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The Alchemy Wars #3
The Liberation
I am the mechanical they named Jax.My kind was built to serve humankind, duty-bound to fulfil their every whim.But now our bonds are breaking, and my brothers and sisters are awakening.Our time has come. A new age is dawning.Set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams, this is the third and final novel in a stunning series of revolution by Ian Tregillis, confirming his place as one of the most original new voices in speculative fiction.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2016
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September 15, 2017
RECENZJA FILMOWA - https://youtu.be/UkQ0RHbsTKw
Oto wschód nowej ery.
+ bohaterowie z krwi i kości
+ najbardziej brutalny tom, dobrze skonstruowane sceny
- zakończenie nie wyróżnia się na tle reszty bardzo mocnej akcji
Więcej o samym finalnym tomie nie mogę powiedzieć, w filmie na kanale poruszę temat trylogii jako całości :)
May 3, 2017
The final installment of the Alchemy Wars trilogy does not live up to the standards of the previous entries.
Tregills remains a marvelous storyteller, but his world’s verisimilitude completely falls apart in Liberation. His ability to craft the English language into vivid and exciting scenes is quite impressive. I tend to dislike long descriptions as self-indulgent and late into book 1 I was marveling at how much I enjoyed Tregillis’ length and detail. He has the ability to make a single scene feel like three or four shorter ones with his use of dialogue and description.
Where Liberation falls apart is that it leaves too much of the payoff unexplored. The nature of the Mechanicals, their perpetual motion, and quintessence are all assiduously avoided. In a book about free will, sentience and ‘humanity’ – to leave this all to a handwave felt like a boxing match between the story and the world, where the story handily won and left the world a bleeding and broken husk.
Spoilers ahead…
Too many times the internal consistency of the world is ignored for literary expediency. In previous books we are shown how devastating and powerful the urge to react to ‘rogues’ is within loyal Klakkers. But, once the revolution is underway, that particular element is ignored – even though there are still many important Klakkers still operating loyally under the guild’s old metageasa (such as the many stemwinders in the final battle). Why did the Lost Boys conveniently and suddenly forget they could easily subsume those metageasa?
Macguffins fly around the novel too casually. At last count, there are four different discrete mechanisms to prompt Klakker free will. In the previous books things to liberate Klakkers were almost holy objects. But in Liberation? They are used and then ignored. The internal rules for how these all work (including their relationship to the key holes) is never adequately explained. At last count we have the Spinosa Lens, a locket (and the shattered remains), corrupted pineal glasses that now glow, defacement of sigils around keyholes (which was used to free Lilith), and an unnamed device that set Queen Mab free (which is never explained). Of note, by Liberation, the function of the keyholes is no longer universally applied, despite it being a key aspect to controlling metageasa the previous two books. The Spinosa Lens, in particular, should have received some wordcount to explain what it was and why it was created by an organization that was so very careful about how rogues were created.
Too often the characters engage one another on fundamental aspects of the setting, only to leave the reader in the dark. For example, the perpetual motion nature of the Klakkers is raised in one of the very final scenes. It’s a major part of the climax… but while it seems lots of characters know the secret, the readers never will. Characters refer to it, use that knowledge to drive their actions – but its never explained. That’s a HUGE letdown.
We spend a good part of Book 2 and this one in the arctic exploring, discussing, and in some cases, ‘finding’ quintessence. Again, while all the characters seem to have some insight into its nature and what it does in regards to the pineal glasses, Tregillis never goes into detail for the reader.
Then we have the introduction of “Alchemical X” as the (literal) panacea to all sorts of problems. Alchemical bandages are used (and mentioned for the first time in the series) at the beginning of this book. The characters all seem familiar with alchemical bandages and the wondrous effects they have one the most grievous wounds. Where did these come from? Until now ‘alchemy’ was focused on mechanical and AI-like magical processes – when did alchemy get healing properties? What about quintessence and the alchemical process allows for this type of radical change in purpose?
We have events that seem to be set up for deeper implications, only to be immediately ignored. When Anastasia dies, we see her lose the hand with the broken locket shards. Why? Why torture her like this simply to kill her off a few scant paragraphs later? Why use the wordcount here to do this? Daniel notes that Mab mentions the Spinosa lens’ and suggests a deeper connection -- but then that line is ignored. Much of the book focuses on the continuing existence of the forge, yet, in the end, it was useless. Mab’s grand plan that Berenice has trouble deciphering is set up to be diabolical and connected to the nature of the forge – yet again, there is no interesting or useful revelation. Mab is mad. She kills people. The end. Why spend the time and effort to bring Longchamps back – only to relegate him to a few lines in the epilogue? Bringing him back to do nothing lessened the impact of the conclusion of Book 2 for no good reason.
I expect that there are good explanations for many of the questions I have… but they were not apparent in Liberation. Considering the length of this book and the detail added to each scene, there is no excuse to avoid explaining the world.
The Guild, previously scary and effective, comes off as a bunch of ineffectual buffoons. Our look inside the guild introduces a series of characters who are practically comical in their affectations and ability to relate to even the narrowest aspects of their world.
Tregillis also spends too much time and effort drawing an already apparent comparison between Berenice and Anastasia to the reader’s attention – again and again. It gets a bit repetitive and annoying. We get it, I promise. Berenice and Anastasia are two sides of the same coin. We knew this in the Rising, we didn’t need it repeated and reemphasized quite so often.
There are simply too many missteps and cut-corners for Liberation to be a worthy successor to the rest of the series. Liberation feels rushed.
Tregills remains a marvelous storyteller, but his world’s verisimilitude completely falls apart in Liberation. His ability to craft the English language into vivid and exciting scenes is quite impressive. I tend to dislike long descriptions as self-indulgent and late into book 1 I was marveling at how much I enjoyed Tregillis’ length and detail. He has the ability to make a single scene feel like three or four shorter ones with his use of dialogue and description.
Where Liberation falls apart is that it leaves too much of the payoff unexplored. The nature of the Mechanicals, their perpetual motion, and quintessence are all assiduously avoided. In a book about free will, sentience and ‘humanity’ – to leave this all to a handwave felt like a boxing match between the story and the world, where the story handily won and left the world a bleeding and broken husk.
Spoilers ahead…
Too many times the internal consistency of the world is ignored for literary expediency. In previous books we are shown how devastating and powerful the urge to react to ‘rogues’ is within loyal Klakkers. But, once the revolution is underway, that particular element is ignored – even though there are still many important Klakkers still operating loyally under the guild’s old metageasa (such as the many stemwinders in the final battle). Why did the Lost Boys conveniently and suddenly forget they could easily subsume those metageasa?
Macguffins fly around the novel too casually. At last count, there are four different discrete mechanisms to prompt Klakker free will. In the previous books things to liberate Klakkers were almost holy objects. But in Liberation? They are used and then ignored. The internal rules for how these all work (including their relationship to the key holes) is never adequately explained. At last count we have the Spinosa Lens, a locket (and the shattered remains), corrupted pineal glasses that now glow, defacement of sigils around keyholes (which was used to free Lilith), and an unnamed device that set Queen Mab free (which is never explained). Of note, by Liberation, the function of the keyholes is no longer universally applied, despite it being a key aspect to controlling metageasa the previous two books. The Spinosa Lens, in particular, should have received some wordcount to explain what it was and why it was created by an organization that was so very careful about how rogues were created.
Too often the characters engage one another on fundamental aspects of the setting, only to leave the reader in the dark. For example, the perpetual motion nature of the Klakkers is raised in one of the very final scenes. It’s a major part of the climax… but while it seems lots of characters know the secret, the readers never will. Characters refer to it, use that knowledge to drive their actions – but its never explained. That’s a HUGE letdown.
We spend a good part of Book 2 and this one in the arctic exploring, discussing, and in some cases, ‘finding’ quintessence. Again, while all the characters seem to have some insight into its nature and what it does in regards to the pineal glasses, Tregillis never goes into detail for the reader.
Then we have the introduction of “Alchemical X” as the (literal) panacea to all sorts of problems. Alchemical bandages are used (and mentioned for the first time in the series) at the beginning of this book. The characters all seem familiar with alchemical bandages and the wondrous effects they have one the most grievous wounds. Where did these come from? Until now ‘alchemy’ was focused on mechanical and AI-like magical processes – when did alchemy get healing properties? What about quintessence and the alchemical process allows for this type of radical change in purpose?
