The Clockwork Girl - Anna Mazzola

Author: Anna Mazzola

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A slow-paced gothic story with a great plot and outstanding historical research. If you want a look at a darker historical version of Paris and a fictional story based on real incidents, do pick this up.

Story:

Paris, 1750. Twenty-three year old Madeleine has just begun her new job as the lady’s maid to Veronique, the daughter of celebrated clockmaker Maximilian Reinhart. What they both don’t know is that Madeleine is a lady with a secret mission. Rumours abound of Reinhart’s strange obsession with automata, mechanical creations that he designs and creates with his own hands but that seem to defy all laws of nature. At the same time, children are also disappearing from the streets of Paris. What lies at the heart of this conspiracy? Who is the Clockwork Girl? What is Madeleine looking for? Read and find out.

The book comes to us in a limited third person pov of Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne, a major character you’ll meet in the course of the story.

Where the book worked for me:

➤ I loved seeing a side of historical Paris that is hardly ever portrayed in contemporary fiction. It is gloomy, grimy, and corrupt. It’s a place where wealth and power rule over humanity. What an amazing depiction of the dark underbelly of the city!

➤ All the details related to automata are mind-blowing. I found it tough to fathom how the brainiacs of that era thought of these bizarre and yet astounding creations with the limited tech available.

➤ None of the characters are straightforward. It was fun unravelling the layers hidden beneath the fake facades. Grey characters always add much more fun to a book.

➤ The three ladies whose perspective we see are quite dissimilar to each other, and each represents a particular stratum of the Parisian society. This adds to the novelty of the experience.

➤ The author’s note at the end depicts how much of the book is based on facts. I had understood that the automata and some historical personae such as Louis Xv were based on actualities. But the number of real people in the story turned out to be much larger than I had guessed. Plus, I was dismayed to learn about what is called ‘The Vanishing Children of Paris’. This book mixes facts and fiction perfectly. Kudos to the author’s research.

➤ There are some feminist undertones in the story, particularly in Veronique’s arc.

➤ There are plenty of French words in the storyline, which adds a touch of authenticity to the proceedings. The meanings of these are provided in a glossary at the end of the book.

➤ I loved the denouement. It wasn’t too dragged, nor was it too abrupt. It concluded at the right juxtaposition of old endings and new beginnings.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

⚠ It was very, very dark. Some of the incidents mentioned in the book are horrifying. Can’t reveal anything because that would be tantamount to major spoilers. But if you are sensitive about triggers, especially related to children, do consider yourself warned.

⚠ The book is quite slow at the start and takes its time to build up. Of course, the end makes it all worthwhile.

All in all, I did like the book a lot. But I might have enjoyed it even more had I picked it up in a different frame of mind. I’ve been having back-to-back emotionally gut-wrenching reads, and this one didn’t help matters. At the same time, I appreciate the extensive efforts taken by the author for this story in terms of plot, characters and historical accuracy.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Clockwork Girl”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.