Mainspring - Hardcover

"A dark, wild mix of machine and magic--an impressive debut novel from short story maestro Jay Lake."--Greg Bear on "Mainspring" "In "Mainspring," Lake has created a grandiose, thoroughly engaging blasphemy.This book blends the best of nostalgic adventure fiction with a genuinelyfresh voice and ideas. An instant steampunk classic." --Cory Doctorow, author of "Someone Comes to Town, ""Someone Leaves Town" "From the sweeping mechanisms of his clockwork world, down to the subtle movements of his characters, all drawn with a clockmaker's eye, Lake gives us a story both grand and intimate, smart and savvy... and a whole lot of fun to boot." --Hal Duncan, author of "Vellum "

"Mainspring" is the story of a young clockmaker's apprentice. Visited by the Archangel Gabriel, he is told that he must take the Key Perilous and rewind the Mainspring of the Earth. It is running down, and disaster will ensue if it's not rewound. From innocence and ignorance to power and self-knowledge, the young man will make the long and perilous journey to the South Polar Axis, to fulfil the commandment of his God.