Fires of Invention

Starred review from June 22, 2015
Savage’s Mysteries of Cove series starts with a bang, as 13-year-old Trenton Coleman’s illegal invention is accused of causing a massive power outage in the sealed, steam-powered city of Cove. His discovery of the true cause, another unapproved device, leads him to Kallista Babbage, the creative daughter of a deceased (and disgraced) inventor, and a set of clues that her father left behind. As Trenton and Kallista evade the city government in search of her father’s legacy, Trenton balances school, friends, and his parents’ expectations with his need to discover the truth. Savage (the Case File 13 series) has created an ingenious steampunk world; features like coal chutes and hydroponics bays prove essential at key moments, but it’s the characters that make the world stand out, including Trenton’s anti-technology mother, whose legs were crushed in a mining accident, and his friend Clyde, an artist punished for his creativity. Trenton will be a firm friend to any readers who long to use their talents to make their world better. Ages 10–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.