Andrea Cremer

In an alternate nineteenth-century America that is still a colony of Britain's industrial empire, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees' struggle to survive is interrupted by a newcomer with no memory, bearing secrets about a terrible future.

The Inventor's Secret

Jessica Nottingham

Coherent review be damned, I'm going to ramble about this book. I was looking for something fun to pull me out of my slump, and The Inventor's Secret worked its magic perfectly! It's a fun, steampunk romp by an author that I already admire. Best of all, the audio book has an amazing narrator who brings these characters to life. Would I have adored this as much if I'd read it rather than listened to it? I can't say. I can say that this audio book took me on a wonderful journey. I'm looking forward to more!
 
Cremer brings to life a world where the British won the Revolutionary War. They control the empire, and everyone deemed unworthy is used for indentured servitude. Living in the catacombs, Charlotte and her misfit group of friends aren't hiding from the outside world. Far from it. These brave kids are doing their part to fight back, to mount a resistance, no matter what it takes. Can I please pause here to make a random point? Andrea Cremer actually explains where Charlotte's family is! Why does this amuse me? Normally we end up with characters are inexplicably on their own. So yes, I was happy to find out that Charlotte and her friends weren't just random orphans. Also, yes, I'm crazy.
 
Steampunk elements anyone? From floating cities, to clockwork robots, to mechanical carriages, every piece of machinery in this book is a delight. One of the things I love about steampunk is the mix between old and new. Seeing a steamboat right along side a pneumatic tube system made me smile. The setting for this book is vibrant, and rich with the type of descriptive writing that makes you feel like you're in the middle of it all. I couldn't fault Charlotte for feeling so overwhelmed with her new surroundings. I was feeling the very same thing.
 
The one piece of this book I couldn't quite get on board with was the romance. Yes, yes I know we all love our little romances. Plus Charlotte is 16, which is well of age to be smitten with boys. This little bookworm only wishes she hadn't been put in the middle of a love triangle. I adored Charlotte as a character, and didn't want to see her feisty personality overshadowed by love troubles. Still, if I had to choose a side? Coe all the way. You'll see what I mean when you delve into this.
 
Which, by the way, you should! Delve into it I mean. I found it a great introduction into a new world, and I'm extremely excited that this is going to be a series! I now eagerly await the next installment.

Megan Vaughn

New from Andrea Cremer, the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightshade novels, comes an action-packed alternate-history steampunk adventure. In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks. The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners, Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan and Phillip Reeve's Mortal Engines. Praise for THE INVENTOR'S SECRET * "Cremer...creates an inventive blend of steampunk and alternative history in this new series. She gives readers a fantastical world with mechanical wonders and an opulent vintage setting. The characters are interesting and well developed. Readers will be drawn to future installments."--VOYA, starred review "[A]n entertaining romp in a richly imaginative setting."--Kirkus Reviews