The Clockwork Dynasty

This sci-fi thriller is a quick, action-packed read full of steampunk references and an engaging alternate history. The Clockwork Dynasty is the perfect genre mashup to take on your next vacation! Recommended By Moses M., Powells.com

An ingenious new thriller that weaves a path through history, following a race of human-like machines that have been hiding among us for untold centuries, written by the New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse.

Present day: When a young anthropologist specializing in ancient technology uncovers a terrible secret concealed in the workings of a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll, she is thrown into a hidden world that lurks just under the surface of our own. With her career and her life at stake, June Stefanov will ally with a remarkable traveler who exposes her to a reality she never imagined, as they embark on an around-the-world adventure and discover breathtaking secrets of the past…

Russia, 1725: In the depths of the Kremlin, the tsar’s loyal mechanician brings to life two astonishingly humanlike mechanical beings. Peter and Elena are a brother and sister fallen out of time, possessed with uncanny power, and destined to serve great empires. Struggling to blend into pre-Victorian society, they are pulled into a legendary war that has raged for centuries.

The Clockwork Dynasty seamlessly interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings designed to live by ironclad principles, yet constantly searching for meaning. As June plunges deeper into their world, her choices will ultimately determine their survival or extermination. Richly-imagined and heart-pounding, Daniel H. Wilson’s novel expertly draws on his robotics and science background, combining exquisitely drawn characters with visionary technology — and riveting action.

"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

"With The Clockwork Dynasty, Daniel H. Wilson has created a ripping, pulsing whirlwind of a world: a sweeping tale of forgotten secrets and wars, of empires and those who topple them, of identities given and taken away, of robots who seem to know better than we just what it means to be human. This is Wilson’s most adventurous, romantic, utterly thrilling work, and it’s not to be missed." Jason Gurley, author of Eleanor

"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)

"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

From the New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse comes an epic new thriller about a race of ageless, human-like machines hiding among us for untold centuries.
Deep in the rugged landscape of eastern Oregon, a young anthropologist named Alexa uncovers an exquisite artifact, a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll. Ingeniously hidden inside the intricate doll is a message, addressed to the court of Peter Alexeyevich, czar of Russia, also known as Peter the Great. The message ends on a cryptic word that will change everything: avtomat.
Spanning the centuries in a riveting dual narrative, Daniel Wilson's masterly new novel tells the story of Peter and Elena, two human-like mechanical beings known as avtomat, as they become aware in the time of czarist Russia. Their struggle to serve in the court of the czar while blending in, and to survive amid those who wish to annihilate them, will take Peter and Elena across Russia and, ultimately, across the centuries.
Daniel H. Wilson seamlessly intertwines past and present, while exploring the provocative intersection of robotics and historical fact. Greek craftsmen constructed the "Antikythera" mechanism one hundred years before the birth of Christ the earliest evidence of our fascination with robots. But outside of recorded history lie legends of mechanized warriors who pass as human, serving as weapons of unspeakable power that would change the course of history. A leader who controlled one of these creations would be unstoppable. In this heart-pounding thrill ride filled with exhilarating technology, breathtaking vision, and nonstop action, Daniel Wilson has created his most sophisticated and entertaining novel to date."

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.

I guess it’s fair to say I like robots. A lot...

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