A Clockwork Heart

August 1, 2013

After the events of A Conspiracy of Alchemists, Elle Chance has accepted her duty as Oracle--maintaining the balance between Shadow and Light--and has married former Warlock Hugh Marsh. The tale should have ended happily there, but wrangling a strong-willed airship pilot like Elle into the role of a titled lady, as Marsh's wife, is proving to be a strain on both of their tempers. Meanwhile, in the shadows, the Clockworker is creating clockwork hearts, and the White Lady is forming an army of Tickers, made up of people pulled from the streets. The danger becomes known to Elle only when she comes home to find Marsh missing. VERDICT This second series installment builds on previous events, expanding and adding to the world and characters Schwarz introduced. It is a bit slower moving, dealing heavily with character development in its first quarter, but fans of the first book will be pleased with this addition to the series.--April Steenburgh, George F. Johnson Memorial Lib., Endwell, NY

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