Clockwork Heart

Clockwork Heart (2008) Dru Pagliassotti

Two words for you: Steampunk Romance.

Perfect right? I mean, isn’t the essence of Steampunk the romance of the Victorian era? OK, yes, the cool mechanical robots and stuff are a large part as well, but that’s also very much a romantic era of dress and manner social striation.

So Clockwork Heart doesn’t quite have all that, but it has most of it (plus a mystery!) and it’s well worth reading.

Taya is an icarus–a courier with mechanical wings that allow her to move easily from one sector of Ondinium to another, and to deal with both the highest caste and the lowest. After her involvement in a wireferry accident that is deemed to be an act of terrorism, Taya is drawn into the mystery of who was behind the bombing (and why) as well as why an exalted would abandon his robes and live among the lower castes.

This story reminded me of many different things and of nothing. The feel was always just on the edge of familiar, yet the world was unique and full of unexpected surprises.

About the only thing I didn’t love about this story was the reputation of the icarii as, well, sluts, and Taya’s reputation as one who prefers to be more choosy about whom she loves. In an otherwise excellent story, that one detail felt off, and I think it could have been left out of the story entirely. But that’s just me.

The mystery was well done, in that parts of it kept me guessing, and I even enjoyed the romance portion, as Taya must figure out who she likes, and why, and what those feelings mean for her in the long term.

If you’re looking for something different, I can highly recommend Clockwork Heart.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Juno

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