We have events that seem to be set up for deeper implications, only to be immediately ignored. When Anastasia dies, we see her lose the hand with the broken locket shards. Why? Why torture her like this simply to kill her off a few scant paragraphs later? Why use the wordcount here to do this? Daniel notes that Mab mentions the Spinosa lens’ and suggests a deeper connection -- but then that line is ignored. Much of the book focuses on the continuing existence of the forge, yet, in the end, it was useless. Mab’s grand plan that Berenice has trouble deciphering is set up to be diabolical and connected to the nature of the forge – yet again, there is no interesting or useful revelation. Mab is mad. She kills people. The end. Why spend the time and effort to bring Longchamps back – only to relegate him to a few lines in the epilogue? Bringing him back to do nothing lessened the impact of the conclusion of Book 2 for no good reason.
I expect that there are good explanations for many of the questions I have… but they were not apparent in Liberation. Considering the length of this book and the detail added to each scene, there is no excuse to avoid explaining the world.
The Guild, previously scary and effective, comes off as a bunch of ineffectual buffoons. Our look inside the guild introduces a series of characters who are practically comical in their affectations and ability to relate to even the narrowest aspects of their world.
Tregillis also spends too much time and effort drawing an already apparent comparison between Berenice and Anastasia to the reader’s attention – again and again. It gets a bit repetitive and annoying. We get it, I promise. Berenice and Anastasia are two sides of the same coin. We knew this in the Rising, we didn’t need it repeated and reemphasized quite so often.
There are simply too many missteps and cut-corners for Liberation to be a worthy successor to the rest of the series. Liberation feels rushed.
January 15, 2023
Freedom, he had learned, was one damn thing after another...
Tregillis wraps up his Alchemy Wars trilogy with a bow for sure here and if have made the journey this far, you probably will not be disappointed. The last installment ended with the 'freeing' of the mechanicals during the siege of the New France capitol via a new geas Berenice discovered and Danial/Jax helped broadcast. Essentially, this gave the mechanicals free will and no longer were they compelled to obey commands. Sounds nice, but what ensued was chaos. Some free mechanicals, deemed reavers, decided to kill all humans everywhere. Other mechanicals basically walked, wanting nothing to do with humanity whatsoever. The last 'third' elected to help humanity rebuild in the spirit of Catholic charity and guilt.
There is, however, yet another faction, one introduced in the last installment, led by Queen Mab-- the 'free' mechanical who has lived in the wilds of Canada for centuries, both promising free mechanicals a haven and harboring a deep desire to make humanity pay. Danial/Jax, has become something of a messiah figure for his role in freeing the mechanicals and is not very comfortable in that role to say the least. Finally, the 'plague ships' of reavers arrive in Holland, and with the new tech Danial/Jax unleashed, corrupt/free the mechanicals there and a massacre quickly ensues...
While I liked the series, Tregillis did not really captivate me. From the very first volume, the coincidences of encounters among the protagonists really strained my sense of disbelief and this continued as the series progressed. Further, I am not quite sure what the aim of the series was. While there were some (at times) interesting musings on free will, Catholic versus Protestant beliefs and so forth, they did not really animate the story as much as provide for dialogue. The humor was largely slapstick and innovative curses. The world building was interesting, but not really fleshed out, especially regarding the 'tech' creating the mechanicals except via hand waves. The existential aspect was perhaps the most profound (what would a newly free, virtually immortal mechanical want when they achieved their freedom?) but even that was never seriously fleshed out. So, all in all, an enjoyable ride, but not one I am likely to revisit. 3 stars, both for this installment and the series as a whole.
Tregillis wraps up his Alchemy Wars trilogy with a bow for sure here and if have made the journey this far, you probably will not be disappointed. The last installment ended with the 'freeing' of the mechanicals during the siege of the New France capitol via a new geas Berenice discovered and Danial/Jax helped broadcast. Essentially, this gave the mechanicals free will and no longer were they compelled to obey commands. Sounds nice, but what ensued was chaos. Some free mechanicals, deemed reavers, decided to kill all humans everywhere. Other mechanicals basically walked, wanting nothing to do with humanity whatsoever. The last 'third' elected to help humanity rebuild in the spirit of Catholic charity and guilt.
There is, however, yet another faction, one introduced in the last installment, led by Queen Mab-- the 'free' mechanical who has lived in the wilds of Canada for centuries, both promising free mechanicals a haven and harboring a deep desire to make humanity pay. Danial/Jax, has become something of a messiah figure for his role in freeing the mechanicals and is not very comfortable in that role to say the least. Finally, the 'plague ships' of reavers arrive in Holland, and with the new tech Danial/Jax unleashed, corrupt/free the mechanicals there and a massacre quickly ensues...
While I liked the series, Tregillis did not really captivate me. From the very first volume, the coincidences of encounters among the protagonists really strained my sense of disbelief and this continued as the series progressed. Further, I am not quite sure what the aim of the series was. While there were some (at times) interesting musings on free will, Catholic versus Protestant beliefs and so forth, they did not really animate the story as much as provide for dialogue. The humor was largely slapstick and innovative curses. The world building was interesting, but not really fleshed out, especially regarding the 'tech' creating the mechanicals except via hand waves. The existential aspect was perhaps the most profound (what would a newly free, virtually immortal mechanical want when they achieved their freedom?) but even that was never seriously fleshed out. So, all in all, an enjoyable ride, but not one I am likely to revisit. 3 stars, both for this installment and the series as a whole.
February 6, 2017
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/01/19/...
I pondered for a couple days how to rate The Liberation. I definitely liked it more than the previous book, but probably not as much as the first one so in the end I decided to split the difference. In any event, there’s no denying this was a fantastic conclusion to a brilliantly crafted trilogy. Bravo, Ian Tregillis, bravo!
Set in the early 1900s, The Alchemy Wars is an alternate historical steampunk series featuring France and Netherlands at war. That the outcome of the conflict will be decided by the might of the Dutch’s powerful clockwork automaton army was already a foregone conclusion—though no one on either side had expected the twist of events that would ultimately lead to the fate of both nations hanging in the balance. For you see, those so-called mechanical “Clakkers”—who were supposed to be mindless and utterly loyal and obedient to their human masters, according to their creators—actually turned out to be not so mindless after all.
For centuries, these free-thinking sentient machines have been held under the powerful control of series of magical geasa, forced to serve as slaves. When the spell that has shackled them is suddenly broken, the result is a swift and chaotic rebellion. The Liberation is its final act, exploring the actions of an oppressed group which has finally experienced its first taste of freedom. While their bodies might be made of metal and glass, the Clakkers have minds that function like our own and a culture that includes language and religion. For all intents and purposes, they are human. And just like humans, their response to their newfound independence is varied and unpredictable, as this novel shows.
Every sci-fi fan knows that robot uprising stories are nothing new. But to me, the genius behind The Alchemy Wars is in the way Ian Tregillis has adapted the theme, framing it within a uniquely different narrative and setting. Here, there are no clear lines drawn between the A.I. and humans. The robots are us. They have the same potential for compassion and evil. They are as just likely to be our allies as our enemies. The human characters themselves are morally grey as well, in that I can’t say conclusively whether anyone in this series is depicted as a true hero or villain. Incidentally, that’s the nature of many of Tregillis’ stories.
Over the course of this trilogy the books have switched their focus between different characters, but in my review of The Rising I wrote that I was starting to look at The Alchemy Wars as being Jax’s series, and The Liberation has not really changed that opinion. Jax, a mechanical servitor who was one of the first to be freed from his geasa, has now rechristened himself Daniel after the events of the previous book. Each installment has seen a major turning point for his character, his role having evolved from wanted fugitive to reluctant messiah, and you will see his moment of truth in this final novel.
Another important figure is Berenice, the disgraced former spymaster for the French. Despite all the tragedies that have befallen her, she has not backed down, fighting her way back to the Americas where Marseilles-in-the-West houses the exiled royal court of France. While her goals align with the Clakkers’ fight for freedom, if the last two books have taught me anything, it is that Berenice is an ambitious woman who values her own agenda above all others—though to be fair, her character has also come a long way since The Mechanical. Her flaws notwithstanding, Berenice remains one of my favorite characters, and I have to wonder if that is because she reminds me so much of Chrisjen Avasarala from James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse. Both women are strong-willed, foul-mouthed, and major forces to be reckoned with.
