Review: Clockwork Heart - Dru Pagliasotti

Genre: Fantasy romance steampunk
Pages: 392
Published: 2008

Taya soars over Ondinium on metal wings. She is an icarus, a courier privileged to travel freely across city's sectors and mingle indiscriminately among its castes. But even she cannot outfly the web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and intrigue that snares her after a daring mid-air rescue. Taya finds herself entangled with the Forlore brothers, scions of an upperclass family: handsome, brilliant Alister, who sits on Ondinium's governing council and writes programs for the Great Engine; and awkward, sharp-tongued Cristof, who has exiled himself from his caste and repairs clocks in the lowest sector of the city. Both hide dangerous secrets, in the city that beats to the ticking of a clockwork heart... 

So yes, fantasy romance steampunk is what I ended up calling this book. It takes place in another world, fantasy, there is a bit more romance so therefore romance. And last, the steampunk bit. This is not sci-fi, it is a society that has moved forward and you could place them sort of at the 19th century. There you have it.

Taya is an icarus, she flies with wings and delivers messages. She can fly freely in a society made up of three classes. The nobility, the middle class and the poor workers. One day she sees a wingferry with broken wires, it is going to fall and kill the people inside. She sets of for a rescue, knowing that her wings can't take that much and if she gets caught in the wires she will fall too. But she saves the day, and the woman and boy she rescues are excalted (the nobility). The ones that wear these huge covering clothes and always a mask. By saving these people she is thrown into another world. There is terrorism in the city because all do not think a big computer should decide everything, and the countries around wants the technology. Who can she really trust?

By saving the woman she gets a thank you from a man she delivers a message too, the woman's cousin. Alister, handsome, a flirt, and a great programmer. And his brother, the dark, brooding, Christof who has given up everything and lives with the poor fixing clocks.

Guess who I fell for, oh yes Christof, I had too, he was dark, angry, brooding, like this Rotchester/Darcy mix without the pride part of course. He yells at people, contradicts, and he is not that nice to her when she tries to be friendly. He has a big chip on his shoulder. While his brother is sweet, nice and such a flirt. Not to mention a total hunk. Taya is of course very attracted to him, but at the same time after meeting Christof a few times, well there is something there. Love triangle, I love that.

When I understood how the city worked then I liked this book. I did get  disappointed half way through, but had a change of heart. But then again at the end, well it kind of dragged, and suddenly there was more to tell. I do not know, perhaps I lost interest for a few pages cos I just wanted to know how the romance would end. That part may have lost the solid 4 I had thought of given this book.

But it still was a great book, and I just read that she is making more. I will totally read that. This is a great standalone novel, but the world is so fascinating that I wanted more. And if that source was correct then that is the case. I want to read more about Taya, and how ever she will choose, or chose, I am not telling ;)

There is murder, a mystery about who is trying to sabotage the big computer, and the program Alister wrote. And do not forget the romance part. The title is the name of the program Alister has written, btw.

Blodeuedd's Cover Thoughts: Now I know people on covers are not real, but the sometimes do look real, this girl just looks like she is from a computer program like Final Fantasy. Oh and Taya would not show her breasts like that.

Reason for reading. Own copy (thanks Amy C for recommending this one!!)

Final thoughts: A fascinating tale about a woman who flies with iron wings. Romance and terrorism.