Timepiece (Book 1 of the Keeping Time Trilogy)
by Heather Albano (Stillpoint Digital Press Prometheus)
The concept: Jane
Austen-style characters travel through time to keep Frankenstein’s monsters
from saving the Battle of Waterloo and transforming Victorian London into a
nightmare of pollution and Orwellian robots.
The execution: Deft
prose, careful characterization, and meticulous historical research brought the
story alive from the opening pages; On the eve of the Battle of Waterloo,
Wellington’s position is dire. The French have inflicted massive losses on his
forces and he fears with good reason that his lines cannot hold another
determined assault. The Prussians, whom he had counted on for relief and
reinforcement, have been delayed, despite promises of imminent arrival. His
only hope: the “special battalion” troops, descendents of the monsters created
by “the Genevese” student (presumably a historical Dr. Frankenstein) a
generation ago. He makes a choice and sends for them. That’s the set-up.
Across the Channel
in England, a young woman, straight of the pages of Jane Austen and very much
an homage to Elizabeth Bennett, aptly named Elizabeth, befriends William, a
disabled veteran of those same Napoleonic wars. A mysterious gift, a watch-like
device with multiple dials whose purposes are unfathomable, catapults the two
to London half a century later, where the city has become an inferno-esque
nightmare of pollution, poverty, child labor, and an Orwellian spy state,
enforced by gigantic robots. The robots, it turns out, were developed against
the “monsters,” who did not simply go away after Waterloo but were used as
slaves in hazardous occupations like mining, rebelled, and were driven to
Scotland behind “Moore’s Line” (shades of Hadrian, anyone?) Here they meet
enigmatic Maxwell, possessor of a second time-travel watch, whose goal has been
to prevent the current catastrophe by changing history. His multiple attempts –
convince the Genevese to not create a monster, prevent Wellington from using
the “special batallion,” etc., have all been unsuccessful. Now our stalwart
team, aided by a few sundry folks from 1885 and a few more allies they make
upon the way, embark upon the same mission. Needless to say, the following adventures
are vastly entertaining, full of poignant moments, character development, and
perspectives on the cultural shifts between 1815 and 1885, particularly for
women. When they finally return to 1885, the initial signs are good: clear skies,
fresh air, streets bustling with normal commerce…except they have inadvertently
broken history. And obviously must go on to fix it in the second volume.
