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Clockwork Dagger #1
The Clockwork Dagger
Full of magic, mystery, and romance, an enchanting steampunk fantasy debut in the bestselling vein of Trudi Canavan and Gail Carriger.
Orphaned as a child, Octavia Leander was doomed to grow up on the streets until Miss Percival saved her and taught her to become a medician. Gifted with incredible powers, the young healer is about to embark on her first mission, visiting suffering cities in the far reaches of the war-scarred realm. But the airship on which she is traveling is plagued by a series of strange and disturbing occurrences, including murder, and Octavia herself is threatened.
Suddenly, she is caught up in a flurry of intrigue: the dashingly attractive steward may be one of the infamous Clockwork Daggers—the Queen’s spies and assassins—and her cabin-mate harbors disturbing secrets. But the danger is only beginning, for Octavia discovers that the deadly conspiracy aboard the airship may reach the crown itself.
Orphaned as a child, Octavia Leander was doomed to grow up on the streets until Miss Percival saved her and taught her to become a medician. Gifted with incredible powers, the young healer is about to embark on her first mission, visiting suffering cities in the far reaches of the war-scarred realm. But the airship on which she is traveling is plagued by a series of strange and disturbing occurrences, including murder, and Octavia herself is threatened.
Suddenly, she is caught up in a flurry of intrigue: the dashingly attractive steward may be one of the infamous Clockwork Daggers—the Queen’s spies and assassins—and her cabin-mate harbors disturbing secrets. But the danger is only beginning, for Octavia discovers that the deadly conspiracy aboard the airship may reach the crown itself.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2014
62 people are currently reading
3,027 people want to read
About the author
Beth Cato
125Ìýbooks656ÌýfollowersBeth Cato hails from Hanford, California, but currently writes and bakes cookies in a lair west of Phoenix, Arizona. She’s the Nebula Award-nominated author of A THOUSAND RECIPES FOR REVENGE from 47North (June 2023), plus the Clockwork Dagger duology and the Blood of Earth trilogy from Harper Voyager. Her short stories can be found in publications ranging from Beneath Ceaseless Skies to Uncanny Magazine. In 2019 and 2022, she won the Rhysling Award for speculative poetry.
Beth shares her household with her husband, son, and two feline overlords. Her website BethCato.com includes not only a vast bibliography, but a treasure trove of recipes for delectable goodies. Find her on Twitter as @BethCato and Instagram as @catocatsandcheese.
Beth shares her household with her husband, son, and two feline overlords. Her website BethCato.com includes not only a vast bibliography, but a treasure trove of recipes for delectable goodies. Find her on Twitter as @BethCato and Instagram as @catocatsandcheese.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 373 reviews
October 21, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: In theory, I should have liked everything about The Clockwork Dagger. There’s betrayal and political intrigue, romance and adventure. The unfortunate reality is that it felt flat. Cato’s descriptive writing made it incredibly easy to taste the dust of the war-torn world and feel the shadow from a dirigible floating overhead, yet her characters were bland and inconsistent. The story takes place in a creative and comprehensive Steampunk world but the reliance on the mystical Lady for everything that happens is tiring. Cato has potential but I’ll pass.
Opening Sentence: Octavia Leander’s journey to her new source of employment was to be guided by three essential rules: that she hide her occupation, lest others take advantage; that she be frugal with her coin and avoid any indulgences that come with newfound independence; and that she shun the presence of men, as nothing useful or proper could possibly happen in their company.
The Review:
Reading a book is a lot like meeting someone new. Sometimes you hit it off right away, instantly enjoying each other’s company and effortlessly forming a tight bond. Other times, that connection takes a while but it does eventually form after you’ve spent some time getting to know each other. Then there are the “it’s not you, it’s me� times when things simply don’t click. Something is missing and no amount of time or effort is going to change the fact. The Clockwork Dagger and I fall into the third category.
Octavia Leander is probably one of the most annoyingly oblivious characters I’ve come across. Despite being more powerful than THE Miss Percival of the renowned Miss Percival’s medician academy, Octavia refuses to see she has an extraordinary connection with the mystical force known as the Lady. She thinks her ability to hear the music of any living being’s body without the typical medician tools is just a fluke. Her uncanny success rate is due to luck, and definitely not mysteriously connected to the physical urge to make a blood donation to the Lady after a particularly powerful healing spell.
Which is why she’s so shocked when she learns Miss Percival is outsourcing her to a small village between the warring nations of Caskentia and Dallows. With no friends, little money and a dangerously depleted supply of healing herbs, Octavia boards the older and slightly dingy dirigible named the Argus. Octavia isn’t happy about the mode of transportation given her parents were incinerated when one crashed on her village but what can she do? Miss Percival has made it clear the academy needs the money and Octavia is the only one she can send.
After playing a role in a twisted display of the town’s poverty, Octavia finds herself in danger of missing her ride. The first of many coincidences occurs when a kind gentleman by the name of Alonzo Garret steps in to escort her to the Argus � where he works as a crewmember. Octavia is instantly attracted to Alonzo until she learns he’s the son of the man who caused the dirigible to crash into her village. She relives the agony of being the only survivor of the tragic accident. Alonzo’s dad was flying a small plane, defending Caskentia’s borders against an air attack by a Darrows� airship when one of his shots caused the thing to explode (remember photos of the Hindenburg?). The dirigible crashes and takes down his plane, killing himself and everyone on the ground except Octavia.
Only the introduction of Mr. Drury makes Octavia reconsider her stance on Alonzo. Drury, the slimy salesman of a product called Royal-Tea is obsessed with getting Octavia to drink his wares. He corners her and her modern-day woman roars, with only Alonzo’s sudden appearance saving Mr. Drury from a crotch kick and face full of pepper spray. Alonzo escorts Octavia to her room, where they meet Mrs. Viola Stout, Octavia’s much older and heftier roommate. Mrs. Stout develops a motherly attentiveness in keeping Octavia’s modesty in tact after noting how handsome Alonzo appears and firmly implants herself in Octavia’s life for the remainder of the flight. But, not long after they take off, Octavia discovers a death threat in their shared room but brushes it off. No one can know she’s a medician and alerting Alonzo to the death threat will only raise questions she can’t answer. She doesn’t deem it worthy to warn her roommate that someone with ill intent has already entered their room. Instead, Octavia conveniently forgets she offered to trade bunks with Mrs. Stout until she returns after dinner to a blood bath.
As they continue on the trip, it becomes clear Octavia’s connection to the Lady has drawn unwanted interest. Caskentia, Octavia’s own country, has sent its deadly assassins known as the Clockwork Daggers to determine the threat she presents � and to keep her out of the hands of the Darrow’s Wasters by any means necessary. Octavia is shocked to learn that her connection with the Lady and power it brings is so coveted by both sides � and yet she still doesn’t acknowledge the special connection. To make things more convoluted, the lost Caskentian princess pops up with some hefty post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and Octavia is forced to make a hefty decision that will affect everyone’s lives.
You know how actors in bad B movies are more caricatures than characters? That’s what this felt like. Every action was exaggerated, every nuance comical in its portrayal � from Octavia’s innocence turned badass heroine to Mrs. Stout’s name and physical description. Take the situation with Alonzo. Even though she just met the guy, she admonishes herself for thinking him kind because she can’t possibly ever be interested in a man who’s remotely associated with her parent’s death. If you’re like me, your first thought after reading that is “Huh?� Besides the whole insta-love thing, this perplexing attempt to create friction between love interests approximately two chapters into the story was the timer bell on our speed date. Octavia is going to hate on the man who lost his father in the same horrendous accident that took her parents? Sure, technically Alonzo’s father caused the airship’s fiery crash and Octavia could be reacting in the irrational way survivors of horrendous things do. Yet her reaction doesn’t make sense as the character she’s portrayed to this point. It’s been established that she’s never been close to anyone because of her abilities and deeply desires a connection with another person. Why then would she not befriend a man who shares such a tragic history?
There are numerous instances of this awkward character dichotomy, making it impossible for me to connect with Octavia specifically and others characters generally. The second glaring instance is when Octavia meets Mr. Drury. Then again, later, when a number of gremlins are slaughtered and Octavia bounces a wooden tray off people’s heads to save the one she rescues and names Leaf. These reactions aren’t consistent with the virginal, modest Victorian society Cato built and felt like nails down a chalkboard as I was reading.
My annoyance with character discrepancy was exacerbated because of the narration. If you’re going to tell ninety-nine percent of a story in third person, don’t switch to first when you want the reader to hear specific character thoughts. Either denote you are switching by using italics (Why does this bother me so?) or include “What the heck, Kelly thought.� At the very least, remain consistent. Randomly bouncing between the two disrupted the flow and added to my frustration with the story. The notable scene below is a perfect example of this. It’s possible that this was only a result of a formatting issue since this was an ARC but it still greatly affected my enjoyment.
Finally, story’s buildup wasn’t a cohesive blend. A missing Princess thought dead turns up but doesn’t seem to play a larger role in the overarching story plot. Then everything about the blasted Lady, who turned out to be embodied in a tree. I lost count of how many times Octavia asked for her help (it happens every chapter) and wanted to yell “WE GOT IT! Octavia is a devoted servant of the freaking Lady and they have an insane bond!� And, ugh, the gremlin named Leaf. If you’re like me, you won’t find humor in the cutesy little green version of Bubo (the golden owl in the Clash of the Titans).
Cato’s vivid descriptive writing style was perfect for the multi-layered world she created for The Clockwork Dagger, but ultimately couldn’t make up for its lackluster characters. I’m grateful for the chance to review The Clockwork Dagger but will think twice before picking up another book by Cato since we seem to want different things in our fiction.
Notable Scene:
Her fingers trembled as she packed her jars. The pampria was half full, enough for two or three trauma cases as bad as Mrs. Stout � certainly not adequate to start her practice. With the Lady’s herbs, I’ll be almost useless in Delford. Doctoring can only do so much for poison cases as bad as theirs. It would take months to grow pampria until it’s ripe enough to harvest. There may be an apothecary in Leffen, but it would be far too overpriced, and I barely have the funds for my journey.
She brushed her fingers against Mrs. Stout’s arm, now warm to the touch. She was grateful to be able to save her friend, but the consequences were dire.
“You are a medician,� Mr. Garret said in a gentle tone, probing.
“Yes.� She didn’t look at him. “I was trained at Miss Percival’s academy.�
“I know of it. One of the most reputed medician schools in the kingdom. Your skill � ‘tis as though your Lady’s hand rest directly on you. I had the brief acquaintance of a medician. He was not as attuned.�
“Ah. When you lost your leg.�
Mr. Garret sucks in a breath. “How…�
“I know these things.�
“As you knew of her injury before opening the door. You are unusually attuned.�
“So I’ve been told.� Again, and again, and again.
FTC Advisory: HarperVoyager/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of The Clockwork Dagger. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,� or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: In theory, I should have liked everything about The Clockwork Dagger. There’s betrayal and political intrigue, romance and adventure. The unfortunate reality is that it felt flat. Cato’s descriptive writing made it incredibly easy to taste the dust of the war-torn world and feel the shadow from a dirigible floating overhead, yet her characters were bland and inconsistent. The story takes place in a creative and comprehensive Steampunk world but the reliance on the mystical Lady for everything that happens is tiring. Cato has potential but I’ll pass.
Opening Sentence: Octavia Leander’s journey to her new source of employment was to be guided by three essential rules: that she hide her occupation, lest others take advantage; that she be frugal with her coin and avoid any indulgences that come with newfound independence; and that she shun the presence of men, as nothing useful or proper could possibly happen in their company.
The Review:
Reading a book is a lot like meeting someone new. Sometimes you hit it off right away, instantly enjoying each other’s company and effortlessly forming a tight bond. Other times, that connection takes a while but it does eventually form after you’ve spent some time getting to know each other. Then there are the “it’s not you, it’s me� times when things simply don’t click. Something is missing and no amount of time or effort is going to change the fact. The Clockwork Dagger and I fall into the third category.
Octavia Leander is probably one of the most annoyingly oblivious characters I’ve come across. Despite being more powerful than THE Miss Percival of the renowned Miss Percival’s medician academy, Octavia refuses to see she has an extraordinary connection with the mystical force known as the Lady. She thinks her ability to hear the music of any living being’s body without the typical medician tools is just a fluke. Her uncanny success rate is due to luck, and definitely not mysteriously connected to the physical urge to make a blood donation to the Lady after a particularly powerful healing spell.
Which is why she’s so shocked when she learns Miss Percival is outsourcing her to a small village between the warring nations of Caskentia and Dallows. With no friends, little money and a dangerously depleted supply of healing herbs, Octavia boards the older and slightly dingy dirigible named the Argus. Octavia isn’t happy about the mode of transportation given her parents were incinerated when one crashed on her village but what can she do? Miss Percival has made it clear the academy needs the money and Octavia is the only one she can send.
After playing a role in a twisted display of the town’s poverty, Octavia finds herself in danger of missing her ride. The first of many coincidences occurs when a kind gentleman by the name of Alonzo Garret steps in to escort her to the Argus � where he works as a crewmember. Octavia is instantly attracted to Alonzo until she learns he’s the son of the man who caused the dirigible to crash into her village. She relives the agony of being the only survivor of the tragic accident. Alonzo’s dad was flying a small plane, defending Caskentia’s borders against an air attack by a Darrows� airship when one of his shots caused the thing to explode (remember photos of the Hindenburg?). The dirigible crashes and takes down his plane, killing himself and everyone on the ground except Octavia.
Only the introduction of Mr. Drury makes Octavia reconsider her stance on Alonzo. Drury, the slimy salesman of a product called Royal-Tea is obsessed with getting Octavia to drink his wares. He corners her and her modern-day woman roars, with only Alonzo’s sudden appearance saving Mr. Drury from a crotch kick and face full of pepper spray. Alonzo escorts Octavia to her room, where they meet Mrs. Viola Stout, Octavia’s much older and heftier roommate. Mrs. Stout develops a motherly attentiveness in keeping Octavia’s modesty in tact after noting how handsome Alonzo appears and firmly implants herself in Octavia’s life for the remainder of the flight. But, not long after they take off, Octavia discovers a death threat in their shared room but brushes it off. No one can know she’s a medician and alerting Alonzo to the death threat will only raise questions she can’t answer. She doesn’t deem it worthy to warn her roommate that someone with ill intent has already entered their room. Instead, Octavia conveniently forgets she offered to trade bunks with Mrs. Stout until she returns after dinner to a blood bath.
As they continue on the trip, it becomes clear Octavia’s connection to the Lady has drawn unwanted interest. Caskentia, Octavia’s own country, has sent its deadly assassins known as the Clockwork Daggers to determine the threat she presents � and to keep her out of the hands of the Darrow’s Wasters by any means necessary. Octavia is shocked to learn that her connection with the Lady and power it brings is so coveted by both sides � and yet she still doesn’t acknowledge the special connection. To make things more convoluted, the lost Caskentian princess pops up with some hefty post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and Octavia is forced to make a hefty decision that will affect everyone’s lives.
You know how actors in bad B movies are more caricatures than characters? That’s what this felt like. Every action was exaggerated, every nuance comical in its portrayal � from Octavia’s innocence turned badass heroine to Mrs. Stout’s name and physical description. Take the situation with Alonzo. Even though she just met the guy, she admonishes herself for thinking him kind because she can’t possibly ever be interested in a man who’s remotely associated with her parent’s death. If you’re like me, your first thought after reading that is “Huh?� Besides the whole insta-love thing, this perplexing attempt to create friction between love interests approximately two chapters into the story was the timer bell on our speed date. Octavia is going to hate on the man who lost his father in the same horrendous accident that took her parents? Sure, technically Alonzo’s father caused the airship’s fiery crash and Octavia could be reacting in the irrational way survivors of horrendous things do. Yet her reaction doesn’t make sense as the character she’s portrayed to this point. It’s been established that she’s never been close to anyone because of her abilities and deeply desires a connection with another person. Why then would she not befriend a man who shares such a tragic history?
There are numerous instances of this awkward character dichotomy, making it impossible for me to connect with Octavia specifically and others characters generally. The second glaring instance is when Octavia meets Mr. Drury. Then again, later, when a number of gremlins are slaughtered and Octavia bounces a wooden tray off people’s heads to save the one she rescues and names Leaf. These reactions aren’t consistent with the virginal, modest Victorian society Cato built and felt like nails down a chalkboard as I was reading.
My annoyance with character discrepancy was exacerbated because of the narration. If you’re going to tell ninety-nine percent of a story in third person, don’t switch to first when you want the reader to hear specific character thoughts. Either denote you are switching by using italics (Why does this bother me so?) or include “What the heck, Kelly thought.� At the very least, remain consistent. Randomly bouncing between the two disrupted the flow and added to my frustration with the story. The notable scene below is a perfect example of this. It’s possible that this was only a result of a formatting issue since this was an ARC but it still greatly affected my enjoyment.
Finally, story’s buildup wasn’t a cohesive blend. A missing Princess thought dead turns up but doesn’t seem to play a larger role in the overarching story plot. Then everything about the blasted Lady, who turned out to be embodied in a tree. I lost count of how many times Octavia asked for her help (it happens every chapter) and wanted to yell “WE GOT IT! Octavia is a devoted servant of the freaking Lady and they have an insane bond!� And, ugh, the gremlin named Leaf. If you’re like me, you won’t find humor in the cutesy little green version of Bubo (the golden owl in the Clash of the Titans).
Cato’s vivid descriptive writing style was perfect for the multi-layered world she created for The Clockwork Dagger, but ultimately couldn’t make up for its lackluster characters. I’m grateful for the chance to review The Clockwork Dagger but will think twice before picking up another book by Cato since we seem to want different things in our fiction.
Notable Scene:
Her fingers trembled as she packed her jars. The pampria was half full, enough for two or three trauma cases as bad as Mrs. Stout � certainly not adequate to start her practice. With the Lady’s herbs, I’ll be almost useless in Delford. Doctoring can only do so much for poison cases as bad as theirs. It would take months to grow pampria until it’s ripe enough to harvest. There may be an apothecary in Leffen, but it would be far too overpriced, and I barely have the funds for my journey.
She brushed her fingers against Mrs. Stout’s arm, now warm to the touch. She was grateful to be able to save her friend, but the consequences were dire.
“You are a medician,� Mr. Garret said in a gentle tone, probing.
“Yes.� She didn’t look at him. “I was trained at Miss Percival’s academy.�
“I know of it. One of the most reputed medician schools in the kingdom. Your skill � ‘tis as though your Lady’s hand rest directly on you. I had the brief acquaintance of a medician. He was not as attuned.�
“Ah. When you lost your leg.�
Mr. Garret sucks in a breath. “How…�
“I know these things.�
“As you knew of her injury before opening the door. You are unusually attuned.�
“So I’ve been told.� Again, and again, and again.
FTC Advisory: HarperVoyager/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of The Clockwork Dagger. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,� or bribes were exchanged for my review.
August 24, 2016
Octavia Leander is a gifted medician, so upon leaving school, she boards a dirigible for parts unfamiliar, where a terrible epidemic is reported to be raging. But sometimes the journey is what matters, and that’s the case here, as Octavia meets Alonzo, a handsome and perhaps overly helpful steward, and her roommate, Mrs. Stout, a kindly older woman. But not everyone is so nice, as Octavia discovers that there may be a plot to kill her.I have to thank Orient for recommending this book to me (click her name to see her glowing review). This was a really enjoyable book set in a well-developed world with a mixture of steampunk, religion, political intrigue, and personal entanglements that made for a fast and gripping read.
I’ll admit that early on I rolled my eyes a bit at Octavia’s Speshul Snowflake status, as she’s the most powerful medician to live in just about forever, but as the story went on, that played out in more interesting ways than I expected. Octavia struggles with her abilities, and they contribute to some difficulties that kept the story firmly grounded in the personal even as the bigger picture of war-torn nations and misguided leadership emerged.
I’m especially intrigued by the religious aspect of this story, as Octavia’s powers come to her through “The Lady� and “The Tree,� both of which are real, but not easily understood -- nothing is made too simplistic or obvious, and the Lady certainly doesn’t seem to be all-good. I really hope to learn more about this mythology in the second (and only other! sob!) book in this duology. I already have it sitting on my to-read pile!
I also really enjoyed what appears to be a romance between Octavia and Alonzo. Nothing develops between them too quickly, and the story shows them earning each other’s trust and respect, not necessarily eagerly but because they have to rely on each other. Sometimes a slow burn beats all those instant sparks!
Thank you, Orient, for steering me to this! :-)
January 30, 2016
In this book the author introduces an attractive main character, Octavia and a well-constructed steampunk fantasy joined with some magic and political scheme. The book is a well-written murder-mystery story. It entangles spies from the eastern part of the country, spies, who were sent by the queen, a princess, who was thought to be lost, and the main character, Octavia, who realizes that she’s not just a simple magical healer. What I really liked is that there’s an adventurious fight combining science, magic and religion in the story, also there is a strong need for social justice and overwhelming change. The story also reveals the poisonous leadership, the colourful variety of humankind and the mysterious adventures through a progressive, well-constructed steampunk world. Yummy
September 16, 2014
The Clockwork Dagger, what can I say about this one? There were elements that I did enjoy, but at the end of the day, I have to confess that it wasn't a notable read for me.
What I really liked in this one was the magic system. It was cool and I loved that it was at odds with those who believed in science and technology. This was a great theme: belief versus scientific fact, and I loved the contradiction of these two in Octavia’s position as a medician.
As a medician, Octavia has the ability to heal anyone from their hurts, to the point that she can almost bring them back from the dead. The catch is that this ability is granted from the Lady:
Octavia, like other medician’s, has a direct link to the Lady and when in communication with her, Octavia is able to save lives. I loved this concept and I liked the fact that Octavia is made to question the motivations of the Lady. The Lady might just be a little more selective than she first appears; she doesn’t offer her healing abilities without discrimination. I can see Octavia losing much of her idealism and naïveté as this series continues.
While I loved the concept behind the world and the theme of faith and blindly following it, I had a hard time being interested in the characters. Octavia and her romance with Alonzo fell flat for me. Octavia’s naïveté was interesting and initially I liked this about her, but I soon came to find that there wasn’t much else to Octavia. I found her to be a very one-dimensional character with little depth to her motivations. Octavia was just a little too perfect.
As for the romance, because you know this was why I was checking out this book, I was quite disappointed. There was so much potential for conflict between the leads. Octavia’s in danger and Alonzo is continually there to assist, a little too conveniently as Octavia learns. However, when Octavia discovers that Alonzo as ulterior motives for helping her, she’s rather quick to forgive. Now, I’m the first to be frustrated when characters don’t discuss obstacles in their path and refuse to understand why the other has done what they have. But in this case, I was surprised at how easily Octavia acquiesced. She came across as passionless rather than noble. And Alonzo � he has to be the only spy out there that’s shy and given to blushes. To me, his manner of behaviour didn’t fit the character that he was, a Clockwork Dagger, super-spy extraordinaire.
Ultimately, I wasn’t a fan of The Clockwork Dagger and I don’t think I will be back for a sequel. The world is interesting, but the characters are not developed enough for me to be engaged.
Originally published at .
*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
What I really liked in this one was the magic system. It was cool and I loved that it was at odds with those who believed in science and technology. This was a great theme: belief versus scientific fact, and I loved the contradiction of these two in Octavia’s position as a medician.
As a medician, Octavia has the ability to heal anyone from their hurts, to the point that she can almost bring them back from the dead. The catch is that this ability is granted from the Lady:
The Lady was a woman and mother and of great faith in God. In times of sorrow, like now, her husband and children succumbed to illness. However, she used the wisdom gleaned from their deaths to go forth and help others. She traveled beyond the Wastes, healing. Some stories say the Wastes were a land of plenty then, or just starting to die. It depends on the telling. She saw more pain and suffering than most people could withstand, yet she endured. At the end of her life, she begged God that she still be able to heal. She was planted in the ground and grew as a tree bound to the very soul of the earth (p. 53).
Octavia, like other medician’s, has a direct link to the Lady and when in communication with her, Octavia is able to save lives. I loved this concept and I liked the fact that Octavia is made to question the motivations of the Lady. The Lady might just be a little more selective than she first appears; she doesn’t offer her healing abilities without discrimination. I can see Octavia losing much of her idealism and naïveté as this series continues.
While I loved the concept behind the world and the theme of faith and blindly following it, I had a hard time being interested in the characters. Octavia and her romance with Alonzo fell flat for me. Octavia’s naïveté was interesting and initially I liked this about her, but I soon came to find that there wasn’t much else to Octavia. I found her to be a very one-dimensional character with little depth to her motivations. Octavia was just a little too perfect.
As for the romance, because you know this was why I was checking out this book, I was quite disappointed. There was so much potential for conflict between the leads. Octavia’s in danger and Alonzo is continually there to assist, a little too conveniently as Octavia learns. However, when Octavia discovers that Alonzo as ulterior motives for helping her, she’s rather quick to forgive. Now, I’m the first to be frustrated when characters don’t discuss obstacles in their path and refuse to understand why the other has done what they have. But in this case, I was surprised at how easily Octavia acquiesced. She came across as passionless rather than noble. And Alonzo � he has to be the only spy out there that’s shy and given to blushes. To me, his manner of behaviour didn’t fit the character that he was, a Clockwork Dagger, super-spy extraordinaire.
Ultimately, I wasn’t a fan of The Clockwork Dagger and I don’t think I will be back for a sequel. The world is interesting, but the characters are not developed enough for me to be engaged.
Originally published at .
*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
September 26, 2014
Combining a steampunk airship adventure with nature and saint based spirituality, ugly/adorable flying gremlins, competing political conspiracies, a missing princess, various forms of magic, and the beginning stages of romance, Clockwork Dagger charmed and entertained me. Octavia Leander, orphaned in the war, has healing powers sought by all sides, so though she just wants to practice her craft in a quiet rural setting she's drawn into a dangerous power struggle.
Fortunately she’s quick thinking and has the support of the Lady, a healing goddess who may have begun life as a human but now is embodied as the spirit of a magnificent magical tree. The characters are wonderful--beside Octavia there is Leaf, the little green gremlin, Viola Stout, an unconventional older woman with a surprising secret, Alonzo Garret, the handsome airship steward who's always around when there's trouble, and assorted eccentrics who make up the airship's passengers and crew. The story's landscape includes smoky cities, marshy swamps, and country towns and though it’s set in a fantasy kingdom, not England, the book reminded me of Gail Carriger's Etiquette and Espionage series.
