Review: Mainspring, by Jay Lake

"Our Father, who art in Heaven

Craftsman be thy name

Thy Kingdom come

Thy plan be done

On Earth as it is in Heaven

Forgive us this day our errors

A swe forgive those who err against us

Lead us not into imperfaction

And deliver us from chaos

For thine is the power , and the precision

For ever and ever. Amen" [page 97, paperback]

This is not the beginning of Mainspring (2007) [US][UK], by Jay Lake, also known as the master of short stories, but it gives you a good impression of one of the main topics in the book, which has many, many things to say:
- First trade novel of the author.
- First book in the Mainspring series.
- First clockpunk story by Jay Lake.
Clockpunk shares much in common with steampunk, except the technology. The gizmos used in clockpunk are based on springs and clockwork logic. With Mainspring, Jay lake serves a fast paced mix of religion versus science, clockpunk, adventure, alternative victorian earth, and stunning airships - as shown on the cover.

The Setup

Imagine an earth where Queen Victoria rules England, and the American Possessions are dominated by the Royal Navy, which rules the skies with a fleet of powerful airships. This is Northern Earth. On Southern Earth live people who believe in magic. North and South are separated by the Equatorial Wall that holds up the great Gears of the Earth. The planet is connected to the clockwork universe by great brass gears and passages that surround the lamp of the sun. The Earth is powered by a Mainspring, at its core.

Northern Earth, New Haven. Young Hethor, a clockmaker's apprentice, is visited by a brass Angel.

"I am Gabriel, come to charge you with duty" ...."The Key Perilous is lost" .... "The Mainspring of the world winds down" .... "Only a man, created in the image of the Tetragrammaton, can set it right. Only you, Hethor." [pages 2+3, paperback]

As a strong believer, Hethor tries to cope with his new duty. But he has many opponents - chief among them, the Rational Humanists - who would like to wind down the Mainspring in order to free humanity from God. Does faith move mountains? By the end of the story, you may find out.

My Take in Brief

For me this is not just one book, it is a three in one story. The first part, which takes place on Northern Earth, reminded me of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. The second part takes place on the Equatorial Wall is akin to the travel of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum in Lord of the Rings. Part three takes place on Southern Earth and reminded me of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad. It is a fast paced story which takes place in an extraordinary, weird, and well described world. The description of technology is quite amazing. I very much enjoyed the philosophical discussions between the strong believers and the Rational Humanists. And let us not forget the philosophy of the "correct people", who live on South Earth. There are, however, a few elements of the narrative that diminished my reading pleasure.

Hethor is more a passive actor in the story than an active protagonist. I had a difficult time understanding the behavior and reactions of several characters when they first met Hethor. Imagine for a second a sixteen year old boy, standing in front of you, who proceeds to tell you that he is on mission to save world, and he received his orders from an angel. Additionally, there are many things that Hethor cannot understand due to his limited knowledge. And we, the reader, are consequently left in the dark as well. Several of the secondary characters are flat, and most of them die relatively quickly - cut short from becoming full fledged actors. In the end, the story arc is rigidly linear, and the action remains monotone, though still above average. As a disclaimer, the book contains a fair amount of explicit violence, in case that turns you off.

Bona Fide's Book Oracle

We finished the book and there was... silence. This happens seldom between me and my book oracle. I was braced for a hail of words from my inner book critic and was shocked to be met with silence. I asked: "Hey are you sleeping? I finished the book and that means you did too!" I think maybe all the religious philosophizing scared him off, which is a topic we both don't prefer to avoid. So, it seems, I have to do this part alone. You read the previous passage and there is not much to add. Mainspring is a good book. But it is definitely not my pick for novel of the year. It is simultaneously extraordinary and weird, and if you are looking for a fast paced steampunk/clockpunk book then you probably won't be disappointed.

More Clockpunk by Jay Lake

In 2008 the second book of the series - Escapement (2008) [US][UK] - hit the book stores. Same world, but with new characters and a different story:

"Paolina Barthes is a young woman of remarkable intellectual ability - a genius on the level of Isaac Newton. But she has grown up in isolation, in a small village of shipwreck survivors, on the Wall in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. She knows little of the world, but she knows that England rules it, and must be the home of people who possess the learning that she so desperately wants. And so she sets off to make her way off the Wall, not knowing that she will bring her astounding, unschooled talent for sorcery to the attention of those deadly factions who would use or kill her for it." [Source]