Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #12 March 2015 | Page 69

Book Review:
The Bitter Cold
by Katina French
- K.M. Herkes
Let me offer a bit more detail on the plot. Picture an
alternate world where the existence of magic complicates the Age of Enlightenment and fuels the Industrial
Revolution. Start the story during the era when technology was developing fast, but gadgets were still in
the Really Cool Handcrafted Items phase. Now plant a
devoted pair of young adults in that world. Add a villain with a complicated global domination conspiracy
plan and a need for some technical expertise only the
young man can provide.
Katina French has written a whole series of books in
a world she calls the Clockwork Republic. It’s more a
collection than a series, in that the books do not need
to be read in any specific order. Supporting characters
and events overlap, but each tale stands well on its
own.

End result: the young woman heads out on a rescue
quest after her kidnapped best friend/almost-fiancé.
Adventures ensue. There are airship chases. Clockwork wolves. Mind control. Explosions. Revelations.
Betrayals and reunions. I won’t spoil the ending, but it
is a fairy tale.

The book I’ll cover in detail here is titled Bitter Cold,
but my opinions on her writing hold true for the other
books in the collection. Yes, I have read them all. Deciding where to begin a review can be the hardest part,
but Katina French makes that simple. I start with this
advice: go read them all right now. There. Dusts off
my hands. All done.

Here’s my books-as-food analogy: Bitter Cold is on
the complex side, with a lot of flavourful side plot
development and a nice crunch of action. It’s easy to
devour in one sitting.

What, you want more? Fine. Here’s a basic description: steampunk fairy tale. It’s right there in the
subtitle of Bitter Cold, and if you enjoy the tropes of
steampunk and the story of the Snow Queen, that’s all
you’ll need to hear about this book to make you want
to go buy it. (Have I mentioned how highly I recommend these books? No? Well then, I’ll demonstrate—
gesturing way over my head—I recommend them this
highly.)

Every one of the Clockwork Republic books is fun
and serious at once. The collection is light, fluffy, and
filling, but the themes are a lot more complicated than
they seem at first taste, like excellent mousses. Each
book is a different flavour, so it’s a dessert smorgasbord of delicious reading.
Now, go grab a spoon and get started anywhere on the
buffet. Read all the Clockwork Republic books. It’s
a wonderful world to visit and revisit, and the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be enjoying the
experience.

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