The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: A Beautiful Blend of Genres // ARC Review
SYNOPSIS
1883. Thaniel Steepleton returns home to his tiny London apartment to find a gold pocket watch on his pillow. Six months later, the mysterious timepiece saves his life, drawing him away from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard.
At last, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a kind, lonely immigrant from Japan. Although Mori seems harmless, a chain of unexplainable events soon suggests he must be hiding something.
When Grace Carrow, an Oxford physicist, unwittingly interferes, Thaniel is torn between opposing loyalties. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a sweeping, atmospheric narrative that takes the reader on an unexpected journey through Victorian London, Japan as its civil war crumbles long-standing traditions, and beyond. Blending historical events with dazzling flights of fancy, it opens doors to a strange and magical past.
Author: Natasha Pulley
Page Count: 318 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction // Fiction // Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Release Date: July 14, 2015
Buy It: Chapters Indigo // Book Depository
MILANA'S REVIEW
Everytime I glance at this spine on my bookshelf I yell "YES SO GOOD" because it was THAT good. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street was so vivid in its descriptions I was living within the book alongside the characters themselves! I loved how I was catapulted into a new world and a different time with this read. The characters, the storyline, and the genre blending was wonderfully executed.
My favourite part was probably everyone’s favourite part.. Katsu! He’s a little octopus made out of clockwork pieces with a ton of attitude. I loved him! What truly surprised me was the effortless way that Pulley blended genres. What I mean by that is this book had different feels throughout it that all came together: thriller bits, historical fiction nuances, a touch of Sherlock mystery, and threads of steampunk. It was executed so well that I had a hard time deciding what kind of reader would love this book.
So! I experimented a bit. I recommended it to Alex’s mom (she reads a lot of historical fiction) and a friend I used to work with (she is a huge mystery reader) and both of them loved it! I was so excited they both enjoyed it that I really want to recommend it to someone who reads mostly adult fiction to see
what they think! If that happens to be you and you’d like to join let me know when you’ve read it!
**Thank you Bloomsbury for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.**