The Watchmaker's Daughter
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4.2 • 144 Ratings
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Publisher Description
"a page-turner with great characters." 5 stars from Hooked On Books
"Loved, loved, loved this book." 5 stars from Eriegirl218
"What an absolutely fun read! This story had me captivated from beginning to end and eagerly awaiting the next book! Loved it! Mystery, and magic, with another great female lead!" 5 stars from Tjuliannev
DESCRIPTION
India Steele is desperate. Her father is dead, her fiancé took her inheritance, and no one will employ her, despite years working for her watchmaker father. Indeed, the other London watchmakers seem frightened of her. Alone, poor, and at the end of her tether, India takes employment with the only person who'll accept her - an enigmatic and mysterious man from America. A man who possesses a strange watch that rejuvenates him when he's ill.
Matthew Glass must find a particular watchmaker, but he won't tell India why any old one won't do. Nor will he tell her what he does back home, and how he can afford to stay in a house in one of London's best streets. So when she reads about an American outlaw known as the Dark Rider arriving in England, she suspects Mr. Glass is the fugitive. When danger comes to their door, she's certain of it. But if she notifies the authorities, she'll find herself unemployed and homeless again - and she will have betrayed the man who saved her life.
With a cast of quirky characters, an intriguing mystery, and a dash of romance, THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER is the start of a thrilling new historical fantasy series from the author of the bestselling Ministry of Curiosities, Freak House, and Emily Chambers Spirit Medium books.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The Watchmaker’s Daughter, the first book in Australian author C.J. Archer’s historical fantasy series, introduces feisty heroine India Steele and the enigmatic Matthew Glass. After India and Matthew meet in Victorian London, India finds herself in all sorts of trouble—and also deeply attracted to a man who could be an outlaw with magical powers. We look forward to following the rest of the story to see how the duo’s simmering tension is resolved and what India does with her own unexpected powers.
Customer Reviews
Wow. Awesome read
I loved this book and downloaded the series. Waiting for the next one due out..
An exciting fantasy thriller!
India Steele makes a great hero: brave, bold and talented. She finds unlikely friends in this exciting book.
FANTASTIC STORY!
CJ Archer is one of my absolute favourite authors, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy of The Watchmaker’s Daughter, book 1 in the Glass and Steele series.
This is an amazing book. I can’t say that enough. CJ Archer’s writing style is absolutely gripping. It took me less than 24 hours to read the whole book because I just couldn’t put it down. I don’t know what it is, but her writing style is enthralling. I am yet to come across another author who can pull me in with their words in the way CJ Archer does.
I’ve been a huge fan of CJ Archer’s other works for years. Her historical fantasies are the perfect blend of my two favourite genres. The Watchmaker’s Daughter is no exception. The fantasy is subtle, but it is present throughout the book. The historical setting isn’t in-your-face, but it suits the book perfectly. The setting and the plot are intertwined in such a way that I can’t imagine the book taking place anywhere else.
India Steele is a highly developed character, and she’s one of the best I’ve come across in such a long time. She’s a 27 year old woman, which makes her one of the oldest characters I’ve read – speaking of which, why are most female protagonists in their late teens or early 20s?
Anyway, India. She’s a 27 year old spinster, who also happens to be an orphan and homeless and broke. After being thrown out onto the street, she finds a job with a man named Mr Glass, which leads her on a journey to discover the truth about the world she lives in.
Magic is real, and it’s all around her.
What I find with all of CJ Archer’s writing is that she creates these highly developed and unique characters. In this book, she also creates a superb sense of suspense. Mr Glass was such a complex character (I know, I’ve been saying that a lot, but it’s true). I never could figure him out. For most part, I thought he was a vampire – after all, CJ Archer has written about ghosts and magic before, so why not vampires? But no, he isn’t a vampire. He’s just a mystery that I liked trying to solve as I read the book.
So if you’re looking for a book that will suck you in and hold your attention, then The Watchmaker’s Daughter is definitely worth the money. The writing is impeccable, the story is fantastic, and the characters are so real with all of their flaws and redemptions. You could not find a better book (except maybe another CJ Archer story).