Bradley J. Birzer included Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart's collaboration, Clockwork Angels: The Novel, among the best books he'd read in 2012 recently for Catholic World Report. Birzer wrote, "part pure adventure and part classical myth, the Anderson-Peart story is a fairy tale in the best sense of the word, Tolkienian and Chestertonian.  I loved the album, and I think I loved the novel even more."