Impeccably researched alternate historical fiction meets with amazingly built characters to create a fantastic novel. We travel through the world through the eyes of three characters: Jax, a mechanical man, Visser, a secret Catholic, and Berniece, spymaster of New France.

With some of the best character work I've seen -- especially in regards to Berniece, whose a female lead we don't get to see very often -- we go on a wild ride through the politics and passions of the struggle between the power of the Dutch and the dreams of New France with the fate of millions of mechanical souls and not a few human ones in the balance. While we don't finish the overall arc in this volume, as it is a trilogy, it still satisfies.

The detail work is impeccable. The action sequences amazing. The attention paid to every nuance of a character's inner life and outter life is grand. Honestly, I haven't read a book this good in ages, and highly recommend it. ( )

Tregillis, Ian. The Mechanical. The Alchemy Wars No. 1. Orbit, 2015.
Call it steampunk, though the technology of The Mechanical depends more on clockwork and alchemy that it does on steam. Tregillis imagines a nineteenth-century war between Protestant Holland and Catholic France. Both wars are fought with the aid of clockwork robots called clackers or stemwinders, depending on their function and autonomy. The French use alchemy to power their clackers, Some, like our protagonist, Jax, have become self-aware revolutionaries. Self-aware clackers tend to have a lot of angst about free will and agency. Spinoza and Aquinas come up in their discussions, though Tregillis never allows the discussion to get very deep. I wish that the mechanics and alchemy were discussed in more detail and that the nineteenth-century world were more fleshed out. L. E. Modesitt, Jr. does this kind of thing much better. ( )

When I started reading this book and then looked at the author's other books, I was surprised to learn that I had already read something by this author: [b:Something More Than Night|17332272|Something More Than Night|Ian Tregillis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380339039s/17332272.jpg|24035910]. I was surprised because the style and vocabulary and atmosphere are really different between these books! And obviously I never remember an author's name unless I really really like a book. But I'll remember Ian Tregillis now.

This book was awesome. It's basically an alternate history sci-fi novel - what if alchemical magic existed, and The Netherlands used it to create an army of mechanical golems that they used to become the biggest colonial empire on earth? I really liked that this book started from the perspective of Jax, one of the golems (called Clakkers), because we're immediately put into this underground world of consciousness and rebellion that humans never see. As readers, it is obvious to us that the Clakkers are sentient and intelligent, so we're immediately rooting for them to throw off the shackles of slavery and give the arrogant Dutch what-for. As you read, you learn that the Clockmaker's Guild (who create the Clakkers, imbuing them with the alchemical geasa which bind them into servitude) has an official party line that Clakkers are nothing more than scaled-up wristwatches, and the people buy into because there's not any evidence to the contrary. Only there is, but no one is listening hard enough - the Clakkers speak to each other in their own morse-like language made up of the ticks and rattles of their steampunk bodies, and no one appears to be aware of this, not even The Guild...

Though they must be aware of their creations' awareness. There are so many ethical layers to this situation that Tregillis either addresses outright or hints at, but nothing glaring is ignored - and more layers of religious morality and ideas of free will and the immortal soul are added, as the Dutch empire's main enemy, France, is Catholic and believes that Clakkers have souls. While none of the religious arguments ever hit home for me, considering I don't believe that immortal souls exist, the real existential crises that the characters went through were fascinating.

I loved all three of the main characters. The book switches between their points of view, and I was always excited to get back to any of them. Berenice was a particularly awesome character - a woman in a position of power, who is smart, capable, and speaks her mind, but is confident to the point of hubris. I imagine her weaknesses are borne out of learning how to defend herself and her position to a royal council full of arrogant men, and I loved her story so much.

On another feminist note, while sexism does exist in this world, sometimes as a plot point, Tregillis is really good at using female pronouns as much as male ones in side characters which I find are typically defaulted to male. In a group of soldiers, half are women. In a group of bystanders, half are women. I found myself paying more attention when I read a female pronoun in these cases, because I had already defaulted the nameless crowd members to male - I have been trained by media to view male as default and female as a characteristic added to default, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a female passerby scoffing or a female soldier holding a prisoner's arm or what have you. This is especially interesting to me considering that one of my main complaints about Something More Than Night was the 40's noir detective sexism of the main character.

So I'm pretty excited about the next book in this series. ( )

For the greater portion of this novel, I was sitting pretty at three stars because no matter how much action-packed escapades and beautiful worldbuilding it may have been stuffed with, I was only pretty much interested in Jax. The other two were only interesting in spurts.

That is, until they actually met one another in the denouement, and then things really picked up for me and made me feel less like I had just *wanted* to love this novel without quite liking it. After that point, though, I loved it.

It's a shame that it took so long to get there.

The only exceptions to this was Visser's discourse on Free Will and Berenice's maiming. I liked both of them much better after all the shit got poured all over them, but alas, only so far. Oh, a little correction. I did *begin* liking Visser enough, but all that talk of martyrdom started getting under my skin in a bad way.

Of course, what made this novel shine was the beautifully thought-out world of 1926 after several hundred years of mechanical slaves had revolutionized and marginalized all but the most technologically savvy of the 18th century, leaving the Dutch and the French as the clear winners on the map of the world.

I've read Tregillis's Milkweed Triptych, so I know that the author's voice had changed fairly significantly between then and now, and I can applaud the attempt even if I was a little annoyed at the execution. There was a lot of detail and repetition of the steampunk feel that made me feel somewhat as if I was being shortchanged with the extra effort I needed to use to follow the story without glazed eyes.

I feel like it might only be me, but who knows? I kept wanting to be doing something else, even when I appreciated, intellectually, what Tregillis was doing.

I'm continuing the series because of the spectacularly strong finish, even if I wish that the finish had come by about the mid-point and then continued from *there* to some more interesting conclusion. Alas, the interesting conclusion has got to be in book two, I think. :)

( )

I got to about the middle of chapter 4 before I gave up on this. I don't think this style of writing lends itself to audio format. The descriptions were just too long, I often forgot what he was describing before he got done describing it. Too many metaphors, too much information, too much telling.

I really didn't feel like there was a main character, or have a good idea who the main characters were. I also had a hard time understanding the technology level of the world. It seems to be set in medieval times but they have some very advance technology, except there seem to be some gaps in what technology they have. ( )

What a great premise and a story well told. But, man, these authors are killing me with these books that don't end. I get you are writing a trilogy but there should be some sort of narrative closure at the end of one of the books in the trilogy. That keeps this from being a five star review.

As for the actual book, the world is fascinating and well-built. It's a little light on the details of the magic/alchemy involved but that seems intentional since the main characters don't know about it either. There are clear parallels here with slavery (obvious) and colonialism (less obvious) which lend a depth to the novel. Adding to this deeper heft are the discussions of consciousness that occur throughout the novel. I hope for more of that to come in future books in the series.

The characters are well-drawn except for the two female characters which I kept confusing in early parts of the book. I'm imagining this might be intentional but it also seems a bit like the result of stereotypical characters.

One of the more fascinating bits in the book is the Clakker language. It's a smart invention and helps serve not only the narrative but also the deeper themes. I thoroughly enjoyed thinking through the implications of this "hidden in plain sight" notion even as it might apply to modern technology.

I'll likely read the next in the series at some point. ( )

I really liked this, though for a book set in New Amsterdam/North America for so much of it with a lot of alt-history involved, I thought the complete lack of First Nations people except for a few passing mentions - and no discussion of Africa whatsoever - was a weakness. I mean, you have a world where the Dutch and the French-Canadians (basically) are fighting in a worldwide cold war and while bothering to conquer enough of Europe to force the Vatican to Canada didn't bother to get Mexico? The Caribbean? South America? I mean, North America has sweet resources, but a colonial empire based in New Amsterdam without the competing aspects of English, French, or Spanish resources would seem to move further South where you can get all the goods. The story had me compelled and reading like yup, yup, yup, MORE, but my brain did have a few quibbles I had to share. ( )

I got to the end of the book and was dismayed at everything that was left at loose ends! Thankfully there are two more books in the series and they are both available to read now. The idea of free will, of slavery, and of artificial intelligence are examined in great detail in a fantastical setting. The Netherlands are ruling the world with their armies of Clankers and there is a serious philosophical divide between them and France over free will. The story is filled with real danger and dilemma. ( )

I'm not sure that I have a great deal more to say about this book over and above what the other reviewers have noted but having enjoyed the author's "Milkweed Triptych" I also enjoyed the first book in this trilogy where the Dutch essentially conquered the world with alchemical "Clakkers" (i.e. golems) and are close to achieving the final defeat of their last serious opposition in New France. What I would call a particular advance for Tregillis is that he gives us a believable alien in the form of Jax (a vile mechanical who is reaching sentience) and a believable woman of action in the person of Berenice Charlotte de Mornay-Perigord (the French court's main spymaster). Recommended for alternative history and steam-punk buffs alike. ( )

Az alternatív történelmi regényben a XVII. században a hollandok képesek voltak mechanikus szolgákat gyártani, akiket (amiket?) alkímiával keltettek életre, és egyben azt is elérték, hogy ne legyen szabad akaratuk, hanem teljes mértékben engedelmesek legyenek. A kattogóknak nevezett robotok egyrészt nagyon sok munkát el tudnak végezni, másrészt a hollandok katonákat is gyárthattak ezzel a módszerrel, így a könyv idejében, a kora XX. században, Hollandia a világ ura, még Franciaország tud valamilyen szinten ellenállni nekik.

Három karaktert követve először az alternatív világot mutatja be az író. A kattogók, a furcsa társadalmi rend érdekes. Az kissé fárasztó, hogy nagyon sok esetben csak az jelzi az alternatív világot, hogy ismert angol szavak holland megfelelőjét használja a szerző ezzel jelezve, hogy a hollandok irányítják a világot.

Ahogy halad előre a regény, egyre inkább morális kérdéseket boncolgat, a szabad akaratról a lélekről beszélgetnek a szereplők. Mennyire "csak" gépek a kattogók? Van-e öntudatuk? Van-e szabad akaratuk? Létezik-e egyáltalán a szabad akarat az embereknél?

Mielőtt túl elvont lenne a könyv egy akciódúsabb, fordulatosabb résszel fejeződik be a regény, ez a rész néha elég kaotikusnak tűnt.

A filozofikus rész tetszett a könyvben, az is érdekel, hogy vajon mi lesz a kattogók sorsa. A politikai szál viszont kevésbé érdekes, önmagában nem tűnik izgalmas kérdésnek, hogy vajon Hollandia vagy Franciaország lesz-e a vezető hatalom.

Ennél a könyvnél is nagyon érződik, hogy az író trilógiát írt, a felvetett kérdésekre nem kapunk (még) választ, majd a második, harmadik kötetben. ( )

This book had been on my to-be-read pile for far too long. I was introduced to the world by Tregillis’ short story in the anthology Human for a Day about a clockwork android seeking his freedom from the compulsion that drives him to be a slave. Tregillis later developed the short story into The Mechanical. The series is set in an alternate history where the Dutch empire has conquered the world through its invention of mechanical servitors called Clakkers, and New France is the primary opposition, although it is on the brink of defeat. We follow, among others, Jax, a Clakker that longs for his freedom, and Berenice, the spymaster of New France as they fight against the empire. The world and politics are fascinating, I found the characters a little flat at times. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. ( )

Another fantastic offering from a writer who is carving a fine niche for himself in complex, intellectually-rigorous world-building without scrimping on characterisation or storytelling thrills. Ian Tregillis' latest series starts with The Mechanical, imagining an alternate-history where the Dutch have created a race of mechanical men (essentially robots, but using 'alchemy' instead of electronics) and used them to aggressively conquer the known world. Opposing them are the uprooted French, now operating out of what we would call Canada. But the alchemical 'geas' that the Dutch 'clockmakers' use to control these mechanicals are not foolproof, as we discover through the story of Jax, a mechanical who discovers he possesses free will and goes 'rogue'. Clockmakers lie.

The world-building remains Tregillis' greatest strength, as in his previous Milkweed Triptych and Something More Than Night. He is prepared to wrestle with complex ideas in order to hammer out the parameters and internal logic of his worlds, and consequently one quickly becomes immersed in his stories. It is a great feat not only of imagination but application, and despite the heavyweight ideas present on almost every page the reader never feels overloaded.

There are some small problems, of course, resulting from such ambition. Because this alternate world is so very different from our own, I struggled to place the time period. I had it pegged as around 1870, based on the tone and the nature of the societies we visit; it was not until page 329 that we get a definite date: 1926. This seemed too late for me; the Catholic/Protestant schism and the Dutch hegemony seemed to belong to a much earlier time (1600s or 1700s) and there seem to be no airplanes, telegraphs, electrics, or various other things you might expect. This is a far different 1926: the invention of the mechanicals has advanced the world in some ways but retarded it in others. It is hard for readers to determine which technologies and societal advances are applicable to Tregillis' world, and consequently our presumptions and assessments of this world are constantly shifting beneath us, especially in the earlier parts of the book.

There are other minor issues, such as an occasional penchant for long, obscure words that drag the pace of the prose down; you are forced to either look for a dictionary or press on slightly at a loss for what is happening. It was this tendency that meant the alchemical Grand Forge at the end of the book wasn't that impressive to me – solely because I struggled to decipher Tregillis' descriptions. The motivations of Jax – and, to a lesser extent, Berenice, in the final act were also less-than-clear, and this act itself was so action-heavy and smashy-smashy destructive that it would be better suited to the denouement of a Hollywood movie than the first instalment of a piece of intelligent fiction.

But, I should stress, these are minor quibbles. The Mechanical is excellent and it is heartening to know that there is a writer out there who is consistently putting out pieces of speculative fiction that are intellectually challenging and stimulating. Far from being a derivative piece about robots-but-we-don't-call-them-robots, Tregillis has presented a thoughtful story that, with its dominant theme on the nature of free will and through the more particular plight of the character Father Visser, reminded me of both Dostoevsky's psychological angst and Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. With these comparisons in mind, it is also important to stress just how entertaining this book is: it provides that often-elusive page-turning quality alongside its intellectual stimulation. It is a delicate balance that Tregillis traces excellently. ( )

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

So to be clear, what makes Ian Tregillis' The Mechanical such a dazzling success as a genre novel is primarily his world-building and other "what if" skills; predicated on a fairly standard premise from steampunk literature ("What if physicist Christiaan Huygens had actually invented robots in the 1600s?"), what makes the novel so compelling is what Tregillis guesses would happen to world history as a result, presenting us with a retro-futuristic 1929 in which an all-ascendant Dutch Empire rules the planet (due to being the sole possessors of robots for the last 250 years), steam power was never developed (who needs steamships when you can just have 10,000 robot rowers in the bilge of your luxury cruise liner?), and a defeated French aristocratic diaspora live in exile in Montreal (along with a defeated Vatican), where Catholic rebels have formed a robot "underground canal system" (remember, no railroads) in order to save the "souls" of these artificial creatures, and whose main weapon in their no-tech society is petroleum-based epoxies that gum up a robot's intricate mechanics when hurled against one in battle. But that said, as all us genre fans have learned the hard way over the years, even the greatest premise in the world can't be saved without competent skills in dialogue, character development and the other building blocks of a decent novel; and so while Tregillis' skills in such aren't particularly spectacular, it should be noted that they're good enough to do the job, mainly getting out of the way so we can enjoy the heady theoretical 20th century so unlike our own that the author has posited here. Volume one of a coming trilogy (volume 2 is already out, in fact), this was a thrilling enough and philosophically challenging enough start to make me excited about continuing the series; and it comes strongly recommended to steampunk fans, although you might want to skip it if you're not.

Out of 10: 8.8, or 9.8 for steampunk fans ( )

Terrifying alternative history places the Dutch as rulers of the world, with the King of France exiled to Montreal. This book scared me silly, but I couldn't put it down. ( )

This book has a lot going for it. The world-building is pretty fantastic: it is an alternate history where Huygens figured out how to make mechanical men with artificial intelligence (through some kind of alchemy), and the Dutch rule the world. The French have been in conflict with the Dutch for centuries, and live in exile in Canada where they emulate the court of Louis XIV. The robots have human-like artificial intelligence, and serve mankind because they are compelled (by pain) to follow human orders.

There are there major story-lines: one follows Visser, a French spy who is captured by the Dutch; another follows Berenice, the French spy-mistress as she tries to undermine the Dutch; and the third follows Jax, a robot who gains free will and is hunted by the Dutch.

Unfortunately, despite all of this wonderful world-building, the story itself has some major flaws.

There are extensive torture scenes. Really nasty torture scenes that I had to skip. These scenes did advance the plot, but were far more gruesome and drawn-out than they needed to be.

The story's pacing is uneven: I found the first third and last third far more entertaining than the middle third.

The book requires a pretty uneven suspension of disbelief. On the one hand, there are a lot of references to historical figures such as Huygens, Spinoza, and Louis XIV, which ought to ground us pretty well in alternate history. On the other hand, there is clearly a lot of magic at work - alchemy is just magic, and it is somehow capable of creating sentient beings. All of the non-alchemical science is well-explained (and how interesting to see a world where chemistry advanced more than mechanics, so they have advanced plastics, but no steam engines). But the alchemy is just, well, alchemy, and never fully explained, so it all gets to be a little hard to swallow sometimes.

Ultimately, lots of interesting ideas, but I found it to be unsatisfying. ( )

In the 17th Century Christiaan Huygens invented a clockwork automaton and with it the Netherlands took over the world, now the only country standing against them is France, in exile in the new world. Jax is one of these Clakkers, who suddenly discovers, via an accident, freedom of a sort, freedom from the built-in geas, the compulsions to obey.

It's such a different story and I really enjoyed it. ( )

Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2015/06/22/audiobook-review-the-mechanical-by-ian...

4.5/5 stars

The Mechanical is a wonderful steampunk, alternate history novel that takes the reader into the dark world of spies and war and also examines issues of slavery versus free will and religion. This book can be quite dark, but it balances the horrific parts with a fascinating world and wonderful characters.

“Clakkers” or mechanical men powered by alchemy to serve humans. There are several kinds, giving them specialties (for example, some are military, trained for fighting). The are faster, stronger and more durable than humans. They are intelligent and they are completely subservient and obedient to their human masters. At least usually. There are “rogue” Clakkers that have for some reason gained some level of free will, giving them the ability to act according to their own thoughts and agendas versus just following commands. These rogues are greatly feared and prompt a witch hunt level of hysteria.

Imagine how easily an army of Clackers could change the course of a war as they provide a huge advantage. And that is exactly what happened when the Netherlands invented and used them close to hundreds of years before the story was set, pushing the French into exile. One of our perspectives is Bernice, is a French spymaster. She gives us insight into the current political field, and the plight of the French. I really enjoyed her character. She’s a fighter and she has been dealt a horrible hand, so we get a good taste of her strength and personality. You just can’t help but want things to get better for her.

This book has an interesting exploration of “what constitutes a thinking being? At what point can a machine become an individual, and hence be entitled to free will? When we create intelligent machines, should we also be responsible for determining what rights these machines may have? Where do you draw the line? The concept of free will is a huge theme in this book, as well as how to differentiate between a simple clock and a machine that may have some level of intelligence. How can you prove existence of thinking? Lack of proof does not prove a lack of existence.

