Clockwork Universe Paperback – November 19, 2016

This is the first steampunk book that I've read. Loved it. I'm really looking forward to more books by this author. It's well written and keeps a good pace which makes it hard to put down. For a guy who's so unattractive, I'm surprised that he put a pic of himself in the back cover. Even with his well below average looks, he writes far better than you would expect. I'm sure Deep Sixed will be just as good, that will be my next read.

Kevin Barnes is a commuter, headed to Boston from the Merrimack Valley in Southern New Hampshire. On the weekends he performs in a throwback punk band and he looks the part, with a purple Mohawk, diaper pins in his ears, wearing jackboots with crimson laces.Prior to boarding a stranger asks him to watch his briefcase for a moment, when the man doesn't return, Kevin boards with the briefcase and begins a journey he won't soon forget.Kevin is thrown into a time and place he barely recognizes, a Boston where the patriots lost the revolution and steam is the primary source of energy. Here he meets big game hunter, Silas Cunningham and his companion, Niles Barton. The Englishmen have been tasked with capturing and destroying two dangerous animals which have become loose in the city."We are facing Rhino-pards," Cunningham explained. "They are part rhino and part leopard. Some sort of vivisection done on the Ivory Coast. A mad French scientist shacked up in a village doing unusual experiments on animals."The trick with enjoying this debut novel from John W. Dennehy is not to ask too many questions. Questions like, how did a simple commute to Boston result in arriving in an alternate universe in a different timeline and why was there a ray-gun in the stranger's briefcase.In the end, I found Clockwork Universe to be an entertaining story that could have been so much more. There is this wonderful world in which Kevin finds himself and yet, most of the story, as good as it is, is spent chasing Rhino-pards.

Clockwork Universe is an interesting and easy read that takes a guy on a train to a different world back in time to and to an alternative universe. He meets a lovely girl and a courageous hunter of wild beasts! A beast that nobody has ever heard of before is lurking around and killing people and our young hero is drafted into helping the hunter find and kill the creature. It is a fun fantasy.

As a reader, I felt as though I was in the middle of the action with the eclectic group of hunters tracking down the rhinopards. Well written and interesting premise. A great way to introduce yourself to steampunk.

Wow, this novel was a real treat. It felt a bit like an Edgar Rice Burroughs story set in a steampunk era. Lots of action, great characters and dialogue that really paints a picture for the reader. I was worried that maybe this kind of thing has been done too much but the author proved me wrong.

Dennehy is obviously a talented writer who understands this genre...and delivers! Big League!

4.25 out of 5 starsI have to start my review by stating that I haven't really ever been a fan of steampunk. Now, that doesn't mean that I hate it, I just never really was interested in it. So, when I saw what this book was about, I was hesitant at first. But, Dennehy put me at ease almost right from the gate. The way that Kevin was introduced to this "new" world really eased me into the steampunk-ness of it all.Clockwork Universe didn't take long to get started, and from the very beginning, it was full of action and adventure. There were nights where I just wanted to go to sleep, but I had to read a few more pages to figure out what was going to happen.The combination of the environment, the animal that they were hunting, and the hunters made this book for me. That mixed with Kevin and his modern reactions to an alternate/non-modern environment kept me interested throughout.I won't ruin anything for anyone (I've been trying not to for this book, but it's difficult) -- but the ending made my heart happy. There are times where you are pretty sure you know how a book is going to end. But, when they do a quick change on the reader it's always a surprise. Thankfully this time it was a happy surprise (in my opinion).This was my first book from John W. Dennehy and I hope that I will be reading more in the future. Especially from Severed Press. That publishing group really knows what they are doing. I only wish they had more books available in audiobook format.