A remarkable collaboration that is unprecedented in its scope and realization, this exquisitely wrought novel represents an artistic project between the bestselling science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson and the multiplatinum rock band Rush. The newest album by Rush, Clockwork Angels, sets forth a story in Neil Peart’s lyrics that has been expanded by him and Anderson into this epic novel. In a young man’s quest to follow his dreams, he is caught between the grandiose forces of order and chaos. He travels across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy with lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnivals, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life. The mind-bending story is complemented with rich paintings by the five-time Juno Award winner for Best Album Design, Hugh Syme.
From Booklist
Now here’s a high-concept idea: a novel based on the new album by Rush, the popular rock band. Writer Anderson and Peart, Rush’s drummer and lyricist, have been friends for more than two decades. Anderson takes the themes of Rush’s songs and turns them into a very entertaining, elegantly written story of a boy on the cusp of manhood, living in a seemingly perfect society (thanks to “our loving Watchmaker,” who controls, well, everything). The boy discovers that some dark truths lurk just beneath his world’s perfect surface. Firmly planted in the steampunk subgenre, the book tells an epic-scale story, following young Owen Hardy as he leaves the village of his birth, travels to the legendary Crown City, and gets caught up in an adventure that shows him a world he never knew existed. Syme, who’s designed album covers for many bands, including Rush, contributes several beautiful illustrations that capture the dark undercurrent of Anderson’s story. This is a fine piece of dystopian fiction, and it will appeal to readers young and old. --David Pitt
Review
"A stunning steampunk adventure." —Sci Fi magazine (September 2012)
"A very entertaining, elegantly written story." —www.BooklistOnline.com
"Nostalgic, weird and wonderful." —The Globe and Mail (November 2012)
"Very nicely executed and likely to appeal to younger readers." —Toronto Star (October 26, 2012)
"A mesmerizing spectacle of science fiction literature." —www.cbgxtra.com
"Dazzling locales, memorable characters and high adventure that will make you think long after you're done. What more can you ask from a book?" —www.SciFiPulse.net