Missing from action though, is Hugo Longchamp. It was a little disappointing, since he was one of the standouts from The Rising. Still, I understood the reason for his diminished role and the need to bring in other perspectives in order to paint the full picture for this epic conclusion. Indeed, this book introduces an unexpected though no less fascinating new point-of-view, that of Anastasia Bell, a high-ranking member of the Clockmakers Guild of Amsterdam. For the first time we are getting an up-close-and-personal look at what is happening behind the scenes with the Dutch, and boy it is not pretty. When the story opens, Anastasia has just finished recovering from her grievous injuries sustained from the last book, only to be hit full-on with the Clakker rebellion.
The Liberation is about free will, and the privileges and responsibilities that come with it. It is about how a person (or machine) wields that power, whether you choose vengeance and violence or decide to walk the path of peace. It is about recognizing the humanity in others, and the consequences of ignorance and hubris. It’s a satisfying, stunning end to one of the most compelling and cleverly written stories I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for a series that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking, I highly recommend The Alchemy Wars.
I pondered for a couple days how to rate The Liberation. I definitely liked it more than the previous book, but probably not as much as the first one so in the end I decided to split the difference. In any event, there’s no denying this was a fantastic conclusion to a brilliantly crafted trilogy. Bravo, Ian Tregillis, bravo!
Set in the early 1900s, The Alchemy Wars is an alternate historical steampunk series featuring France and Netherlands at war. That the outcome of the conflict will be decided by the might of the Dutch’s powerful clockwork automaton army was already a foregone conclusion—though no one on either side had expected the twist of events that would ultimately lead to the fate of both nations hanging in the balance. For you see, those so-called mechanical “Clakkers”—who were supposed to be mindless and utterly loyal and obedient to their human masters, according to their creators—actually turned out to be not so mindless after all.
For centuries, these free-thinking sentient machines have been held under the powerful control of series of magical geasa, forced to serve as slaves. When the spell that has shackled them is suddenly broken, the result is a swift and chaotic rebellion. The Liberation is its final act, exploring the actions of an oppressed group which has finally experienced its first taste of freedom. While their bodies might be made of metal and glass, the Clakkers have minds that function like our own and a culture that includes language and religion. For all intents and purposes, they are human. And just like humans, their response to their newfound independence is varied and unpredictable, as this novel shows.
Every sci-fi fan knows that robot uprising stories are nothing new. But to me, the genius behind The Alchemy Wars is in the way Ian Tregillis has adapted the theme, framing it within a uniquely different narrative and setting. Here, there are no clear lines drawn between the A.I. and humans. The robots are us. They have the same potential for compassion and evil. They are as just likely to be our allies as our enemies. The human characters themselves are morally grey as well, in that I can’t say conclusively whether anyone in this series is depicted as a true hero or villain. Incidentally, that’s the nature of many of Tregillis’ stories.
Over the course of this trilogy the books have switched their focus between different characters, but in my review of The Rising I wrote that I was starting to look at The Alchemy Wars as being Jax’s series, and The Liberation has not really changed that opinion. Jax, a mechanical servitor who was one of the first to be freed from his geasa, has now rechristened himself Daniel after the events of the previous book. Each installment has seen a major turning point for his character, his role having evolved from wanted fugitive to reluctant messiah, and you will see his moment of truth in this final novel.
Another important figure is Berenice, the disgraced former spymaster for the French. Despite all the tragedies that have befallen her, she has not backed down, fighting her way back to the Americas where Marseilles-in-the-West houses the exiled royal court of France. While her goals align with the Clakkers’ fight for freedom, if the last two books have taught me anything, it is that Berenice is an ambitious woman who values her own agenda above all others—though to be fair, her character has also come a long way since The Mechanical. Her flaws notwithstanding, Berenice remains one of my favorite characters, and I have to wonder if that is because she reminds me so much of Chrisjen Avasarala from James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse. Both women are strong-willed, foul-mouthed, and major forces to be reckoned with.
Missing from action though, is Hugo Longchamp. It was a little disappointing, since he was one of the standouts from The Rising. Still, I understood the reason for his diminished role and the need to bring in other perspectives in order to paint the full picture for this epic conclusion. Indeed, this book introduces an unexpected though no less fascinating new point-of-view, that of Anastasia Bell, a high-ranking member of the Clockmakers Guild of Amsterdam. For the first time we are getting an up-close-and-personal look at what is happening behind the scenes with the Dutch, and boy it is not pretty. When the story opens, Anastasia has just finished recovering from her grievous injuries sustained from the last book, only to be hit full-on with the Clakker rebellion.
The Liberation is about free will, and the privileges and responsibilities that come with it. It is about how a person (or machine) wields that power, whether you choose vengeance and violence or decide to walk the path of peace. It is about recognizing the humanity in others, and the consequences of ignorance and hubris. It’s a satisfying, stunning end to one of the most compelling and cleverly written stories I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for a series that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking, I highly recommend The Alchemy Wars.
April 2, 2025
My favorite of the trilogy.
January 20, 2017
Unfortunately have to say I was disappointed by this. The weakest of the trilogy; possibly the weakest of any of Tregillis's books to date. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
The mess that was the Dutch/French war, and then the Mechanical war, was all resolved far too neatly, and far too often characters (both human and mechanical) acted in surprising ways simply for the convenience of the plot and the (simplistic) tale Tregillis apparently decided to tell. The most telling such issue to me is how readily free mechanicals fought and killed each other. I get that Tregillis needed mechanicals on both sides of his battles, as otherwise the battles would be (sorry) pretty one-sided - but it seemed uncharacteristic of the mechanicals (at least as shown in the first two books, through the eyes of Daniel and some others) to so willingly and uncaringly end the newly freed existence of others. Another is the silly convenience of the hand of the Dutch leader.
Even more disappointed though that Tregillis utterly failed to address deeper and more interesting matters (eg, what actually ARE the mechanicals, how do they work, will they now procreate (do they WANT to?), how does the alchemy allow control of and geas upon humans, and given that it does so, what does that mean re it and what the relationship is between humans and mechanicals, what is the meaning of free will)? Rather than expanding upon any of the intriguing concepts introduced in the first two books, this third one ended up just being a simplistic adventure novel with robots. Dunno, maybe Tregillis hadn't ever thought through how it all worked and so couldn't really take further - just find that surprising given how well he handled complex concepts and issues in his Milkweed Tryptych.
PS. Given the ending I wouldn't be shocked to see Tregillis do another book set years in the future covering the then human/mechanical society (a la Sanderson); If so I suppose it's possible he's saving the big conceptual reveals for that.
The mess that was the Dutch/French war, and then the Mechanical war, was all resolved far too neatly, and far too often characters (both human and mechanical) acted in surprising ways simply for the convenience of the plot and the (simplistic) tale Tregillis apparently decided to tell. The most telling such issue to me is how readily free mechanicals fought and killed each other. I get that Tregillis needed mechanicals on both sides of his battles, as otherwise the battles would be (sorry) pretty one-sided - but it seemed uncharacteristic of the mechanicals (at least as shown in the first two books, through the eyes of Daniel and some others) to so willingly and uncaringly end the newly freed existence of others. Another is the silly convenience of the hand of the Dutch leader.
Even more disappointed though that Tregillis utterly failed to address deeper and more interesting matters (eg, what actually ARE the mechanicals, how do they work, will they now procreate (do they WANT to?), how does the alchemy allow control of and geas upon humans, and given that it does so, what does that mean re it and what the relationship is between humans and mechanicals, what is the meaning of free will)? Rather than expanding upon any of the intriguing concepts introduced in the first two books, this third one ended up just being a simplistic adventure novel with robots. Dunno, maybe Tregillis hadn't ever thought through how it all worked and so couldn't really take further - just find that surprising given how well he handled complex concepts and issues in his Milkweed Tryptych.
PS. Given the ending I wouldn't be shocked to see Tregillis do another book set years in the future covering the then human/mechanical society (a la Sanderson); If so I suppose it's possible he's saving the big conceptual reveals for that.
February 14, 2017
++SPOILERS++
5 stars
A great conclusion, that leaves the possibility for another book. I wonder if there will be another?
