A Very Human Mechanical Man

The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great book, and a really cool start to a series.

Set in a parallel world where the Netherlands developed clockwork technology tied to alchemy and overran the world with their robot "Clakkers," a world where France is reduced to its holdings in the New World and other countries bow to the Hague, the story is mostly about a rogue Clakker who is accidentally freed from the geas that control him. He tries to survive in a world where free Clakkers are the highest priority of the Dutch government, wishing only to be left alone. At the same time, Berenice, the spymaster of France, is trying to learn all she can about the mechanical devices to have some way to defeat her enemies and empower her nation. She is a dangerous, brilliant woman, and engaging enough to have been the only POV character.

The world-building is wonderful--what we need to understand is supplied, but in bits throughout, never in obtrusive ways. The main characters and their stories, especially, are centered; the setting matters a great deal, an adds to the richness of the story, but never takes over.

I love Jax as a protagonist. The reader has sympathy for his situation, for the plight of all Clakkers, and even though he's a mechanical man he has a unique voice. Like robots in the works of Clifford Simak, Jax is a gentle soul, a kind soul, and is clearly his own person. I am rooting for him to succeed at every moment.

The series takes a breath at the end of the novel, but it's not the end in any way. I have the second book on its way and look forward to the next installment. And I already own the third--a gift that sent me on this journey in the first place. I'll be glad to get started on that soon enough.

Anyway, obviously, I recommend the novel. Fast action, great characters, a nice mix of tones, and believable stakes. Whew. Good stuff.

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