My Five Word TL:DR Review: Even Better Than the First

I came late to the Clocktaur War story – the first being Clockwork Boys (I think released around 2017?) Anyway, I didn’t read this until it was re-released and reviewed it in 2025 and pretty soon after No.2 was also re-released. Happy days. I loved this book, even more than the first.

If you haven’t read ClockWork Boys then I suggest you check out that book first, seriously, you’ll miss all the backstory to the characters and the journey they’ve already experienced together. Plus Kingfisher is such an excellent author who comes up with characters that you simply adore – so why deny yourself the pleasure. Also, spoilers may lurk below so beware if you haven’t read book 1 already.

Anyway. This one picks up almost immediately after the first book concluded. Our band of thieves and assassins and other misfits have arrived in Anuket City. Slate has a very shady past and this isn’t a place that she can walk about in with ease – not if she wants to remain alive that is. The crew need to find answers quickly before their enchanted tattoos give them problems and nobody seems to have any knowledge of the Clockwork Boys (not to mention it’s not like you can just saunter around asking is it?). On top of this Slate and Caliban are skirting around their obvious attraction to each other which I will say makes not only for addictive reading but is gloriously funny as well.

To be honest I enjoyed book 1 but this follow up hit all the right notes for me. This isn’t my first Kingfisher book. I really like her style. She’s super creative and seems to have no end of imagination but on top of that her dialogue is quick and witty, she comes up with strong storylines, she infuses her stories with dark and light, hope and bittersweetness and characters who you can become attached to with ease. On top of that there is a cosiness to her work that, even when the characters find themselves in a tight spot or in real dire straits, you have hope that everything will work out okay. I like this approach. It has a low stakes feel but then you also know that Kingfisher can yank that hopeful rug right out from under your feet and hit you when you least expect it. Why wouldn’t you love her work? I mean really???

So, the characters are really good. Quick recap, Slate is the leader of this motley crew. She was a forger but something in her past meant she had to flee the city and never show her face again. Returning is really not a good idea. Some very serious people are looking out for her and everything could turn ugly. Brenner is the dark assassin. Okay, he fits all the stereotypes but I can’t help loving those stereotypes when they work so well. He’s stealthy, cynical, graceful and extremely deadly. He has a penchant for Slate and this is definitely a sense of animosity between himself and Caliban. Caliban is the Paladin who has fallen from grace and has now become attached to Slate (feelings that are reciprocated on her part but not voiced aloud). Learned Edmund is the scholar, bookish and woman shy he loves a good Index. Finally we have a Gnole called Grimehug. Gnoles are badger like in appearance and seem to pick up all the jobs that no one else wants to do, they’re treated quite atrociously but they play a big part in the plot here, especially as they’re practically invisible (nobody bothers to look at them after all and this provides them with a certain freedom to sneak about). Grimehug is great, I loved him and his nicknames for the foolish humans now in his midst.

The plot is interesting. The crew are trying to find out about the clockwork automatons that are marching out to war – more to the point they’re trying to figure out how to stop them. This is all linked to ancient civilisations that created these strange ‘wonder engines’. There are also other links but I don’t want to give too much away. You’ll be aware of Caliban’s link to demons from book 1, this plays into the plot as does Grimehug and the other gnoles.

The writing is brilliant. I love the way that this book made me feel and this is a feeling that I’m becoming quite familiar with whenever I pick up this author, it makes her work really quite addictive.

The ending manages to come together really well. Yes, it is somewhat bittersweet, it took me a little by surprise, but also on reflection it also felt almost inevitable, just that I hadn’t thought it through. Everything ties together really well and there’s also the suggestion that some of these characters could very well have more stories in them further down the line.

If you can’t tell, I had a thoroughly good time reading this and practically inhaled the book. My gushing is now complete. In conclusion, I have no hesitation in recommending the Clocktaur War series.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4.5 of 5 stars