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Clockwerk Thriller #1
Stalemate
Clockwerk soldiers, airships, and aether bombs have ground the War Between the States to a stalemate. Can Colonel Julius Montclair find a way to end the bitter conflict?
Colonel Julius Montclair, elite soldier and the youngest airship commander in the Union fleet, has been humbled by war. He’s venerated for his bravery at the Battle of the Potomac, but he will carry the scars of that victory for the rest of his life. The loss of good men and women under his command continues to haunt him. Now, Montclair wants nothing more than to simply do his job and is more than ready to lay down the mantle of “hero”. That is, until President Grant himself summons Montclair to Washington.
Montclair is tasked with a deadly He must lead his troops on a clandestine insertion behind enemy lines to uncover a plot that may destroy the Union. But Montclair won’t be able to do it alone; he’ll need the help of the most dangerous and least trusted weapons in the Union’s formidable arsenal - the spymasters of Strategic Intelligence.
Scarlet, a gorgeous young Strategic Intelligence agent and trained assassin, has the lethal skills and gritty determination required to protect her country. But can she gain the trust of Colonel Montclair and his men? Only by working together can they uncover the Confederacy’s plot and stop a dark aether-fueled weapon of mass destruction from erasing the Union from history.
Vince Flynn’s political thrillers meet the creative technology of Jules Verne.
Colonel Julius Montclair, elite soldier and the youngest airship commander in the Union fleet, has been humbled by war. He’s venerated for his bravery at the Battle of the Potomac, but he will carry the scars of that victory for the rest of his life. The loss of good men and women under his command continues to haunt him. Now, Montclair wants nothing more than to simply do his job and is more than ready to lay down the mantle of “hero”. That is, until President Grant himself summons Montclair to Washington.
Montclair is tasked with a deadly He must lead his troops on a clandestine insertion behind enemy lines to uncover a plot that may destroy the Union. But Montclair won’t be able to do it alone; he’ll need the help of the most dangerous and least trusted weapons in the Union’s formidable arsenal - the spymasters of Strategic Intelligence.
Scarlet, a gorgeous young Strategic Intelligence agent and trained assassin, has the lethal skills and gritty determination required to protect her country. But can she gain the trust of Colonel Montclair and his men? Only by working together can they uncover the Confederacy’s plot and stop a dark aether-fueled weapon of mass destruction from erasing the Union from history.
Vince Flynn’s political thrillers meet the creative technology of Jules Verne.
- GenresSteampunk
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 8, 2018
98 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 10, 2018
Thomas Webb does something no other author has been able to do - engage me in a military-themed story. It's simply not my genre. But this book reads like an action movie, one populated with diverse and interesting characters, full of adventure and intrigue and explosions. I never felt left behind with any of the military terms - nothing was over-explained, but there were enough context clues that I could figure out what was happening without feeling lost. More importantly, I cared about the characters. I do care about them, enough to be eagerly looking forward to the sequel.
I absolutely recommend this book.
I absolutely recommend this book.
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October 12, 2018Stalemate is a super fresh steampunk alternate history of the U.S. Civil War in the years 1863 to 1864. And wait—there’s so much more to this fast-paced reimagining of a nation divided. The opening scene quickly develops into an immersive chaotic battle reminiscent of Terminator. Brisk prose supports a narrative sprint that reinforces a sense of urgent mayhem in the challenging circumstances Union Colonel Julius Montclair, Princess Ayita, Scarlet, Copperhead, and company are overcoming.
In tone of unexpected artistic range, Stalemate follows in the tradition of Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series. There are clever nods to Yoda from Star Wars, Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (Welcome, Cobra Kai!), a little Kung Fu with David Carradine, Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins mysteries, and even a bit of a “Deep Throat” vibe from Watergate infamy. Its tangible elements of emotional depth interwoven into the action sequences should also appeal to fans of Meljean Brook’s Iron Duke series.
Often the most engaging steampunk fiction blends the primitive tech of the past with modern sensibilities and integrates that mix into an organic social commentary about the evolution of human society, revealing that some things remain unchanged over generations. From superficial “it” factors in the marketing of political candidates as one character remarks on pages 41—42: “… A face simply made for a daguerreotype. With that jawline and that hair? He has ‘president’ written all over him.” to deeper, more complicated issues of the racial hierarchy of extended families in Louisiana’s Creole society, Stalemate is layered in provocative ideas.
