The Clockwork Dynasty by Daniel H. Wilson

I just finished THE CLOCKWORK DYNASTY, a new fantasy/sci-fi novel by Daniel H. Wilson (author of Robopocalypse and Robogenesis).  It’s a story that stretches across the ages, involving “futuristic” technology that was developed eons ago.  Avtomats, or thinking and feeling machines which can operate independently of humans, were created to each serve a word. For Pyotr (or Peter), who was revitalized in the early 1700’s at the court of Peter the Great, the word is Pravda, truth and justice. He has struggled through the centuries to honor what he sees as his mission, including participating in WWII’s Battle of Stalingrad.  It was there that a human soldier found a strangely carved relic inadvertently left behind. That relic shaped the life of the soldier's granddaughter, June, who is now a scholar trying to learn more about the mechanized clockwork and capabilities of avtomats.  Unfortunately for her, they are at war amongst themselves and she is in BIG danger. In typical Wilson fashion, THE CLOCKWORK DYNASTY is full of action, violence and adventure. It received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus.  Happily, there are rumors of a forthcoming movie and the ending is ambiguous enough to suggest the likelihood of an exciting sequel.