Clockwork Magpies - Kestrels Nest: BookWyrm Edition

eBook, 290 pages

English language

Published by Northodox Press.

ISBN:: 978-1-8383430-7-1

(1 review)

By day, Ida is a quiet, standoffish maid in the employ of spoiled Lucinda Belmote. By night, she is the infamous sneak thief known as the Rat Prince, terrorising the wealthy inhabitants of Loxport; especially Lucinda's lecherous suitor, Lord Devon Casterbury.

Soon the boundaries between her dual lives begin to blur, as her mask begins to drop around a delightful waitress and a charming jeweller who both insist on befriending Ida. All the while she is thrust into a conflict surrounding new and dangerous materials that could upend the order of the city, land her behind bars or worse: in Lord Casterbury's employ.

A thrilling romp through the Steampunk city of Loxport, Clockwork Magpies is a story of found family, crimes plotted over tea and scones, and the sinister power of glowing gemstones.

1 edition

lastblossom reviewed Clockwork Magpies by Emma Whitehall

Hits all the right notes in the steampunk fantasy heist genre, but feels short comparatively speaking. Hoping for a sequel!

5 stars

There's a sort of prequel-like vibe to this book. Like other books in the genre, we have a ragtag group of heroes from all walks of life, a fantasy-esque setting, and a thing they've stolen that's probably much more dangerous than they realize. But in this case, the gang isn't already assembled when the first chapter starts, and a lot of the book is dedicated to the origins of them getting together in the first place. It's an interesting tradeoff - the big heist and its fallout will have to be addressed in future books (if there are any, fingers crossed), but in return we get a lot of character development for our heroes, and plenty of time dedicated to forming their bonds. As a fan of character-driven narratives, I love this choice, but it does mean the stakes are pretty low for this installment, plot wise.

In terms of …

There's a sort of prequel-like vibe to this book. Like other books in the genre, we have a ragtag group of heroes from all walks of life, a fantasy-esque setting, and a thing they've stolen that's probably much more dangerous than they realize. But in this case, the gang isn't already assembled when the first chapter starts, and a lot of the book is dedicated to the origins of them getting together in the first place. It's an interesting tradeoff - the big heist and its fallout will have to be addressed in future books (if there are any, fingers crossed), but in return we get a lot of character development for our heroes, and plenty of time dedicated to forming their bonds. As a fan of character-driven narratives, I love this choice, but it does mean the stakes are pretty low for this installment, plot wise.

In terms of characters, I love the entire cast (excepting the obvious villain of the piece). Ida makes a great lead - smart and capable with a small wash of moral gray. The rest of the cast is equally fun, with plenty of casual queer rep to be seen, and several intriguing side characters who I hope we'll get to know better. Anyone looking for a steampunk fantasy heist will find plenty to love here, and I really REALLY hope there's a sequel on the horizon.

Lists

Heists