Review by Ice dragon -- The Watchmaker’s Doctor

[Ice dragon]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Watchmaker’s Doctor" by G. M. T. Schuilling.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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I rate this 2 out of 4 stars
The Watchmaker’s Doctor is a novella aimed at young adults, the series will follow the fortune of Anaya, a thirty-five-year-old doctor with a tragic past, a chance to rewind back time and live her life again with no regrets.

The book is beautifully written with a poignant storyline, there are exquisite physical descriptions of characters so much so that I could picture them in my mind's eye without any trouble. The idea that the book portrays of time ticking away without grasping to every joy and embracing everything that you may lose adds to the bittersweet feeling that flows from the pages.

I wouldn’t typecast the story as fantasy as the description states it seems to veer more towards the drama genre, as Anaya’s bipolar disorder is worked into the storyline it can seem almost like a self-help book. I found this slightly disappointing as protagonists are rarely featured with severe mental ill health and her disorder is more featured as a Health websites symptom and treatment page rather than as a contribution to the story. As the plot is rewind and erase, the author doesn’t delve into how bipolar becomes part of Anaya’s regrets, it just reads like an information pamphlet for treatment. I’d love for there to be a portrayal of mental illness that tackles stigma by making sufferers real without demonizing them, and this sadly falls flat as it just isn’t interesting enough

The only hint at anything fantastical is the enigmatic Greg, the Watchmaker, unfortunately, his appearance is brief and there is a lack of build up of the relationship between him and Anaya. As the story progresses, I found myself forgetting about his otherworldliness due to the sappy narration

Anaya makes for a tragic figure, I found her character development flops as the story goes on due to the author’s over-focus on aesthetics so missed out on any bond with her.

I found the book more aesthetically pleasing than entertaining, for me the plot needed a bit more thickening rather than just the floaty, romantic style of story-telling that the narration is slightly guilty of, the style can seem quite silly at times and the over-concentration on aesthetics takes over the plot too much at times.

The premise would work well in a novel, there is a sequel due, and I think it would be better placed as a novel just to add more action and climax to the story.

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The Watchmaker’s Doctor
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