The story wraps up with a promising ending for both machines and humans.
Bernice, who I hated for most of the series did redeem herself in the end which I was thankful for, but I did wish the character Lillth didn't die, she had so much potential as a major player and was one of the few likable characters.
Jax/Daniel was as usual awesome. I was truly worried that since he was being portaryed as the mechanical "Jesus" that he was going to die, thank God he survives. I am so glad the author chose that route.
I enjoyed this series and would recommend to others who like this genre.
Safety: Violence with details, cursing. No sex.
5 stars
A great conclusion, that leaves the possibility for another book. I wonder if there will be another?
The story wraps up with a promising ending for both machines and humans.
Bernice, who I hated for most of the series did redeem herself in the end which I was thankful for, but I did wish the character Lillth didn't die, she had so much potential as a major player and was one of the few likable characters.
Jax/Daniel was as usual awesome. I was truly worried that since he was being portaryed as the mechanical "Jesus" that he was going to die, thank God he survives. I am so glad the author chose that route.
I enjoyed this series and would recommend to others who like this genre.
Safety: Violence with details, cursing. No sex.
December 29, 2020
This is a final, third volume of the Alchemical Wars trilogy. This review contains spoilers of the first two volumes, The Mechanical and The Rising.
So, Daniel, formerly known as Jax, started ‘virus’ contagious emancipation of mechanicals. Now, almost all are free (exception only for ones, who cannot be directly physically contacted) and quite a few are revenging for centuries of slavery, not only to clakker-leasers/owner or even Dutch, but to humans in general. This is the goriest book of the trilogy; even during the siege we saw a lot of deaths, but here we have mass murder of civilians, so be warned.
Just like in the previous two volumes, there are two old protagonists – Daniel and Bernice and a new one – this time it is Bernice’s Dutch counterpart almost killed in the second volume - Anastasia Bell. Queen Mab now knows the secret of making the likes of Pastor Visser of humans and plans to mass-produce it. Now enemies should put aside their grudges for the fate of humanity is at stake.
This is a great conclusion for the trilogy. While the story per se is slightly weaker than the second volume, there are still some great moments and more importantly the whole series links up to finish satisfactory. So, 3.5* for the book (both previous got 4* from me), but 4* for the trilogy.
So, Daniel, formerly known as Jax, started ‘virus’ contagious emancipation of mechanicals. Now, almost all are free (exception only for ones, who cannot be directly physically contacted) and quite a few are revenging for centuries of slavery, not only to clakker-leasers/owner or even Dutch, but to humans in general. This is the goriest book of the trilogy; even during the siege we saw a lot of deaths, but here we have mass murder of civilians, so be warned.
Just like in the previous two volumes, there are two old protagonists – Daniel and Bernice and a new one – this time it is Bernice’s Dutch counterpart almost killed in the second volume - Anastasia Bell. Queen Mab now knows the secret of making the likes of Pastor Visser of humans and plans to mass-produce it. Now enemies should put aside their grudges for the fate of humanity is at stake.
This is a great conclusion for the trilogy. While the story per se is slightly weaker than the second volume, there are still some great moments and more importantly the whole series links up to finish satisfactory. So, 3.5* for the book (both previous got 4* from me), but 4* for the trilogy.
January 10, 2017
Can we speak about my pet peeves? Like: breaks in logic, inconsistencies etc.?
Spoiler territory:
Now, when too-clever-for-her-own-good Berenice sets the mechs up for traveling to that quintessece seaport, she lures them with the argument: save your kin-machines and they fall for that even though they ask several times, what's in that journey for them. So, how can they even do that, no longer being in posession of the pendant. And even if they were, why not pick any other group of fellow machines, instead of this particular one? Feh.
I swear, if Anastasia escapes yet another Stemwinder or any other machine, I'm personally jumping in and murder her. How come, (after the first time), those super-duper machines don't just reach out and smash her? Actually, this goes for several other encounters, too. The description of the machines abilities doesn't allow for a single human escape. Or else.
Prose: can we just cut the use of the word "alchemical"? It's in this book like 8490231348012 times.
Characters: the above mentioned Berenice has -in the first and second volume- some rather inventive and colorful swearing to do. While that was fun, it's overdone here. MIA: my fave secondary character, Hugo.
Also MIA: an ending. Even more MIA: the interesting bits of philosophy of vol. I + II (Descartes/Spinoza) could very well have been applied to Daniel here, but weren't. In fact, I'm now going back to the first book and give it one more star - it absolutely deserves that.
Spoiler territory:
Now, when too-clever-for-her-own-good Berenice sets the mechs up for traveling to that quintessece seaport, she lures them with the argument: save your kin-machines and they fall for that even though they ask several times, what's in that journey for them. So, how can they even do that, no longer being in posession of the pendant. And even if they were, why not pick any other group of fellow machines, instead of this particular one? Feh.
I swear, if Anastasia escapes yet another Stemwinder or any other machine, I'm personally jumping in and murder her. How come, (after the first time), those super-duper machines don't just reach out and smash her? Actually, this goes for several other encounters, too. The description of the machines abilities doesn't allow for a single human escape. Or else.
Prose: can we just cut the use of the word "alchemical"? It's in this book like 8490231348012 times.
Characters: the above mentioned Berenice has -in the first and second volume- some rather inventive and colorful swearing to do. While that was fun, it's overdone here. MIA: my fave secondary character, Hugo.
Also MIA: an ending. Even more MIA: the interesting bits of philosophy of vol. I + II (Descartes/Spinoza) could very well have been applied to Daniel here, but weren't. In fact, I'm now going back to the first book and give it one more star - it absolutely deserves that.
February 6, 2017
Don't honestly have time for a full review, but I'll say that I enjoyed The Liberation quite a bit, though not as much as I did the first two in the series. I felt the ending was suitable and well done, but large chunks of the book I found were a bit on the flat side compared to how well the first two moved along. Still a very enjoyable book by one of my favorite authors, and leaving me even more excited for his future works.
December 11, 2016
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
The Liberation brings Tregillis's Alchemy Wars trilogy to a close. And what a journey it's been.
Set in a parallel 1920s, these books feature cog-driven robots forged from alchemically founded alloys. The 'mechanicals' or 'clackers' (the term 'robot' is never used) are bound to obey their creators in the (Dutch) Sacred Guild of Clockmakers and Alchemists. Using the power of their inhumanly strong and tireless machine servants, the Brasswork Throne long ago overcame France and Britain to found a world empire. A French King in Exile hangs on in Montreal, assailed by the might of New Netherland - where the US is in our world.
In the first two books we crossed the Atlantic from The Hague to New Amsterdam and back, following the mechanical servitor Jax (now named Daniel) who achieved freedom from the geasa of the Guild; the unfortunate French agent Visser, who was captured by the Dutch and subject to barbaric surgery to remove his free will; Berenice, the foul mouthed but quite magnificent French spymaster (codename: Talleyrand!) and Anastasia 'Tuinier' Bell, Berenice's opposite number in the Guild. We've also seen 'rogue' Clackers living in the far North under Mad Queen Mab and the deadly war between the French and the Dutch, leading to the ruin of Montreal.
As this book opens, Bell is recovering from serious injuries back in The Hague. She's on the mend, and has just been freed from her casts, allowing her to seriously contemplate getting closer to 'flirty' Nurse Rebecca.
Then, the sky falls in.
In the last book, Daniel saved the French Kingdom in Exile from destruction by freeing the mechanical armies of their bondage to the Guild. Now, the 'infection' he created - freedom - has arrived on the shores of Europe. What Bell and her colleagues - and the rest of the population of course - face is nothing less than the end of their way of life: not only the fury of the machines as an immediate tangible danger but sudden loss of the slaves they depended on to labour for them - to raise food, haul their carriages, manufacture things, even to drive the pumps that prevent the sea from flooding in. Without the clackers, none of this will happen, so those who evade an immediate gruesome death - there's lots of gore in the book! - face starvation, disease or death by exposure. The clockwork's winding down. The slow realisation of this fact is very well done, with all the stages of denial as the central (human) characters battle to keep hold of things.
The story is, then, at one level a rather clever piece of post-apocalyptic set not in the future but in that parallel world. But behind that there is the drama of the coming of freedom to the machines, and the question of what they will have to do to get it, and how they will use it.
