Novel Review: Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War Book One) by T. Kingfisher

Posted on March 4, 2025 at 6:45 am by Gene Ambaum

Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War Book One) by T. Kingfisher. Argyll Productions, 2018. 9781614504160. 262pp.

I saw this on a list of great fantasy novels recently, and it proved to be the perfect book to read on a weekend trip.

Slate is a thief — a master forger, to be precise. But she was caught, and rather than be put to death, she agrees to lead a suicide mission to stop the oversized clockwork soldiers who are invading from a neighboring kingdom. Accompanying her is an assassin she once had a relationship with as well as an attractive paladin with serious problems. A young scholar also goes along — he’s supposed to help, but he’s so proper he seems more afraid of Slate’s womanhood than the threat they face.

They set off for the front, and then into enemy territory; they don’t dare stray from their quest because there will be real consequences. (Sorry this is vague. The details are amazing! But you’re better off discovering them for yourself.)

This novel has a perfect balance of character development, sexual tension, and violence. And I’m already reading the sequel because this is only half the story.