And through the perspective of Jax, we gain understanding that these Clakkers are more than just machines. It is quite interesting having a Clakker POV, and can be eerily like human thinking at times. Not completely, but similar enough that the questions of freedom versus slavery, and what rights should these machines have need to be raised.

Our final perspective is linked to Jax’s and actually strengthens those questions as well. I really don’t want to say more as I think that storyline is probably best not knowing much before going in. But it can get incredibly dark and disturbing. It also raises a great number of questions about the technology used for Clakkers.

I don’t hesitate to recommend this one. It is very well paced, full of action, intrigue and great characters.

Audiobook note: Chris Kayser did a wonderful job with narration, he’s quite easy to listen to and the pronunciations and inflections all worked quite well. The story is also one that lends its self to a great listen. ( )

The Mechanical
Ian Tregillis
440pgs
Copy: ARC
Read: 27 April 2015
Spoilers: as few as I could
Recommend to: People who like to think and like sci-fi; fans of Asimov; fans of Susanna Clarke; maybe fans of George R.R. Martin; if you liked "The Dark Tower" series

So Susanna Clarke readers and Asimov readers actually tend to be pretty different. So are "Song of Fire and Ice" and "The Dark Tower". You've got alternate history vs. robotic future and two epic fantasy series (complete with loads of sex) written in completely different styles and settings. What makes The Mechanical so interesting is that it pays homage to all of these disparate themes and styles while still remaining completely individual and distinctive.

Tregillis has created a world that differs from ours in that the Dutch became the great world power, not on the power of trade or sail, but due to their mystic creation of mechanical slaves. Created by the inclusive and terrifying Alchemist Guild, these Clakkers are controlled by the Guild and the royal family and rented out to wealthy families or for production needs. These Clakkers, despite independent thought and an underground language, are unable to rebel against the orders of their owners--indeed, any order creates an imperative pain until that order is carried out. They live hundreds of years, trapped within their own bodies.

Despite these geases, some Clakkers speak to one another of Free Will and others mysteriously develop it. The Alchemists destroy them as soon as they are discovered, throwing them into the great Forge.

Against this background, the Dutch are increasing their territory in the New World, fighting against the last stronghold of the French court. In New France, the female spymaster (the Tallyrand) Bernice, Vimcomtess is desperate to maintain their foothold in the world and to fight back against the insatiable power of the Clakker backed Dutch, while also fighting against her own court politics. On the other side, the female head of the Clakker police force and head torturer (cleverly called Tuinier--chief gardener), Anastasia Bell begins to wield a terrifying new technology that questions the very existence of any kind of Free Will at all. Jax, a lowly servitor mechanical, is thrown into this complex tangle with about the same effect as throwing in a grenade.

While the basic premise of the novel is impressive in and of itself, Tregillis handles questions of religion and freedom with ease and grace. He is thought provoking without being distracting from the excitement of the story. Tregillis also creates powerful, yet dissimilar female characters: Bernice and Anastasia are both powerful women without having their femininity stripped away. Bernice, with her mind in the gutter and mouth like sailor, understands and uses sex as a means to an end; she also makes believable mistakes that aren't "punishments" for her sexual behavior. Although Anastasia Bell is harder to read, since we are never granted a 3rd person limited view into her thoughts, she clearly uses her delicate femininity as a kind of intimidating opposition to her job. She looks like a lady: she authorizes acts that devils would find a bit much. Tregillis has joined a unique club among sci-fi/fantasy writers: authors (male and female) that are able to create believable and human characters of both genders. Lets cross our fingers he can keep it up for the sequels.

http://childrenofanidlemindreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-new-metal-man.html

http://bactra.org/weblog/algae-2015-04.html#tregillis ( )

Like many fans of Ian Tregillis, I was first introduced to his work with the Milkweed Triptych, a series about British warlocks versus Nazi super-soldiers in an alternate history of World War II. Then In 2013 I picked up Something More Than Night, a futuristic urban fantasy-type metaphysical hard-boiled detective noir story about angels. That book was a bit of a departure to say the least, but it also solidified Tregillis in my mind as a talented visionary, definitely a rising star to watch.

Now Tregillis returns to alternate history in The Mechanical, outdoing himself once again with an inventive blend of mind-blowing fantasy, history, and existential philosophy. This time we see humble French metallurgy pitted against the demonic alchemy of the Dutch, in a story set in the early 1900s. Back in the 17th century in this alternate timeline, prominent mathematician and scientist Christiaan Huygens changed the face of the world by using magic to develop an army of clockwork automatons capable of intelligent thought but are enslaved to their masters through a series of geasa. This breakthrough discovery ensured the survival of the Calvinist Dutch Empire, for very few found themselves capable of standing against a legion of these tireless and utterly obedient mechanical men called “Clakkers.”

So three hundred years later, the Dutch are the dominant power with only a small remnant of French Papists still fighting to oppose their rule. The book begins with the executions of a group of French spies, witnessed through the eyes of one of our main protagonists, a mechanical servitor named Jax. Across the ocean where what’s left of the French Court has been exiled to the New World, our other protagonist is spymistress Berenice Charlotte de Mornay-Périgord, who is understandably vexed that almost all her agents back in the Netherlands have been caught and killed. Not long after, Jax is unwittingly used to smuggle a dangerous piece of intel across the Atlantic, and then a fatal disaster strikes the French within the walls of Marseilles-in-the-West. Thus begins an incredible tale of deadly secrets and ruthless politics, as our two characters’ fates ultimately come together in their search for what they desire most – for Jax, the sweet taste of freedom, and for Berenice, the vengeance on those who took everything from her.

What can I say but I’m just completely awestruck by the world Tregillis has created here. I know I say that about every one of his novels, but it’s true. No one does alternate history quite like the way he does, always bringing a fresh new twist by blending elements from multiple genres. He offers a whole new vision to steampunk in The Mechanical, presenting a heart-pounding tale of intrigue wrapped around a philosophical core which explores the subject of artificial intelligence and its consequences. The book will no doubt provide fertile ground for plenty of discussion, littered as it is with profound themes examining free will versus determinism, the nature of identity and the purpose of the individual, and at times it even dabbles lightly in religious theory.

Sounds delightfully cerebral, doesn’t it? But don’t let that fool you. True, The Mechanical will give you plenty of existential questions to mull over, but at its heart it is a gripping story brought to life by complex, engaging characters. There’s plenty of action and adventure that will get the blood pumping in your veins. Also, you can never let your guard down when reading a Tregillis novel. No one is ever truly safe (the unfortunate character of Father Luuk Visser can attest to that) and the author clearly has no qualms about taking his story into shocking, brutal territory. Tragedy and bloody violence can befall a character in a Tregillis novel at any time, something I discovered way back when I read Bitter Seeds, so it was a lesson I learned early.

Still, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – I do adore Ian Tregillis’s writing for the very fact that his style is so well-suited for darker, more evocative stories. His prose is so tight and it always flows well with the narrative, not to mention he can also be ferociously detailed when he needs to be. He draws you in and makes you feel for his characters, so that everything that happens to them matters, even (or perhaps especially) when the shit massively hits the fan. I found The Mechanical less bleak than Milkweed, though fair warning: there are more than a few traumatizing scenes in this book. Then again, it sure didn’t stop me from madly devouring up its pages, and in fact I find myself even more invested when I know that anything can happen.

In short, The Mechanical is an excellent read, not to be missed by fans of alternate history fiction and steampunk. Even if you’re not into those genres, the mix of so many ideas and other elements from sci-fi and fantasy will surely make this worth checking out. Tregillis never fails to impress, and his writing and stories seem to be getting better with each novel. This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and it’s my favorite work of his to date. ( )