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The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

A bewitching tale of historical fantasy, magic, love and a clockwork octopus

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The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

By: Natasha Pulley
Narrated by: Thomas Judd
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Bloomsbury presents The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, read by Thomas Judd.

WINNER OF A BETTY TRASK AWARD 2016
SHORTLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2016
FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2016

An International Bestseller / A Guardian Summer Read / An Amazon Best Book of the Month / A Goodreads Best Book of the Month / A Buzzfeed Summer Read / A Foyles Book of the Month / A Huffington Post Summer Read / A Yorkshire Post Book of the Week

In 1883, Thaniel Steepleton returns to his tiny flat to find a gold pocketwatch on his pillow. When the watch saves Thaniel’s life in a blast that destroys Scotland Yard, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori – a kind, lonely Japanese immigrant. Meanwhile, Grace Carrow is sneaking into an Oxford library, desperate to prove the existence of the luminiferous ether before her mother can force her to marry.

As the lives of these three characters become entwined, events spiral out of control until Thaniel is torn between loyalties, futures and opposing geniuses.©2015 Natasha Pulley (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Steampunk
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Critic reviews

An assured and absorbing debut … Immensely pleasurable reading. Ms Pulley’s prose is strong and energetic, with a wry edge … The Watchmaker of Filigree Street might be compared to one of Mori’s clockwork birds: intricate, charming and altogether surprising (Helene Wecker)
Ten out of ten
Impressively competent: steam-punk meets Zuleika Dobson
Forget steampunk. Welcome to tickpunk … Part Susanna Clarke, part Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a delightful read that benefits from wonderfully colourful characters and a lyrical prose style full of esoteric detail … A compelling read
A charming, quirky, clever tale, filled with intricate detail, and a plot that feels as deftly crafted as a precision timepiece
Rare and precious … Humour, wit, mystery and danger are threaded through the book in musical measure. It dances between genres and makes partners of several … Pulley’s capacity for making antagonists out of fully realized and sympathetic characters is impressive, as is her ability to keep one guessing as the plot ticks along. There’s nothing quite like putting down a delightful, relentlessly charming and deeply moving book and then finding out it’s the authors first … A remarkable debut
Historical fiction, magic realism and elements of gothic fiction combine in this ambitious debut ... This is accomplished writing from Natasha Pulley, whose imagination shines through
Enchanting … Amid this thriller-like plot, Pulley raises thought-provoking questions about free will, fate and identity — making for a rich brew of historical fantasy, philosophy and emotion
Elegantly composed, atmospheric and wholly compelling … Pulley’s style is reminiscent of filigree: a decorative work of fine strands woven together into a delicate tracery, which underpins the overarching plot. With music and time at the heart of this intriguing novel, the skilfully rendered interplay speaks volumes about the talent and imagination at work behind such an intricately beautiful piece of writing. A stunning debut by a promising new voice
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street breaks the mould … Genre-busting book of extraordinary imagination … The book is as elaborate as its title suggests, but the multiple plots tick along like clockwork … Exceptionally inventive and uniquely clear-headed, this is speculative fiction as it should be
This delightful first novel is as impressive as a work of historical fiction … As it is a delicate fantasy with enough gadgetry to pull in the steampunk fans, and a mystery to boot … Readers will immediately want to read it again
All stars
Most relevant
i had read this book about 6-7 years before when it came out and loved it. because i am a goldfish and remembered next to nothing I decided to listen to it before I read the next one. :)
it might have even been more interesting to reread again knowing the plot :)

great for a second reading

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The plot and characters are interesting, but it’s very complex with the jumping timeline and multiple protagonists. I had to listen to the last 2 chapters 3 times before I understood the ending and think overall this would have been easier to read with the ability to flick back easily when I lost the thread.

Complex plot

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Thoroughly enjoyed this yarn, some time-bending twists to get your head around but well worth the effort! Well narrated too, the softness of some moments were beautiful and the ill-feeling behind others carried appropriately toned portent

Innovative and enjoyable

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I loved this, I became completely immersed with the characters and the magical creations. The characters are well defined and the flow of the narrative is good.

Great listen!

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My first Natasha Pulley novel and I loved it! Interesting description of London during the 1880s. Brilliantly narrated by Thomas Judd.

Fascinating historical and enchanting story

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