The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
by Natasha Pulley The world created in this story was addictive and immersive. Every night I looked forward to losing myself in this novel.
Set in 1880s London, Thaniel Steeplton works at the Home Office telegraph. There have been bombs going off in London and his office has received another bomb threat.
Thaniel receives an anonymous gift of a watch that later saves his life.
The watch starts a chain of events that lead Thaniel to a Japanese baron named Mori, who makes incredible things using clockworks and gears.
This story is about friendship and how it enriches the lives of both men. Humor, wit, mystery and danger are woven into the tale. There's magic, fantasy, science, fate vs. free will, and a clockwork octopus that seems alive.
This story is pure magic. I will definitely read another of Natasha Pulley's books. Highly recommended.
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.