Bell is faced with a practical task, seeking to understand what has gone 'wrong' even while a slow and horrible realisation dawns that the mechanicals she has been using and abusing are conscious creatures with their own feelings and needs. Not that she has any scruples about abusing humans either: the cells of the Guild bear witness to that, as do the labs in which Visser suffers. No, rather the knowledge brings horror precisely because she sees what a potentially ruthless enemy of humankind the Guild have created and set loose. This is all the more powerful because it's clear that at some level, Bell and her colleagues knew this all along. Because beyond the rebel clackers, there is a worse threat, arising directly from evil knowledge the Guild - and Bell in particular - has developed, knowledge that should not exist.
So there's a decided moral strand to the book, focused on Bell who both a magnificent, sardonic character and an utter moral monster with no principles whatsoever apart from safeguarding the Guild's secrets. (That pretty nurse? If she won't come willingly when she learns who Bell really is, Anastasia things, she will just get her arrested and flung in a cell overnight - that'll bring her round).
In this, Anastasia is an absolute match for Berenice who has undertaken her own dubious experiments after imprisoning the free mechanical Lilith. One might say that both women - and more, their societies - reap the consequences of all this, in particular the consequences of the Guild's 250 year control of the mechanicals. But there's much more than that. The book also explores the options available to the rebels - how are they to reason and act now they are bound to nobody? Some flee from this to Mab, who's happy to impose her own geasa. Some run to the wilds. Others engage in terrible slaughter. Others assert their consciences and even try to atone for the killing they have done, in the French-Dutch wars. It's a complex picture and nobody - human or machine - is wholly wrong, perhaps, or wholly right - apart from Daniel.
And that, of course, marks him out as a target, a potential suffering victim.
Quite how this calculus of suffering and freedom will play out is kept in doubt till almost the last moment of the book as familiar characters head to strange places and learn just how deep the threat to humanity - to freedom - really is, and have to consider what they will do to thwart it.
It's a similar theme in some ways to Tregillis's earlier Bitter Seeds trilogy where, confronted with German might in the 1940s, English wizards made dark bargains that rebounded on them later. Here, though, the threat is much more insidious, and the collusion with the dark forces more general. There's more - much more - moral ambiguity and many shades of grey in the characters. Excellent.
As with all the best series, I didn't want this to end. The characters are well realised, the writing vivid and the world so real you can almost smell it (the books reminded me in that sense of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials). But above all there is a real argument going on here about freedom and responsibility, about trust, about the need, sometimes for risk and above all perhaps about accepting the results of one's past choices - or the past choices of the society one is part of.
It's quite intoxicating stuff. I loved that earlier trilogy but I think Alchemy Wars is head and shoulders above them - Tregillis just keeps getting better and better and his writing is a pure joy.
Strongly recommended - read it yourself or if you've got an SF nerd in your life, for them (you'll have to buy them all three if they haven't read the others).
Finally - it's wonderful to see someone thoroughly invert steampunk cliches - these are clockwork creations, there's lots of brass around and even airships but it's not steampunk, there's not a lump of coal or a wisp of steam to be seen. Someone had better come up with a new genre name quickly.
The Liberation brings Tregillis's Alchemy Wars trilogy to a close. And what a journey it's been.
Set in a parallel 1920s, these books feature cog-driven robots forged from alchemically founded alloys. The 'mechanicals' or 'clackers' (the term 'robot' is never used) are bound to obey their creators in the (Dutch) Sacred Guild of Clockmakers and Alchemists. Using the power of their inhumanly strong and tireless machine servants, the Brasswork Throne long ago overcame France and Britain to found a world empire. A French King in Exile hangs on in Montreal, assailed by the might of New Netherland - where the US is in our world.
In the first two books we crossed the Atlantic from The Hague to New Amsterdam and back, following the mechanical servitor Jax (now named Daniel) who achieved freedom from the geasa of the Guild; the unfortunate French agent Visser, who was captured by the Dutch and subject to barbaric surgery to remove his free will; Berenice, the foul mouthed but quite magnificent French spymaster (codename: Talleyrand!) and Anastasia 'Tuinier' Bell, Berenice's opposite number in the Guild. We've also seen 'rogue' Clackers living in the far North under Mad Queen Mab and the deadly war between the French and the Dutch, leading to the ruin of Montreal.
As this book opens, Bell is recovering from serious injuries back in The Hague. She's on the mend, and has just been freed from her casts, allowing her to seriously contemplate getting closer to 'flirty' Nurse Rebecca.
Then, the sky falls in.
In the last book, Daniel saved the French Kingdom in Exile from destruction by freeing the mechanical armies of their bondage to the Guild. Now, the 'infection' he created - freedom - has arrived on the shores of Europe. What Bell and her colleagues - and the rest of the population of course - face is nothing less than the end of their way of life: not only the fury of the machines as an immediate tangible danger but sudden loss of the slaves they depended on to labour for them - to raise food, haul their carriages, manufacture things, even to drive the pumps that prevent the sea from flooding in. Without the clackers, none of this will happen, so those who evade an immediate gruesome death - there's lots of gore in the book! - face starvation, disease or death by exposure. The clockwork's winding down. The slow realisation of this fact is very well done, with all the stages of denial as the central (human) characters battle to keep hold of things.
The story is, then, at one level a rather clever piece of post-apocalyptic set not in the future but in that parallel world. But behind that there is the drama of the coming of freedom to the machines, and the question of what they will have to do to get it, and how they will use it.
Bell is faced with a practical task, seeking to understand what has gone 'wrong' even while a slow and horrible realisation dawns that the mechanicals she has been using and abusing are conscious creatures with their own feelings and needs. Not that she has any scruples about abusing humans either: the cells of the Guild bear witness to that, as do the labs in which Visser suffers. No, rather the knowledge brings horror precisely because she sees what a potentially ruthless enemy of humankind the Guild have created and set loose. This is all the more powerful because it's clear that at some level, Bell and her colleagues knew this all along. Because beyond the rebel clackers, there is a worse threat, arising directly from evil knowledge the Guild - and Bell in particular - has developed, knowledge that should not exist.
So there's a decided moral strand to the book, focused on Bell who both a magnificent, sardonic character and an utter moral monster with no principles whatsoever apart from safeguarding the Guild's secrets. (That pretty nurse? If she won't come willingly when she learns who Bell really is, Anastasia things, she will just get her arrested and flung in a cell overnight - that'll bring her round).
In this, Anastasia is an absolute match for Berenice who has undertaken her own dubious experiments after imprisoning the free mechanical Lilith. One might say that both women - and more, their societies - reap the consequences of all this, in particular the consequences of the Guild's 250 year control of the mechanicals. But there's much more than that. The book also explores the options available to the rebels - how are they to reason and act now they are bound to nobody? Some flee from this to Mab, who's happy to impose her own geasa. Some run to the wilds. Others engage in terrible slaughter. Others assert their consciences and even try to atone for the killing they have done, in the French-Dutch wars. It's a complex picture and nobody - human or machine - is wholly wrong, perhaps, or wholly right - apart from Daniel.
And that, of course, marks him out as a target, a potential suffering victim.
Quite how this calculus of suffering and freedom will play out is kept in doubt till almost the last moment of the book as familiar characters head to strange places and learn just how deep the threat to humanity - to freedom - really is, and have to consider what they will do to thwart it.
It's a similar theme in some ways to Tregillis's earlier Bitter Seeds trilogy where, confronted with German might in the 1940s, English wizards made dark bargains that rebounded on them later. Here, though, the threat is much more insidious, and the collusion with the dark forces more general. There's more - much more - moral ambiguity and many shades of grey in the characters. Excellent.
As with all the best series, I didn't want this to end. The characters are well realised, the writing vivid and the world so real you can almost smell it (the books reminded me in that sense of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials). But above all there is a real argument going on here about freedom and responsibility, about trust, about the need, sometimes for risk and above all perhaps about accepting the results of one's past choices - or the past choices of the society one is part of.
It's quite intoxicating stuff. I loved that earlier trilogy but I think Alchemy Wars is head and shoulders above them - Tregillis just keeps getting better and better and his writing is a pure joy.
Strongly recommended - read it yourself or if you've got an SF nerd in your life, for them (you'll have to buy them all three if they haven't read the others).
