The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2)

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross is the second book in her Steampunk Chronicles.

The characters fans loved in the first book - Findley, Emily, Sam and Griffin - are on their way to America to find out what happened to their friend Jasper Renn.

Jasper was arrested in London and transported to New York. But when Griffin asks after him at the jail, it appears that the men who collected him were not the law. They work for a criminal, Reno Dalton, who is holding Renn's ex-girlfriend hostage.

Years ago Renn stole something for Dalton and instead of turning over a potentially dangerous machine to a dangerous criminal, Renn took it apart and hid the pieces around New York City. If Renn does not retrieve them, Mei Xing will be killed by the clockwork necklace locked around her throat.

Cross has written a story that takes readers through the seedy streets of 1897 New York. Fans of steampunk will love this series.

Cross, Kady. (2012). The Girl in the Clockwork Collar. New York: Harlequin Teen.

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1)

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross is the first book in her Steampunk Chronicles.

Finley Jayne works as a lady's maid. And she is about to lose another job. When the young man of the household makes unwanted advances toward her she defends herself.

Later that night as she is running through London trying to decide where to go - she cannot go back to her (now ex-)employer's house - Griffin King hits her with his velocycle.

When she wakes up she does not know where she is - but she will find out that she has finally found people like herself. People who will understand the problems she has been having - namely, that her personality is split in half and when she is threatened her darker half takes over to protect her.

Together, Griffin King, Finley Jayne, Emily O'Brien, and Sam Morgan will use the science and skills at their disposal to bring the halves of Finley into harmony. They will also have to work together to find The Machinist who is using automatons to attack people.

Cross has created a fabulous steampunk history of London. Based on the idea that a primordial goo had been found that emits energy as well as healing flesh, Cross's world is both advanced and exciting. Fans of steampunk will rejoice in this new series.

Cross, Kady. (2011). The Girl in the Steel Corset. New York: Harlequin Teen.