MixedGrimdark MagazineThe Escapement is a quick read at about 250 pages, and had a YA feel. The prose is direct and generally simple, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This would be a good book for a long flight or to kill time in waiting rooms. There’s not much in The Escapement to make you stop and think, and there’s not much need to return to previous sections to enhance the meaning or understanding of what you’ve just read. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that The Escapement doesn’t have a great deal going on below the surface of what’s printed on the page. The most interesting feature of The Escapement is the world itself. Tidhar does a good job of creating a surreal world that feels as though it exists on its own, instead of simply being a backdrop for the story of the Stranger ... At the same time though, some of the surreal aspects of The Escapement fall flat ... a no man’s land of references and allusions. The Escapement isn’t a bad book ... the potential is there, The Escapement just didn’t quite get there.
