The Rising

By: Ian Tregillis

Narrated by: Chris Kayser

The second book in the Alchemy Wars trilogy by Ian Tregillis, an epic tale of liberation and war.

Jax, a rogue Clakker, has wreaked havoc upon the Clockmakers' Guild by destroying the Grand Forge. Reborn in the flames, he must begin his life as a free Clakker, but liberation proves its own burden.

Berenice, formerly the legendary spymaster of New France, mastermind behind her nation's attempts to undermine the Dutch Hegemony -- has been banished from her homeland and captured by the Clockmakers Guild's draconian secret police force.

Meanwhile, Captain Hugo Longchamp is faced with rallying the beleaguered and untested defenders of Marseilles-in-the-West for the inevitable onslaught from the Brasswork Throne and its army of mechanical soldiers.

Critic reviews

"A major talent."—George R.R. Martin on Bitter Seeds

"Superb alternate history filled with clockwork men and ethical questions on the nature of free will. ... Tregillis's complex setting is elegantly delivered, and the rich characters and gripping story really make this tale soar."—Publishers Weekly on The Mechanical

"The first thing readers will say after finishing this splendid book is: 'Wow.' The second thing will probably be: 'When can I read the next one?'"—Booklist on The Mechanical

"Tregillis presents a fascinating look at the nature of free will and the existence of the soul, wrapped up in an absolutely thrilling adventure story. Jax is an amazing, sympathetic character, and the world of the clockmakers and their slaves is so absorbing that readers will be dying for the next entry in this new series."—Library Journal on The Mechanical

Wondeful complex story, sub-par narration

I'm really enjoying this series. I find the main characters interesting and the plot twists more than satisfying.

I've listened to many audio books. Some narrators are excellent, others not so much. Chris Kayser is one of the latter. How does a person who is being paid to read professionally, knowing his name will appear in the credits, not have enough pride in his work to learn how to pronounce words correctly? How does a publisher like Hachette Audio let such sloppy work out? I try to ignore it, but it really hurts the overall product.

Still worth reading

Any additional comments?

This book I found not to be AS engaging as the first in the series. I wasn't terribly interested in the battle at New France and I skipped through most of it. I'm not really sure why the author chose to take the Visser out as a viewpoint character because I thought that would have been much more interesting. I'm wondering if there is an edit of this novel where his journey IS included. Berenice still totters on whether she's going to be a good person or not. Jax/Daniel is funny as ever! I'm a little disappointed at how clunky, fast, and shallow his time with Queen Mab is, but I guess the author had to get him to the culmination of the battle. I'm hoping book three is better!

Even better than first book.

Outstanding series. Be prepared for moral ambiguity and wholesale slaughter of decent people and characters.

Can't Recommend Enough

Quite some time ago I had listened to the audio book of the first book in this series, The Mechanical and enjoyed it quite a bit. So going into the second book I was hoping that the series wouldn't suffer from a sophomore slump. Not only did it put my concerns at ease but delivered tenfold.

Can't wait to dive into the next book.

Loved it

My only complaint is that I am finished reading it. I absolutely love Ian Tregillis writing style. It is not possible to pack any more detail into the story.