What do you think?
Rate this book
The Clockwork Empire
It is the height of the industrial revolution, and the Roman Empire has stood for thousands of years. Airborne fortresses and mechanically remade soldiers guard against threats outside the empire's vast borders-even as it rots from the inside.
As an ambitious senator rises to power, and a mysterious agent plots the downfall of the gods, a motley crew of exiles assembles to stop the rising fascism of the state: an excommunicated Praetorian Guard, her remade muscle, a spy, a pilot, an ex-slave, and a noble boy disgraced, experimented on, and remade with a clockwork heart.
But smashing an authoritarian state is no simple fistfight in a taverna. Nor can one easily repair a machine that has been rusting for so long. As oppression takes hold across the Empire, the crew must find each other, find their fire, and find the agent known only as Servius-before he leads the world to destruction.
As an ambitious senator rises to power, and a mysterious agent plots the downfall of the gods, a motley crew of exiles assembles to stop the rising fascism of the state: an excommunicated Praetorian Guard, her remade muscle, a spy, a pilot, an ex-slave, and a noble boy disgraced, experimented on, and remade with a clockwork heart.
But smashing an authoritarian state is no simple fistfight in a taverna. Nor can one easily repair a machine that has been rusting for so long. As oppression takes hold across the Empire, the crew must find each other, find their fire, and find the agent known only as Servius-before he leads the world to destruction.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2022
9 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Lucas J.W. Johnson
5 books11 followersLucas J.W. Johnson is an author, game designer, and entrepreneur. He’s published several short stories, and is the founder of Silverstring Media Inc., a narrative design studio working primarily in videogames. Lucas has experimented with interactive narratives, game design, and emergent storytelling for his whole life, writing stories and running tabletop roleplaying games since he was young.
With Silverstring Media, he has written several critically-acclaimed and award-winning games including Glitchhikers (finalist for Best Indie Game of 2014 at the Canadian Videogame Awards), Extrasolar (Indiecade finalist), and Timespinner.
Lucas lives with his husband and cats in Vancouver, BC.
With Silverstring Media, he has written several critically-acclaimed and award-winning games including Glitchhikers (finalist for Best Indie Game of 2014 at the Canadian Videogame Awards), Extrasolar (Indiecade finalist), and Timespinner.
Lucas lives with his husband and cats in Vancouver, BC.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 24, 2024
Queers in a Steampunk Alt-History Roman Empire. If that doesn't entice you, I don't really know what else to say.
I enjoyed this book. It ticks alot of my boxes. And to try and be hip to the internet memes, I guess this is My Roman Empire. At least, how I prefer to think of it.
I enjoyed this book. It ticks alot of my boxes. And to try and be hip to the internet memes, I guess this is My Roman Empire. At least, how I prefer to think of it.
September 7, 2022
I'm not really sure why I finished this book, because I didn't enjoy it. The characters were dull and flat, and there was far too much "telling" instead of "showing." It was a disappointment, because I love both steampunk and twists on the Roman Empire, and I had hoped for better.
June 5, 2022
Thank you to Fireside Fiction and Lucas for an E-ARC!
Content Warnings: Death, Murder (also of children), Graphic Descriptions, Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Body Modifications Without Consent, Kidnapping.
This book threw me through such a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every second of it. Honestly, I think this book had the best prologue I've read in a long time. Instantly gripped and shocked me while perfectly setting up the world it's set in.
The book is a deep dive into an alternate history type path, one of what if Rome had taken over and continued for many years more. Set during Rome's industrial revolution, a very steampunk one, the story follows a group of characters as they try to take down a very quickly expanding hole of corruption and facism within the empire. Down all the winding paths and blockades that appear before them at every corner, follow their steps and hard choices they need to make to continue.
All the moves the characters made felt motivated and with purpose, whether that be through impulsivity, planning, creative thinking or just teamwork. Character growth made sense and was honestly very satisfying to read when the characters had major “growth” moments.
The LGBT+ representation was adorable as well, WLW, MLM, trixic (this was very surprising to see in a book but very nice to read! I never expect to see any kind of trixic relationships even just mentioned!), non-binary, all sorts is featured in this book and despite how much there is, none of it felt throw-away or tokenised, everyone felt human.
Additionally, the way trauma is written was good, in my opinion at least. The way the characters treat others who are having a bad time, who don’t want to talk right now, etc felt real but it also felt good. There’s many quotes, like the one above, that I’m going to keep reflecting on for a very long time. The characters aren’t perfect, but they know how to treat each other well and how to look after each other when it comes to things like this. PTSD rep is something that is easily hit or miss, but I think this hit a bullseye.
Overall, 5/5 is the only rating I’m allowed to put, if it was up to me I’d rate it higher though. I honestly have no issues with the book, do however take note of the content warnings as the book doesn’t pull punches on occasion. It doesn’t hide the corruption, the xenophobia, the consequences it all has. The prologue is available for free online and I recommend reading it. This part also is the heaviest in terms of graphic/dark content so if you are alright with this part, you should be alright for the rest of the book! But believe me, whatever facts/answers you think you might know from that prologue, you might just have all those thoughts flipped upside down once you read the rest of the book…
Content Warnings: Death, Murder (also of children), Graphic Descriptions, Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Body Modifications Without Consent, Kidnapping.
"You don't need to face it to get over it. It's traumatic. You're allowed to move on without revisiting the trauma. You're allowed to move forward with a new life."
This book threw me through such a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every second of it. Honestly, I think this book had the best prologue I've read in a long time. Instantly gripped and shocked me while perfectly setting up the world it's set in.
The book is a deep dive into an alternate history type path, one of what if Rome had taken over and continued for many years more. Set during Rome's industrial revolution, a very steampunk one, the story follows a group of characters as they try to take down a very quickly expanding hole of corruption and facism within the empire. Down all the winding paths and blockades that appear before them at every corner, follow their steps and hard choices they need to make to continue.
All the moves the characters made felt motivated and with purpose, whether that be through impulsivity, planning, creative thinking or just teamwork. Character growth made sense and was honestly very satisfying to read when the characters had major “growth” moments.
The LGBT+ representation was adorable as well, WLW, MLM, trixic (this was very surprising to see in a book but very nice to read! I never expect to see any kind of trixic relationships even just mentioned!), non-binary, all sorts is featured in this book and despite how much there is, none of it felt throw-away or tokenised, everyone felt human.
Additionally, the way trauma is written was good, in my opinion at least. The way the characters treat others who are having a bad time, who don’t want to talk right now, etc felt real but it also felt good. There’s many quotes, like the one above, that I’m going to keep reflecting on for a very long time. The characters aren’t perfect, but they know how to treat each other well and how to look after each other when it comes to things like this. PTSD rep is something that is easily hit or miss, but I think this hit a bullseye.
Overall, 5/5 is the only rating I’m allowed to put, if it was up to me I’d rate it higher though. I honestly have no issues with the book, do however take note of the content warnings as the book doesn’t pull punches on occasion. It doesn’t hide the corruption, the xenophobia, the consequences it all has. The prologue is available for free online and I recommend reading it. This part also is the heaviest in terms of graphic/dark content so if you are alright with this part, you should be alright for the rest of the book! But believe me, whatever facts/answers you think you might know from that prologue, you might just have all those thoughts flipped upside down once you read the rest of the book…
October 21, 2022
This novel was my first time reading a steampunk themed story and I loved it! Before reading I was worried there would be many exposition dumps needed to explain the technology or state of the world. I was pleasantly surprised that most of these explanations came naturally as they were needed. I think just enough description was given for your mind to take the general idea and paint its own picture. I also loved imagining how roman culture would blend with steampunk technology to make this interesting world.
A few times the pacing seemed to slow down a bit, luckily this was usually followed with a change of perspective and a time skip. Sometimes when a story keeps switching viewpoints and jumping back and forth in time, I get lost. In this story I had no trouble following the perspective and realizing when it jumps back in time. I also found it refreshing that sometimes the perspective was told from a character who isn't the focus of the action at that moment.
All of the technology and world building seemed to make sense to me, and was even able to keep surprising me. I also like how some of the more unbelievable things aren't overly explained to make them seem more feasible. I was surprised how quickly and frequently the book tackled both moral and philosophical concepts. It was interesting to see how some characters would slowly have their morals broken down. Also giving an interesting look as to if the ends justify the means and where research can go too far.
I found the cast of characters to be an interesting and diverse group. Some of the characters took longer to warm up to than others. By the end of the story the group felt like a believable group of friends working towards a common goal. While most of the characters' reactions seemed believable, sometimes things felt a bit forced. The supporting characters also seemed believable and helped give a sense of the different types of people and struggles in the society.
While much of my enjoyment of the story came from discovering this thoroughly imagined world. I found trying to piece the mysteries together to be a treat as well. If something was brought up and questioned at the beginning it would be solved by the end, first giving you a chance to figure it out yourself. Some of the different set pieces spread throughout the story really captured my imagination giving it a high budget adventure film feel. The only times I would be pulled out of the action is when some characters would survive hopeless situations.
The ending of the story left me very satisfied. Leading up to the conclusion I was worried that the story would wrap up cleanly with a typical happy ending, I was glad to be wrong. I find myself still thinking of this world and wondering about the potential for a sequel. I think the ending has left enough room and the setting is still interesting and shrouded in mysteries. I hope to see another story set in this world with these characters, or a new cast in a different place and time.
A few times the pacing seemed to slow down a bit, luckily this was usually followed with a change of perspective and a time skip. Sometimes when a story keeps switching viewpoints and jumping back and forth in time, I get lost. In this story I had no trouble following the perspective and realizing when it jumps back in time. I also found it refreshing that sometimes the perspective was told from a character who isn't the focus of the action at that moment.
All of the technology and world building seemed to make sense to me, and was even able to keep surprising me. I also like how some of the more unbelievable things aren't overly explained to make them seem more feasible. I was surprised how quickly and frequently the book tackled both moral and philosophical concepts. It was interesting to see how some characters would slowly have their morals broken down. Also giving an interesting look as to if the ends justify the means and where research can go too far.
I found the cast of characters to be an interesting and diverse group. Some of the characters took longer to warm up to than others. By the end of the story the group felt like a believable group of friends working towards a common goal. While most of the characters' reactions seemed believable, sometimes things felt a bit forced. The supporting characters also seemed believable and helped give a sense of the different types of people and struggles in the society.
While much of my enjoyment of the story came from discovering this thoroughly imagined world. I found trying to piece the mysteries together to be a treat as well. If something was brought up and questioned at the beginning it would be solved by the end, first giving you a chance to figure it out yourself. Some of the different set pieces spread throughout the story really captured my imagination giving it a high budget adventure film feel. The only times I would be pulled out of the action is when some characters would survive hopeless situations.
The ending of the story left me very satisfied. Leading up to the conclusion I was worried that the story would wrap up cleanly with a typical happy ending, I was glad to be wrong. I find myself still thinking of this world and wondering about the potential for a sequel. I think the ending has left enough room and the setting is still interesting and shrouded in mysteries. I hope to see another story set in this world with these characters, or a new cast in a different place and time.
June 28, 2022
Y’all.
I love steampunk.
I love alternate history, and steampunk has been a favorite genre of mine for almost twenty years. Today, I get to tell you about my new favorite steampunk novel, and it’s part Star Wars, part Ocean’s Eleven.
In Lucas J. W. Johnson’s The Clockwork Empire, Rome never fell. Instead, the Roman Empire continued to grow and expand its grip around the world. Almost all of Europe lives under their control, and over the centuries, they’ve only gotten more powerful with the development of new technologies. People who are injured can be remade, with clockwork prosthetics being grafted on. Airships hover over cities, and Legionaries patrol the streets.
Julian was remade. Forced into slavery, he was experimented on and left with a clockwork heart—the first of its kind, and something the Empire desperately wants to keep secret. Shortly after the process was completed, however, he managed to escape from the scientist who had enslaved him. Now he seeks to reunite with his lost love, Gaius, and plan his revenge against those who are corrupting the empire for their own benefit.
Lia was a Praetorian, a member of the Emperor’s own guard, and one of the best soldiers to be found. When she and her comrades got too close to the truth about the goals of an overly ambitious senator, they were all disavowed and forced to go on the run.
After a chance meeting in a small caffè, Julian & Gaius find themselves teaming up with Lia’s crew. The realization that they have a mutual enemy in Senator Vivarius spurs them to action. What ensues is a grand adventure across the Roman Empire in a stolen airship.
So, let’s see. Big cast of queer characters? Check. Prosthetics technology that would make Winry Rockbell swoon? Check. Smashing fascism? Check. Train heist? Check. I really don’t know what else I could need.
My most sincere thanks Lucas J. W. Johnson for crafting an incredible story, and to Fireside Fiction (specifically Brian J. White) for providing me with a copy in exchange for a fair review.
The Clockwork Empire is out in the world today. Go get it.
This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2022/...
I love steampunk.
I love alternate history, and steampunk has been a favorite genre of mine for almost twenty years. Today, I get to tell you about my new favorite steampunk novel, and it’s part Star Wars, part Ocean’s Eleven.
In Lucas J. W. Johnson’s The Clockwork Empire, Rome never fell. Instead, the Roman Empire continued to grow and expand its grip around the world. Almost all of Europe lives under their control, and over the centuries, they’ve only gotten more powerful with the development of new technologies. People who are injured can be remade, with clockwork prosthetics being grafted on. Airships hover over cities, and Legionaries patrol the streets.
Julian was remade. Forced into slavery, he was experimented on and left with a clockwork heart—the first of its kind, and something the Empire desperately wants to keep secret. Shortly after the process was completed, however, he managed to escape from the scientist who had enslaved him. Now he seeks to reunite with his lost love, Gaius, and plan his revenge against those who are corrupting the empire for their own benefit.
Lia was a Praetorian, a member of the Emperor’s own guard, and one of the best soldiers to be found. When she and her comrades got too close to the truth about the goals of an overly ambitious senator, they were all disavowed and forced to go on the run.
After a chance meeting in a small caffè, Julian & Gaius find themselves teaming up with Lia’s crew. The realization that they have a mutual enemy in Senator Vivarius spurs them to action. What ensues is a grand adventure across the Roman Empire in a stolen airship.
So, let’s see. Big cast of queer characters? Check. Prosthetics technology that would make Winry Rockbell swoon? Check. Smashing fascism? Check. Train heist? Check. I really don’t know what else I could need.
My most sincere thanks Lucas J. W. Johnson for crafting an incredible story, and to Fireside Fiction (specifically Brian J. White) for providing me with a copy in exchange for a fair review.
The Clockwork Empire is out in the world today. Go get it.
This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2022/...
August 10, 2023
Lucas Johnson has crafted a well-paced, nicely written novel that didn’t fail to deliver on plot, character or world-building. It’s relatively short so it doesn’t delve deep into character study, but the trade-off is a novel chock full of interesting steampunk and important themes. Oh, and many inventive ways of swearing using the Roman gods.
This is a future where Rome never fell, and is shifting towards dictatorship in one Senator Vivarius. Rebellion is met with oppression. The story follows several characters who eventually band together to fight Vivarius, while battling self-doubt. How can just a few people make a difference?
