As much as I wanted to read this book when I was first granted access via NetGalley I never managed to get round to reading it. I have now gone back through and read the Synopsis and found that now this book is just not for me and will not be reviewing. I want to thank the publisher for allowing me to have access to the book but due to my tastes changing in reading this book no longer appeals to me.

Thank you for an e-arc of this book. I requested this because of the intriguing synopsis. It promised an interesting world building for me.

The beginning of thus book is grear. I loved the world building. Also, there are some surprising new ideas introduced and I enjoyed that. This book is very long and the plot was not as entertaining as I thought it would be, but it balanced with some awesome characters.

Great idea, interesting world building!

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

In 'A Clockwork River' we follow Briony, who's trying to save her brother, Sam, who disappeared one night, while at the same time discovering some family secrets and unraveling a political intrigue.

After a promising start, with an intriguing, odd world-building and surprising ideas introduced, I started to lose my patience with this story. With this book being rather chunky, I'd need a more sweeping plot to reliably move through the narrative. But because I didn't connect with the characters and the plot lost me at times, I sometimes struggled to move forward. I did enjoy the connections between the characters though, figuring out how they were connected to each other and the fact this felt quite historical alongside the fantastical elements.

A bit of a long one for me, that took a while to swing into the story, and didn't get going as much as i'd have liked. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review

I thought this book read like a Wes Anderson film, in novel format. Great characters, living in a fun and unusual world. I liked the steampunk aesthetic and the magic in this world, but the tone was a little tricky to get into so I DNFd for the time being.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read books ad give critical feedback to authors and publishers. Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read the eARC of this book.

Apologies for the late review of this book.

This is a very long book but overall I liked it I just felt like it could have been shortened than the length it is currently. the writing style was nice and drew me into the story and root for the characters but the writing slipped between the first and third points of view which did pull me out of the story.

A kind of dystopian steam-punk fantasy, crammed with colourful characters, A Clockwork River is a big read: and by big, I mean long, very long.

The story flows through the pipes of Lower Rhumbsford, the narrative twisting and turning with the plumbing itself. The characters are interesting and intriguing, but the story itself goes on for so long, that I admit I did wish it was shorter.

The world was absolutely stunning, and if you read books for worldbuilding then this is a standout example of what can be done. It's matched by a readability and tone that makes it flow really well. However, I just was not invested in the plot and it spent a very long time feeling as though we weren't getting anywhere, and I found myself putting it down more often than I was picking it up, and in the end it was the world that compelled me to return and finish it and not the story itself.

This is still a fairly new genre for me, so the world building takes a while, I loved the premise of the story and wasn’t disappointed as I started to read the story. Lower Rhumbsford is gradually fading as time goes by, a ghost of its former glory, as the clock that sits on the banks of the river Rhumb ticks it fades just a little bit more. The founding fathers had taken the power of the river to flow into a Labrynth of pipes hidden deep in the earth, it married alongside valves and sluices to pave the way to power a whole empire.

But now a thousand years have passed by, decay eats away deeper and quicker everyday, as more and more leaks appear and the Rhumb is just a mere trickle.

The Locke family are the impoverished descendants of the engineer. Briony and Samuel Locke seem to be facing their own challenges along with the worn out legacy, neither of them are confident of the chances they face in life. Sam is obsessed with locks and keys, and the beautiful Briony spends her time cooking up love potions and poisons because she is so afraid of marriage, their narcissistic father is only interested in his appearance. But when Samuel disappears one night it’s down to Briony to try and find him, along the way meeting an assortment of characters, a gang of convicts, a ghost with a sassy mouth, a mouse who keeps obsessing. It seems Briony has to work against time to save Samuel before a new deadly power could put an end to everything.

This is a brilliant fantasy read for lovers of the genre, it’s quirky, funny and very well written. But it’s not just fantasy, it crosses genre’s as could be seen as historical fiction as well as a thriller. At over 700 pages it’s a bumper read, perfect for the cold winter evenings.

Thank you to #netgalley and #HeadofZeus for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

But can Briony find Sam in time?

As an exercise in world building, this is fantastic, but as an enjoyable and readable novel it falls flat because the proportion of plot to waffle is completely off. After reading for a good two hours almost nothing has happened and as my Kindle warns of another eight hours to go, I'm not sure I can justify that sort of time investment for what I am getting back from the book - which is an amusing narrative voice and a brilliantly crafted fantasy world, but without a strong enough plot to hold it all together.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The story follows brother and sister duo Sam and Briony Locke, who somehow find themselves propelled into an adventure like no other. One evening Sam goes missing and Briony puts it upon herself to go out and find him!



It is a very quirky novel which reminds me of the likes of The Absolute Book and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. This dark hydropunk story revolves around the Rhumb River, which powers the city of Lower Rhumbsford, which is slowly over time falling into disrepair. Where families such as Sam’s and Briony’s must sell off all their worldly belongings just to survive.



Although it is completely set in a fictitious world, it felt like it could have been 1900 England. J S Emery really created a detailed world where the surroundings were so imaginative. The narration is an interesting one, if you enjoy a narration where the focus isn’t a tight one, but where it sometimes goes off on a tangent, then this is the book for you.



Overall, I enjoyed the book but felt it could have been split into two books, making it more approachable a read.



- HISTORICAL

- DARK HYDROPUNK

- FANTASTICAL

- SIBLING DUO

- MYSTERIOUS

Wonderful, imaginative ideas. But so, so long! I think that a lot of the people who would love a story like this would be put of not only by the length, but by some of the rambling. Why put one adjective when you can put 23?
I think this is a good book, but could use some drastic editing, for instance I saw nothing gained by the entire passage of the prose of the play in the second half of the book. Unfortunately, there were many parts which I thought that, had they been cut, it would have improved the book. I did find, however, that it wasn't even possible to skim read or fast read it, as the words were so well crafted that almost every sentence was a delight, there were just so many of them!
This is literary fiction, but in a genre appealing to those who love sub genres of science fiction such as steam punk, although this is hydraulic punk, really. But those who would have loved it may not even attempt it, which is such a shame.
I am surprised that this immensely long book was not made into two or even three books, two with some ruthless editing would have made for a great series. I thought I would get this review done many days ago, it took that long to finish it. As it was, I felt quite proud of myself just for finishing!

The voice was gripping and the writing -- as far as being technical and knowing their trade -- was very good. Each character voice was fleshed out and really hit different notes ...

However, those notes for me were all awkward. It is written in a register too high for me to enjoy, it being very pretentious and not something I could get through a page without it jarring me too much. The concept and characters are brilliant, but the execution didn't gel with me.

Okay so the first things first, the cover is gorgeous 😍 secondly, the list of chapters was super unique and made me chuckle and thirdly… she thicccccc.

the writing style is interesting, captivating and easy to follow, this is a book you can easily find yourself lost in. The characters are cool and multifaceted. Overall an enthralling read.

A Clockwork River is a beautifully written tale set in the town of Little Rhumbsford. The place is not what it once was and the great feats of engineering that were once infamous have now started to decay and fail. The story follows Sam and Briony Locke, two residents of the town as they find themselves wrapped up in an epic adventure. Sam was once a student of hydraulic engineering and is passionate about locks. When one night Sam goes to give a lecture on his lock collection, he does not come home. His sister Briony, a young woman fascinated by alchemy, will do anything to avoid marriage to rich old man to save her family home. When she discovers her brother is missing she soon finds herself wrapped up in a web of secrets. Will she be able to uncover the truth and find her brother before it’s too late?

A Clockwork River is a chunky book but this compelling story had me captivated right from the very first chapter. I loved the gorgeous language, the fascinating plot and the intriguing characters. J. S Emery has created a really unique hydro punk world and I constantly wanted to know more and more. It was completely unlike anything I’ve read before and despite it being over 700 pages I ended up reading this in just a few days. The story is charming and excellently plotted, making for a quaint and engaging read.

A Clockwork River has some really fascinating characters and this was the thing that captured my attention most. They felt very realistic as there was an immense amount of depth and character development throughout the story. They felt like real, flawed human beings who sometimes don’t get it right. I particularly liked Briony, she’s a clever young woman, determined to avoid marriage and I enjoyed her character arc the most. There are a whole host of fascinating secondary characters too and Emery has created a brilliant cast of characters.

A Clockwork River is one of those books that’s just a pleasure to read. If you’re looking for a unique fantasy story with beautiful prose and complex characters, this book is a must read.

I think this book is a marmite book - you are either going to love it or hate it. Unfortunately I hated this book so much I threw my kindle at a wall.

Pompous, long winded, farcical without being funny. It was like reading a children's books from 1982 (to be fair, had I read this in the late 80's when I was 10 / 11 I would have thought it was amazing and funny and clever but I'm not 10 and we are a long way from the 1980's). Not for me at all.

I was sent a copy of A Clockwork River by J.S. Emery to read and review by NetGalley.
This ended up being a really enjoyable book, though it is very long and at times, especially in the beginning, quite confusing. There is a rather large host of characters which aided the confusion as I couldn’t always remember who was who or what part of the story they hailed from! I really loved some of the prose, it was witty and wordy and very ‘storytelling’ if you get what I mean! There were a lot of words that I didn’t know, some arcane and some that I couldn’t even look up! The setting had a rather Victorian feeling and I placed it somewhere in England, although some references, such as a raccoon, set it more firmly in America. In actual fact this was a place with magical and ethereal aspects the set it somewhere entirely of its own. This novel is what I would call a proper ‘Story’ and deserves to have enough time spent enjoying its many tangents and loving its language.

I really liked the idea of A Clockwork River, the concept of the whole world powered by a river was intriguing, and the world building was definitely the highlight for me. Unfortunately, I found the plot slow and long-winded, and didn't really connect with the characters. With the book being a massive read, I ended up losing interest and didn't finish it in the end. For this reason, I haven't reviewed the book on my social media sites.

This book definitely requires some serious mental investment, but it’s a fascinating and quite unique concept, and the author ambitiously pulls it off.