Механическое сердце

The blend of historical and fantastical elements created a rich world. I'm curious how much of that was planned from the start or evolved during writing.

The inventiveness of the clockwork animals made the world feel alive. How did the author decide which inventions would be central to the plot?

There were times I felt the story was light and fun, but also heartfelt and intense. Was that a conscious choice to keep readers engaged on multiple levels?