There are issues aplenty here. Immigration, migration, colonisation, slavery, wage inequality, labour organising…And the parallels to modern society were striking. Fascism is on the rise now, and I couldn’t help but superimpose some of today’s political figures onto the novel’s characters. I won’t name names, but it was pretty obvious.
Each issue wasn’t explored in depth, but these societal issues overlap, and fixing them takes incremental action on many fronts. It’s something else I liked here: the messiness. Johnson gets that societal injustice is messy, as is the road forward. There were shades of moral greyness in the book, which elevated the story.
I like blockbuster best-sellers and prize-winning masterpieces, but finding a decent, indie book by a new author whose debut novel is this inventive is heartening. I hope Johnson hones his craft and gives us more.
This is a future where Rome never fell, and is shifting towards dictatorship in one Senator Vivarius. Rebellion is met with oppression. The story follows several characters who eventually band together to fight Vivarius, while battling self-doubt. How can just a few people make a difference?
There are issues aplenty here. Immigration, migration, colonisation, slavery, wage inequality, labour organising…And the parallels to modern society were striking. Fascism is on the rise now, and I couldn’t help but superimpose some of today’s political figures onto the novel’s characters. I won’t name names, but it was pretty obvious.
Each issue wasn’t explored in depth, but these societal issues overlap, and fixing them takes incremental action on many fronts. It’s something else I liked here: the messiness. Johnson gets that societal injustice is messy, as is the road forward. There were shades of moral greyness in the book, which elevated the story.
I like blockbuster best-sellers and prize-winning masterpieces, but finding a decent, indie book by a new author whose debut novel is this inventive is heartening. I hope Johnson hones his craft and gives us more.
January 27, 2024
What I worried might be a steampunk retelling of Gothic horror, turned out to be an alternate history with casual parallels to current propaganda, xenophobia, and labor concerns. Those discussions never delved too deep, in a book dominated by plot twists, diverse perspectives, and plot twists that trigger changes in perspectives. For example, a characters’ reflections—on why modern citizens were no better than those who stood by as Caesar betrayed the values of the Republic—were both humorous and believable in context. References to Roman gods and alternate culture interwove organically, from casual swearing to justification for political machinations.
Even if some of the plot twists, reveals, and action sequences didn’t move me, I appreciated how they intersected with the character arcs and worldbuilding. The handling of diverse backgrounds, sexualities, and one nonbinary character worked well in context. Overall, the author told an interesting tale with enough texture to engage a variety of readers’ interests.
For content warnings see Sky’s review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Even if some of the plot twists, reveals, and action sequences didn’t move me, I appreciated how they intersected with the character arcs and worldbuilding. The handling of diverse backgrounds, sexualities, and one nonbinary character worked well in context. Overall, the author told an interesting tale with enough texture to engage a variety of readers’ interests.
For content warnings see Sky’s review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
July 3, 2023
3.5 Stars
I enjoyed the politics and the inclusion of the steampunk-esque body modifications. The story was definitely interesting, but didn't feel very unique or creative. I've read so many books with the exact same premise. The plot felt very rushed and the antagonist wasn't "scary." He kind of just felt like a normal politician. I wished the author would have expanded on not just the antagonist's motivations, but everyone's motivations. Characters did stuff for completely random reasons. Overall, I enjoyed the book but it wasn't anything special.
I enjoyed the politics and the inclusion of the steampunk-esque body modifications. The story was definitely interesting, but didn't feel very unique or creative. I've read so many books with the exact same premise. The plot felt very rushed and the antagonist wasn't "scary." He kind of just felt like a normal politician. I wished the author would have expanded on not just the antagonist's motivations, but everyone's motivations. Characters did stuff for completely random reasons. Overall, I enjoyed the book but it wasn't anything special.
December 28, 2024
I always love to read a great book by a good friend! Really enjoyed this exuberant story about fighting back against fascism.
February 19, 2025
Steampunk Roman Empire needs to be overthrown by queer outcasts. Pretty okay.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews