Booklist Review
Now here's a high-concept idea: a novel based on the new album by Rush, the popular rock band. Writer Anderson and Peart, Rush's drummer and lyricist, have been friends for more than two decades. Anderson takes the themes of Rush's songs and turns them into a very entertaining, elegantly written story of a boy on the cusp of manhood, living in a seemingly perfect society (thanks to our loving Watchmaker, who controls, well, everything). The boy discovers that some dark truths lurk just beneath his world's perfect surface. Firmly planted in the steampunk subgenre, the book tells an epic-scale story, following young Owen Hardy as he leaves the village of his birth, travels to the legendary Crown City, and gets caught up in an adventure that shows him a world he never knew existed. Syme, who's designed album covers for many bands, including Rush, contributes several beautiful illustrations that capture the dark undercurrent of Anderson's story. This is a fine piece of dystopian fiction, and it will appeal to readers young and old.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In the small town of Barrel Arbor in the land of Albion, assistant apple orchard manager Owen Hardy lives according to the dictates of Albion's beloved, benevolent ruler, the Watchmaker, who governs from Crown City and maintains the Stability created by alchemy from the chaos of before. Albion runs on schedules set by the Watchmaker, and next on Owen's schedule is to turn 17, propose to his true love, marry, and create the next generation of citizens. But Owen dreams of different places and adventures, and one night, as he watches a steamliner pass by on its way to Crown City, he impulsively stows away with the help of an odd man already on board. Thus begins Owen's adventure to Crown City, where he sees the workings of the mysterious Clockwork Angels, and soon is forced to think for himself as he discovers the flaws in the Watchmaker's Stability and the inherent evil in extremism of any kind. Verdict Owen's naOvete and the one-dimensionality of many of the characters early on detract from the depth of the plot, which surfaces almost too late. Historical and literary references (i.e., Seven Cities of Gold, Pangloss) add interest to the steampunk flavor of this fantasy, but the major selling point here is the collaboration between the best-selling author Anderson ("Saga of the Seven Sun" series) and Peart, the drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band Rush, which draws on the lyrics for Rush's eponymous album. Recommended only for fans of Anderson and Rush.-Melanie C. Duncan, Shurling Lib., Macon, GA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.