The Clockwork Detective

Summary

"The Clockwork Detective" is a Steampunk novel that offers a rich fantasy world, appealing protagonist, and a blend of familiar and original elements, appealing to fans of fantasy and adventure genres.

Abstract

"The Clockwork Detective" by R.A. McCandless presents a dynamic fantasy world that will captivate fans of Steampunk, fantasy, and adventure. The novel follows Aubrey Hartmann, a Constable with a clockwork leg, as she navigates a realm with a complex political landscape and a history steeped in magic and intrigue. The book takes a bit of time to fully engage the reader, but once it does, it delivers a vivid and tension-filled narrative. Comparable to the later Harry Potter books in tone, it features a protagonist who is both capable and vulnerable, dealing with her own physical limitations through a mystical potion. The depiction of the Fae as emissaries of mystery and folklore adds depth to the story, tapping into the psychological space where fantasy and reality blur. Overall, "The Clockwork Detective" is an engaging read that combines elements of Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, and the wild west, suggesting the potential for a captivating series.

Opinions

The novel is initially challenging to get into but rewards patience with a well-conceived fantasy world.
Aubrey Hartmann's character, with her clockwork leg and reliance on a mystical potion, is seen as an appealing and relatable protagonist.
The scene with an angry centaur is a standout, creating a sense of awe and power similar to the Harry Potter series.
The Fae are well-developed, embodying the truths within folklore that

The Clockwork Detective

This book was a bit of a departure for me, and I’ll admit that it took a while to get oriented within the novel. I’ve never read a whole Steampunk novel before, although I think ‘The Clockwork Detective’ would please fans of most fantasy and adventure genres. If you give it time, you’ll find that McCandless has created a dynamic and well conceived fantasy world. You get a sense of a rich history and an epic political structure in which Aubrey Hartmann, the titular Constable of Aqualinne, is a capable but vulnerable player.

There is a scene about halfway through ‘The Clockwork Detective’ in which Aubrey and an associate face off against an angry centaur. This moment is vivid, well-realized, and fraught with tension, and it’s where this book clicked into place in my mind. The scene is reminiscent of the centaur scene in the first Harry Potter film, with a similar creation of awe and power at the mythical creature’s arrival. But ‘The Clockwork Detective’ is overall, more similar in tone to the later Harry Potter books than the first one.

Aubrey Hartmann makes an appealing protagonist. She’s equipped with a clockwork leg due to a mishap on a battlefield with a cannon ball. The leg is heavy and causes her great discomfort which she alleviates through the occasional swig of a mystical potion she carries around in a flask. The potion isn’t good for her, but the long term consequences are preferable to enduring the anguish of the present.

I enjoyed how the emissaries of the Fae were developed. McCandless taps into a common psychological place equally capable of realizing flights of fancy or nightmares. The Fae embody the slivers of truth inherent in folklore, the part of a fantastic tale that stops you from instantly dismissing it, and instead acknowledging that there are mysteries in the world we’ll never fully understand.

‘Mortal Engines’ is my only other real exposure to Steampunk, and I enjoyed ‘The Clockwork Detective’ more. There is a bit of Sherlock Holmes in this book, a bit of Harry Potter, and even a touch of the wild west. Mix them all together, shake them up, and the result is a highly entertaining work that hopefully will be the start of an engaging new series.