Kristin BaileyRezensionen

The curious, lovely cover made me buy this book. The compelling fantasy drew me in and held me spellbound to the end.

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommend: Yes
Grades: 7-9
Fantasy/Adventure

This sequel focuses on two siblings who have been adopted by a Fairy Queen into another realm. One night, the young sibling, Wynn, is tricked into leaving the safety of the fairies and goes outside the protection of the fairies and is hunted by the antagonist Grendel and his allies. Once Wynn’s brother, Elric figures out she has been lost, he fights to find his sister in the Nightfell Wood. Along the way, both siblings face issues of bullying, standing up for others, loyalty, and doing what is right. Overall, this book has great themes that students can take away from reading the book.

Elric was not a very likable character. He treated his sister, Wynn, with impatience and a lack of understanding. (The author's note at the beginning of the book explains that Wynn has developmental challenges due to Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome.) And, although Ms. Bailey tries very hard not to make it so, Wynn comes across as a "magical idiot". The ending could have been amazing had Bailey left it ambiguous, but, instead, she gave it a Happily Ever After and a forced set-up for a sequel.

This is the third and final book in the Secret Order series by Bailey. This book did a fantastic job of wrapping up this series. I really enjoyed both the series and the conclusion a lot. This has been a wonderful YA steampunk series.

Meg is still training to be an Amusementist and still being hunted by the man with the clockwork face. However she is sick of running. She wants to find her grandfather and solve the mystery behind the man with the clockwork face once and for all. Then Will shows up for one of Oliver’s invention unveilings and he offers his help. Meg is so happy to be able to spend time with Will and they end up on the adventure of a lifetime as they follows clues that lead both to the man with the clockwork face and to Meg’s long lost grandfather.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. There are so many awesome steampunk inventions in these books and they are so interesting.

I also really love the characters. Meg is an awesome heroine; she is still a lady but she is also tough and determined and smart. I really enjoy reading about her as a character. This is a good book for her; she goes through a lot but she has the support of friends to back her up.

Will is in this book a lot more and he has grown a lot as a character. I think him and Meg are great together. I also really respect how they love each other, but have both realized they need to grow up and be stable in their own professions and lives before making a life together. They are smart and make good decisions and are great role models.

The plot is very well done with some interesting twists and turns and the story is wrapped up nicely. There is an Epilogue where you see where all the characters are later in life which I really enjoyed.

Overall a spectacular conclusion to this amazing YA steampunk series. I really enjoyed this series and this book a lot. This book wraps up the story nicely and is full of wonderful steampunk contraptions, engaging characters, adventure, invention, mystery, and some romance. I would highly recommend this whole series to all the steampunk fans out there!

This is the second book in the Secret Order series. The third (and final) book titled Shadow of the War Machine is already out. I adored this book. This was a wonderful YA steampunk novel that I absolutely devoured. There are lots of wonderful steampunk devices, some mystery, and some great action; even a little romance.

After the events in the first book someone is out to kill Meg. She is trying to make the most of life running the toy shop left to her and stealing moments with Will when she can. Then suddenly she gets a chance to follow her dreams; she is offered an apprenticeship as an Amusementist with the Secret Order. However things are not easy for Meg. As the first woman Amusementist apprentice ever she has a hard road to follow. Things only get more difficult when Will decides to take a position with the Foundry in Scotland, not to mention someone is still trying to kill Meg.

I really really enjoyed this book even more than the first in the series. I loved how determined Meg is to work in a technical field and prove herself no matter what the challenges. She was so engaging and easy to relate to and my heart just broke for her as she struggled through day to day life; trying to remember that the knowledge she was gaining was worth all the taunting and sabotage from her fellow male students.

I loved watching Meg learn about all these nifty steampunk elements and make some of her own. I also love the relationship she and Will have. They both recognize that they need to become people on their own before than can be together. I loved that they stick to what they need to feel complete, but still remain steadfast and respectful of each other. It was very sweet and a good example of a healthy YA relationship.

This book did a great job tying up one major plot point while also making progress in the larger story. There is a lot of action and excitement in here woven into all the steampunky goodness.

Overall I really loved this book. I loved the story and the characters and all of the wonderful steampunk devices. I love Meg as a character and her steadfastness to learn and broaden her knowledge no matter what the hurdles. I also love that her and Will have a loving and responsible relationship together. I would definitely recommend this whole series to those who enjoy steampunk reads.

If you are looking for an excellent YA steampunk read I would also recommend Gail Carriger’s books, The Baskerville Affair series by Emma Jane Holloway, The Treasure Chronicles by Elizabeth Jordan, the Clockwork Dagger Duology by Beth Cato and the Stoker and Holmes series by Colleen Gleason.

