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Guest Review: The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper (Clockwork Empire #1)

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The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper[Note from VBC: We’re very lucky to have Kelly from Reading the Paranormal on the blog again today. This time she’s reviewing some steampunk goodness for VBC.]

The Doomsday Vault (Clockwork Empire #1)
Steven Harper
Published: Nov. 2011 (Roc)
Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon

Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars

Review by: Kelly from Reading the Paranormal

There are a couple of things you need to know right off the bat: I’m a big fan of steampunk and I can’t resist a good cover. I guess I’m trying to say that this book was practically custom made for my palate. And that was before I even opened it. Then it had to go and be all super awesome what with the plague zombies and the clockwork bits and the fighting. Oh, and the vaguely frowned upon romance between an upper crust lady and a lowly airman who’s *gasp* younger than she is. Love it!

One thing I will say is that this book is dense. There’s a lot of world building and character building going on here. It works beautifully, I must say. The dirty streets of London, haunted by those that have fallen to the Clockwork Plague, come alive with ease. The lovely Alice Michaels, fallen on hard times and trying desperately to be a proper young lady in a time when women are beginning to rise up and take their places among the men, shines as an example of a woman of noble birth torn between doing what is socially correct and following her heart. Gavin Ennock, cabin boy and musician, suffers misfortune after misfortune until he finally finds a place where his extraordinary talent for music can be put to good use. Honestly, even the background characters were wonderfully drawn and complex.

As a fan of steampunk, I adored the gadgets and mechanical pieces that populated the scenery. Alice has an affinity for the gears and clockwork bits and she manages to indulge it despite the way society frowns upon a woman showing interest in those sort of things. Although I may have disagreed with some of the decisions she made in her personal life, I applaud a person who can sneak in a good bout of wrench wranglin’ every once in a while.

With secret organizations, zombies that come in several levels of gross, and a quiet, star-crossed love that I found myself rooting for, The Doomsday Vault was an imaginative ride. Fans of steampunk, zombies, and twisted morals (or any combination of those three) will enjoy dipping their toes into this world.

Sexual content: Allusions to sex and rape, but no detailed descriptions

2 Responses to “Guest Review: The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper (Clockwork Empire #1)”

  1. Annie says:

    SOLD! Great review Kelly and the book sounds AWESOME!!! Click click..purchased and downloaded =)

  2. Kristin says:

    Loved this one too:)

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