Publisher's Synopsis
Deep in the rugged landscape of eastern Oregon, a young scientist named June Stefanov uncovers an exquisite artifact - a three-hundred-year-old mechanical doll which is evidence of what she has spent years searching for. The artifact, June believes, is proof of a living race of ancient automatons that walk among us to this day. Ingeniously hidden inside the intricate doll is a message, addressed to the court of Peter the Great, czar of Russia. In 1725 Russia, Peter and Elena, two human-like mechanical beings known as 'avtomat,' are brought to life under the guise of Peter the Great. Their struggle to serve in the court of the czar while blending in, and to survive? amid those who wish to annihilate them, will take Peter and Elena across Russia, Europe, and, ultimately, across the centuries to modern day. Daniel H. Wilson's masterful new novel seamlessly interweaves past and present, exploring a race of beings that lives undetected among us. As June learns more about the 'avtomat,' she is quickly drawn into a fierce battle that has spanned the centuries - and will ultimately determine the survival of this ancient race. In this richly-drawn, heart-pounding thriller, Daniel H. Wilson expertly combines technology, exquisite characters, and breathtaking action. This is Wilson's most sophisticated and entertaining novel to date.