This is the first book in the Secret Order trilogy by Bailey. The second two books in this series, Rise of the Arcane Fire (in paperback) and Shadow of the War Machine (in hardback), just released in last week. This was a very entertaining young adult steampunk romance and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Meg is left with nothing after a fire consumes her home and kills her parents, nothing but a tarnished pocket watch that she was able to rescue from the wreckage. Meg ends up working as a maid at the house of one of her father’s friends, it’s a strange job since no one is ever in the house but the maids and the cook. The job gets stranger when Meg discovers the pocket watch can unlock many secrets. Meg starts to unravel the secrets and finds that her family was involved in an elite and secret society.

I really enjoyed this book quite a bit. I have had a review copy of this to read forever and I am not sure why it kept getting pushed back on my reading list. There is an excellent mystery and I enjoyed Meg as a heroine. I also enjoyed the male lead in the story, Will.

There is some romance in this story. Meg was the daughter of a well-off man and her position as a maid is most likely temporary, but Will is a stable boy who was pulled off of the streets. After working together to solve these mysteries the two end up having feelings for one another...feelings that Will doesn’t want to act on because he is worried about their future. Meg and Will aren’t necessarily a swoon-worthy couple...but I did really enjoy how they built a relationship over time and how realistic they were about the future.

My favorite part of this book is that Meg basically ends up on a scavenger hunt of sorts trying to find clues on where a horribly dangerous device has been hidden. Each clue she finds leads her to another amazing clockwork device and another clue which leads to another crazy creation. The steampunk creations in the story were very imaginative and fun to read about.

The book was well written and engaging. The story is tied up very well, although there are two more books planned for this series.

Overall I really enjoyed this book it was a fun read and had an excellent mystery. I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt aspect of the story and all the incredibly creative steampunk devices. I plan on reading the next two books in this series. I would recommend to steampunk fans who don’t mind a little YA romance in their steampunk adventure.

There is a great paragraph on page 168 of this novel that captures the main character, Meg, very well.

"Spurred by impatience, I twisted the key slightly in an effort to make the song go faster. If I could open the stone quickly, Will would arrive to see me triumphant. The key was all I had. It was the only thing that made me special"

Meg is headstrong and insecure, which makes for a volatile and sometimes humorous combination as the story progresses.

The world building is good and the contraptions fantastical. I look forward to future books by Kristin Bailey.

The Legacy of the Clockwork Key has one intriguing premise. A young girl who has lost her father and her home and now has become a maid at a home with that is creepy and quite mysterious. Setting out with only clue she is in for one major mystery to solve.

Meg is young and quite naive when it comes to the way of the world. Learning that her Grandfather is still alive and she is not alone as she thought, she sets out to find him. Meg learns that she is a lot stronger than she thought, she makes some new acquaintances along the way that help her in her quest. Will is the stable boy, but he is a lot more than that to Meg as the story continues. I really liked him, he might a little indecisive when it come to Meg, but he doesn’t believe that he worthy of her. Their relationship is rock at best, but I like that it was believable to this era of time.

The other two main characters, Oliver and Lucinda were so enjoyable. They had grew up together and were reunited during Meg’s journey. They have past that have crossed and now are in this with Meg and Will. They were both very interesting and a great addition to the cast.

The world building was one that sucks with all the invention made by the Amusementists, the automatons were everywhere and were a big part of the life here. Following Meg on this journey, there were secrets exposed about her family and Amusementists, and murders being being commited all around them. The mystery alone was fascinating and keeps your interest. The writing was done well with amazing descriptions and likable characters. I do feel that that it read more like a middle grade story but there were a few scenes that were definitely meant for reader maybe a bit older that MG readers. But I have to say that it did surprise me, and I look forward to continuing the story.

Fans of steampunk, historical fiction, adventure and a little romance added in, will enjoy this one. And I recommend picking this one up and giving it a try.

I need to think on it for a bit, so review coming soon!

Wow, a truly marvelously written book! Full of adventure, and written with nary a dull moment. It begins with a bang, and ends with a bang. Although initially I didn't care for Margaret (Meg), as she got bolder and braver, I began to like her more. It's Will that I just can't really fall for. I love that he wants to protect Meg, but I questioned his judgment till the very last chapter. Lucinda and Oliver are absolutely fantastic, and you can't help but fall in love with them. The concept of the Secret Society of Amusementists is absolutely fantastic. And although it is difficult to believe that they were able to remain "secret" despite the monstrosities that they erected in various parts of the country, it is still really interesting to read about their great and brilliant adventures. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is into science, or physics, or even just into really adventurous tales! Loved it!!!

What would you do if you held the key to unlock the most powerful inventions of all time?

