Book Review: The Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato

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The Clockwork Crown
Clockwork Dagger #2
Author: Beth Cato
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Released: June 9th 2015
Review Source: Harper Voyager

Rich in atmosphere, imagination, and fun, the action-packed, magic-filled sequel to The Clockwork Dagger is an enchanting steampunk fantasy, evocative of the works of Trudi Canavan and Gail Carriger

Narrowly surviving assassination and capture, Octavia Leander, a powerful magical healer, is on the run with handsome Alonzo Garrett, the Clockwork Dagger who forfeited his career with the Queen’s secret society of spies and killers—and possibly his life—to save her. Now, they are on a dangerous quest to find safety and answers: Why is Octavia so powerful? Why does she seem to be undergoing a transformation unlike any witnessed for hundreds of years?

The truth may rest with the source of her mysterious healing power—the Lady’s Tree. But the tree lies somewhere in a rough, inhospitable territory known as the Waste. Eons ago, this land was made barren and uninhabitable by an evil spell, until a few hardy souls dared to return over the last century. For years, the Waste has waged a bloody battle against the royal court to win its independence—and they need Octavia’s powers to succeed.

Joined by unlikely allies, including a menagerie of gremlin companions, she must evade killers and Clockwork Daggers on a dangerous journey through a world on the brink of deadly civil war.

As Octavia Leander and Alonzo Garrett flee to the south from their last encounter with the wretched Wasters, (ahem, the Dallowmen) Octavia ponders throughout their long journey about why from her blood so much springs forth, what her unusually strong connection to The Lady really means and what will become of both of them along this perilous journey? It's a lot for anyone to consider, but made harder by the ever growing feelings she has for her Clockwork Dagger.

As people of all types reach for Octavia, pleas for healing and many trying to simply take their healing if they need to. Everyone is on the look out for her, if only she'd wear a disguise instead of her medician white outfit.

In the first novel, The Clockwork Dagger, Miss Leander learns that her dreams many times are The Lady trying to lead her in a particular direction. This time she's learned to listen when hits are given, be they from the mouths of injured children, or in the form of a chimera named 'Leaf'. Throughout her adventure with Alonzo, she's had this nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that she needs to ride into the Palace, within the soot covered industrial capital, something calls to her. She just isn't so sure it's genial.

What an adventure The Clockwork Crown turned out to be. I wasn't so sure at first but the first book really turned me around, it won me over. It was after all one of the truly first steam-punk-esk books I'd ever read. I enjoyed it so much I had to read the second book. This is a duology, which is a nice change up from the many trilogies that are published. I don't want to spoil anything, truly, but I was so excited at many points. So much does take place within these pages to fully answer any unanswered questions from the first book and then wraps up nicely at the end. It wasn't what I'd expected... --I had to delete the line of thought I'd written after this point as I feared it would give away the ending too much. HA! I'd give it five stars easily, I enjoyed it and loved the ending! :)