FAQ
Where can I buy The Clockwork Dagger and The Clockwork Crown?
The books are published by the Voyager imprint of Harper Collins, one of the five biggest publishers in the world. You can find direct links to online booksellers on my bibliography page.
How many books are in the series?
It's a duology, meaning it's two books: The Clockwork Dagger and then The Clockwork Crown. That said, there are two additional short stories and a novella set in the same world that can be purchased separately and as a collection. You can find out about those over here.
Is there a particular order to read the full series?
The additional stories are constructed to stand on their own, but it's unavoidable that they may contain some spoilers if you then proceed to read the novels. If that's a concern for you, here is the recommended reading order for the series:
- The Clockwork Dagger (Novel #1)
- The Deepest Poison: Story (though chronologically takes places months before The Clockwork Dagger)
- The Clockwork Crown (Novel #2)
- Wings of Sorrow and Bone: Novella (after Clockwork Crown)
- The Final Flight: Story (after Clockwork Crown)
Are audiobooks available?
Alas, no. I'll update if I have news.
Are there other options for sight-impaired book lovers?
Yes! If you’re in the United States, there is also a service called BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). Book lovers can download books from a database of 65,000 titles. The Clockwork Dagger is available for download for approved NLS devices, and The Clockwork Crown is in process. They can also mail some materials. Here’s where you can find out more about the program and how to enroll.
The Clockwork Dagger series is also available on a paid subscription site called Book Share.
Can I get your books at my library?
I hope so? If your library doesn't carry them, you can request that they buy them. The result: you might just get to read this steampunk adventure book for free, and I will adore you.
Are you doing a book tour?
I travel when I can! Look at the column on the right side of the screen to see where you can find me in person.
Are these romance books? How graphic are they?
The books are really more about adventure and mystery with an epic fantasy vibe. There is romance, but it's not the main plot. In keeping with steampunk, my characters act fairly restrained and proper. There's nothing sexually graphic, and the profanity doesn't get worse than a few instances of "damn." I've had reports from happy readers as young as ten and as old as eighty-something. My books are actually a lot tamer than many YA books these days.
Reviews for The Clockwork Dagger that make me deliriously happy
- 'Clockwork Dagger' Is A Thought-Provoking Steampunk Adventure posted at NPR.org, review by Jason Heller. "Cato juggles the issues with grace and ease. Her prose is bright and chiming, and her plot speeds by, brisk and uncluttered — but it isn't simple. She paints real-world concerns like war profiteering, biological warfare, and patriotic jingoism with allegorical resonance. Above all, though, Cato has crafted an effortlessly charismatic story."
- Kirkus Reviews, Top Picks for Speculative Fiction Reads in September: "This steampunk fantasy includes all the right elements for a rip-roaring adventure."
- Library Journal gives The Clockwork Dagger a starred review and declares it Debut of the Month "...The action is pretty much nonstop in this debut steampunk fantasy. The attraction between Octavia and Alonzo is sparked right away, but it’s hard for the former to know whom to trust as her talents have made her a pawn between two political powers. Although readers will enjoy the satisfying climax of this adventure, there is plenty to the plot for a sequel from promising novelist Cato."
- RT Book Reviews: Four Stars! "...Steampunk fans should take note of this exciting new novel filled with airships, magic and political intrigue. Not only does Cato create an intriguing universe, but she also develops a one-of-a-kind, kickass heroine who is determined to forge her own path. Adventure, magic, unexpected romance and heart- breaking betrayal all combine for a thrilling tale."
- Publishers Weekly: Octavia is described as possessing "charming Victorian sensibilities, staunch determination, courage, and outspoken independence... Ample action and a delectably delayed romance propel the story toward a riveting finale, marking Cato as an author to watch."
- Locus Magazine:"Beth Cato handles this... with a fine sense of language, emotion, and event, making the whole thing flow more like a force of nature than the work of a first novelist.
