In The Watchmaker's Daughter, we are introduced to India Steele. A woman is who at her wits' end. Her last remaining family, her father, is dead, her former fiancée has taken away her father's watchmaking shop and the only home India knows, and she is unemployed. None of the other watchmakers will hire her, instead they seem to have become wary of India. While trying to sabotage her former fiancée, India meets Matthew Glass. Matthew is in London looking for a specific watchmaker. Seeing a means to an end with India, Matthew decides to employ her to help me. As they search, India becomes aware of the Dark Rider, an American outlaw, who came to London at the same time as Matthew and his friends. India must make a decision to protect herself from suspicions, or ignore it all in favor of survival.
I loved this book. I loved the plot and the subtle reveal of magic. It was refreshing in a way. There are so many books out there where the author throws the paranormal directly into the reader's face, that the shock is lost to us. Here, Archer gave us the shock, hesitancy, confusion, and awe. It was beautifully written.
The characters were also very well done. I think Willie and I would get along famously. One problem I think many books have, when writing about 1890, is the ability to connect modern readers to that mindset. However, this book was very good about introducing not only London, but some American ways as well. Poker being the most prominent in this story. While Duke and Cyclops were not on the pages long, I rather liked their quirks and found myself missing them often.
I found moments where I liked India, and thought "Yes, she is avant-garde". But then there were moments were she did a complete about face and I thought "What in the world?! Didn't you just make a decision?". India was the only real issue I had with the book, and even then it wasn't bad. She just gave me whiplash. She made a decision, then changed her mind, then changed it again. It became rather difficult to know what she was going to do.
I would like to see, in later books of the series, a more fleshed out Matthew and India. Complete with family histories for both. We know about Matthew's father, and have his Aunt Letitia to tell us more bout the Glasses, but what about his mother? And India is clearly going to need to know her own family, so exploring that avenue seems like a path to follow.
Overall I rated it 4 out 5 stars, because I am uncertain how I feel about the main character, India. However, I have already started the second book, so here's to a new series.
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