‘The Home Office telegraphy department always smelled of tea. The source was one packet of Lipton’s at the back of Nathaniel Steepleton’s desk drawer. Before the widespread use of the electric telegraph, the office had been a broom cupboard.

Thaniel had heard more than once that its failure to expand was a sign of the Home Secretary’s continued mistrust of naval inventions, but even if that wasn’t the case, the departmental budget had never stretched to the replacement of the original carpet, which liked to keep the ghosts of old smells.’

In 1883, Thaniel Steepleton returns to his London flat to find a gold pocketwatch on his pillow. There are no clues as to where it came from – the watch won’t even open.

Yet when a bomb destroys Scotland Yard, the watch saves Thaniel’s life and he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a lonely immigrant who sweeps him into a world of clockwork and music. But a chain of unexpected slips prove that Mori is not as harmless as he first seems.

I avoided this book for a long time precisely because it had been nominated for so many awards. An international bestseller, it was shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award 2016 and was a finalist for the Locus First Novel Award 2016.

Too often I find that such critically lauded books are disappointing. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is one book that threatens to break me of that mind-set. It deserves all the praise it has been given – and then some.

This is a stunning debut novel, brilliantly written and utterly assured. Pulley is guaranteed to be a new star of the fiction world. She writes scenes with powerful subtlety, allowing the reader to read into it as much as they like, so no two reading experiences will ever be the same.

Her characters are beautifully crafted. I became so engrossed in their lives that at one point (and I’m not ashamed to admit this) I punched my fist in the air. They are relatable and three-dimensional and when their lives are in danger you find yourself genuinely fearing for them.

The only weakness, I thought, was the character of Grace. A theoretical physicist looking to prove the existence of ether, I found her strangely unlikeable.

The chapters concerning her character fell flat, partly because Thaniel is such a fun character to spend time with in comparison. I enjoyed the way their stories twined together, and it is a small complaint, but this is the only part of the novel that I didn’t enjoy as much.

This is, however, a highly enjoyable read. Utterly charming and original, it oozes with atmosphere and is impossible to pin down into one specific genre. Gas-lit steampunk London gives way to the quiet libraries of Oxford University, which in turn moves on to castles in Japan.

Pulley has created a world firmly rooted in the Victorian era but historical details and real events are never permitted to overwhelm the plot.

This book is fun and entertaining but it has some clever ideas behind all its beauty. This is a book that, with all its intricacies and complexities alongside its stunning descriptions, will warrant numerous re-readings. Quirky and just the right side of odd, this is exactly my kind of book.

Grab this book, find a comfy chair, (spend a moment marvelling at the beautiful cover), and settle down for a captivating, gorgeous read.

Thanks very much to Bloomsbury for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.