Hour of Mischief
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Born in a whorehouse in the slums of Fortuna and burdened with a prosthetic arm, seventeen-year-old JANET REDSTONE doesn't think she owes the Clockwork Gods anything-which is why she makes a living stealing from their temples. But when she lands her team in prison, making a pact with the God of Mischief, ITAZURA, is the only way to right her wrongs and free her friends. Janet doesn't trust Itazura as far as she can punch him, but with her soul in his hands, she has no choice but to do what he says. The clockwork gods and the bad-tempered elder gods of the ancient past are locked in a game of cat and mouse and the human realms are caught in the middle. If Janet can't somehow convince the gods to step in and save the world, humanity is in an abyss of trouble. Using her unconventional wits, an impressive tolerance to alcohol, and a strong left hook, Janet has to convince the gods that humanity is worth saving. Unfortunately, it's a lot more difficult to stop an apocalypse when you're slowly being driven crazy by the Lord of Mischief, especially when he starts growing on you.
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1 primary bookThe Clockwork God Chronicles
The Clockwork God Chronicles is a 1-book series first released in 2015 with contributions by Aimee Hyndman.
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Aimee Hyndman's HOUR OF MISCHIEF was a fun, fast-paced romp through an original steampunk setting, and despite a few pesky editing problems, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In a clockwork world where time itself relies on a pantheon of clockwork gods, 17-year-old Janet pulls heists with her little found-family of thieves. A job gone bad lands them in prison, where the irreverent trickster God of Mischief, Itazura, offers Janet a chance to save her friends by working with him to avert the apocalypse.
Janet was a great MC: tough, funny, haunted, utterly loyal to her team, and completely in over her head. Itazura served as a good foil–charming, witty, alien, and never quite trustworthy. The supporting cast was mostly well-developed, too. As a person with anxiety, I especially liked the character of Sylvia, Janet's teammate and dear friend, who was smart, observant, had a great head for strategy, and suffered anxiety attacks. I wished Sylvia had gotten more focus.
The world-building unfolded naturally, and drew me in until I was completely absorbed. By the end, I dearly wanted to know more about Janet's world, its characters and creatures, and its eventual fate.
There were a few drawbacks: Despite the good storytelling, HOUR OF MISCHIEF could have used further editing to clear up its occasional grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Also, I had expected a stand-alone novel, and was caught by surprise when the storyline was not wrapped up. But despite the rough edges, I liked Janet and her world well enough that I will be picking up the sequel, whenever it arrives.
*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