The author conveys a clear and steady undertone of the racial strife at the core of the divide between the Union and the Confederacy without including the expected, explicit racial slur until beyond the halfway point in the story. Usage of incidental standard profanity is minimal almost to the point of nonexistence. Some passages are poetic in composition as in this phrase seemingly inspired by Emily Dickinson on page 184, “Like some hell-beast belching smoke and brimstone, the locomotive roared by.”
The ending of this first entry in the Clockwerk Thriller series lays a strong foundation for future intriguing installments.
Inclusion Roll Call: named indigenous people, interracial* people, all socioeconomic classes from subsistence to privileged elites, non-hetero people**, and people of all ages and body types***
*Actually interethnic since humans are all members of one species
**Rendered in stereotypes reflective of an unconscious, hetero-centric hypermasculine bias
***A featured character who is obese is described in terms that reflect the unconscious bias of someone who is very physically fit and/or fat-phobic.
In tone of unexpected artistic range, Stalemate follows in the tradition of Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series. There are clever nods to Yoda from Star Wars, Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (Welcome, Cobra Kai!), a little Kung Fu with David Carradine, Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins mysteries, and even a bit of a “Deep Throat” vibe from Watergate infamy. Its tangible elements of emotional depth interwoven into the action sequences should also appeal to fans of Meljean Brook’s Iron Duke series.
Often the most engaging steampunk fiction blends the primitive tech of the past with modern sensibilities and integrates that mix into an organic social commentary about the evolution of human society, revealing that some things remain unchanged over generations. From superficial “it” factors in the marketing of political candidates as one character remarks on pages 41—42: “… A face simply made for a daguerreotype. With that jawline and that hair? He has ‘president’ written all over him.” to deeper, more complicated issues of the racial hierarchy of extended families in Louisiana’s Creole society, Stalemate is layered in provocative ideas.
The author conveys a clear and steady undertone of the racial strife at the core of the divide between the Union and the Confederacy without including the expected, explicit racial slur until beyond the halfway point in the story. Usage of incidental standard profanity is minimal almost to the point of nonexistence. Some passages are poetic in composition as in this phrase seemingly inspired by Emily Dickinson on page 184, “Like some hell-beast belching smoke and brimstone, the locomotive roared by.”
The ending of this first entry in the Clockwerk Thriller series lays a strong foundation for future intriguing installments.
Inclusion Roll Call: named indigenous people, interracial* people, all socioeconomic classes from subsistence to privileged elites, non-hetero people**, and people of all ages and body types***
*Actually interethnic since humans are all members of one species
**Rendered in stereotypes reflective of an unconscious, hetero-centric hypermasculine bias
***A featured character who is obese is described in terms that reflect the unconscious bias of someone who is very physically fit and/or fat-phobic.
April 28, 2020
Very enjoyable debut novel
While I love science fiction and fantasy, I am not normally a reader of alternate history. This book has changed my mind. Action packed, with fantastical steampunk fantasy but reasoned with plausible characters and friendships. 4 stars.
While I love science fiction and fantasy, I am not normally a reader of alternate history. This book has changed my mind. Action packed, with fantastical steampunk fantasy but reasoned with plausible characters and friendships. 4 stars.
September 13, 2018
Thomas Webb has made me fall in love with steampunk anything again. I was at a point where I didn't think I would ever fall in love again and then came Thomas and all his steampunk glory and I couldn't put the book down. When I read the book I felt like I was being transported back in time to where the civil war was turned into airships and steam trollies. Ugh, I could even smell the atmosphere. Is this book was audible I would be listening to their voices. This book and even the second one gave me so much life and happiness. Steampunk here I come!
May 8, 2018
I helped edit and publish this book, so I'm a bit biased, but I choose to work with Thomas Webb because I think this is an awesome story. It's a steampunk alternate history set around the American Civil War, and it is packed full of action. There are airships, beautiful assassins, heroic warriors, spies, political intrigue, and plenty of gun battles. If you're looking for a non-stop thrill ride, this is it.
September 15, 2018
My first time reading a book in this genre and I really enjoyed it. I loved the way all the separate sub-plots came together in the end for an exciting climax. The concept of steam driven and clockwerk machinery and soldiers set in the Civil War era was fascinating and I am really looking forward to reading book 2. Great work by this author.
November 14, 2018
This is a most enjoyable book. It is an alternate history of the post Civil War era (U.S. War between the States) with a steampunk twist. The plot and dialogue are excellent and the lead characters interesting.
March 11, 2019
A winner
An interesting take on alternate history meets steampunk meets the perils of Pauline. A good read that keeps your interest, but 'clockWERK'?
An interesting take on alternate history meets steampunk meets the perils of Pauline. A good read that keeps your interest, but 'clockWERK'?
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews