Synopses & Reviews
A Kirkus Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of 2017
A Popsugar Best Book of the Year
From the New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse comes an epic new thriller about a race of ageless automatons who have been hiding among us for untold centuries.
In the depths of the Kremlin in 1725, the tsar’s loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister possessed with uncanny power and destined to fight an ancient war.
When June Stefanov, a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology, uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she finds herself in the middle of the hidden war that has raged for centuries. As June plunges deeper into their world, her choices will ultimately determine their fate.
The Clockwork Dynasty interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings designed to live by ironclad principles, yet constantly searching for meaning. Richly-imagined and heart-pounding, Daniel H. Wilson’s novel combines exquisitely drawn characters with visionary technology — and riveting action.
Review
“In The Clockwork Dynasty, Daniel Wilson, the king of the robothriller, mixes robots, history and non-stop action to create a thoroughly original plot. Think The Terminator meets Indiana Jones with a crash course in history thrown in. A thoroughly enjoyable read.” Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author of Violent Crimes
Review
“Daniel H. Wilson is one of the foremost prophets of the near future...In The Clockwork Dynasty, the irrepressibly readable Wilson has retreated to pseudo-vampiric sentient robots. I say retreated because he’s dealing with the past and present, rather than the future — though his rewriting of the past is no less radical than his speculative work...The plot is driven by a human protagonist, June Stefanov. She represents human history and continues Wilson’s excellent run of female lead characters — a distinction not to be sniffed at in male-written robot sci-fi.” The Los Angeles Review of Books
Review
“This bold adventure is a stew of cult-classic concepts — the avtomat reflect the Immortals in the Highlander franchise, while the ancient and deadly Elena is reminiscent of child vampire Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. It may wear its influences on its sleeve but it’s also a welcome treat for steampunk and fantasy fans. A thrilling mix of influences, much like Sylvain Neuvel’s Sleeping Giants and HBO’s Westworld, that creates a captivating scenario begging for many sequels.” Kirkus (Starred Review)
Review
“The Clockwork Dynasty is my new favorite secret history novel! It’s like some fantastic hybrid of Highlander and The Terminator – or maybe a cross between I, Robot and The Difference Engine, with a dash of Blade Runner for good measure. It reads like classic steampunk on steroids. In other words, it’s totally bad ass and you’re going to love it.” Ernest Cline, The New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One
About the Author
DANIEL H. WILSON is the bestselling author of Robopocalypse, Robogenesis, and Amped, among others. He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and earned a B.S. in computer science from the University of Tulsa and a Ph.D. in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children.