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A review by incipientdreamer
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 stars
Natasha Pulley's debut novel, which I'm only reading after enjoying her newer stuff. This definitely is weaker than books like The Kingdoms or The Bedlam Stacks. It almost feels like that crazed manic Pulley fever that I was in after Kingdoms has worn off by now, and with that, there have been some clarity and notable patterns in her books that I have started to observe.
The reason why Puleey's books draw me in so much is the way she writes romance. It's nothing very explicit, a lot of slow burn and quiet yearning. and more importantly, that soulmate-y way her characters seem to come together. There is this very Big feeling as if the romance is something all-encompassing, and the reader cannot help but be swept off their feet along with the characters.
That said, the romance in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is precisely her trademark style, and while I enjoyed it, the rest of the book felt very weak to me, to the point that the romance was the only reason I was reading/enjoying it to an extent. My issue was with the flimsy plot, and the weird science/magic hybrid that was going on here. I typically enjoy Pulley's style of magical realism, but it feels like when she starts to dabble into the scifi aspects things turn wonky (my issue with Valery K as well). So one of the characters in Watchmaker is a physicist studying aether at Oxford. And it seems like Pulley had her carry out the Michelson-Morley interferometer experiment that basically proved the non-existence of aether and was a huge stepping stone to the development of the Special Theory of Relativity. But in the novel, even though Grace's experiment shows that there is no "aether drag" and the speed of light is the same in all directions, a lot of the "magical" aspect of the novel hinges on how every person's decisions or thoughts seem to affect aether. And Mori, the watchmaker, and his clairvoyance seem to "measure" those disturbances in aether??? But when the interferometer experiment failed then how is aether still a thing in this universe? And if aether exists, then what about the laws of physics in this universe? Why don't things occur differently? I wouldn't mind wonky science if it wasn't so half-assed and was so crucial to the entire plot of the novel!
Another issue that I had was the plot. Pretty early on (about 25% to be precise) I had figured out who the protagonist/bomber was and I was really hoping I would be wrong because it was SO FUCKING OBVIOUS my goddd. The way a lot of the stuff was forced just to cause 🌟drama🌟 was also very annoying. And I can't finish this review/rant without complaining about Grace. Dear god, her character was the most infuriating person I've ever read. I have already noticed that pattern Pulley's books follow regarding her female characters, and that sexist treatment is seriously starting to bother me A LOT. I guess she has improved since none of her other characters has been this annoying?? The internal misogyny, with the "not like other girls" trope, and the pettiness without any reason, except just to cause trouble and angst between the mlm couple is a very tired and oft-repeated tale that we need to move past in 2023. I also hate how her story arc was so conveniently solved all of a sudden at the end of the book. It was clumsy and bad writing. ANother pattern that I've noticed in Pulley's books is that the mlm couple always end up with a precocious child at the end of the book, and the women/mothers/sisters are pushed to the side or simply thrown away.
Honestly, at the end of it, the romance might be the only thing I enjoyed. The Pulley fever is fast wearing off. I might read the sequel to this, mainly because I'd only bought the book, but I hope for my sake and for Pulley's that it is a lot better. I still hope that she takes the criticism - about how her books fail to pass the Bechdel test and how women are treated shittily - seriously and works to improve on that aspect for her future novels.
Natasha Pulley's debut novel, which I'm only reading after enjoying her newer stuff. This definitely is weaker than books like The Kingdoms or The Bedlam Stacks. It almost feels like that crazed manic Pulley fever that I was in after Kingdoms has worn off by now, and with that, there have been some clarity and notable patterns in her books that I have started to observe.
The reason why Puleey's books draw me in so much is the way she writes romance. It's nothing very explicit, a lot of slow burn and quiet yearning. and more importantly, that soulmate-y way her characters seem to come together. There is this very Big feeling as if the romance is something all-encompassing, and the reader cannot help but be swept off their feet along with the characters.
That said, the romance in The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is precisely her trademark style, and while I enjoyed it, the rest of the book felt very weak to me, to the point that the romance was the only reason I was reading/enjoying it to an extent. My issue was with the flimsy plot, and the weird science/magic hybrid that was going on here. I typically enjoy Pulley's style of magical realism, but it feels like when she starts to dabble into the scifi aspects things turn wonky (my issue with Valery K as well). So one of the characters in Watchmaker is a physicist studying aether at Oxford. And it seems like Pulley had her carry out the Michelson-Morley interferometer experiment that basically proved the non-existence of aether and was a huge stepping stone to the development of the Special Theory of Relativity. But in the novel, even though Grace's experiment shows that there is no "aether drag" and the speed of light is the same in all directions, a lot of the "magical" aspect of the novel hinges on how every person's decisions or thoughts seem to affect aether. And Mori, the watchmaker, and his clairvoyance seem to "measure" those disturbances in aether??? But when the interferometer experiment failed then how is aether still a thing in this universe? And if aether exists, then what about the laws of physics in this universe? Why don't things occur differently? I wouldn't mind wonky science if it wasn't so half-assed and was so crucial to the entire plot of the novel!
Another issue that I had was the plot. Pretty early on (about 25% to be precise) I had figured out who the protagonist/bomber was and I was really hoping I would be wrong because it was SO FUCKING OBVIOUS my goddd. The way a lot of the stuff was forced just to cause 🌟drama🌟 was also very annoying. And I can't finish this review/rant without complaining about Grace. Dear god, her character was the most infuriating person I've ever read. I have already noticed that pattern Pulley's books follow regarding her female characters, and that sexist treatment is seriously starting to bother me A LOT. I guess she has improved since none of her other characters has been this annoying?? The internal misogyny, with the "not like other girls" trope, and the pettiness without any reason, except just to cause trouble and angst between the mlm couple is a very tired and oft-repeated tale that we need to move past in 2023. I also hate how her story arc was so conveniently solved all of a sudden at the end of the book. It was clumsy and bad writing. ANother pattern that I've noticed in Pulley's books is that the mlm couple always end up with a precocious child at the end of the book, and the women/mothers/sisters are pushed to the side or simply thrown away.
Honestly, at the end of it, the romance might be the only thing I enjoyed. The Pulley fever is fast wearing off. I might read the sequel to this, mainly because I'd only bought the book, but I hope for my sake and for Pulley's that it is a lot better. I still hope that she takes the criticism - about how her books fail to pass the Bechdel test and how women are treated shittily - seriously and works to improve on that aspect for her future novels.