For some books I have to think real hard as to what it was about. That is not the case with Mechanical which is easily one of my all-time top-reads. “Mechanical” is an alternative history steampunk fantasy adventure with the story, effectively, exploring compulsion in a very picturesque clockwork 20th century. We follow a mechanical being—a “clakker“—named Jax who’s compulsion, or prime directive if you will, just like that of all other clakkers, is to satisfy its owner’s requests and to do so swiftly. While the book is seemingly set in an alternative past, we share the core issues with it in our future, as yesterday’s magic is tomorrow’s science.