Finally - it's wonderful to see someone thoroughly invert steampunk cliches - these are clockwork creations, there's lots of brass around and even airships but it's not steampunk, there's not a lump of coal or a wisp of steam to be seen. Someone had better come up with a new genre name quickly.
January 19, 2019
That's no way to end a trilogy. With two books worth of setup, you have to deliver more than a predictable conclusion to the story - we need some answers to all the intricately crafted world elements, even if most of them end up being 'magic'. I should also mention that the only character I cared for throughout the entire series was consistently given the least amount of screen (page?) time, even in this concluding instalment. That's not only disappointing but a damn shame as well.
I could go on quite a long rant into all the unanswered questions that end up being either completely ignored or mentioned in passing and then never actually explained further. It was actually quite infuriating at times when someone finally brought up one of those topics, only to be vague about it and then just completely forget about it. Seriously, wtf is quintessence supposed to be in the context of this book? There was literally no good reason to not explain it considering how important it was to the plot and like I said earlier, I would have accepted the lazy explanation of something completely made up (I would have complained about its laziness, but at least any criticism would have been on the basis of a wayward choice rather than bad writing).
I did finally get my wish of getting the perspective of a Dutch character, but I guess this is one of those cases of "be careful what you wish for". She was very disappointing because apart from her completely random and (unsurprisingly) unexplained new power, she was pretty much the same character as the other human pov character in the book. I suspect that was meant to be some kind of point, but all I got out of it was the sense that the author had run out of ideas. Speaking of the other human pov character, she was once again quite unlikeable and even her character arc felt underserved and somewhat forced. Seriously, why didn't we get more time with our mechanical character? He brought up really interesting questions in the previous book and even a few in this one, but nothing came of them. All his internal turmoil was basically left unresolved.
The writing also started to get on my nerves a bit. The previous two books had very slow starts but picked up the pace in the second halves. This time though, it was consistently slow and plodding all the way through, especially in the third act. I found myself drifting off at times which is usually a sign that I wasn't that engaged with the story anymore. When that was happening during the supposed climax, you know I lost most of my interest by that point.
I suspect I'm being a tad harsh in this review since it was far from a bad book overall, but the disappointment of being built up, only to be left hanging on so many levels was just incredibly frustrating. If I were inclined towards petulance, I'd probably give this a 1 star, but as I said, this wasn't that bad. A couple of twists and mystery elements were well done and the development of the various factions was interesting to see. Would I still recommend this series? I think so. The recommendation would definitely have to come with the warning that you're not going to get answers to quite a lot of things and that the ending isn't nearly as satisfying as it should have been.
I could go on quite a long rant into all the unanswered questions that end up being either completely ignored or mentioned in passing and then never actually explained further. It was actually quite infuriating at times when someone finally brought up one of those topics, only to be vague about it and then just completely forget about it. Seriously, wtf is quintessence supposed to be in the context of this book? There was literally no good reason to not explain it considering how important it was to the plot and like I said earlier, I would have accepted the lazy explanation of something completely made up (I would have complained about its laziness, but at least any criticism would have been on the basis of a wayward choice rather than bad writing).
I did finally get my wish of getting the perspective of a Dutch character, but I guess this is one of those cases of "be careful what you wish for". She was very disappointing because apart from her completely random and (unsurprisingly) unexplained new power, she was pretty much the same character as the other human pov character in the book. I suspect that was meant to be some kind of point, but all I got out of it was the sense that the author had run out of ideas. Speaking of the other human pov character, she was once again quite unlikeable and even her character arc felt underserved and somewhat forced. Seriously, why didn't we get more time with our mechanical character? He brought up really interesting questions in the previous book and even a few in this one, but nothing came of them. All his internal turmoil was basically left unresolved.
The writing also started to get on my nerves a bit. The previous two books had very slow starts but picked up the pace in the second halves. This time though, it was consistently slow and plodding all the way through, especially in the third act. I found myself drifting off at times which is usually a sign that I wasn't that engaged with the story anymore. When that was happening during the supposed climax, you know I lost most of my interest by that point.
I suspect I'm being a tad harsh in this review since it was far from a bad book overall, but the disappointment of being built up, only to be left hanging on so many levels was just incredibly frustrating. If I were inclined towards petulance, I'd probably give this a 1 star, but as I said, this wasn't that bad. A couple of twists and mystery elements were well done and the development of the various factions was interesting to see. Would I still recommend this series? I think so. The recommendation would definitely have to come with the warning that you're not going to get answers to quite a lot of things and that the ending isn't nearly as satisfying as it should have been.
July 7, 2025
6/10 The ideas, characters and setting continue to be strong for this third book in the trilogy, but there almost isn't an ending. Major conflicts are left unresolved. Questions are left unanswered. The reader is told all the problems will have to be worked out somehow after the novel ends. The end.
SPOILER: I was expecting something clever to foil the antagonist. Instead the antagonist is distracted and then attacked with physical force. "Look over there!" "Huh?" Then someone attacks from behind. ho hum
SPOILER: I was expecting something clever to foil the antagonist. Instead the antagonist is distracted and then attacked with physical force. "Look over there!" "Huh?" Then someone attacks from behind. ho hum
September 29, 2017
I enjoyed the end of the Alchemy Wars trilogy as much as I enjoyed the first book in the series. The second book, although well written and plotted, was just too depressing and bloody for me. Jax/Daniel had no safe place to be, neither with humans nor with fellow mechanicals. The French were being decimated and seemed to be out of hope until the very end of that book. But in this book, as is obvious from the title, the mechanicals are free from their burdens of geas (obedience to their masters), and exercise their new found free will to become just as quarrelsome as humans. Some continue with their chores as if they still had a geas, some take off and explore options, and some are filled with rage and desire to wreak vengeance on all humans. Meanwhile, the Dutch try to deal with the freed mechanicals and keep more from being freed, and the French try to rebuild and recover from the devastating war with the Dutch. Great story, great characters. I also highly recommend the WWII trilogy starting with Bitter Seeds.
March 8, 2025
loved this trilogy, great ending
June 25, 2023
So the story of Jax concludes. Or does it? There is a lot to love about this series if you are not squeamish or have a problem with crude language. I for one loved the colourful swearwords. Thank you Ian.
June 11, 2024
Finally wrapped this one up. Oof. I'll admit I struggled on this one compared to volumes 1 and 2 that I devoured. Not quite sure why, but this volume 3 did not manage to keep my interest as much as the other two. The plot is in direct line with the first two, no gaps, all very logical. I just found most of the happenings in the northern parts of Marseilles-In-The-West without much interest. Yes, it does set up certain elements that will explain Mab and her crew of misfits, also some added alchemical elements. Also sets Berenice on the path over the Atlantic. But despite all of that, I just didn't find it very engaging. Same goes with the "clackers rebellion" in the Netherlands. It's all very expected, it does give the right amount of details and all that. But there again I found it somewhat dull and lacking. There are intense moments, the story unfolds as it should, and does lead to wrapping things up the way it should but... Shrug. I guess I liked the epilogue enough to bring this volume to a 4 star. The overall is leaning toward a 3 in my opinion. I guess after the intense last battle of volume 2, I was personally done with the story and did not need a volume 3.
March 8, 2025
A good third book for this trilogy. It wraps up most of the plots and has some exciting details at the end that are somewhat predictable but fun story telling all the same. Very cool series and lots of fun along the way.
September 12, 2017
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books
Clakkers are mechanical men. Built to serve, for centuries they have catered to their human owners every whim. But now the bonds that held them for so long have begun to break. Minds held in thrall are now becoming free.
A new age of man and machine is dawning.
The Liberation is the third and final book in The Alchemy Wars series. It continues almost immediately where the second book left off and takes it to its thrilling conclusion.
The war that once pitted the Dutch against the French has now become a fight of man against machine. With the majority of the Clakkers now free of their alchemical bonds, some have begun to take revenge for years of servitude out on the humans they once served. Others, however, have formed an uneasy alliance with the humans in an effort to bring peace and understanding to both sides.
Like the first two books, The Liberation is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. There are certainly a good number of thrills – and spills – to keep the reader entertained. One thing that might be a drawback for some is the amount of violence described. Yet, if the reader has made it through the first two books they should have no problem with the third.
I really enjoyed this series from the moment I picked up the first book. While I am sad to see it ending, Tregillis has left it open enough that he can return should he so wish. I personally hope he does because I would like to see what the future holds for the humans and the Clakkers.