In Kristin Bailey’s young adult novel, Legacy of the Clockwork Key, Meg Whitlock believes her life has been ruined after a fire consumes her home, killing her parents and destroying her chance at a respectable future. After having no choice but to work as a simple house maid for an absentee lord, the only thing Meg has left from her previous life is a tarnished timepiece that she recovered from the ashes of her previous home. However, Meg soon discovers that this is no ordinary timepiece—it is actually a mechanical clockwork key that can unlock a series of spectacular, yet sometimes terrifying, inventions that are beyond her wildest dreams.

With the help of Will, a handsome Scottish tinker that she hopes she can trust, Meg embarks on a dangerous journey to determine what this special key has to do with her and her family. Unfortunately, things aren’t always what they seem, and Meg quickly finds herself entangled in the dark and dangerous secrets of a clandestine society of elite inventors—some of whom would stop at nothing to protect their incredible creations.

Legacy of the Clockwork Key is a highly imaginative and refreshingly original story in a market that currently focuses on dystopian and supernatural books. Set in London in the mid-1800s, readers will be immersed in world that simply does not exist anymore, while still touching on themes that are prevalent to today’s young adults—deception, courage, trust, betrayal, and love. With the mysterious and suspenseful plot and the complex relationship between the two main characters, readers will find it hard to put this book down. Furthermore, fans of the steampunk style will appreciate Bailey’s excellent use of description, which allows readers to easily imagine every detail in the magnificent mechanical creations mentioned throughout the novel. All in all, the only downside to this book is the inevitable wait for the next book in the series, Secret of the Clockwork Mask, scheduled to be released sometime in 2014.

Legacy Of The Clockwork Key
By
Kristin Bailey

My" in a nutshell" summary...

Alone in the world, her fortune and family gone, Elizabeth must work as a housemaid in a very unusual house.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Poor Meg...her parents are gone...her house destroyed...she is left alone with only a necklace from her grandfather. But...the necklace turns out to be a key that opens up the most amazing things! And...poor Meg...she is the only one who knows the song and has the flowery key that leads to these amazing adventures!

It sounds wonderful until Meg learns that the members of this secret society...The Amusementists...just may want her dead!

Thank goodness she has Will to assist her. Handsome, honorable Will...to protect her! And possibly to love her? We shall see.

Anyway it's up to Meg with the help of Will and Lucinda and Oliver to stop the evil...she has to destroy the plates that sort of make all of the magical stuff happen. Will she manage this? Will there be a book 2?

What I loved about this book...

It was a truly exciting adventure. The secret little toys that opened up and became scary...it was one adventure...one life endangered adventure after another...I almost wish that there were some illustrations in this book...the Minotaur, the Leviathan, the horses, the bird...oh my they would have been amazing to see!

What I did not love...

I love/hate books that make me read at an almost break neck speed!

Final thoughts...

I loved that this book had a girl as its "warrior". It was a grand reading adventure!

(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)

I feel the need to start this review by saying that Legacy of the Clockwork Key was pure genius. The idea behind the Amusements fascinated me and made me wish they were in real life - which, considering the infinite capability of the human mind, isn't quite a far stretch - but thinking of the danger that Meg and her friends faced, I'm relieved that, for now, they exist only within the pages of this book.

From the first page, I was immediately transported to Victorian London and right into Meg's tragedy of a life. Her parents had just died, leaving her with nothing but the questionable kindness of one of her clockmaker father's old customers, Lord Rathford, who took her into his estate as a maid. It was very different from her comfortable lifestyle she'd been used to, but she knew it was better than starving and shivering in the streets.

This story was a great example of the saying "Some things are best kept secret." Meg was the curious cat, but her want to know the truth was inevitable because she felt like everything was unfairly taken away from her. I admired her, actually, because she chose to go on even when she learned of the imminent danger.

Meg was also smart enough to know and admit that she needed help. Thankfully, she found it in Lord Rathford's groom (as in the one who takes care of the horses), Will. A strong and equally smart orphan, Will was hesitant at first, especially when he finally had to bite the hand that fed him. Meg irritated me when she acted so ungrateful when Will refused to help her any further, but he soon relented and all throughout Meg's adventure towards the truth, Will proved helpful and necessary.

I saw it coming from almost a hundred pages away, but the romance between Meg and Will was really well-developed. It was fun to see distrust and uncertainty turn to loyalty and affection.

Overall, Legacy of the Clockwork Key was an intricate, well-paced, high-stakes adventure story that I really enjoyed. I easily read it in six hours because I just found myself desperate to turn the pages and see what would happen next. The ending satisfied while managing to make me more than curious about the sequel that I'll surely be devouring as well.

MY FAVORITE PARTS were the Minotaur and Icarus' wings.