Naggingly self-conscious but somehow charming, this urban fantasy revolves around a fast and furious updating of Greek myth. In the distant past, the god Vulcan created a handful of Automatons—metallic but malleable beings capable of soul-sharing with a human being—to serve as protectors of humanity. Now the Automatons are distributed among an eclectic and decidedly eccentric bunch known as the Masters, some of whom are actively plotting against the others. All this is explained later in the book, long after ignorant protagonist Odys Odelyn receives the gift of a sexy copper Automaton and becomes the focus of the other Masters’ suspicions and schemes. It’s obvious that many games are being played at different levels. Unfortunately, the writer is so determined to be clever that interjections and footnotes keep mercilessly pulling readers away from the action. Nevertheless, the complicated story is amusing, and interesting characters do peek out through gaps in the arch-supercilious writing. (BookLife)