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In a clockpunk city of magic, orphan thief and puppeteer Coppelia befriends some tiny, intelligent homunculi looking to carve out a niche for themselves in a world made for much larger humans. Heists, friendship, and really cool worldbuilding ensue.
This is a delightful story, full of satisfying tiny people action and worldbuilding and character development. In Tchaikovsky's typical manner of providing way more from a premise than you even knew you wanted, there are multiple types of tiny homunculi - wood and steel and wax and bone and origami - all with their own strengths and weaknesses, personalities, and abilities. They, along with the cast of golems, thieves, cops, witches, and aristocrats, all have their own backstories and motivations.
I particularly enjoyed the homunculi's approach to gender and gender roles - one of my favorites is a dashing steel Scull who goes by "he," wields a razor, wears a dress, and is attempting to bring a daughter to life by magic.
Made Things is entirely satisfying as a novella, and there's a short prequel I intend to read ASAP, but I could read ten fat volumes of it and still want more.
Leaning into premise: A+. It promises tiny made people in a clockpunk world of regular-sized meat people, and gives everything you want from that, plus a solid heist story.
Made Things
This is a delightful story, full of satisfying tiny people action and worldbuilding and character development. In Tchaikovsky's typical manner of providing way more from a premise than you even knew you wanted, there are multiple types of tiny homunculi - wood and steel and wax and bone and origami - all with their own strengths and weaknesses, personalities, and abilities. They, along with the cast of golems, thieves, cops, witches, and aristocrats, all have their own backstories and motivations.
I particularly enjoyed the homunculi's approach to gender and gender roles - one of my favorites is a dashing steel Scull who goes by "he," wields a razor, wears a dress, and is attempting to bring a daughter to life by magic.
Made Things is entirely satisfying as a novella, and there's a short prequel I intend to read ASAP, but I could read ten fat volumes of it and still want more.
Leaning into premise: A+. It promises tiny made people in a clockpunk world of regular-sized meat people, and gives everything you want from that, plus a solid heist story.
Made Things
