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The Cog Chronicles #1
Birthright
Sixteen years ago my parents were mysteriously killed and I was plunged into the hell that is the streets of Victorian London. I survived by my wit and talent for fixing and building things and eventually found a home repairing clocks, but my dreams were always haunted by my past. Now, just a month from my twenty-first birthday I have made two discoveries. The man responsible for what happened to my parents, walks the streets of London, protected by an ancient evil, and second, there’s a power within me that I will use to extract my revenge.
- GenresAmazon
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2019
53 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
P.M. Cole
8 books2 followersP.M. Cole is a forty something author, living at the top of a Victorian house in greater London. This is his first historical fantasy novel, but has always had a love of Victoriana. He’s looking forward to continuing the adventures of Cog in 2019.
Librarian's Note: Also writes Science Fiction under the name Phil Maxey.
Librarian's Note: Also writes Science Fiction under the name Phil Maxey.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 6, 2019
1.5 stars.
A muddled plot, flat characters, and amateur writing make this historical fantasy a catastrophic disappointment.
The main issue with this book is the writing. The style is heavily reportive, it’s stilted, and there’s an excess of telling. Nothing is shown – it’s all exposition. This creates a void between the character and the reader, and I felt it. I also don’t like how it disconnected the heroine – and her emotions - from the story.
It doesn’t help that the grammar is horrendous, too. For some examples, see the sentences below:
“My legs felt weak at the headline.”
“I felt bad for my demeanor.”
“Lucas momentarily looked fazed…”
“I then saw him look up at the impressive building…”
“We all ran to the window and watched as the bat-like being flew upwards, being swallowed by the mist.”
“Stepping back out into the night, an excitement I had hardly felt before set upon me.”
“I grabbed the iron chair I had just been seated on.”
“I had no words, only emotions flowed through me, and then as tears from my eyes.”
With some more editing and rearranging, these sentences could work. They could become active, alive, and flowing. As it is, they’re sloppy and poor English.
In addition, the dialogue is boring. It’s flat, it’s dull, and the characters’ voices are too inconsistent to come through. It’s also a little too contemporary. This story is supposed to take place in Victorian London, but with the occasional “Ok” popping up, it’s hard to take seriously.
As for the characters, they don’t have any personality. I like how active Cog is, but otherwise she does not have a personality. She is one-dimensional and bland. The same goes for the rest of the cast. I also thought that the romance – the little bit we got – was contrived and unrealistic; the kiss happened at the wrong time, and there was no development. It was like the author threw it in just because he thought there needed to be a romance.
The plot is a weak aspect, too. There is no structure, the incidents are either boring or just plain confusing, and the pacing is a mess. It moves fast, but at the same time it is up and down and inconsistent. There is no clear logic or structure. The ending of the novel is also abrupt.
Another disappointment was the lack of atmosphere. It could have been fantastically Gothic and eerie considering the time period, but instead there was a lack of sensory details and the scenes were never lush or vivid.
A muddled plot, flat characters, and amateur writing make this historical fantasy a catastrophic disappointment.
The main issue with this book is the writing. The style is heavily reportive, it’s stilted, and there’s an excess of telling. Nothing is shown – it’s all exposition. This creates a void between the character and the reader, and I felt it. I also don’t like how it disconnected the heroine – and her emotions - from the story.
It doesn’t help that the grammar is horrendous, too. For some examples, see the sentences below:
“My legs felt weak at the headline.”
“I felt bad for my demeanor.”
“Lucas momentarily looked fazed…”
“I then saw him look up at the impressive building…”
“We all ran to the window and watched as the bat-like being flew upwards, being swallowed by the mist.”
“Stepping back out into the night, an excitement I had hardly felt before set upon me.”
“I grabbed the iron chair I had just been seated on.”
“I had no words, only emotions flowed through me, and then as tears from my eyes.”
With some more editing and rearranging, these sentences could work. They could become active, alive, and flowing. As it is, they’re sloppy and poor English.
In addition, the dialogue is boring. It’s flat, it’s dull, and the characters’ voices are too inconsistent to come through. It’s also a little too contemporary. This story is supposed to take place in Victorian London, but with the occasional “Ok” popping up, it’s hard to take seriously.
As for the characters, they don’t have any personality. I like how active Cog is, but otherwise she does not have a personality. She is one-dimensional and bland. The same goes for the rest of the cast. I also thought that the romance – the little bit we got – was contrived and unrealistic; the kiss happened at the wrong time, and there was no development. It was like the author threw it in just because he thought there needed to be a romance.
