Mainspring
by Jay Lake
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jay LakeEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-29
ISBN: 0765356368
Number of pages: 358
Publisher: Tor Science Fiction
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780765356369
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Mainspring
Book Review: A Wonderful Idea Gone Horribly Wrong
Summary: 1 Stars
I SOOO wanted to like this book. I still do love the premise - so much so that I may just borrow it and try to write a story of my own around it.
Though many other reviewers have already explained the plot, I'll briefly reiterate: Mainspring takes place in a universe where God's hand in Creation is a little more obvious than in our universe. The celestial bodies are all part of a giant clockwork mechanism carried through space on rings of brass. The spring which keeps the Earth moving as it should needs to be rewound. If it is not, the Earth will stop and all sorts of bad things will happen. One night the angel Gabriel shows up in the bedroom of Hethor Jacques. Gabriel explains that Hethor must find a special key, and rewind the Earth's mainspring.
The book contains two of my favorite subjects, a steampunk setting, and positive Christian themes. How could it not be good? Unfortunately I did not like the book. In fact I disliked it more than any book I've read in a long time. The problem with Mainspring is quite simply either the author, the editor, or both.
The story is choppy, as if most scenes/sections were written separately and then forced together in an attempt to create a longer story.
MINOR PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD
Characters are frequently motivated to action by knowledge that they don't/shouldn't have. This is because either they do not in fact have said knowledge, or because the author left out chunks of plot. Here are a few examples:
Early in the story, Hethor is falsely accused, by the son of his master (Hethor is a clock maker's apprentice), of stealing a silver feather. The accusation is made in order to discredit Hethor. The only way for the son to make Hethor look like a thief however is for Hethor to be in possession of the feather at the time of the accusation - there needs be evidence. So the son goes to his father and accuses Hethor of stealing the feather. Hethor is searched, and sure enough, he has the feather. The son's plan to discredit Hethor succeeds, and Hethor looses his apprenticeship. The problem is that based on the "scene" previous to the one I have just described, the son should be under the impression that Hethor DOES NOT have the feather. In fact the son should be under the impression that one of his superiors (where he studies/works) is in possession of the feather. The whole "scene" makes no sense.
At another point in the story, the narrator tells us that Hethor has decided it is important for him to get to know his current traveling companion intimately. Then, literally in the very next idea expressed in the narration, Hethor is standing alone after parting company with his companion. The reader goes from thinking this character is going to be important, to never hearing from her again in a split second.
Some of the plot holes/inconsistencies don't actually hurt the story, but they do cause the reader confusion; like in one "scene" where Hethor falls asleep on a pile of rags, but wakes up on a stone floor.
I am not being nit-picky by the way. These types of plot holes and inconsistencies fill the book.
The thing I found most bothersome was the author's inability - or unwillingness - to explain and define the fantasy world and culture he created.
Characters often react to situations in ways that seem odd to the reader. Hethor's master, for instance, knows his son is selfish, a liar, and a manipulator. Concerning the afore mentioned accusation of theft, the master even says that he knows Hethor is not a thief, and that he further knows that Hethor was falsely accused for his sons personal gain. But the master refuses to stand up to his son. Why? It's never explained. It's also never explained whether it's a personal, legal or social reason.
The author implies that society views women as generally untrustworthy, but he never explains why.
At one point in the story Hethor is thrown into prison - a very bizarre, surreal, disturbing prison - for no reason that the reader is ever made aware of. Hethor seems to not only accept his imprisonment, but he actually seems to expect it. He also does not seem concerned with the bizarre nature of the prison. Presumably, society in the world of Mainspring is much different than our own. Unfortunately the author never explains any of these differences. So the reader is left shaking his/her head in confusion.
I could go on with many more examples of the poor writing/editing, but I wont. Hopefully you get the general idea.
In short, Mainspring is a wonderful story idea that was VERY poorly written and/or edited. Hopefully someone will take the idea and turn it into a good book one day.
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