God of Clocks (The Deepgate Codex) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the dramatic third and almost certainly concluding volume of Campbell's Deepgate Codex (after 2008's Iron Angel), an apocalyptic battle between warring gods puts the very existence of humankind in jeopardy as gore-splattered battlefields spill over from the realm of mortals and the depths of Hell to the labyrinth of Time itself. Featuring an ensemble cast of richly described characters, including a soul-eating giant and an angel trapped inside a 400-foot-tall golem, the numerous story lines eventually converge in a finale involving a multiverse of time paradoxes and mind-bending plot twists. Campbell's experience in video game design is evident in the relentless pacing and highly imaginative settings as well as his meticulous attention to detail in the many fight sequences. Readers will thrill to the hellishly dark imagery and labyrinthine plot lines. (May)
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Product Description

Alan Campbell has set the new standard for epic fantasy. Now the highly acclaimed author of Scar Night and Iron Angel returns with a new novel of a mythic struggle between man and angel, demon and god—an Armageddon of survival and annihilation that will play out on the fields of time itself.

War, rebellion, betrayal—but the worst is still to come. For in the cataclysm of the battle of the gods, a portal to Hell has been opened, releasing unnatural creatures that were never meant to be and threatening to turn the world into a killing field. And in the middle, caught between warring gods and fallen angels, humanity finds itself pushed to the brink of extinction. Its only hope is the most unlikely of heroes.

Former assassin Rachel Hael has rejoined the blood-magician Mina Greene and her devious little dog, Basilis, on one last desperate mission to save the world from the grip of Hell. Carried in the jaws of a debased angel, they rush to the final defensive stronghold of the god of time—pursued all the while by the twelve arconites, the great iron-and-bone automatons controlled by King Menoa, the Lord of the Maze. Meanwhile, in the other direction, the giant John Anchor, still harnessed to his master’s skyship, descends into Hell itself to meet Menoa on his own ground.

But neither Heaven nor Hell is anything they could ever expect. Now old enemies and new allies join a battle whose outcome could be the end of them all. Rachel’s ally, the god Hasp, finds himself in the grip of a parasite and struggles against conflicting orders to destroy his own friends; and a dangerous infant deity comprised of countless broken souls threatens to overcome them all. As Rachel travels to the final confrontation she has both sought and feared, she begins to realize that time itself is unraveling. And so she must prepare herself for a sacrifice that may claim her heart, her life, her soul—and even then it may not be enough.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; 1 edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055338418X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553384185
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,724 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More great Deepgate lunacy - mild spoilers, April 18, 2009

By	C.B. (Canada) - See all my reviews

A definite improvement over Iron Angel, but not as strong as Scar Night or Lye Street, God of Clocks brings the Deepgate Codex to a pretty rousing conclusion. Minus Deepgate, of course.

Campbell's world grows ever more inexplicable, with a return to the bizarre hell of Iron Angel (more convincing and less self-indulgent this time, although not without those truly peculiar moments that make you think "...why? what's the point?"), and time paradoxes galore.

This time, the story is tighter and more focused, and thankfully, the angel Carnival - in my opinion this series' most fascinating character - has a role much expanded from her disappointing cameo in Iron Angel. The setpieces are as cinematic and unhinged as ever, the pace breakneck (I read this in three short sittings), and the humor as twisted as ever.

Said setpieces can be a little over-the-top at times: one example being when cheerful giant John Anchor runs across a ghost-collecting little girl living in a grass-and-pony-filled submarine and working for the remains of an old series villain who is now in a box on wheels, leaving you to wonder what goes through the author's head - particulary when most of this weirdness is just taken in stride by the characters. Still, its all part of that deranged Deepgate charm that has really grown on me, and that I will certainly miss now that its over.

The ending, unfortunately, felt very rushed, though I find this is a fault of many series' in their final act.

All in all, unsatisfying ending aside, I found this to be much a much stronger and more involving entry in the series than Iron Angel. Alan Campbell is a highly original voice in fantasy, and I will definitely be following his post-Deepgate career eagerly.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A huge disappointment, April 26, 2009

By	Chris Sirois "Vejita" (MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a disappointing end to a series. Things start off well enough. It begins after the rather mess of a novel that Iron Angel was.
If you are looking for the same magic that existed in Scar Night or Lye Street, you will be sadly disappointed. Many of the characters have become cliches in and of themselves. Its hard to care about any of them given how poorly they are fleshed out.
The second half of the book, without giving away anything, becomes a mess. The book tries to become a bit more epic than I think it can handle. You begin to lose interest in anything and an entire chapter is devoted to a dead end storyline.
The whole book could of easily used more focus. The ending itself was a travesty. It felt incredibly rushed, silly, and left many questions unanswered. Some plots are left hanging almost in mid-sentence.
I'd only recommend this book if you want to finish the trilogy but don't expect much.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Alan Campbell: Same originality and same mistakes, June 5, 2009

By	George H. Mcardle - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The trouble and delight of reading Alan Campbell is you're never sure why he includes anything. While he avoids the downfall of so many authors, where you can tell who will live/die/emerge as a secret villian, Campbell spends too much time in this book distracting you with imaginative but pointless side stories. The real questions go unanswered: What is Rachel and Dill's relationship? What is Basilis? What is Ayen? While Campbell has done this before, introducing characters and plots then summarily abandoning them, this time he does not provide a compelling central storyline to follow.

In both books Campbell has delivered a satisfactory ending where although the reader is sad and only understands 60% of what is said, they are connected with the characters and are glad for those who made it out alive. In this book the reader understands 20% of what goes on, and only Rachel Hael is a fully developed person. John Anchor is turned from a tragic, saddened hero to a bloodthirsty avenger who's best friend is Cospinol. Harper serves no purpose and Mina is something of an empty person.

While Campbell once again brings mind-bending ideas to his world (the River of the failed, and the Temple Obscura) his conclusion almost insults the reader for being drawn in. The main events at the culmination of the book are not described (as in the previous two books), but are bypassed and then alluded to in the fashion of a very self-serious piece of literature. While Campbell may be trying to prove that life is conducted without omniscience and does not contain storybook endings, using the conclusion of a three book series to do that is a little selfish.

I enjoyed the book but it may take a while for me to stop resenting the ending.