The plot is a weak aspect, too. There is no structure, the incidents are either boring or just plain confusing, and the pacing is a mess. It moves fast, but at the same time it is up and down and inconsistent. There is no clear logic or structure. The ending of the novel is also abrupt.
Another disappointment was the lack of atmosphere. It could have been fantastically Gothic and eerie considering the time period, but instead there was a lack of sensory details and the scenes were never lush or vivid.
May 18, 2022
A delightful Victorian YA Fantasy
Birthright is a uniquely refreshing take on a young adult fantasy with a nod at steampunk. Cog, as she is known, is abducted from her parents one snowy night by apparent thieves but manages to hide until they leave.
Victorian England is a harsh place in general but potentially deadly for a frozen four year old. Cog, a brilliant child, survives by making toys and selling them to tourists.
By the time she is eleven, she is "adopted" by a clockmaker, henceforth the name, Cog, and lives fairly comfortably. All of that is about to change.
Romping through the sewers of London, chasing down her nightmare memories of being abducted and realizing that she is gifted with special powers, Cog begins to understand she has a destiny to fulfill.
Birthright is suspenseful, surprising, creative and magical. And it's only the first book in the series. I can't wait to read the remaining books. I highly recommend this author.
Birthright is a uniquely refreshing take on a young adult fantasy with a nod at steampunk. Cog, as she is known, is abducted from her parents one snowy night by apparent thieves but manages to hide until they leave.
Victorian England is a harsh place in general but potentially deadly for a frozen four year old. Cog, a brilliant child, survives by making toys and selling them to tourists.
By the time she is eleven, she is "adopted" by a clockmaker, henceforth the name, Cog, and lives fairly comfortably. All of that is about to change.
Romping through the sewers of London, chasing down her nightmare memories of being abducted and realizing that she is gifted with special powers, Cog begins to understand she has a destiny to fulfill.
Birthright is suspenseful, surprising, creative and magical. And it's only the first book in the series. I can't wait to read the remaining books. I highly recommend this author.
May 25, 2019
Well-done, Wonderful Read
I don’t leave a lot of reviews but I thought this book definitely deserved one.
Normally, I’m not particularly enamored by the Victorian age but this was an absolutely brilliant setting for a truly inventive world.
The characters are well done. And while I could question wearing armor under a dress or a few other plot twists, this was a fun read.
I will happily come back and visit Cog again.
I don’t leave a lot of reviews but I thought this book definitely deserved one.
Normally, I’m not particularly enamored by the Victorian age but this was an absolutely brilliant setting for a truly inventive world.
The characters are well done. And while I could question wearing armor under a dress or a few other plot twists, this was a fun read.
I will happily come back and visit Cog again.
April 22, 2020
An original spin on mythology
Set in London, late 1800s, Cole has woven an interesting tale mixing history with Greek mythology. You get some mystery, some danger, maybe a few tears. But you also get family, of a sort, loyalty, humor, a snarky heroine and just dash of almost romance. It is a read that will hold you from start to finish. Look forward to the next book.
Set in London, late 1800s, Cole has woven an interesting tale mixing history with Greek mythology. You get some mystery, some danger, maybe a few tears. But you also get family, of a sort, loyalty, humor, a snarky heroine and just dash of almost romance. It is a read that will hold you from start to finish. Look forward to the next book.
February 3, 2019
A great start to a series
I really enjoyed the book. Solid mythology, good pacing, a bit of snark. I found the ending a bit abrupt but not overly so. I am looking forward to the next book very much.
I really enjoyed the book. Solid mythology, good pacing, a bit of snark. I found the ending a bit abrupt but not overly so. I am looking forward to the next book very much.
June 4, 2019
A well written fantasy story! I really enjoyed hearing about this new world & characters! A nice bit of magic & intrigue! Want to read more in this series & see if anything else has been written by this author!
May 30, 2019
Steampunky
Not a bad read, but it had a bit of long-winded tendencies. The characters were well played, and the storyline was intriguing.
Not a bad read, but it had a bit of long-winded tendencies. The characters were well played, and the storyline was intriguing.
June 16, 2019
What a fun story! Like steampunk mixed with paranormal and a twist of mythical. So cool! I really enjoyed this. Looking forward to reading the next.
October 19, 2019
Bloodline
A bit too typically YA for me, and bordered on steampunk in places. Not my kind of book for sure.
A bit too typically YA for me, and bordered on steampunk in places. Not my kind of book for sure.
September 10, 2020
Great fun and with neat references, as with most series leaves you wanting more.
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November 15, 2021Well written
I enjoyed the story and the character development. Feel like you need to read the entire series though it did not the up all the loose ends.
I enjoyed the story and the character development. Feel like you need to read the entire series though it did not the up all the loose ends.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews