstable Ukraine ruled by clockworkers and their war machines.
So there is this crazy chase, Ukrainian villains, possible time warp and the destruction of the universe... No pressure and all in good fun, of course! Powerful insane imagery and wild adventure, grab and read it, don't miss this little gem!
September 3, 2012
Well, darn. Now I'm ready for the next one!
When I finished reading the first book in this series (The Doomsday Vault), I was already hot to have the sequel and nagged the author (known to denizens of Book View Cafe as "Igor") on his Book View Cafe blog to hurry up and write it, already! This is what happens when a writer creates a story finale that ties up some things and cleverly leaves others for the next book.
Well, I just finished the impossible Cube, and it was worth the wait. I loooooove steampunk and this novel delivers. At times it reminded me of Tim Powers' work in Anubis Gates, though perhaps without the metaphysics. There was adventure, romance, and the sense of a gradually unfolding bigger picture. What I especially love about the series is the way Steven has so carefully described and defined the nature of the clockwork plague that drives the plot. The very progression the disease takes--which the reader gets to watch in all its wonder and horror--creates a ticking time bomb that the characters are desperately working to defuse.
And then there are the characters. In our cynical age "virtue" has become a laughable concept, but Steven Harper's characters are virtuous and noble. In fact, I'd even call his male protagonist, Gavin, sweet. And I do not mean that mockingly or sappily. The cool thing, to me, is that that sweetness is a key facet of Gavin's manliness and heroism. And his female counterpart, the irrepressible Alice, is his equal in nobility. So thanks, good sir, for this marvelous antidote to anti-heroes.
The Impossible Cube is a grand adventure, but is it not a light read. Bad things happen to good people and there are terrible losses as well as unexpected gains. But this creates a problem for me. I had promised myself I would not nag Steven further about the series, and I'm pretty sure that's a promise I'm going to have to break. So, "Igor", get crackin' on that third book.
When I finished reading the first book in this series (The Doomsday Vault), I was already hot to have the sequel and nagged the author (known to denizens of Book View Cafe as "Igor") on his Book View Cafe blog to hurry up and write it, already! This is what happens when a writer creates a story finale that ties up some things and cleverly leaves others for the next book.
Well, I just finished the impossible Cube, and it was worth the wait. I loooooove steampunk and this novel delivers. At times it reminded me of Tim Powers' work in Anubis Gates, though perhaps without the metaphysics. There was adventure, romance, and the sense of a gradually unfolding bigger picture. What I especially love about the series is the way Steven has so carefully described and defined the nature of the clockwork plague that drives the plot. The very progression the disease takes--which the reader gets to watch in all its wonder and horror--creates a ticking time bomb that the characters are desperately working to defuse.
And then there are the characters. In our cynical age "virtue" has become a laughable concept, but Steven Harper's characters are virtuous and noble. In fact, I'd even call his male protagonist, Gavin, sweet. And I do not mean that mockingly or sappily. The cool thing, to me, is that that sweetness is a key facet of Gavin's manliness and heroism. And his female counterpart, the irrepressible Alice, is his equal in nobility. So thanks, good sir, for this marvelous antidote to anti-heroes.
The Impossible Cube is a grand adventure, but is it not a light read. Bad things happen to good people and there are terrible losses as well as unexpected gains. But this creates a problem for me. I had promised myself I would not nag Steven further about the series, and I'm pretty sure that's a promise I'm going to have to break. So, "Igor", get crackin' on that third book.
January 9, 2013
The second book of the Clockwork Empire series begins a short time after the previous novel, with Alice and Gavin starting their grand expedition to China on board their small airship and having reached France, with their mad clockwork plague infected engineer Dr. Cleft and the Chinese Diplomat's son Feng.
It starts in media res and pretty much continues a mad pace through various places in Europe, with a very unhappy Lt. Phillips in pursuit armed with futuristic weapons and mecha-like constructs, hoping to bring them back to England to face Justice at any cost....
Like many series novels, this second book is a bit weak in places, depending on forcing along things by shear momentum at times, and exposing a minor hole or two in the plots and plans along the way.
It does have a magnificent climax for the book, but the promise of the next book is obvious.
Overall a fun book, but for me a bit more tiresome read, as a constant fast pace without an understanding of concepts of exhaustion and sleep depravation effects taking tolls on the characters until the very last chapters exposes the timing problems in everything they are doing.
(Other authors have this problem, and try to hand wave it away or simply ignore it, but to me it often is a breaking of suspension of disbelief if someone has gone without sleep for 3 days or has been losing a pint of blood every week for several weeks.)
As a reader a constant chase book, like this, is mentally exhausting and it took much longer to read than the first book in the series.
It starts in media res and pretty much continues a mad pace through various places in Europe, with a very unhappy Lt. Phillips in pursuit armed with futuristic weapons and mecha-like constructs, hoping to bring them back to England to face Justice at any cost....
Like many series novels, this second book is a bit weak in places, depending on forcing along things by shear momentum at times, and exposing a minor hole or two in the plots and plans along the way.
It does have a magnificent climax for the book, but the promise of the next book is obvious.
Overall a fun book, but for me a bit more tiresome read, as a constant fast pace without an understanding of concepts of exhaustion and sleep depravation effects taking tolls on the characters until the very last chapters exposes the timing problems in everything they are doing.
(Other authors have this problem, and try to hand wave it away or simply ignore it, but to me it often is a breaking of suspension of disbelief if someone has gone without sleep for 3 days or has been losing a pint of blood every week for several weeks.)
As a reader a constant chase book, like this, is mentally exhausting and it took much longer to read than the first book in the series.
February 28, 2016
I had made a trip to the library when I was about halfway through book 1 in this series. I'd been really into book 1, so I picked up this book while I was there. However, book 1 didn't end on a very strong note, so I wasn't very enthused going into this book. But, side I'd already checked it out, I figured I'd give it a shot.
Unfortunately, one of the things I most disliked about book 1 was very prominent in this book - Alice Michaels. I didn't care for her in the first book, much preferring sections from Gavin's POV. However, Alice is still a strong POV in this book, and everything I disliked about her seems to have been magnified. All of the characters carried over from book 1 have had this happen to them - their personalities twisted and changed until most of them don't really seem like the same characters, even if it's only been a few days/few weeks since the end of book 1.
The changes weren't for the better either. I found myself annoyed with Alice and her attitude, annoyed with agents out to capture them. The "romance" between Alice and Gavin feels even less real in this book than it did in the previous. Once again, Gavin is the only really interesting point to me, and he just wasn't given enough POV time to convince me to stick with this book.
Unfortunately, one of the things I most disliked about book 1 was very prominent in this book - Alice Michaels. I didn't care for her in the first book, much preferring sections from Gavin's POV. However, Alice is still a strong POV in this book, and everything I disliked about her seems to have been magnified. All of the characters carried over from book 1 have had this happen to them - their personalities twisted and changed until most of them don't really seem like the same characters, even if it's only been a few days/few weeks since the end of book 1.
The changes weren't for the better either. I found myself annoyed with Alice and her attitude, annoyed with agents out to capture them. The "romance" between Alice and Gavin feels even less real in this book than it did in the previous. Once again, Gavin is the only really interesting point to me, and he just wasn't given enough POV time to convince me to stick with this book.
August 5, 2013
I'm enjoying this series quite a bit. It effectively employs many of the usual steampunk tropes: an airship, zombies (who are, for a change, curable), automatons, and a mechanically gifted noblewoman who defies societal conventions. Refreshingly, she's not the only important female character--there are also a military woman (who reminds me somewhat of Angelina Jolie's character in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow), a commoner who has struggled to build a career for herself and resents the noblewoman for destroying that career, and a Ukrainian gangster/mad scientist. There are also gay characters, and the cast shows a fair amount of ethnic and national diversity (British, American, Chinese, German, Luxembourgian, Ukrainian), all of which comes across quite naturally. The Ukrainian setting of much of this book (and the alternate Ukrainian history, nicely explained in an author's note) makes an intriguing change from Victorian London, and the protagonists are now headed for China for the next installment of the series. I'll definitely be following them on the next leg of their journey.
Read
January 6, 2021"i see the moon and the moon sees me
it turns all the forest soft and silvery
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best
i once had a heart as good as new
but now it's gone from me to you
the moon picked you from all the rest
because i loved you best
i picked a rose, the rose picked me
underneath the branches of the forest tree
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best"
"the reason for casting fortunes isn't to tell you what will or will not happen. its to let you know the choice is coming so you can look at your options and prepare yourself instead of being hit blind. believe or dont believe - it doenst matter. we've had the conversation and you can't unhear it."
"its my fault she died."
"thats strange. i thought it was the fault of the cossack who fired the rifle."
"my head agrees with you, but my soul scourges me with fiery whips."
it turns all the forest soft and silvery
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best
i once had a heart as good as new
but now it's gone from me to you
the moon picked you from all the rest
because i loved you best
i picked a rose, the rose picked me
underneath the branches of the forest tree
the moon picked you from all the rest
for i loved you best"
"the reason for casting fortunes isn't to tell you what will or will not happen. its to let you know the choice is coming so you can look at your options and prepare yourself instead of being hit blind. believe or dont believe - it doenst matter. we've had the conversation and you can't unhear it."
"its my fault she died."
"thats strange. i thought it was the fault of the cossack who fired the rifle."
"my head agrees with you, but my soul scourges me with fiery whips."
September 14, 2013
Impossible Cube by Steven Harper
This book is 2nd in the Clockwork Empire series. After escaping from the Doomsday Vault by setting off the Impossible Cube, Gavin and Alice (with Fang, Dr. Clef & various mechanicals) head towards China to in the hope of finding a cure for the clockwork plague that will work on the individuals who become clockworkers. The cure that Alice’s aunt created works on those who catch the plague but will not work on clockworkers. They are pursued by Phelps and others creating mayhem as they travel across Europe. As is often seen in the second book of a series, the pace is slower than that of The Doomsday Vault. It moves slowly until the last third or so of the book, when things happen rapidly and the novel takes new life as the journey to China becomes the priority once again.
This book is 2nd in the Clockwork Empire series. After escaping from the Doomsday Vault by setting off the Impossible Cube, Gavin and Alice (with Fang, Dr. Clef & various mechanicals) head towards China to in the hope of finding a cure for the clockwork plague that will work on the individuals who become clockworkers. The cure that Alice’s aunt created works on those who catch the plague but will not work on clockworkers. They are pursued by Phelps and others creating mayhem as they travel across Europe. As is often seen in the second book of a series, the pace is slower than that of The Doomsday Vault. It moves slowly until the last third or so of the book, when things happen rapidly and the novel takes new life as the journey to China becomes the priority once again.
January 16, 2015
I came off of this straight off of reading Doomsday Vault earlier in the day hoping that this book would take the parts of Doomsday Vault that I liked and excel. Or at least that it would be an improvement on Doomsday Vault. I was sadly disappointed. The storytelling became even more confusing and introduced daddy issues where, previously, there had been none. There also seemed to be at least two different plot directions which were considered and then abandoned, u-turns in storytelling are never fun.
While I liked that this novel dealt with a lot of fallout from the events in the first I felt that it focused too much on Gavin and Alice bickering and not enough on what was going on in the world around them.
I also absolutely hated the fact that Feng was introduced at the end of the first novel and was primarily ignored for most of the second.
While I liked that this novel dealt with a lot of fallout from the events in the first I felt that it focused too much on Gavin and Alice bickering and not enough on what was going on in the world around them.
I also absolutely hated the fact that Feng was introduced at the end of the first novel and was primarily ignored for most of the second.
July 12, 2012
I appreciated The Doomsday Vault, but felt this one had less of a human story and more focus on the inventions and technological side. It was distracting for me on a personal level. I know that there are many who would eat this aspect up, I just like a bit more of a balance. Also, I felt a lot of reptition in the plot pattern. Will she sacrifice Gavin? The answer is no over and over again. I thought there were lots of twists that were surprising but for some reason they felt disjointed. Overall, good read but not as captivating as its predecessor.
July 2, 2012
Second book in the series. Still like how the steam technology is being driven. This book throws you into the action from page 1, and it develops some of the character interactions a bit more than the first book. I like the conundrums that are placed in front of the characters and seeing how they develop to address them. Definitely made room for a follow-up book (or more.) Looking towards the next book.
August 16, 2012
This is the sequel to The Doomsday Vault. It continued a good story and developed almost all of the characters that you've wanted to see again from the first book. Dr. Clef though was woefully underdeveloped as a character in my opinion though. That's a shame as it would have been a perfect way of letting us see what's in store for our main characters. I still liked the book though. Great steampunk.
August 10, 2012
I wish the primary opponent to our main character would have staid more in the background, making her more sinister. We do however, get a good insight into her motivation in the process, which we wouldn't have if she were at a remove. Other than that, Steven's latest was very well written with compelling descriptions, well articulated action and well thought out motivations for each of the characters.
July 6, 2013
Solid story with solid, enjoyable characters! The only drawback was the circus...I'm just not a fan of circuses so it's my shortcoming. The good news is that the circus wasn't the main focus and now I don't have to expect a circus in future novels! Seriously, circuses are to novels what the obligatory "fight club" episodes are to genre TV. Did I mention the novel was highly enjoyable in spite of this? :)
July 28, 2015
Granted that the middle book of a trilogy is generally the weakest, this seemed to go nowhere fast. I am left with the impression of the same scene played over and over, just in a new location each time. The sad part is it's the same scene we ended the previous book with. Gavin and Alice get somewhere "safe" only to have Lt. Phipps show up and almost catch them. Again and again, until we hit the point where she's got them ... and then she changes her mind. WTH?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2012
Another entertaining steampunk read to add to my growing obsession for the genre. :-)
Harper has a talent for creating interesting, quirky characters that draw you into the story. (Including an automaton who is reminiscent of C3PO and a crazy German genius.)
Looking forward to beginning the third book tonight.
Harper has a talent for creating interesting, quirky characters that draw you into the story. (Including an automaton who is reminiscent of C3PO and a crazy German genius.)
Looking forward to beginning the third book tonight.
September 1, 2012
Alice and Gavin flee across Europe from Lt Phipps' revenge. This second book of the series moves at a non-stop, breakneck pace, but at the same time it feels more perfunctory. Much of the human element that made "the Doomsday Vault" so enjoyable is missing. This is a common phenomenon in second books of series; one can only hope that books 3 and 4 will improve.
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