fantasy, steampunk

This is a unique and crazily creative novel set on an alternate Earth in an alternate universe where everything is run by clockwork like springs.

An archangel appears to an impoverished young clockmaker's apprentice in New Haven, and tells him that the Earth needs to have its mainspring wound up (something which must happen about every 2,000 years) or the Earth (and all life thereon) will die.

Needless to say, most people do not believe the kid (named Hethor), and his attempts to find the key and the mainspring itself are very difficult. As he travels the world (often by zeppelin), he has one wild adventure after another.

Creative and different, this is a complete story which can be read as a stand alone, though I think that the author does have other books set on the clockwork Earth.