Clockwork Alchemist – Book One of The Thief’s Apprentice by Sara C Roethle is a steampunk novel.
Plot:
A thief is hired to steal an Alchemist’s notebook, which he does, he also finds the Alchemist’s automaton daughter, Liliana, whom he allows to accompany him back to London, where he discovers several plots, a secret society and more.
First thoughts:
At first this sounds like a normal run of the mill steampunk story, a thief, an automaton, an alchemist’s formula and London, all basic stuff in a steampunk story.
However the author managed to add a lot more to it, even, believe it or not, questioning what it truest means to be alive.
Possible spoilers ahead!
In this steampunk universe, automatons are part mechanical and part biological, using human DNA to grow them, they are not supposed to have any free will or emotions. Liliana isn’t a normal automaton, her Alchemist father gave her a ‘soul’ and now she feels emotions and thinks for herself, but no one, not even Liliana herself, knows just what that makes her.
The thief in this story, Arhyen, is also an interesting character, he’s ruthless if needed, more than willing to fight, yet he has high morals for a thief and oddly enough has a working relationship with a detective.
Final thoughts:
I was surprised at just how well written this book was, the characters were well written, fully formed and pretty real, as real as possible for such a story.
This story is certainly among the best steampunk stories I’ve ever read, it was hard to write this review without too many spoilers, hopefully I managed.
Would I read this book again? Yes, I wouldn’t hesitate at all.
Would I recommend it to others? Yes, again I wouldn’t hesitate.
Colin's Critiques 