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The Brass Machine #3
The King's Time
The world burns.
Damian Traynor leaves home for the first time, hoping to escape grief by throwing himself into his art. Not long after he departs, disaster falls upon his home. From a distance, he watches as friends, family, and history disappear in flames.
Worst of all, he believes himself responsible.
Now, the only hope to fix everything is the brass machine.
Stuck in a strange land, Damian encounters the demon Gokko, who bends his will and alters his life's trajectory. With the demon's unique powers, he makes it his mission to kill the Yokai, siphon their magic, and force the brass machine into submission.
In another place and time, Kitsune and Myobu celebrate their reunion. Plans are disrupted when the brass machine alters their path. Together, they learn the story of Tsukumogami, relive past traumas, and discover the truth of Kitsune's father, King Oni.
The pieces of history fall into place, and Kitsune and Myobu find themselves hurtling on a collision course with Damian and Gokko. As past and present intertwine, the evil plaguing Kitsunetsuki becomes clear. All must work together alongside the brass machine to rid the world of malice for good.
Damian Traynor leaves home for the first time, hoping to escape grief by throwing himself into his art. Not long after he departs, disaster falls upon his home. From a distance, he watches as friends, family, and history disappear in flames.
Worst of all, he believes himself responsible.
Now, the only hope to fix everything is the brass machine.
Stuck in a strange land, Damian encounters the demon Gokko, who bends his will and alters his life's trajectory. With the demon's unique powers, he makes it his mission to kill the Yokai, siphon their magic, and force the brass machine into submission.
In another place and time, Kitsune and Myobu celebrate their reunion. Plans are disrupted when the brass machine alters their path. Together, they learn the story of Tsukumogami, relive past traumas, and discover the truth of Kitsune's father, King Oni.
The pieces of history fall into place, and Kitsune and Myobu find themselves hurtling on a collision course with Damian and Gokko. As past and present intertwine, the evil plaguing Kitsunetsuki becomes clear. All must work together alongside the brass machine to rid the world of malice for good.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 12, 2021
About the author
Isaac Grisham
5 books33 followersIsaac Grisham hails from the Midwest and currently lives in Austin, TX. By day, he works for a college, and at night he crafts engaging tales across the genres of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror - at least, when the two resident shelties allow him (they're good boys). When not spinning stories, Isaac enjoys creating new dinner recipes with his partner. The Brass Machine, a fantasy trilogy, is his first completed work.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 12, 2021
As a fan of the first two books in this trilogy, I was honored to read an early copy of The King's Time.
The thing that most impressed me over the course of the series was the plotting. Grisham ends Book 2 in a way that pulls together a dozen seemingly unrelated threads, weaving them in a way that hints at something huge and tremendous. Book 3, therefore, had a lot to live up to.
It does.
The questions that had me on the edge of my seat as I finished The King's Fear are all answered in this concluding book, and these answers are often unexpected but always satisfying. I don't want to say anything that might spoil a new reader, but if you're wondering whether the series is worth your time, and whether the ending holds up the promise of the first two books, I'd say it absolutely does. I've grown to love these characters over the past couple of years, and--speaking purely subjectively--I'm very happy with where they ended up.
But I was also super-impressed with the form this story took. Book 1 is a perfectly solid entry into the world, and proceeds in a straightforward way, mostly chronologically, to the book's conclusion. Book 2 does something completely different, veering into a storyline I wasn't expecting. This form, however, proved both emotionally gripping and necessary to understanding the wider world.
Book 3 is as different from the first two books as they are from each other. You'll still spend time with the same characters, and, as I've stated, the plot will arrive at a more-than-satisfying conclusion, but the journey on which Grisham takes us isn't the journey you'll be expecting. Again, this choice expands the world in some really sophisticated ways and fully illuminates a couple of characters who hold hidden depths.
So, when all is said and done, Isaac Grisham's The Brass Machine trilogy is a thoughtful, engaging epic fantasy. The characters are complicated, flawed, and eminently relatable. The world is huge and vividly drawn. There's tons of queer rep, handled simply, elegantly, and unapologetically.
I highly recommend this trilogy.
The thing that most impressed me over the course of the series was the plotting. Grisham ends Book 2 in a way that pulls together a dozen seemingly unrelated threads, weaving them in a way that hints at something huge and tremendous. Book 3, therefore, had a lot to live up to.
It does.
The questions that had me on the edge of my seat as I finished The King's Fear are all answered in this concluding book, and these answers are often unexpected but always satisfying. I don't want to say anything that might spoil a new reader, but if you're wondering whether the series is worth your time, and whether the ending holds up the promise of the first two books, I'd say it absolutely does. I've grown to love these characters over the past couple of years, and--speaking purely subjectively--I'm very happy with where they ended up.
But I was also super-impressed with the form this story took. Book 1 is a perfectly solid entry into the world, and proceeds in a straightforward way, mostly chronologically, to the book's conclusion. Book 2 does something completely different, veering into a storyline I wasn't expecting. This form, however, proved both emotionally gripping and necessary to understanding the wider world.
Book 3 is as different from the first two books as they are from each other. You'll still spend time with the same characters, and, as I've stated, the plot will arrive at a more-than-satisfying conclusion, but the journey on which Grisham takes us isn't the journey you'll be expecting. Again, this choice expands the world in some really sophisticated ways and fully illuminates a couple of characters who hold hidden depths.
So, when all is said and done, Isaac Grisham's The Brass Machine trilogy is a thoughtful, engaging epic fantasy. The characters are complicated, flawed, and eminently relatable. The world is huge and vividly drawn. There's tons of queer rep, handled simply, elegantly, and unapologetically.
I highly recommend this trilogy.
Displaying 1 of 1 review