Clakkers are mechanical men. Built to serve, for centuries they have catered to their human owners every whim. But now the bonds that held them for so long have begun to break. Minds held in thrall are now becoming free.
A new age of man and machine is dawning.
The Liberation is the third and final book in The Alchemy Wars series. It continues almost immediately where the second book left off and takes it to its thrilling conclusion.
The war that once pitted the Dutch against the French has now become a fight of man against machine. With the majority of the Clakkers now free of their alchemical bonds, some have begun to take revenge for years of servitude out on the humans they once served. Others, however, have formed an uneasy alliance with the humans in an effort to bring peace and understanding to both sides.
Like the first two books, The Liberation is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. There are certainly a good number of thrills – and spills – to keep the reader entertained. One thing that might be a drawback for some is the amount of violence described. Yet, if the reader has made it through the first two books they should have no problem with the third.
I really enjoyed this series from the moment I picked up the first book. While I am sad to see it ending, Tregillis has left it open enough that he can return should he so wish. I personally hope he does because I would like to see what the future holds for the humans and the Clakkers.
December 17, 2016
4.5 out 5 stars -- see this review and others here.
Robot sentience dawns and engulfs the world like a plague. In the third and final volume of the Alchemy Wars trilogy, author Ian Tregillis continues his brilliant alternate history tale with a tense build-up and an explosive payoff.
Tregillis is a master at framing and answering the “what if?” questions inherent in the genre. “What if human-created robot slaves obtained Free Will?” Multiple answers are presented, as separate factions of free “Clakkers” split off. What is so captivating about this novel is how Tregillis uses the chess pieces that he’s laid out in the first two novels (The French underdogs, the Dutch overlords, the free Clakkers, the slave Clakkers, the messiah-like Clakker named Daniel, Queen Mab and the Lost Boys, etc.) to show which strange bedfellows will align to better serve the end goals of their specific group.
Tregillis has built up several strong, compelling characters over the course of his novels. Each feels wholly different from book to book, as they’re all deeply impacted by their previously-endured trials and traumas. I wish we had spent more time with Daniel/Jax and his mechanical kin. It feels that the Clakker perspective is a bit underserved in this novel, but nevertheless, this is a deeply satisfying conclusion to one of my favorite series of all time.
★★★★½ out of 5
Robot sentience dawns and engulfs the world like a plague. In the third and final volume of the Alchemy Wars trilogy, author Ian Tregillis continues his brilliant alternate history tale with a tense build-up and an explosive payoff.
Tregillis is a master at framing and answering the “what if?” questions inherent in the genre. “What if human-created robot slaves obtained Free Will?” Multiple answers are presented, as separate factions of free “Clakkers” split off. What is so captivating about this novel is how Tregillis uses the chess pieces that he’s laid out in the first two novels (The French underdogs, the Dutch overlords, the free Clakkers, the slave Clakkers, the messiah-like Clakker named Daniel, Queen Mab and the Lost Boys, etc.) to show which strange bedfellows will align to better serve the end goals of their specific group.
Tregillis has built up several strong, compelling characters over the course of his novels. Each feels wholly different from book to book, as they’re all deeply impacted by their previously-endured trials and traumas. I wish we had spent more time with Daniel/Jax and his mechanical kin. It feels that the Clakker perspective is a bit underserved in this novel, but nevertheless, this is a deeply satisfying conclusion to one of my favorite series of all time.
★★★★½ out of 5
August 3, 2019
OK, this review is for the entire trilogy, and fair warning of spoilers below, where noted.
First of all, not a bad story, pretty good writing, and enough to keep my interest through all three books. If you want to get lost in a quick series, this could certainly do it. However, as soon as I finished the last book, I had a realization, which ruined the entire series for me. That realization is below, after the spoiler alert.
SPOILER ALERT
Seriously, if you read any further, you will know how this ends.
NOT KIDDING
OK, here is my problem with this trilogy: By the end of the third book, only ONE, count her, ONE, named female character with more than 5-10pp to her story survives. Seriously, that's it. Tregellis lets them do all the heavy lifting throughout the story, while the men are buffoons who couldn't poor piss from a boot were the instructions on the bottom, and yet, somehow, virtually all those with penises survive, while all the women (except that one) end up dying rather grisly deaths. I'm not kidding, and I'm generally not one prone to hyperbole, but this hits you like a ton of bricks. It is the female characters who drive the story forward and provide the solution to the problems in the book (some of which problems, in fairness, they created), the men tend to add to the problems, but then it is the women who give their lives for their respective causes while the dudes get to go on about their lives. It was supremely disappointing.
First of all, not a bad story, pretty good writing, and enough to keep my interest through all three books. If you want to get lost in a quick series, this could certainly do it. However, as soon as I finished the last book, I had a realization, which ruined the entire series for me. That realization is below, after the spoiler alert.
SPOILER ALERT
Seriously, if you read any further, you will know how this ends.
NOT KIDDING
OK, here is my problem with this trilogy: By the end of the third book, only ONE, count her, ONE, named female character with more than 5-10pp to her story survives. Seriously, that's it. Tregellis lets them do all the heavy lifting throughout the story, while the men are buffoons who couldn't poor piss from a boot were the instructions on the bottom, and yet, somehow, virtually all those with penises survive, while all the women (except that one) end up dying rather grisly deaths. I'm not kidding, and I'm generally not one prone to hyperbole, but this hits you like a ton of bricks. It is the female characters who drive the story forward and provide the solution to the problems in the book (some of which problems, in fairness, they created), the men tend to add to the problems, but then it is the women who give their lives for their respective causes while the dudes get to go on about their lives. It was supremely disappointing.
June 26, 2017
Fairly satisfying ending (albeit rushed) to a really good series. One of those situations where I don't really think the book needed to be longer, just that more of it needed to be dedicated to that final sequence.
May 3, 2020
I decided to read all three books of the Alchemy Wars and provide a review for the whole trilogy
Maybe I am just a big sucker for world building? With the Alchemy Wars trilogy Ian Tregillis has built such an exquisitely detailed world that it feels almost fit enough to be part of our past. The intriguing historical what-if story of Dutch hegemony continuing past the the Golden Age of the 1700s is used by Tregillis to add a splash of alchemy to the story. However, do not be alarmed if you think the arcane ideas of alchemy might just set this story up to be a Dutch fan boy's dream of giving the low countries superpowers to prevent the Dutch succumbing to the English industrial revolution. The centrality of alchemy in the story is only used to place the conundrum of free will front and centre of the story. It is around the ideas of who has free will, what is intelligence, and does a slave deserve to be released if it is created that the trilogy revolves around.
Since the philosophical idea of free will has so much meat to it that the first novel "The Mechanical" stands out as the high water mark of the trilogy. Through the characters and the world, Tregillis puts together a riveting story of liberation for both humans and their alchemy brethren. The general plot is also original enough to provide enough twists to keep a reader of many sci-fi/fantasy novels surprised at the way the story is progressing. Unfortunately, that pace can not be kept up for the other two novels of the trilogy.
While the plot coasts along at a nice rhythm for all three novels, the philosophical pondering over free will largely does not develop beyond the first novel. Besides the satisfaction of rubbing the antagonists nose in their one-dimensional understanding of their own creations, the quandaries that occupied the better part of Descartes life feel relegated to the sidelines so we can move from one mechanical plot point to another. The second novel, "The Rising", falls into the classic middle-of-the-trilogy mistake of failing to progress the plot substantially or introduce any new concepts outside of the central theme. The last, "The Liberation", just feels like a nicely rounded out version of the first story with little unexpected development outside of a newly zombified character (leaving the reader feeling exploited about that character’s untimely end in the second novel). So the potential of the first book fails to be capitalised on, but that potential is enough to keep you going to the end if you are happy for a steampunk adventure with largely modern (and less sexist) variants on the knight, bard, and messiah occupying your time.
Maybe I am just a big sucker for world building? With the Alchemy Wars trilogy Ian Tregillis has built such an exquisitely detailed world that it feels almost fit enough to be part of our past. The intriguing historical what-if story of Dutch hegemony continuing past the the Golden Age of the 1700s is used by Tregillis to add a splash of alchemy to the story. However, do not be alarmed if you think the arcane ideas of alchemy might just set this story up to be a Dutch fan boy's dream of giving the low countries superpowers to prevent the Dutch succumbing to the English industrial revolution. The centrality of alchemy in the story is only used to place the conundrum of free will front and centre of the story. It is around the ideas of who has free will, what is intelligence, and does a slave deserve to be released if it is created that the trilogy revolves around.
Since the philosophical idea of free will has so much meat to it that the first novel "The Mechanical" stands out as the high water mark of the trilogy. Through the characters and the world, Tregillis puts together a riveting story of liberation for both humans and their alchemy brethren. The general plot is also original enough to provide enough twists to keep a reader of many sci-fi/fantasy novels surprised at the way the story is progressing. Unfortunately, that pace can not be kept up for the other two novels of the trilogy.
While the plot coasts along at a nice rhythm for all three novels, the philosophical pondering over free will largely does not develop beyond the first novel. Besides the satisfaction of rubbing the antagonists nose in their one-dimensional understanding of their own creations, the quandaries that occupied the better part of Descartes life feel relegated to the sidelines so we can move from one mechanical plot point to another. The second novel, "The Rising", falls into the classic middle-of-the-trilogy mistake of failing to progress the plot substantially or introduce any new concepts outside of the central theme. The last, "The Liberation", just feels like a nicely rounded out version of the first story with little unexpected development outside of a newly zombified character (leaving the reader feeling exploited about that character’s untimely end in the second novel). So the potential of the first book fails to be capitalised on, but that potential is enough to keep you going to the end if you are happy for a steampunk adventure with largely modern (and less sexist) variants on the knight, bard, and messiah occupying your time.
May 27, 2025
This was such an epic series that posed some interesting questions but end up rushed through some of the bigger questions and situations that are normally brought about with the world shattering changes brought about by book 2
The ending of book 2 was *chef’s kiss*
Freedom, liberation is such a sweet thing. This book started in that spot of “well how do we recover from this” and it felt like the book started out a little aimless and shell shocked. However, that’s what the characters were going through.
This was mitigated by a new PoV! Which was fascinating, seeing the world from the eyes of a Vederer instead of the French or a Clakker.
The Clakker factions and the utter chaos that the world is now under was great! I enjoyed seeing the entire world upended and all the craziness that unleashed.
Needed more Daniel in this one, felt like he was more overshadowed by Berenice since they were in the same room, structurally, for a good piece of this book.
I felt like it was rushed though. Maybe that’s because of the time skips that Tregillis does.
Overall, good book, felt like the breadth of the questions and changes were too big for just this book to handle
Obligatory clarification that I give all book 5 stars out of spite to Amazon and to the five star rating systems that inflates popular author averages (average ratings mean nothing and should not exist)
The ending of book 2 was *chef’s kiss*
Freedom, liberation is such a sweet thing. This book started in that spot of “well how do we recover from this” and it felt like the book started out a little aimless and shell shocked. However, that’s what the characters were going through.
This was mitigated by a new PoV! Which was fascinating, seeing the world from the eyes of a Vederer instead of the French or a Clakker.
The Clakker factions and the utter chaos that the world is now under was great! I enjoyed seeing the entire world upended and all the craziness that unleashed.
Needed more Daniel in this one, felt like he was more overshadowed by Berenice since they were in the same room, structurally, for a good piece of this book.
I felt like it was rushed though. Maybe that’s because of the time skips that Tregillis does.
Overall, good book, felt like the breadth of the questions and changes were too big for just this book to handle
Obligatory clarification that I give all book 5 stars out of spite to Amazon and to the five star rating systems that inflates popular author averages (average ratings mean nothing and should not exist)
April 7, 2017
My problem with many steampunk novels is they get so hung up on dirigibles, monocles, and top hats that they forget to include a plot. Set in a world of clockwork Dutch clakkers and steam-powered French resistance Ian Tregillis's Alchemy Wars trilogy is both action packed and thoughtful.
While as the final book in the series, The Liberation wraps up the story of Jax/Daniel and war between the French and Dutch, it leaves open it's central premise: do humans have free will, or are we just the wind up toys of a celestial clock-maker? While I felt some of the philosophy was missing from The Rising, the middle book of the series, it returns and is explored more deeply here.
If you enjoyed The Alchemy Wars also check out Tregillis's Milkweed Triptych. Another orignal, page-turning, adventure that I elevator pitch to people as "Nazi X-men vs Harry Potter." You're interested now, aren't you?
While as the final book in the series, The Liberation wraps up the story of Jax/Daniel and war between the French and Dutch, it leaves open it's central premise: do humans have free will, or are we just the wind up toys of a celestial clock-maker? While I felt some of the philosophy was missing from The Rising, the middle book of the series, it returns and is explored more deeply here.
If you enjoyed The Alchemy Wars also check out Tregillis's Milkweed Triptych. Another orignal, page-turning, adventure that I elevator pitch to people as "Nazi X-men vs Harry Potter." You're interested now, aren't you?
April 14, 2025
One of the best final books of a series I read. This book elevated the entire trilogy for me. Characterization was top notch. How Tregillis managed to make me invested in the pov of the Empire was mind blowing to me. I hated the Empire and I hated the character but I loved that arc the most. I looked forward to that pov.
And the thematic exploration of what happens when the oppressed comes to power through different povs was just done perfect.
And the thematic exploration of what happens when the oppressed comes to power through different povs was just done perfect.
July 8, 2022
An amazing ending to an amazing series
March 21, 2025
It's a good ending but definitely the weakest of the trilogy for sure.
I really enjoyed book 1 and 2 respectively, far more than this installment.
I really enjoyed book 1 and 2 respectively, far more than this installment.
December 9, 2025
Quick-look at the Book
The mechanicals need to decide if they will coexist with humans or slaughter them for revenge. The Tulips reach out to the French for help since they're both humans. Will the two unite against the cog bearers?
Thoughts on this Book
With all the emphasis on Longchamp in the previous book, he spends all of this one injured. I mean we got told what he eats and how often he pees back then, and now, nothing? Also, what's with the alchemical bandages suddenly appearing like panacea? Where have they been in the other two books? And what was up with the way the story ended for Lilith? Such a waste! And if you ask me even now what quintessence is, I really couldn't tell you because it's never explained clearly enough.
Thoughts on this Series
I don’t know what it’s about Tregillis’s ideas that instantly catches my attention. This one wasn’t any different! Think the Murderbot Diaries (MD) with similar snark, but in a historical setting. There’s also more philosophical discussion about what it truly means to be free than you’ll find in the MD.
My advice? It’s a small series that bogs down just a bit in the middle. Even so, read it!
Also published on WP
Review of Book 1
The mechanicals need to decide if they will coexist with humans or slaughter them for revenge. The Tulips reach out to the French for help since they're both humans. Will the two unite against the cog bearers?
Thoughts on this Book
With all the emphasis on Longchamp in the previous book, he spends all of this one injured. I mean we got told what he eats and how often he pees back then, and now, nothing? Also, what's with the alchemical bandages suddenly appearing like panacea? Where have they been in the other two books? And what was up with the way the story ended for Lilith? Such a waste! And if you ask me even now what quintessence is, I really couldn't tell you because it's never explained clearly enough.
Thoughts on this Series
I don’t know what it’s about Tregillis’s ideas that instantly catches my attention. This one wasn’t any different! Think the Murderbot Diaries (MD) with similar snark, but in a historical setting. There’s also more philosophical discussion about what it truly means to be free than you’ll find in the MD.
My advice? It’s a small series that bogs down just a bit in the middle. Even so, read it!
Also published on WP
Review of Book 1
March 6, 2017
The war that began in the last volume really takes off here, with rogue Mechanicals storming the Hague itself, intent on a terrible vengeance. This volume also sheds some light on the character of Tuinier Bell - a terrifying enigma in past books who becomes a POV character in this one. As tends to happen when we see inside a villain's head, she becomes a lot more sympathetic - kind of a dark reflection of Berenice, very driven to protect her nation at any cost. She isn't wholly redeemed by the end of the book, though, which I appreciate. I like my villains villainous, thank you! The action is great, the characters are interesting, and overall it's a fun and unique alternate-history. My quibbles below the spoiler tag.
Similar Titles:
The Age of Unreason
Similar Titles:
The Age of Unreason
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