[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of The Havoc Machine

Steven Harper Piziks was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but he moved around a lot and has lived in Wisconsin, Germany, and (briefly) Ukraine. Currently he lives with his three sons in southeastern Michigan.

His novels include In the Company of Mind and Corporate Mentality, both science fiction published by Baen Books. Writing as Steven Harper for Roc Books, he has produced The Silent Empire series. He’s also written books based on Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and The Ghost Whisperer, as well as the movie novelization Identity, which he managed under a deadline of only three weeks. His numerous short stories have appeared, among other places, in all but one of Esther Friesner’s Chicks in Chainmail anthologies and in all of her humorous suburban fantasy anthology. Currently he’s working on The Clockwork Empire steampunk trilogy for Ace Book.

Connect with Steven: Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads

The Havoc Machine, CLOCKWORK EMPIRE Book #4

   by Steven Harper

Buy from Amazon / B&N

Synopsis:

In a world riddled with the destruction of men and machines alike, Thaddeus Sharpe takes to the streets of St. Petersburg, geared toward the hunt of his life….

Thaddeus Sharpe’s life is dedicated to the hunting and killing of clockworkers. When a mysterious young woman named Sofiya Ekk approaches him with a proposition from a powerful employer, he cannot refuse. A man who calls himself Mr. Griffin seeks Thad’s help with mad clockwork scientist Lord Havoc, who has molded a dangerous machine. Mr. Griffin cares little if the evil Lord lives or dies; all he desires is Havoc’s invention.

Upon Thad’s arrival at Havoc’s laboratory, he is met with a chilling discovery. Havoc is not only concealing his precious machine; he has been using a young child by the name of Nikolai for cruel experiments. Locked into a clockwork web of intrigue, Thad must decipher the dangerous truth surrounding Nikolai and the chaos contraption before havoc reigns….

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION’s Alluring Angel – Kathy:
--Actual rating 4.5 Skulls

The Havoc Machine by Steven Harper is a steampunk gem. It is the 4th book in his The Clockwork Empire series, but is written in such a way that The Havoc Machine could be read as a stand alone.

A plague has swept across the world, turning it’s victims into slowly dying plague zombies, with a few victims becoming mad geniuses referred to as clockworkers. Thaddeus Sharpe’s son is killed by a clockworker, and so he dedicated his life to finding and destroying clockworkers and their horrible creations. The Havoc Machine is a fast paced, action filled adventure with an unexpected amount of heartfelt emotion.

I truly enjoyed The Havoc Machine.

The Havoc Machine