- Library Journal Review, 2014 Genre Debuts of Note: "...Cato also proves herself to be a deft worldbuilder, creating a realistically functioning system of religion and magic that forms the centerpiece of the narrative and introduces the Kingdom of Caskentia."
Reviews for The Clockwork Crown that make me deliriously happy
- NPR.org: "Although Crown operates on a sprawling scale, it's impeccably paced and compact, making for a potent conclusion to Cato's rousing steampunk tale as well as a study in how less can be so much more."
- Library Journal: "Romantic and full of nonstop adventure, this latest series entry will satisfy fans of both steampunk and more traditional fantasy. Cato doesn't stint on the worldbuilding but always keeps the focus on her richly developed characters. Besides the immensely appealing central couple, there is a full cast of allies and villains who keep things moving."
- RT Book Reviews: Four and a Half Stars! This sequel to Cato’s amazing steampunk adventure The Clockwork Dagger has all the imagination, treachery and nonstop thrills of the first. ...Cato and steampunk fantasy are truly an excellent match!
- Publishers Weekly: "...Cato continues to defy expectations, moving the saga toward an unexpected, heartfelt conclusion, and the revelations about Octavia's abilities are amply rewarding."
- Kirkus Reviews: "A satisfying follow-up that sticks to the comforts of familiar fantasy elements but still offers an entertaining, swiftly moving adventure in the company of Cato’s appealing characters."
- Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog: "Indeed, one of the things I find so winning about Octavia is her incredible compassion. When her enemies are hurt, she tends to them, as well as to her friends and strangers. She’s not a sap; she knows, the way doctors do, that triage is often necessary. The Clockwork Crown... provided a very satisfying conclusion to an excellent duology.
Kind mentions of The Clockwork Dagger:
- Prominently featured at Entertainment Weekly in "Steampunk gears up for a broader audience" by Jason Heller
- A Multiplicity of Realms | SF/Fantasy Genre Spotlight, feature in Library Journal
- Defining Character: The Opening Scene of The Clockwork Dagger, part of That Was Awesome! Writers on Writing series on Tor.com
- Tor.com: Sleeps With Monsters: Books, Redux by Liz Bourke with a lovely mini review
- The shortlist for Locus Magazine's 2014 Recommended Reads: First Novels
- Finalist for the First Novel Locus Award!
Kind mentions of The Clockwork Crown:
- Excerpt featured at USA Today
- Kirkus Review's Can't-Miss Science-Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Books in June 2015 says "...consider the action-packed The Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato. In this steampunk fantasy, a woman embarks on a quest to fully understand the nature of her magical transformation."
- At Bleeding Cool: SDCC ’15: Breaking Down Romantic Relationships In Science Fiction And Fantasy by Michele Brittany
- Nominated for Best Steampunk in the Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy category of the 2015 RT Reviewers Choice Awards
Extraordinary reviews for Wings of Sorrow and Bone:
- Library Journal called out the novella as worth checking out.
An honor for Final Flight:
- Included on Library Journal's list of Best Book of 2016
Guest Blogs About Clockwork Dagger
- Why Steampunk? at Book Blurb
- Busting the Binary Stereotype: Women Warriors, Weaklings, and Healers at The Mary Sue
- Writing Short and Long Fiction with Beth Cato at Dan Koboldt's site
- Beth Cato on Clockwork Daggers at SF Signal
- Final Flight: A Father and Son Story in the World of Clockwork Dagger at the Qwillery
- “Why I Write Steampunk” at The Spec Fiction Hub
- Fantasy Cafe's Women in SFF Month: Beth Cato with The Healer as a Fighter
- GeekMom's Geek Speaks... Fiction! with Gremlins Galore! Geeking Out About Hideously Adorable Sidekicks
- How I wrote a novella in 4 easy (?) steps at Auston Habershaw's site
- Rivka and the Gremlins in Wings of Sorrow and Bone at Books by Centeno
- Beth Cato on Writing a Novella: Wings of Sorrow and Bone, at Dan Koboldt's site
- Getting the Submissions Call for The Clockwork Dagger, at Michelle Hauck's site
- Beth Cato on Gremlins in the Clockwork Dagger novella at SFSignal
- Who would I cast in a Clockwork Dagger movie?
- The Page 69 Test on The Clockwork Dagger
- Publicity and Parenting at Spencer Ellsworth's Blog
- The Hook: The Clockwork Crown at Alex Shvartsman's blog
- At Scalzi's Whatever: The Big Idea: The Clockwork Crown
- Over at Bookish, a list of five diverse steampunk books.
- Romantic Tension in The Clockwork Crown at Coffee Time Romance.
- My Favorite Bit in The Clockwork Crown: Gremlins at Mary Robinette Kowal's site
- Special Needs in Strange Worlds: Beth Cato (THE CLOCKWORK CROWN) on Sensory Overload at SF Signal
- Seven Reasons to Read (and Write) Steampunk by Beth Cato at Bent Over Books
- Picture association with Clockword Crown author Beth Cato at Sara Dobie Bauer's Blog
- The Most Wonderful, Agonizing Secret: Waiting to Announce a Book Deal, at David Walton's Blog
- My Superpower: BAKING at Skiffy and Fanty
- Dark Faerie Tales presents Fantastic Fables: Octavia Leander Meets the Wolf: A Clockwork Dagger/Little Red Riding Hood Tale
- Medicians in The Clockwork Dagger at David Walton's blog
- Developing Miss Percival as a Sympathetic Villain at SF Signal
- Magic and World War I Medicine: Research Books at Teresa Frohock's Blog
- A peek inside my purse at iFandomsCollide
- Why Steampunk? (with excerpt) at Coffee Time Romance: Steampunk
- "Romance in the Clockwork Dagger" at Reading Between the Wines
- The Horror of Revision Letters at Write1Sub1
- Author Beth Cato on her fantasy heroine at USA Today
- ACME Anvils and the Long Unicorn Ride to Publication at Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds
- Heroes & Heartbreakers where I discuss Seven Steamy Steampunk Couples
- Colorful Secondary Worlds posted at No More Grumpy Bookseller
- "The Genre Jumble of Steampunk and Why It Works"
- Mary Robinette Kowal's My Favorite Bit in The Clockwork Dagger happens to be map geekery
- At Spec Fiction Hub, "Gremlin Takeover"
- Beyond Historical Fiction: How I Came to Steampunk is posted at SFSignal
- "Why Beth Cato Made Her Fantasy Heroine a Healer" can be read at Bookish
- A list of 10 Things to Know About The Clockwork Dagger is at Niteblade
- The Supporting Cast of The Clockwork Dagger at Literary Escapism
- Eating Authors with Lawrence Schoen: My most memorable meal
- Octavia: Young and Tough at YA Sisterhood
- How Online Writing Workshop Inspired Me to Write Steampunk at the Online Writing Workshop
- Something Strange Happened on the Way to the NYT Bestsellers List: Fantasy Author Beth Cato with "When Gremlins Attack", J. Kathleen Cheney: Tales from the Golden City
Interviews about The Clockwork Dagger
- MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape interview for the release of DEEP ROOTS
- A chat with Bishop O'Connell at A Quiet Pint
- Interview with Women of Badassery
- Introducing Beth Cato of The Clockwork Dagger Series at The Steampunk Cavaliers
- Beth Cato talks about Characters, Cooking and of course, her latest Clockwork Dagger off-shoot, The Final Flight with N.O.A. Rawle
- Beth Cato on WINGS OF SORROW AND BONE and Historical and Cultural Accuracy at SF Signal
- Catching up with Beth Cato, author of Wings of Sorrow and Bone, and the Clockwork Dagger series at My Bookish Ways
- Steampunk, Gremlins, and Maple Sugar Cake: My interview with Nebula nominated author Beth Cato by Ruth Vincent
- The Writer's Life eMagazine interview
- Interview at I'm Shelf-ish about Wings of Sorrow and Bone
- Katherine Harbour interviews Beth Cato about "Wings of Sorrow and Bone"
- Interview with Pat Esden: Real vs Imaginary Fears and Wings of Sorrow and Bone
- Three minute on-camera interview with The Daily Quirk, recorded at San Diego Comic-Con
- Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcast: The Wonders and Politics of Steampunk w/ Cherie Priest, Beth Cato, and Jaymee Goh
- Interview with Author and Steampunk Enthusiast Beth Cato at Between the Blurb
- Why the Healer deserves to be a Hero: Podcast Interview with Sword and Laser; also on BoingBoing
- Steampunk, Tacos, and Final Fantasy: An Interview with Beth Cato, at the Barnes & Noble SFF Blog
- Wednesday June 10th 2015: live radio interview with Professor Terry Lovell at 1490AM KYCA in Prescott, Arizona.
- Interview and Excerpt of Clockwork Crown at Fourth and Sycamore, the Blog of the Greenville, Ohio Public Library
- Wag the Fox interview: Heavy Is the Steampunk That Wears the Crown: an interview with Beth Cato, author of "The Clockwork Crown."
- Ask me Anything on reddit/Fantasy!
- SF Signal interview with CLOCKWORK CROWN author Beth Cato
- Beth Cato's Interview with the Qwillery
- Interview with Beth Cato at Kings River Life
- The "Never Have, Never Will" Author Interview with Beth Cato by Josh Vogt
- An Interview with Beth Cato, Author of The Clockwork Crown in Big Thrill Magazine
- Steampunk heroine embarks on a new quest in 'Clockwork Crown' - Interview in the East Valley Tribune
- Interview by AFE Smith: Barren Island Books
- Interview at Curling Up With a Good Book for the release of "The Deepest Poison" story
- On CLOCKWORK DAGGER, 5 Questions and 1 Statement with Pete Aldin
- AUTHORLINK: Murder on the Steampunk Airship
- The Clockwork Dagger: A Conversation with Author Beth Cato at Fourth & Sycamore, the Literary Site of the Greenville (Ohio) Public Library
- The Pop Quiz at the End of the Universe: Beth Cato on Tor.com
- An interview with Rhonda Parrish
- A Chat with Catherine Book of The Nameless Zine
- Buckeye author Beth Cato at Changing Hands Sept. 19 in the Arizona Republic
- Beth Cato on The Clockwork Dagger, Her Debut Steampunk/Fantasy Novel in the Phoenix New Times
- Q&A with Fictitious Delicious
- Reddit AMA on 9/16/2014
- Podcast: Cooking the Books with Fran Wilde
- Interview with the Qwillery
- Interview with Lydia Kurnia
- Kingdoms of Evil Podcast talk with Daniel Bensen: Part 1 and Part 2
- Under the Covers
- Interview with Dawn Bonanno, and a Chewy Cardamom Cookies recipe
- "Beth Cato and the Clockwork Dagger," interviewed by Tex Thompson
- Lifestyle Magazine, page 54-56; also in print; Visalia, California
- Genre Spotlight: Beth Cato is Cookin', September 2014 RT Book Reviews Magazine, in print, page 99
- Clockwork Daggers and Bacon Crack: An Interview with Beth Cato, with Marina Lostetter
- Fanboy Comics Interviews Author Beth Cato (‘The Clockwork Dagger’), by Jodi Scaife at Fanboy Comics
- Introducing Beth Cato and The Clockwork Dagger, at Reb Kreyling's Blog
- An H and Five Ws with debut steampunk author Beth Cato," with Sara Dobie Bauer
- "Hanford native publishes first novel," The Hanford Sentinel; Hanford, California (July 5th, 2014)