Customer Reviews

The Engine's Child

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The idea of the story has a lot of potential: humanity restricted to a small island in a sea with no known end, struggle between the religious and scientific castes. another struggle between the wealthy and the disenfranchised, another between the city and country dwellers, and another between the forces of "what is" versus those of "what might be". There are endless allegorical and storytelling themes to follow here. I think the problem is that she didn't restrict herself to exploring just a few; rather, she tried to mix them all into the storyline. And the heroine, who should have tied all these facets together, was impossible for me to relate to. I never really understood what she was all about, nor what her "powers" were, nor why things were developing the way they did. I kept thinking it would all come together, but it didn't. Despite the tone of my coments, Phillips isn't a bad writer. There were a lot of beautifully done sections in the book, and some very thought-provoking ideas. I just think that if she focuses her attention, with a "narrow but deep" approach versus a "wide and shallow" one, she can (will) create some VERY good books.

I was not a fan of this novel. I love to read and have tackled many difficult books but found myself unable to get through the Engine's Child. It was incredibly confusing. There were way too many stories going on at the same time plus there wasn't enough back story provided. I would recommend checking this book out from a library before making the decision to purchase.

In the seething slum of the tidal, where the poor fight for their bare sustenance from tide to tide, only the brightest and most talented find acceptance on higher ground. Moth has left the tidal's submerged streets and threat-filled days behind her to become a temple novice, but she retains her tidal skills. All her wit, deception and hunger for life are needed to survive the intrigues of the powerful and to protect her forbidden lover. As dissent rocks the tidal and the high cities, Moth's ability to call on this planet's unknown lifeforce may gain humans a better toehold on their harsh world of refuge.

Memorable characters, vividly realized settings, gorgeous prose and fine storytelling make The Engine's Child a compelling read. This book demands a reader's full attention but repays the effort with a rich immersive experience in another world's torments and delights.

It's a rare pleasure to encounter a writer of such vision, intelligence and style. Holly Phillips has carved out her own niche among dark fantasy writers, and I'm looking forward to her next book.

I liked the premise, but found the book very hard to follow, and quite frankly, not worth the effort once I did read enough to get the gist of the plot line. To be blunt, reading this book is just a little too much like work, and a little not enough like pleasure. Save it for a night when you have insomnia.

The book is set in a poorly explained alternate universe, and the main character, Moth, is involved in an important secret work. Her skills, which are considered remarkable for the universe, aren't described or illustrated by the author. The skills that others may have aren't referenced at all. Moth isn't a particularly likable character, but then neither is anyone else.

The world itself is gritty, dark and roiling with tensions that won't make any sense until the last third of the book. When things do come together for Moth, it again, isn't really explained. It's the literary equivalent of writing "and then a miracle occurs" in the middle of your complicated equation, as way to gloss over all the things that just really don't hang together in the plot.

The language of the book is beautifully done, but tends to obfuscate rather than explicate. There are instances where the author drones on for pages at a time about - well, hard to describe since it doesn't actually make sense or contribute anything to the story other than lovely but meaningless prose. And extra pages. It's a little like listening to a linguistically gifted, but very drunk friend describe a dream he once had.

If you decide to tackle this one, there is an extensive glossary of terms in the back that helps to explain the universe. Apparently, the author didn't have the necessary writing skills or respect for the reader to incorporate any of this information into text of the book itself. Think of it as a study guide. Assuming that you want that in a book.

Well developed background. Good social/economic caste system developed. Nice mix of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Strong well developed female main character. Kind of fantasy, religious and caste system social novel meets steam punk..in this world technology lets in the living element of this alien world that is hostel to the survivors of human settlers barely hanging on in this world, were they have to limit technology usage.

The main character is not of high enough social caste to have access to technology - and lives in a primitive world, short and brutal. But through a natural engineering gift, and feel for the alien "demons" creates an Engine that will bring about change in her worlds power structures.

The island is a tiny dot amidst the vast ocean that is everywhere. The islanders know their history as the ancestors fled from another world and were fortunate to find this needle. Over the years the small landmass has become overcrowded and shortage of food has become the norm. Myths and religions have developed about the homeland of the ancestors as a utopia and their use of mystical spiritual energy. Two major extreme groups are divided between returning to the perfect homeworld and siphoning the mystical energy of this world.

Moth is a religious novice training for the priesthood. She has committed the major transgression of falling in love and becoming pregnant from her trysts. She belongs to the secret sect that believes in using this water world's spirit. They are constructing two magical-mechanical machines to convert the orb's mystical energy into a usable form that will power the sailing ships seeking new land. Their adversaries are working on a vessel to return to the ancestors' planet. War seems imminent.

This is a fascinating blending of science fiction and fantasy, but Holly Phillips never decides between a morality allegory and a thriller. Thus in spite of a fully depicted world and an interesting but frustrating unlikable lead character, the story line is divided. At times the plot poetically describes consequences like the Malthusian Catastrophe, the affluence gap between the wealthy and the starving; a Garden of Eden mythos, and a condemnation of religious intolerance. At other less poetic moments, the tale seems heading to a civil war. Moth with her tendencies to lie about her knowledge of facts on the ground (so Bush administration) adds to the confusion. Still THE ENGINE'S CHILD is an intriguing look at morality on another planet.

Harriet Klausner