Fortunately she’s quick thinking and has the support of the Lady, a healing goddess who may have begun life as a human but now is embodied as the spirit of a magnificent magical tree. The characters are wonderful--beside Octavia there is Leaf, the little green gremlin, Viola Stout, an unconventional older woman with a surprising secret, Alonzo Garret, the handsome airship steward who's always around when there's trouble, and assorted eccentrics who make up the airship's passengers and crew. The story's landscape includes smoky cities, marshy swamps, and country towns and though it’s set in a fantasy kingdom, not England, the book reminded me of Gail Carriger's Etiquette and Espionage series.
August 21, 2014
Clock Work Dagger by Beth Cato is SteamPunk crafted with precision and heart. This clever romp by airship evokes a gilded age of pomp and polish while at the same time giving you the friendly feeling of a delightful cozy. The characters are rich and drawn with panaché as they explore a world you'll want to run away to. This is a novel that will find you imagining the grand trip by Airship as you find the last mooring tower on the right. A tale of the man with the monocle and the waxed mustache and the too broad smile. And it is also the tale of a delightful heroine. A girl who is brave and strong and true. The kind of girl one finds in the thrilling stories of adventure we all used to read and miss as we grow older. The kind of girl we wish girls aspired to be in these dark and sooty times. This was delightful and I found, by the end of this adventure, that I'd made a new friend named Octavia. And that I cared very much for her further adventures.
There is a small book box, it looks like a beautiful birdhouse, that I pass on my morning walks... I think I'll leave this book there on my next walk. I'll sign it in and maybe some young girl will read it and find a new friend amidst the pages.
There is a small book box, it looks like a beautiful birdhouse, that I pass on my morning walks... I think I'll leave this book there on my next walk. I'll sign it in and maybe some young girl will read it and find a new friend amidst the pages.
February 6, 2017
I loved this one. Read it in a few hours. Really enjoyed it. Fully fleshed characters, engaging (if a little predictable) intrigue, solid world building. I love regency style fantasy novels but generally hate steampunk. This novel was steampunk-esque and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Character responses were believable, scenes were action packed. It definitely worked for me.
Few quibbles-
* Would have preferred a more well developed romance
* Dialogue was too wordy and awkward at times.
* Hoping for more complexity in relations between nations in the next book.
* Climax- not a bang but a whimper. It was dramatic I just wanted more.
Few quibbles-
* Would have preferred a more well developed romance
* Dialogue was too wordy and awkward at times.
* Hoping for more complexity in relations between nations in the next book.
* Climax- not a bang but a whimper. It was dramatic I just wanted more.
August 7, 2014
I really enjoyed this steampunk adventure by Cato. The story stands alone very well, but I was excited to find out there are more books planned for this series. The 2nd book in the series, The Clockwork Crown, is expected to release in Sept 2015.
Octavia Leander was orphaned at a young age, but her luck took a turn for the better when she was taken in by Miss Percival and trained as a medician. Years have passed and now Octavia is a medician of great power and being sent on her first assignment. She is being sent to a small town that is devastated by sickness, but getting there will be the exciting part.
On the airship ride to her destination she meets the very handsome steward Alonzo Garrett. She enjoys his occasional company until someone tries to kill her. Suddenly Octavia is dodging assassination attempts left and right, then she finds out Alonzo is not a steward at all but an elite Clockwork Dagger (a caste of warrior that usually protects the queen).
This was a very well written and action packed book. The story is fast paced right from the beginning and never lets up. There are a ton of steampunk elements in here (which I love). Lots of traveling by airship and people with mechanical limbs etc.
I really love how Octavia prays to a goddess of healing, The Lady, to do her medician work. This added a very interesting contrast to all the mechanical steampunk. Octavia uses magic and faith to heal in a world that is very much in love with all things mechanical and it really adds a fascinating dynamic to the story.
I enjoyed Octavia as a character, she is resourceful but not overly combative. She is incredibly compassionate but also practical. She was a complex and very intriguing character to read about.
Alozo Garrett was another very well done character. He has an interesting past and I look forward to getting to learn more about him in future books.
One of my favorite parts of the story was the gremlin Leaf, he is so cute and so funny. I can't wait to read more and see how he fits into the greater picture.
There is some romance in here, but that definitely is not what drives the plot. The plot is action packed and driven by Octavia's need to figure out the mystery behind the assassination attempts on her.
The story was incredibly engaging. The writing was very easy to read and flowed nicely. The dialogue between characters was witty, fun, and natural sounding.
Overall I loved this book. The characters are well done and I enjoyed the world and the contrast of Octavia's magical healing versus the mechanical world around her. The story was fast-paced and engaging. I highly recommend this book to fans of steampunk reads or fans of books with a heavy magic/fantasy theme to them. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
Octavia Leander was orphaned at a young age, but her luck took a turn for the better when she was taken in by Miss Percival and trained as a medician. Years have passed and now Octavia is a medician of great power and being sent on her first assignment. She is being sent to a small town that is devastated by sickness, but getting there will be the exciting part.
On the airship ride to her destination she meets the very handsome steward Alonzo Garrett. She enjoys his occasional company until someone tries to kill her. Suddenly Octavia is dodging assassination attempts left and right, then she finds out Alonzo is not a steward at all but an elite Clockwork Dagger (a caste of warrior that usually protects the queen).
This was a very well written and action packed book. The story is fast paced right from the beginning and never lets up. There are a ton of steampunk elements in here (which I love). Lots of traveling by airship and people with mechanical limbs etc.
I really love how Octavia prays to a goddess of healing, The Lady, to do her medician work. This added a very interesting contrast to all the mechanical steampunk. Octavia uses magic and faith to heal in a world that is very much in love with all things mechanical and it really adds a fascinating dynamic to the story.
I enjoyed Octavia as a character, she is resourceful but not overly combative. She is incredibly compassionate but also practical. She was a complex and very intriguing character to read about.
Alozo Garrett was another very well done character. He has an interesting past and I look forward to getting to learn more about him in future books.
One of my favorite parts of the story was the gremlin Leaf, he is so cute and so funny. I can't wait to read more and see how he fits into the greater picture.
There is some romance in here, but that definitely is not what drives the plot. The plot is action packed and driven by Octavia's need to figure out the mystery behind the assassination attempts on her.
The story was incredibly engaging. The writing was very easy to read and flowed nicely. The dialogue between characters was witty, fun, and natural sounding.
Overall I loved this book. The characters are well done and I enjoyed the world and the contrast of Octavia's magical healing versus the mechanical world around her. The story was fast-paced and engaging. I highly recommend this book to fans of steampunk reads or fans of books with a heavy magic/fantasy theme to them. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
September 13, 2014
**I received this book free through Harper Voyager's Super Reader program. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Steampunk
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
The Clockwork Dagger ended up surprising me but in a good way. Why? Because I loved the world building. Most steampunk novels that I have read recently, have been set in a Victorian alternative era England. This story could have taken place in a high fantasy setting and it would still impress me. The world is dark, and dreary, and war has left an indelible impression on the citizens who continue to pay the price for their monarchies failures.
**Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews* Link Below*
*recvd via Edelweiss 03/21/2014* Expected publication: September 16th 2014 by Voyager
*Genre* Steampunk
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
The Clockwork Dagger ended up surprising me but in a good way. Why? Because I loved the world building. Most steampunk novels that I have read recently, have been set in a Victorian alternative era England. This story could have taken place in a high fantasy setting and it would still impress me. The world is dark, and dreary, and war has left an indelible impression on the citizens who continue to pay the price for their monarchies failures.
**Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews* Link Below*
*recvd via Edelweiss 03/21/2014* Expected publication: September 16th 2014 by Voyager
November 15, 2014
This book passed an important test. I chose to read it out loud to my wife.
We read together pretty regularly. I don’t know how many other people do that � but for me, at least, it’s a way to enjoy a story physically, when I know it’s worth it. (Usually, i’ve read the book silently before we read the book together).
So this is a pretty fun book.
In the knowing what you’re getting into department: This is steampunk, ticking off all the usual boxes. Airships, clockwork golems, and other mechanical marvels. Victorian social mores (though the setting feels more like Germany just after the 1918 armistice than Victorian Engliand.) But it’s steampunk fantasy, not steampunk pure and simple. This is not our world. The protagonist, Octavia Leander, is a magical healer, and has a mystical relationship to divinity, in the form of the Lady and the Tree, protectors of nature and restorers of health and vitality, in a world determined to mechanize everything.
In the knowing where it’s going department: Because Octavia is incredibly powerful and gifted in her magic, she has become (unbeknownst to her) a target of interest both to her own government and its terrorist/guerrilla liberation army enemies. What should have been an uneventful airship ride to her new job becomes a sequence of dangers. Someone tries to stab her. Someone tries to push her off the airship. And that’s just for starters. They’re still warming up, and she hasn’t got a clue about why. Meanwhile, she’s starting to feel some really inappropriate feelings toward the steward, and she isn’t sure what to do about them.
Some reactions: The plot is very tightly constructed, and the mystery-like reveals as the true situation develops work very effectively. An alert reader of mysteries will be rewarded by the clues Beth Cato drops in advance. But they had better be very alert. She also does some incredible technology vs. mother nature moves that explore very interesting philosophical issues along the way. One of the most fun things about the plot is the sideplot involving a lost princess, hiding in plain site as the dowager widow, Mrs. Viola Stout. Viola is a hard character to get out of your mind.
A fun read. Worth the effort to get your hands on. To see other reviews I've written, check out my blog
October 1, 2014
When I saw the cover I immediately thought of a steampunk novel and I love this genre. I did not know anything about the author, but it’s true that I love discovering new writers and it was a good opportunity here. But I think my expectations were perhaps a little too high�
Octovia is a Medician, a person capable of using herbs and incantations to save anyone harmed, whatever the reason. But her secret must be hidden because many people might use her for disreputable purposes. Embarking on an airship to visit several cities and help those in need, she certainly does not expect to end up in a story that is completely beyond her. Indeed, it seems that many people are interested in this girl. Between a cabin’s colleague who is much more important than what she seems, a stuart who hides his true identity and a gremlin that we can only adore, Octavia will have many things to do.
I’m sad to say that I was not hooked by the story or the characters and I struggled to finish the book. The idea is really nice and I loved the gremlin and its attachment to the characters but it’s true that the rest failed to touch me particularly. I do not know what point really bothered me, and I think unlike me, other readers will be delighted. By cons I was quite surprised at the end of the novel and it’s true that the story has carried me a little more at that time. It’s pretty rare when I can not get into a novel like that, but I think this story was not made ​​for me. I think it will, however for others.
Want to read
March 11, 2017Note to self- little to no romance. Safe for me. Verified by friend. Honorable hero.
February 28, 2018
One might reasonably ask why I keep reading steampunk when I'm almost always disappointed by it. The answer: sometimes I find something like this. The contrast between a fairly grimdark world and the idealistic protagonists is compelling, threading the line of neither promising her protagonists can somehow Fix The World and disillusioning them entirely. The religious magic does some things I haven't seen done before--the protagonist's faith is palpable and understandable, but at the same time, as an outside observer, I'm left going, "...I am not at all sure that your deity is the Unreserved Good you think she is." Thebook handles disability widely and I think well--one of the side effects of the world of endless war is that there are lots of amputees, and their steampunk prosthetics have both advantages and disadvantages. And the various hints of ways that people and cultures combine magic and technology are great.
So there's the upsides. The downsides: the prose is at best serviceable and in places grating, and the romance is tepid and distracts from all the parts that actually interest me (although there is at least no love triangle!). But I still intend to read the sequel, and I'm curious about Cato's other books.
So there's the upsides. The downsides: the prose is at best serviceable and in places grating, and the romance is tepid and distracts from all the parts that actually interest me (although there is at least no love triangle!). But I still intend to read the sequel, and I'm curious about Cato's other books.
May 31, 2018
I really liked this book! I'd heard good things about it on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and all over Facebook. Added it to my Nook and waited for the right time to be in the steampunk mood. Yes, I am a mood reader. I read what I read when I am in the mood to read it. Sometimes it's a cozy mood, sometimes it's a thriller mood, sometimes paranormal [ok, that's my mood most of the time]. Glad I was in steampunk mode for this one.
It's a really cool premise with the main character, Octavia, thrown into a situation that she tries valiantly to control but she finds she really can't trust anyone except herself. She holds onto her abilities as a healer and her faith in The Lady. She is stronger than she realizes and she wants to help everyone she can.
I do like that this isn't typical steampunk. Those are usually set in a world the reader already knows but set in an alternative format. This one is fantasy steampunk. World-building is done really well. I could smell the stink of the cities. I had an excellent visual of Leaf. [read the book to see who that is].
I am looking forward to reading the next in series, THE CLOCKWORK CROWN. I'll also be looking for other books the author writes.
I can definitely recommend this book.
It's a really cool premise with the main character, Octavia, thrown into a situation that she tries valiantly to control but she finds she really can't trust anyone except herself. She holds onto her abilities as a healer and her faith in The Lady. She is stronger than she realizes and she wants to help everyone she can.
I do like that this isn't typical steampunk. Those are usually set in a world the reader already knows but set in an alternative format. This one is fantasy steampunk. World-building is done really well. I could smell the stink of the cities. I had an excellent visual of Leaf. [read the book to see who that is].
I am looking forward to reading the next in series, THE CLOCKWORK CROWN. I'll also be looking for other books the author writes.
I can definitely recommend this book.
September 1, 2014
Mystery, treachery, magic and mechanics provides a compelling tale in The Clockwork Dagger.
Octavia Lender is breaking out on her own. Recently leaving Miss Percival's school for medicians, Octavia is making her way to a small town to help cure a plague. Octavia is an extremely gifted healer, causing many opposing factions vying to control her.
While traveling on an airship, the struggle to control Octavia turns deadly. Who is trying to take Octavia out and who is trying to imprison her.
I really enjoyed reading The Clockwork Dagger, but there were a few things that didn't work for me. While reading the story, I felt like I missing a previous book. The story speaks of a prior character activities that make you feel you should be acquainted with but are not. I also wasn't crazy about all of Octavia's constant religious chants. It did become a little distracting from the main storyline.
What did make the story for me was the amazing world created by Beth Cato. We are brought into a world of mechanics, magic and the mayhem of war. The characters are intriguing and you never know who might be friend or foe.
The Clockwork Dagger was a good read for a die hard steampunk fan like me. I am excited to see what direction Cato will take next.
I received this ARC copy of The Clockwork Dagger from Harper Voyager in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication September 16, 2014.
Written by: Beth Cato
Series: Clockwork Dagger Duology
Sequence in Series: 1
Page Count: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager; Original edition
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Rating: 3.5 Stars
ISBN-10: 0062313843
ISBN-13: 978-0062313843
Genre: Steampunk | Fantasy
Find this book on: |
Reviewed for:
Octavia Lender is breaking out on her own. Recently leaving Miss Percival's school for medicians, Octavia is making her way to a small town to help cure a plague. Octavia is an extremely gifted healer, causing many opposing factions vying to control her.
While traveling on an airship, the struggle to control Octavia turns deadly. Who is trying to take Octavia out and who is trying to imprison her.
I really enjoyed reading The Clockwork Dagger, but there were a few things that didn't work for me. While reading the story, I felt like I missing a previous book. The story speaks of a prior character activities that make you feel you should be acquainted with but are not. I also wasn't crazy about all of Octavia's constant religious chants. It did become a little distracting from the main storyline.
What did make the story for me was the amazing world created by Beth Cato. We are brought into a world of mechanics, magic and the mayhem of war. The characters are intriguing and you never know who might be friend or foe.
The Clockwork Dagger was a good read for a die hard steampunk fan like me. I am excited to see what direction Cato will take next.
I received this ARC copy of The Clockwork Dagger from Harper Voyager in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication September 16, 2014.
Written by: Beth Cato
Series: Clockwork Dagger Duology
Sequence in Series: 1
Page Count: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager; Original edition
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Rating: 3.5 Stars
ISBN-10: 0062313843
ISBN-13: 978-0062313843
Genre: Steampunk | Fantasy
Find this book on: |
Reviewed for:
Shelved as 'ugh'
June 3, 2015DNF at page 13.
Does this even count as DNF? Does thirteen pages even count as 'started'?
I don't do this. I NEVER quit a book so suddenly. Maybe it's just me being overly sensitive but, when on page nine, a young girl announces that they are going to eat the cute little puppy that the main character just saved, it's time for me to leave.
I need to have faith that the author isn't going to write something that will make me sick. I honestly don't have that faith for this book. I don't care that some countries eat dogs. (Hello, China.) (Well, actually, I do care because I think it's horrible and it disgusts me but that's not what this is about.) I don't care that when people get hungry enough they'll eat anything. (Hello, Donner Party.) (Because, seriously, it's probably true but it's a very disturbing thought.)
I do care that this is a fictional world. It doesn't have to be realistic. In fact, steampunk isn't realistic and that what makes it so fun.
I wrote this because I needed to get this off my chest (obviously) and also to warn other like-minded people (in other words: soft hearts when it comes to dogs) about what crops up.
I don't know what happens later in the book. Maybe nothing. Maybe we all sit down to a nice dinner of fried Chihuahua. What I do know is that I don't want to find out.
Does this even count as DNF? Does thirteen pages even count as 'started'?
I don't do this. I NEVER quit a book so suddenly. Maybe it's just me being overly sensitive but, when on page nine, a young girl announces that they are going to eat the cute little puppy that the main character just saved, it's time for me to leave.
I need to have faith that the author isn't going to write something that will make me sick. I honestly don't have that faith for this book. I don't care that some countries eat dogs. (Hello, China.) (Well, actually, I do care because I think it's horrible and it disgusts me but that's not what this is about.) I don't care that when people get hungry enough they'll eat anything. (Hello, Donner Party.) (Because, seriously, it's probably true but it's a very disturbing thought.)
I do care that this is a fictional world. It doesn't have to be realistic. In fact, steampunk isn't realistic and that what makes it so fun.
I wrote this because I needed to get this off my chest (obviously) and also to warn other like-minded people (in other words: soft hearts when it comes to dogs) about what crops up.
I don't know what happens later in the book. Maybe nothing. Maybe we all sit down to a nice dinner of fried Chihuahua. What I do know is that I don't want to find out.
January 7, 2016
This book promised a lot before I started reading it. It had everything I potentially love: steampunk set-up, airships, pets embodied as flying machine gremlins, amazing costumes and scenery, adventure, magic and romance.
But as the pages rolled on, I realized I am incredibly bored. I am not quite yet sure why, perhaps the abundant descriptions tired me, but I could barely bring myself to finish this book. Neither the story nor the characters could compel me to continue reading until I ended it purely since I never leave the book unfinished out of the respect towards the author and the time she invested in it. Protagonists seemed bland and shadowy instead of being palpable and fleshy and no matter how creatively the world was being represented, they simply didn’t live up to my expectations
But as the pages rolled on, I realized I am incredibly bored. I am not quite yet sure why, perhaps the abundant descriptions tired me, but I could barely bring myself to finish this book. Neither the story nor the characters could compel me to continue reading until I ended it purely since I never leave the book unfinished out of the respect towards the author and the time she invested in it. Protagonists seemed bland and shadowy instead of being palpable and fleshy and no matter how creatively the world was being represented, they simply didn’t live up to my expectations
September 22, 2015
Hit the 30% mark on this book - and am done.
The h is too YA and inconsistent for my taste, punching a man out for getting too close but going all weepy/weak over a puppy and the baby gremlin.
The author also fed the world building to us in confusing fits and starts - the h talks about tending wounded on the battle field, but also says she never left the orphanage (huh?) and the names of good/bad/techs - groups or whatever/whoever they were and whatever they wanted was just too confusing and unclear.
The h is too YA and inconsistent for my taste, punching a man out for getting too close but going all weepy/weak over a puppy and the baby gremlin.
The author also fed the world building to us in confusing fits and starts - the h talks about tending wounded on the battle field, but also says she never left the orphanage (huh?) and the names of good/bad/techs - groups or whatever/whoever they were and whatever they wanted was just too confusing and unclear.
September 14, 2017
Really fun! Love the healing magic, the mystery, the war, the secondary characters!
May 19, 2015
Originally published at
The world of Beth Cato’s Clockwork Dagger is so enthralling that I started the next book, , the minute I finished this one, and in spite of the TBR pile from hell. I just had to find out what happens next.
Not that this one ends on a cliffhanger. It doesn’t. It’s more that the ending comes to a nice interim conclusion but it is so obvious that Octavia and Garret (and Leaf!) have many more adventures to survive before they reach their goal. A goal that they still haven’t completely identified by the end of Dagger.
We start with Octavia Leander, the best medician of her generation, and possibly of every other generation. We first met Octavia in and got a picture of her as gifted, talented and driven. Also as someone who obeys her own heart and her own conscience above any orders, no matter how sensible those orders might be.
Octavia is on her own now, traveling to take up a position as medician in the small, remote village of Delford, where an outbreak of plague requires the services of a medician in order to bring the village back to health.
The war between Caskentia and The Waste is over, or at least halted, so Octavia needs a position to keep herself occupied, employed and self-sufficient. Unfortunately for Octavia, and everyone else in both countries, this armistice, like all the ones before it, is deemed, or doomed, to be temporary.
Octavia has never traveled alone before. Medicians of the Percival School are generally protected and kept apart. The cacophony of voices who need their services makes it difficult for them to be among large groups of people. Octavia literally hears the music of their bodies, and can hear in an instant when someone is ill, or even just tired. In a large group, there are always lots of people who are not quite well. And even more who are demanding of the magical healing that only a medician can provide, whether they need it or not.
So even though Octavia is trying to hide her identity, she doesn’t know how to turn off her need to help people. A need that is sorely taxed when the airship she flies on is struck by a mysterious case of poisoning.
Medicinal magic as strong as that exhibited by Octavia in The Deepest Poison, can be a blessing or a curse. Octavia wants to heal all who need her, but realizes that her resources are finite, even if her desire is not.
The government of Caskentia fears her power. Even though she is a Caskentian citizen, the crown is all too aware that the power to heal can also become the power to kill. And Caskentia can’t afford for a potential weapon as powerful as Octavia to fall into the hands of the Wasters. The Wasters want to use Octavia’s power to heal their blighted lands, among other less benign “requests�.
Octavia just wants a cottage, an herb garden, and people to heal who like and respect her.
What she gets is a long-lost princess, a disabled and disgraced imperial assassin, and a grateful gremlin. While it is not certain that any faction specifically wants her dead, all the factions are certain that it is better for their side if she is dead instead of possessed by another.
As she dodges repeated assassination attempts, and fails to dodge repeated kidnapping attempts, she learns who she can really trust. And finds love in the arms of her greatest nightmare.
Escape Rating A-: In Clockwork Dagger we see the roots of, and the effects of, the battle that Octavia was caught in the middle of in The Deepest Poison. The battle, the war, the reasons surrounding it, even the people that Octavia relies on � nothing and no one is as it seems. Not even The Lady, the tree from whom Octavia derives her healing power and whom Octavia and all the Percival medicians worship as the source of all healing power and healing herbs.
The seeds sown in that earlier battle all bear fruit, much of it poisonous. Out of jealousy, the woman who raised and trained Octavia betrays her for money. Even worse, she also betrays the long-lost princess of Caskentia, the woman whose kidnapping began the war 50 years ago. Octavia’s solution to the poisoning plot brought her to the attention of the Wasters, who want to kidnap her and use her against her own country � or force her into become a short-lived broodmare like all the other Waster women.
Even her own government would rather have her killed than let the Wasters have her. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for Octavia, they sent Alonzo Garret to assassinate her, expecting him to fail. But certainly not expecting him to fall for his charge, and absolutely not expecting her to fall for him.
Alonzo is the son of the man who burned Octavia’s village and orphaned her. He is also an apprentice Clockwork Dagger, and he lost the lower part of one leg in battle. The clockwork mecha that replaced it keeps him from acting or appearing disabled, but also provides a weak point for enemies to attack.
The romance between Alonzo and Octavia is very sweet, actually quite courtly, and very slow. They each have layers and layers of lies and misdirection that they have to reveal to each other before they can reach a level of trust. It takes a lot of time and effort on both their parts to get there. It is a revelation for Octavia that she is able to trust Alonzo, when his father’s name has always been the source of her greatest fears.
My favorite character in this story is the gremlin Leaf. Octavia rescues the tiny creature from a brutal attack, and comes to love him as a pet without caring that he is part construct or realizing that he is much, much more intelligent (and communicative!) than he first appears. She needs someone or something to care for in her aloneness, and Leaf is there and adorable and loving. She loves and is loved in return, expecting nothing, but receives everything.
There is more magic than steampunk in the worldbuilding of this series, but the way it blends together is awesome. This is a war where there are no good guys, and frankly no bad guys, at least at the level of nation-states.
Plenty of individuals do plenty of bad things, but there are no evil causes, per se. Everyone is using their limited means to attempt to heal and fix two countries that have both become corrupted, albeit in completely different ways.
At the end of The Clockwork Dagger, it is clear that the necessary healing is going to be hard-won. And that Octavia is going to be at the center of it whether she wants to be or not.
The world of Beth Cato’s Clockwork Dagger is so enthralling that I started the next book, , the minute I finished this one, and in spite of the TBR pile from hell. I just had to find out what happens next.
Not that this one ends on a cliffhanger. It doesn’t. It’s more that the ending comes to a nice interim conclusion but it is so obvious that Octavia and Garret (and Leaf!) have many more adventures to survive before they reach their goal. A goal that they still haven’t completely identified by the end of Dagger.
We start with Octavia Leander, the best medician of her generation, and possibly of every other generation. We first met Octavia in and got a picture of her as gifted, talented and driven. Also as someone who obeys her own heart and her own conscience above any orders, no matter how sensible those orders might be.
Octavia is on her own now, traveling to take up a position as medician in the small, remote village of Delford, where an outbreak of plague requires the services of a medician in order to bring the village back to health.
The war between Caskentia and The Waste is over, or at least halted, so Octavia needs a position to keep herself occupied, employed and self-sufficient. Unfortunately for Octavia, and everyone else in both countries, this armistice, like all the ones before it, is deemed, or doomed, to be temporary.
Octavia has never traveled alone before. Medicians of the Percival School are generally protected and kept apart. The cacophony of voices who need their services makes it difficult for them to be among large groups of people. Octavia literally hears the music of their bodies, and can hear in an instant when someone is ill, or even just tired. In a large group, there are always lots of people who are not quite well. And even more who are demanding of the magical healing that only a medician can provide, whether they need it or not.
So even though Octavia is trying to hide her identity, she doesn’t know how to turn off her need to help people. A need that is sorely taxed when the airship she flies on is struck by a mysterious case of poisoning.
Medicinal magic as strong as that exhibited by Octavia in The Deepest Poison, can be a blessing or a curse. Octavia wants to heal all who need her, but realizes that her resources are finite, even if her desire is not.
The government of Caskentia fears her power. Even though she is a Caskentian citizen, the crown is all too aware that the power to heal can also become the power to kill. And Caskentia can’t afford for a potential weapon as powerful as Octavia to fall into the hands of the Wasters. The Wasters want to use Octavia’s power to heal their blighted lands, among other less benign “requests�.
Octavia just wants a cottage, an herb garden, and people to heal who like and respect her.
What she gets is a long-lost princess, a disabled and disgraced imperial assassin, and a grateful gremlin. While it is not certain that any faction specifically wants her dead, all the factions are certain that it is better for their side if she is dead instead of possessed by another.
As she dodges repeated assassination attempts, and fails to dodge repeated kidnapping attempts, she learns who she can really trust. And finds love in the arms of her greatest nightmare.
Escape Rating A-: In Clockwork Dagger we see the roots of, and the effects of, the battle that Octavia was caught in the middle of in The Deepest Poison. The battle, the war, the reasons surrounding it, even the people that Octavia relies on � nothing and no one is as it seems. Not even The Lady, the tree from whom Octavia derives her healing power and whom Octavia and all the Percival medicians worship as the source of all healing power and healing herbs.
The seeds sown in that earlier battle all bear fruit, much of it poisonous. Out of jealousy, the woman who raised and trained Octavia betrays her for money. Even worse, she also betrays the long-lost princess of Caskentia, the woman whose kidnapping began the war 50 years ago. Octavia’s solution to the poisoning plot brought her to the attention of the Wasters, who want to kidnap her and use her against her own country � or force her into become a short-lived broodmare like all the other Waster women.
Even her own government would rather have her killed than let the Wasters have her. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for Octavia, they sent Alonzo Garret to assassinate her, expecting him to fail. But certainly not expecting him to fall for his charge, and absolutely not expecting her to fall for him.
Alonzo is the son of the man who burned Octavia’s village and orphaned her. He is also an apprentice Clockwork Dagger, and he lost the lower part of one leg in battle. The clockwork mecha that replaced it keeps him from acting or appearing disabled, but also provides a weak point for enemies to attack.
The romance between Alonzo and Octavia is very sweet, actually quite courtly, and very slow. They each have layers and layers of lies and misdirection that they have to reveal to each other before they can reach a level of trust. It takes a lot of time and effort on both their parts to get there. It is a revelation for Octavia that she is able to trust Alonzo, when his father’s name has always been the source of her greatest fears.
My favorite character in this story is the gremlin Leaf. Octavia rescues the tiny creature from a brutal attack, and comes to love him as a pet without caring that he is part construct or realizing that he is much, much more intelligent (and communicative!) than he first appears. She needs someone or something to care for in her aloneness, and Leaf is there and adorable and loving. She loves and is loved in return, expecting nothing, but receives everything.
There is more magic than steampunk in the worldbuilding of this series, but the way it blends together is awesome. This is a war where there are no good guys, and frankly no bad guys, at least at the level of nation-states.
Plenty of individuals do plenty of bad things, but there are no evil causes, per se. Everyone is using their limited means to attempt to heal and fix two countries that have both become corrupted, albeit in completely different ways.
At the end of The Clockwork Dagger, it is clear that the necessary healing is going to be hard-won. And that Octavia is going to be at the center of it whether she wants to be or not.
March 23, 2019
Dirigibles and an unseen Earth Mother with deciduous powers fueled by bloodletting! What is there not to like?!
Bonus feature: some kind of green, sentient bat.
Heroine makes friends with a bold n brash, retirement-age, flabby lady.
Also, based on the author's name, I think she is secretly a secret agent. OMG, Beth, don't you have some crime to be fighting or something rn?
Very cool.
Bonus feature: some kind of green, sentient bat.
Heroine makes friends with a bold n brash, retirement-age, flabby lady.
Also, based on the author's name, I think she is secretly a secret agent. OMG, Beth, don't you have some crime to be fighting or something rn?
Very cool.
September 15, 2014
Review originally published at Fanboy Comics.
A steampunk fantasy from Harper Voyager, this is Beth Cato’s first novel in what will be a series in this universe. I was a little wary when I noticed that it was not only Ms. Cato’s first novel, but was 354 pages long. (Sorry, but all sorts of red flags go up in my head when I see long page counts on first books.) Fortunately, Ms. Cato knows what she’s doing as I quickly got caught up in the very rich and descriptive world she has created.
A medician’s work is never done…at least for Miss Octavia Leander who finds her journey from Miss Percival’s school to her new position where she will tend to the sick and injured in the small village of Delford. Now, a medician is similar to a doctor, but in this case her abilities are not only grounded in the knowledge of herbs, but magic and a strong orthodox belief and connection to a force of nature called The Lady. Octavia has more magical abilities than anyone has seen in a long time, if ever, which makes her a target for kidnapping or assassination. But who is trying to kill her? Her own government of Caskentia or their arch enemy, The Wastes?
On her journey she is helped by one Alonzo Garrett, who bears the physical and psychological scars of war and family heritage. Octavia is at first mistrustful of him, and pretty much everyone else, except for the mysterious Miss Percival who first sent her on this long and dangerous journey. As with any good story, her trust of him ebbs and flows depending on the conflict and misunderstanding. When Octavia discovers that a Clockwork Dagger is in their midst she realizes the stakes are much higher than she ever realized. Noted for their strength, agility and intelligence, Clockwork Daggers are agents of Caskentia who are trained as spies and/or assassins and track their prey relentlessly. To complicate matters, she befriends a middle-aged woman by the name of Mrs. Stout, who has her own secrets to keep.
Their journey together reveals that betrayal comes in many forms and trust is hard earned.
I found the novel to be very well written and Ms. Cato has taken very special care in developing her universe and her characters. We dive right into the story where we see Octavia go to work in a rather obvious choice to make her sympathetic; she saves a puppy. But even that warm fuzzy moment is turned on its head so we understand the world in which she lives.
Though this is primarily a fantasy novel which works in steampunk elements as part of their world, I did not have a problem with it. I know some hardline steampunk fans who demand that steampunk stories be technologically driven, but I disagree. This book is world driven where the characters and any tech play a secondary role though I did find them interesting and enjoyable. Magic is the thread that holds this world together even if the general populace doesn’t realize it.
A few quibbles…we were not introduced to “The Clockwork Dagger� until pretty far into the book, so I was wondering for quite a while when we would see him or her in action. We did eventually, but it seemed to take a backseat to our healer protagonist unless she herself becomes one in future books. The other thing was that it ran a little overlong. We really didn’t need the last chapter. I thought the book ended nicely on the second to last chapter and left it open-ended enough for the next book. I suspect that was an editorial decision.
But these are small things in an otherwise very fine job.I look forward to reading more in the series.
I was given this as an eBook for a fair and honest review.
A steampunk fantasy from Harper Voyager, this is Beth Cato’s first novel in what will be a series in this universe. I was a little wary when I noticed that it was not only Ms. Cato’s first novel, but was 354 pages long. (Sorry, but all sorts of red flags go up in my head when I see long page counts on first books.) Fortunately, Ms. Cato knows what she’s doing as I quickly got caught up in the very rich and descriptive world she has created.
A medician’s work is never done…at least for Miss Octavia Leander who finds her journey from Miss Percival’s school to her new position where she will tend to the sick and injured in the small village of Delford. Now, a medician is similar to a doctor, but in this case her abilities are not only grounded in the knowledge of herbs, but magic and a strong orthodox belief and connection to a force of nature called The Lady. Octavia has more magical abilities than anyone has seen in a long time, if ever, which makes her a target for kidnapping or assassination. But who is trying to kill her? Her own government of Caskentia or their arch enemy, The Wastes?
On her journey she is helped by one Alonzo Garrett, who bears the physical and psychological scars of war and family heritage. Octavia is at first mistrustful of him, and pretty much everyone else, except for the mysterious Miss Percival who first sent her on this long and dangerous journey. As with any good story, her trust of him ebbs and flows depending on the conflict and misunderstanding. When Octavia discovers that a Clockwork Dagger is in their midst she realizes the stakes are much higher than she ever realized. Noted for their strength, agility and intelligence, Clockwork Daggers are agents of Caskentia who are trained as spies and/or assassins and track their prey relentlessly. To complicate matters, she befriends a middle-aged woman by the name of Mrs. Stout, who has her own secrets to keep.
Their journey together reveals that betrayal comes in many forms and trust is hard earned.
I found the novel to be very well written and Ms. Cato has taken very special care in developing her universe and her characters. We dive right into the story where we see Octavia go to work in a rather obvious choice to make her sympathetic; she saves a puppy. But even that warm fuzzy moment is turned on its head so we understand the world in which she lives.
Though this is primarily a fantasy novel which works in steampunk elements as part of their world, I did not have a problem with it. I know some hardline steampunk fans who demand that steampunk stories be technologically driven, but I disagree. This book is world driven where the characters and any tech play a secondary role though I did find them interesting and enjoyable. Magic is the thread that holds this world together even if the general populace doesn’t realize it.
A few quibbles…we were not introduced to “The Clockwork Dagger� until pretty far into the book, so I was wondering for quite a while when we would see him or her in action. We did eventually, but it seemed to take a backseat to our healer protagonist unless she herself becomes one in future books. The other thing was that it ran a little overlong. We really didn’t need the last chapter. I thought the book ended nicely on the second to last chapter and left it open-ended enough for the next book. I suspect that was an editorial decision.
But these are small things in an otherwise very fine job.I look forward to reading more in the series.
I was given this as an eBook for a fair and honest review.
February 29, 2016
I've enjoyed the steampunk novels I've read, but admittedly haven't read very many: this one, Soulless and The Bookman.
This one's set in a secondary world, in a land that (per the map in the front of the book) looks much like the west coast of the US, although it's a monarchy. Things have gone downhill in Caskentia recently: there's been a war which has ended in an armistice, and a usurper has taken the throne. The present queen is much more concerned with self-preservation than with her subjects' well-being.
Our main character is Octavia Leander, a healer, who's sent by her mentor to a southern town to help them with an outbreak of disease. She boards the airship Argus and things quickly fall into chaos from there. Somebody's after her life, but why?
I really liked how a healer is the main character of this story. Various adventure-novel things happen, people being tossed out of windows and having gunfights and so on, and Octavia responds to these situations as a healer would, not a fighter. She is vividly aware of what it means to a human body to be shot, punched or stabbed, and there's no flinching from visceral imagery in her point of view.
Aside from that, she is put into confusing and alienating situations where her principles have to bend to the needs of pragmatism or survival, even if it means harming or even killing. For most people, this kind of concession comes about in mundane ways, but for Octavia, it's life-or-death dramatic!
The romance between Octavia and Alonzo--who is more than his steward's garb would make him seem!--is nicely low-key. And as for other relationships, Octavia's with the Lady is fascinating. The Lady is something like a saint or goddess in this world, and rituals and devotions to her, along with various herbs, are the backbone of the healer's art. The Lady also has relics associated with her, and these relics are completely real, with undeniable magical powers. Even so, there are characters in Dagger who think that healing can be explained by science. There's also a question of whether the Lady is an unthinking force, or whether she makes decisions, which is answered to some extent by the end of this book. There are still some mysteries about her which I hope will be explored later on.
The group of companions Octavia gathers around herself is a fun mix, although the little gremlin becomes plot-convenient toward the end, and Mrs. Stout somewhat loses out in the last sequence, being shuffled aside in favor of Octavia and Alonzo. And I didn't like how the Tamarands are consistently characterized as studious and logical--it felt like a Vulcan-style stereotype. The writing style is somewhat simple, but clear, and I was consistently absorbed in the story, so the pacing must have been good. It's only my own preference wishing for something more elaborate in the prose.
These are all minor quibbles in what was a fun, engaging and thoughtful story. The mix of secondary world and steampunk was handled well, and I enjoyed the various settings--urban, airship interior, and landscape--as Octavia came across them. I want to see more of Caskentia, specifically Mercia, which plays such an important role in the story but hasn't been visited yet.
Many novels feel weaker in retrospect when I write their reviews. This one felt stronger, and held up quite well to the scrutiny of my sometimes over-finicky reviewer's brain. I'm looking forward to Clockwork Crown, which will be coming out close to my birthday this year.
This one's set in a secondary world, in a land that (per the map in the front of the book) looks much like the west coast of the US, although it's a monarchy. Things have gone downhill in Caskentia recently: there's been a war which has ended in an armistice, and a usurper has taken the throne. The present queen is much more concerned with self-preservation than with her subjects' well-being.
Our main character is Octavia Leander, a healer, who's sent by her mentor to a southern town to help them with an outbreak of disease. She boards the airship Argus and things quickly fall into chaos from there. Somebody's after her life, but why?
I really liked how a healer is the main character of this story. Various adventure-novel things happen, people being tossed out of windows and having gunfights and so on, and Octavia responds to these situations as a healer would, not a fighter. She is vividly aware of what it means to a human body to be shot, punched or stabbed, and there's no flinching from visceral imagery in her point of view.
Aside from that, she is put into confusing and alienating situations where her principles have to bend to the needs of pragmatism or survival, even if it means harming or even killing. For most people, this kind of concession comes about in mundane ways, but for Octavia, it's life-or-death dramatic!
The romance between Octavia and Alonzo--who is more than his steward's garb would make him seem!--is nicely low-key. And as for other relationships, Octavia's with the Lady is fascinating. The Lady is something like a saint or goddess in this world, and rituals and devotions to her, along with various herbs, are the backbone of the healer's art. The Lady also has relics associated with her, and these relics are completely real, with undeniable magical powers. Even so, there are characters in Dagger who think that healing can be explained by science. There's also a question of whether the Lady is an unthinking force, or whether she makes decisions, which is answered to some extent by the end of this book. There are still some mysteries about her which I hope will be explored later on.
The group of companions Octavia gathers around herself is a fun mix, although the little gremlin becomes plot-convenient toward the end, and Mrs. Stout somewhat loses out in the last sequence, being shuffled aside in favor of Octavia and Alonzo. And I didn't like how the Tamarands are consistently characterized as studious and logical--it felt like a Vulcan-style stereotype. The writing style is somewhat simple, but clear, and I was consistently absorbed in the story, so the pacing must have been good. It's only my own preference wishing for something more elaborate in the prose.
These are all minor quibbles in what was a fun, engaging and thoughtful story. The mix of secondary world and steampunk was handled well, and I enjoyed the various settings--urban, airship interior, and landscape--as Octavia came across them. I want to see more of Caskentia, specifically Mercia, which plays such an important role in the story but hasn't been visited yet.
Many novels feel weaker in retrospect when I write their reviews. This one felt stronger, and held up quite well to the scrutiny of my sometimes over-finicky reviewer's brain. I'm looking forward to Clockwork Crown, which will be coming out close to my birthday this year.
July 26, 2016
This is very sad. I have had this book on my shelf for a long while. It was just staring at me begging me to pick it up and read it. I finally found a chance to pick up the book. First off I have to say that the whole reason I was really looking forward to reading this book is because it has been a while since I have read a steampunk story. I just have fallen in love with this world and am always interested to see how the different authors envision the world. Which I thought the author did a very good job of the world in this book. My biggest issue was that I could not find anything appealing about any of the characters. The environment is not the only thing that makes up the book, the other half is the characters. Plus, I felt that Octavia's abilities were muted and were not as strongly showcased as I would have liked them to be.
February 2, 2016
This had a pretty slow start, where I wasn't entirely sure what was going on or if I liked the story telling style, but once the plot picked up a little more and the world and the magic were a little better explained I enjoyed it a lot more. The protagonist is kinda dumb, but I think (hope) it's meant to come off as naivete and not just a pretty, dumb, magical girl. Her power is very cool, but not fully explained (why is she SUCH a better healer than everyone else?). The romance is fun to watch develop, but a little predictable. It's a fun secondary world steampunk adventure, and I'm really hoping that the main conflict is better explained in the second book.
June 8, 2017
This is one of those books, whose author really did the very best they could. Everything is spic and span: the writing, the editing (for most of the part) and even the general premise. But it utterly lacks and is devoid of a soul. It falls flat on its dreary, boring, lifeless plot and characters. I do not recommend this book at all. It's a waste of money and more importantly hours of your time which would be much better spent, reading instruction manuals of various electric devices you must possess. And if you're looking for adventure, drama, excitement and enjoyable entertainment then I recommend Ilona Andrews, just as a comparison as to how "it's" done!
June 6, 2015
This book seemed YA to me, it was sentimental and naïve. For instance, the heroine, although keenly aware of her short supply of medicinal herbs, stops to heal an injured puppy with herbs. And when she finds out the puppy is destined for a cookpot, she just walks away. When she finds a young gremlin, of course she saves it too. She bewails her lack of herbs, her parents' tragic death, her lack of money too often. The relationships are shallow and immature. A teen reader might have enjoyed it more.
October 13, 2014
CLOCKWORK DAGGER really impressed me and it's one of the most stand-out Steampunk novel that I've read in a long time. Now y'all know that I'm a big Steampunk pimper and since I've already recommended great books of this genre for romance lovers to try, CLOCKWORK DAGGER is something epic fantasy readers can get lost in. Or if you simply love reading unique, long spanning adventures set in a different time and place, then please check Beth Cato's latest series, it's a winner.
August 9, 2016
This was a really enjoyable first book about the adventures of Octavia. It combines steampunk elements with a unique magical system. Octavia is a spunky heroin and Leaf is an adorable gremlin. There is a missing princess, danger and intrigue. Why is Octavia so important to those fighting the war in the world Beth Cato has created? I will just have to wait and see how the story unfolds in the next book.
March 19, 2016
I started reading this book via Barnes and Noble's Readouts serialization, but eventually checked out the ebook from the library. I enjoyed this steampunk story.
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