** spoiler alert ** 
 This book has a gorgeous fairytale-esque atmosphere, which is at times is both hauntingly beautiful and creepy. I loved the exploration of the idea of emancipation, freedom and "ownership" - from the viewpoint of the main character, Mattie. Mattie is essentially a clockwork girl, an intelligent automaton who has been emancipated from her creator, and who earns a living as an alchemist. The author has a wonderful way of portraying Mattie - for whole sections I would forget she is made of metal, cogs and springs, and imagine her as a real girl - caring for the old man everyone else reviles, falling in love, finding joy in her work - but then like a slap in the face Mattie would encounter discrimination because of her mechanistic nature - a "clunker" taunt on the street, or simply ignored as not being worthy enough of even a glance. I also loved the almost whimisical collective hive voice of the stone gargoyles Mattie tries to help, some of these passages were lovely, like poetry. The ending is satisfying without being trite or ending in the predictable HEA.