Title: The Mechanical Aviary of Emperor Jala-ud-din Muhammad Akbar
Author: Shweta Narayan
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Steampunk
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: And so it was; she made a little golden child with wings and tail enamelled green, and named her Devadasi.

A classic tale of pride coming before the fall. Mixing folklore, legend and a heavy dose of steampunk settings to weave a story that is as beautiful as it is meaningful.

I really enjoyed this story. The idea of a mechanical aviary built by a mechanical bird in and of itself is a great little story. Add to this the fact that a tale of morals is interwoven throughout, and this was the most fun I’ve had in the past few weeks. It was just so beautifully different and engaging. Without being overbearing in the way the message is outlined.

Although the primary story was fun, I actually enjoyed the creator’s tale much better. The way it interweaves was brilliantly done, and I like the fact that it echoes the primary story. The entire thing just worked seamlessly and I was actually really disappointed when it was finished…

Image source: Amazon