History Literature / TheProductionsOfTime

[[UsefulNotes/SevenYearsWar The year is 1758 and England is at war.]] In London, evidence has come to light of the existence of [[ClockPunk a singular device - a pocket watch - rumoured to possess properties that are more to do with magic than any known science]]. Daniel Quare, Regulator with the secretive Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, is tasked with tracking down this sinister mechanism. But he is not alone - enemy agents are also on its trail ...

The first volume of ''The Productions Of Time'' by Paul Witcover, called ''The Emperor Of All Things'', was published in 2013. Thematically and stylistically, comparisons to Creator/NealStephenson and [[Literature/JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell Susanna Clarke]] have been drawn.

* CatsAreMagic: Master Magnus' cats have the ability to sense that there's something otherworldly - and lethal - about the clock Magnus and Quare have picked up. [[spoiler: Sadly, [[KillThemAll the force behind the clock gets rid of them]] very quickly.]]

* AnachronicOrder: Occasionally.

* ClockPunk
* GentlemanAndAScholar: The protagonist and his colleagues.
* GeniusCripple: Master Magnus.
* GuileHero: Daniel Quare.
** And Longinus even more so.
* HeroicBastard: Daniel Quare.
* HiddenElfVillage: The inhabitants of the village Märchen aren't technically elves, but most of the trope still applies.
** Of course, [[BilingualBonus the name ''Märchen'' itself is the German word for fairytale.]]

* MundaneMadeAwesome: The protagonist is a clockmaker, and the [[MacGuffin object of terror that starts off the plot]] is a watch.
* TheOrder: The Most Secret and Exalted Order of Regulators.
* PhantomThief: Grimalkin is a famed one. Regulators are also trained to be this.
* RuleOfCool: Frankly this must be the sole reason of existence for the Stairmaster and the Personal Flotation Device.

* SamusIsAGirl: [[spoiler: Grimalkin.]]

** The series' title is taken from William Blake's ''Proverbs of Hell'': "Eternity is in love with [[TitleDrop the productions of time]]."

* ViolentGlaswegian: Tom Aylesford. In two days in London he's already fought five duels.
** Turns out he's [[spoiler: a spy for the French who's just real keen on killing the English.]]

The first volume of ''The Productions Of Time'' by Paul Witcover, called ''The Emperor Of All Things'', was published in 2013. Thematically and stylistically, comparisons to NealStephenson and [[Literature/JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell Susanna Clarke]] have been drawn.

The first volume of ''The Productions Of Time'' by Paul Witcover, called ''The Emperor Of All Things'', was published in 2013. Thematically and stylistically, comparisons to NealStephenson and [[JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell Susanna Clarke]] have been drawn.

[[SevenYearsWar The year is 1758 and England is at war.]] In London, evidence has come to light of the existence of [[ClockPunk a singular device - a pocket watch - rumoured to possess properties that are more to do with magic than any known science]]. Daniel Quare, Regulator with the secretive Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, is tasked with tracking down this sinister mechanism. But he is not alone - enemy agents are also on its trail ...

* RuleOfCool: Frankly this must be the sole reason of existence for the Stairmaster and the Personal Flotation Device.

* HeroicBastard: Daniel Quare as well as one of his friends, Prince Farthing.

* UncannyValley: The way Grimalkin moves.

* PhantomThief: Grimalkin is famed for this.

* TitleDrop: ''Tempus Rerum Imperator'' - or, ''Time is the emperor of all things'' - is the motto of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.

* CatsAreMagic

* TricksterMentor: Master Magnus has shades of this. He's not above using his apprentices - in this case, Quare - for his own sinister and occasionally downright dangerous purposes, but behind it all he still seems to be genuinely concerned for their wellbeing and future.
* ViolentGlaswegian: Tom Aylesford.
* WorldOfSnark: As can maybe be expected of a story set in 18th century England, nearly all the characters converse in a darkly sarcastic way with each other while never losing the politeness common for gentleman scholars.

And the path Quare must follow is a dangerous one. Full of intrigue, betrayal and murder, it will lead him from a world he knows and understands to an otherwhere of demigods and dragons in which nothing is as it seems.

The first volume of ''The Productions Of Time'' by Paul Witcover, called ''The Emperor Of All Things'', was published in 2013. Thematically and style-wise, comparisons to NealStephenson and [[JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell Susanna Clarke]] have been drawn.

* PhantomThief: Grimalkin.

* TricksterMentor: Master Magnus has shades of this.

* WorldOfSnark

* ViolentGlaswegian: Tom Aylesford.

''Tempus Rerum Imperator.''

* TitleDrop: ''Tempus Rerum Imperator'' - or, ''Time is the emperor of all things'', is the motto of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.

Time least of all.