From Booklist
De Santis has fashioned an appropriately sinisterif slimsteampunk mystery set in the age of Voltaire. Although Enlightenment reasoning is inspiring forward-thinking writers, philosophers, and scientists, the forces of ignorance, represented primarily by organized religion, are fighting to retain their viselike grip on the hearts and the souls of the general population. When Voltaire dispatches Dalessius, a talented young calligrapher with a flair for conjuring up all manner of inky deceits, to investigate a plague of questionable miracles sparked by the prosecution and conviction of an innocent man accused of murdering his own son, Dalessius becomes ensnared in a deeper mystery involving the production and distribution of automatons. Richly imagined and vividly textured, this darkly humorous romp through a convoluted age of reason will appeal to fans of offbeat historicals. --Margaret Flanagan
Review
It's a strange little novel, but for me that was its charm. De Santis
could have easily offered a straight historical piece, following the
adventures of 18th century calligrapher Dalessius in his employ to
Voltaire, but there is a fantastical sci-fi element thrown into the mix
that has the novel skirting steampunk territory.
Dalessius is a young calligrapher looking to make his way in a world
that is gradually rendering his profession obsolete thanks to the
printing press. He does manage to find employment with none other than
Voltaire, who is tottering off into antiquity as well. Voltaire seems to
have as many enemies as admirers, and Dalessius meets both camps as he
does Voltaire's bidding--as he spends more time abroad in the
philosopher's name than at the philosopher's side. As he roams the
countryside plying his trade, he befriends an executioner who also finds
his trade threatened by progress, and an enchanting woman named
Clarissa with a sheltered existence and under the thumb of her father, a
crafter of automatons (lifelike mechanical creations).