Title: The Clockwork Girl
Author: Anna Mazzola
Publisher: Orion
Pages: 368
Release Date: 3 March 2022
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Hello fellow book lovers, today I’m back with a review for the deliciously dark and intoxicatingly intricate The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola.
I‘ve been really enjoying historical fiction recently and 2022 has soo many brilliant ones hitting shelves, so as soon as I heard the synopsis I knew I had to read this and it didn’t disappoint!
I loved the gothic elements that really built on Mazzola’s rich visuals; creating a chillingly atmospheric (and an absolute must read) tale of obsession, illusion and social upheaval in 18th Century France.
Summary
It’s set in 1750, Paris and follows Madeleine, the scarred daughter of a brothers owner who’s given the task to discover the truth of Dr. Reinhart’s (the eccentric clockmaker) experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.
For children are vanishing from the Parisian streets and rumours are swirling that the clockmaker's spectacular mechanical creations are more than what they seem.
And soon Madeleine fears that she’s stumbled upon an even bigger conspiracy. One which might reach to the very heart of Versailles...
Review
The Clockwork Girl was magnificently written and utterly captivating, the prose was meticulously crafted and perfectly captures that feeling of dread you feel right before something bad happens—I literally could stop reading.
The setting was deeply atmospheric, I absolutely loved the sheer amount of detail and gritty realism we get which really showcases the destitution and squalor of Paris’ streets which , although dark at times was utterly captivating and completely transportive.
The clever use of historical events such as The Vanishing Children of Paris, really showcases the anger and frustration of Paris’ populace which not only mirrors the frustrations of our female protagonists, but foreshadows the rebellion nearly 40 years later (which oddly is the most familiar thing in this chillingly uncanny tale.)
I really enjoyed that this has multi-POVs; Madeleine, Veronique and Jeanne a.k.a Madam de Pompadour. It’s through these three women (from three different social classes) that we explore the intricacies of life in 18th century France, be it at the glittering court of Versailles or on the putrid and sewage filled streets—and despite class boundaries very few lived free of corruption or suffering, more importantly almost all of those who did were never women (or children.)
I really loved Madeleine, who’s childhood (and life in general) has been just one awful experience after another but, still strives for a better life. Veronique is much the same, though her experience are different she’s still had to endure soo much and I just loved the journey these two went on—I did spend the majority of it fearing something bad would happen and endlessly hoping that (by some miracle) they would both make it out unharmed. I won’t spoil it for you but it’s definitely an emotional journey so keep some tissues on hand.
Though I liked Jeanne, for me she didn’t have as strong an emotional pull as Madeleine or Veronique but was probably the most fascinating POV to explore, her relationship with the king, his children and the courtiers was utterly dripping with drama (I’d love to see a prequel centring around her early experiences before arriving at court and all that she had to do to keep what little power she has.)
Overall, this is an utterly unmissable, addictively dark and macabre read that lovers of gritty historical fiction, intrigue and murder mysteries will definitely enjoy.
Thanks to Orion and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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