Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Autosmith Clement Dyer wants to create his life-like, mechanical animals in peace. He’s tired of being badgered about selling his business to his long-time rival and former lover, Duke Goodwin. He also craves appreciation for his living works of art.

Unfortunately, not all of Clement’s clients see his clockwork creations the way he does, and a prominent but dissatisfied customer threatens to sink his struggling business into the ground.

Book Review

One of the most fun and entertaining Steampunk stories I have read recently, this is a charming tale about a man who wants nothing more than to design interesting little (or not so little) mechanical creatures. Business is tough due to demanding customers, multiple competitors are eager to put him out of business, and he never seems to be able to find enough time to come up with ”the next big thing”. Set in an alternate London of the nineteenth century, this is a world where aristocrats still rule, the working class can thrive through hard work, and technology is focused on replacing pets and working animals with more “reliable” machine versions.
 
Clement owns a shop and is a very talented autosmith – read designer and builder of intricate clockwork designs. Most of them are pets and sound utterly delightful based on the few I got to see as I read this story. Clement’s creations are all individually handmade and that is both his biggest advantage, because they are all unique and of high quality, and his biggest problem, since the materials are expensive and putting them together takes longer than using automated methods. He has his hands full with demanding customers, a competitor who wants to take over his business, and the fact that he is not selling enough of his machines to pay his expenses.

I really felt for Clement. He is very creative and has some great ideas, but he is more of an artist than a businessman. It takes him a while to recognize and admit it, and when he does, it is almost too late. If it weren’t for his shop assistant and an unknown benefactor, Clement’s story would have ended very differently.

If you like stories with charm and lots of fun little details, if you think a man who is dedicated to his work still deserves a loving partner, and if you’re looking for an entertaining read set in an alternate past, then you will probably like this short story.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by NineStar Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 38 pages/13500 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	23-May-2016
Price	$3.49 ebook
Buy Link	http://ninestarpress.com/product/the-clockwork-menagerie/