The Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher

[lightreads]

The Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine

4/5. Duology (or at least the story ties off neatly after two books) about a reluctant team of criminals and a disgraced sort of knight-priest and a scholar-monk teaming up to stop the spread of mechanical soldiers.

Ah, these are lovely. I hadn't read any of her adult work (this is Ursula Vernon's pseud), and I found her brisk, funny, warm style translates beautifully from her juveniles. This has heart and humor and a lot of kindness, and it is hitting that perfect spot where ugh-I-have-to-team-up-with-these-assholes turns into this-is-my-family-only-I-can-hate-them. The magic of these books is like that – it consists of ancient mystery machines that eat objects and spit out something new. The trials these people go through are like that – you're never quite sure who will be transformed, and into what.

Comments

[niqaeli]

I suspect it's more an issue of publisher size -- iirc (and I might not, granted) she has self-pubbed a significant portion of her adult work and much of the rest has been with tiny imprints. Swordheart, particularly, seems to have published by a tiny queer publishing company in Texas that she probably came into contact with by way of the furry community.

[lightreads]

Huh, the more you know. Still, audible has an imprint that picks up a lot of small press and backlist scifi/fantasy.

[cyprinella]

As of July it was "because no one's made an offer" according to twitter. I can ask if there's any movement on it.

[cyprinella]

Situation still the same. No publisher for it. Which is a bummer because I think it's the best book of the three.