The Inventor's Secret

January 20, 2014
Setting her self-described steampunk novel in an alternate 1816 in which the American Revolution failed and an insurgent war against a brutal British regime persists, Cremer (the Nightshade series) subverts the genre’s typical Victorian conventions with varying degrees of success. Sixteen-year-old Charlotte lives with her brother and other exiled children of Resistance fighters in the Wildlands outside the Floating City of New York. The appearance of an amnesiac boy with apparent ties to the city provides a reason for Charlotte to join an expedition to the glittering metropolis, affording Cremer opportunities to dress her heroine in silken finery and nurture a love triangle. Though a few inventions (e.g. the Floating City’s Great Wheel) inspire wonder, much of the technology feels too advanced a mere 40 years post–Declaration of Independence, distracting from the more intriguing political ramifications and cultural developments of this divergent timeline. Cremer handles the fantastical elements far better, hinting at rather than telegraphing the “secret” of the title. In revealing it, she sets herself up for a sequel that could be more cohesive than the series opener. Ages 12–up. Agent: InkWell Management.

January 15, 2014
Paranormal-romance queen Cremer (the Nightshade series) tries her hand at writing steampunk with an alternative-history twist. The year is 1816. The British have won the Revolutionary War, enslaved the Americans, and turned Boston into a prison and New York City into a socially stratified power center. Giant, robotic Imperial Labor Gatherers and man-eating rats terrorize the population. A colony of teenage resistance fighters are hiding in a remote maze of caves in the New York Wilderness. Tomboy heroine Charlotte rescues a mysteriously invincible but amnesiac boy, nicknamed Grave, and brings him back to the Catacombs. The plot thickens when fellow rebel, tough guy Jack, turns out to be the disgraced son of an elite admiral who holds a powerful position in Empire society. Piloting the made-for-movies Dragonfly, a fanciful insectlike aircraft tricked out in brass and leather, Jack flies Charlotte and her companions to the multilayered Floating City. There, disguised as aristocrats and servants from the islands, the rebels attempt to infiltrate the establishment and solve the mystery of Grave. Charlotte's steamy romantic intrigues with Jack and his Machiavellian brother dominate much of the action, leaving some plot details frustratingly opaque, including the titular secret itself. The cliffhanger at the conclusion of the novel clearly anticipates a sequel. On balance, it's an entertaining romp in a richly imaginative setting. (Steampunk. 12 & up)

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March 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Cremer, author of the "Nightshade" books (Philomel), has veered into a new world with this, the first title in an alternate-history series. She combines elements of steampunk and Victoriana to create an America in which the British won the Revolutionary War, descendants of the rebels are forced to labor in indentured servitude to atone for their forefathers' errors, and the children of those descendants are up to their eyeballs in plots against the government. Although the premise is promising, the execution is a bit of a miss. Character development is superficial, and a lack of historical context will exasperate readers. Most distressing of all is the female lead, Charlotte, who spends more time dithering over potential love interests than she does infiltrating the enemy and marshaling her troops. Teens who have come to expect strong female characters such as Katniss of "The Hunger Games" (Scholastic) and Alexia Tarabotti in the "Parasol Protectorate" series (Orbit) by Gail Carriger will be disappointed. Snappy dialogue and proficient world-building won't be enough to draw in kids.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 In this steampunk world, the British have won the Revolutionary War, and they are not making it easy on the losers. Deep in the forest lives 16-year-old Charlotte and her older brother, Ash, who is the leader of a group of young people, children of revolutionaries, who will move to the front at age 18. Coming in and out of their hiding place is handsome Jack, from the upper echelon of society, but who is a revolutionary at heart, and newcomer Grave, saved from the steel Rotpots by Charlotte, but with no memory of his past. Cremer does most everything right here: her fantastical colonial setting is well imagined, the characters have depth, and the adventures are heart-stopping. The romanceand potential entanglementsis predictable fare, but Charlotte is a lively enough heroine to keep the interest of several fellows, and readers, too. Happily, the ending, which mixes machinery and magic, and forces some characters into assuming new roles, will have readers eager to find out what happens next. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Cremer is the author of the international blockbuster Nightshade series. Her legion of fans will be waiting for this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)