“The story reminded me of a combination of Around the World in 80 Days and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey[.]”

Review by AnnaScott Cross

When Clara Marie Stanton’s ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it’s all Clara can do to protect them from his desperate schemes and society’s prejudice. Her family may be eccentric, yes, but they certainly aren’t insane. Then Clara’s Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.

Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond skilled in repairing clocks, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara’s dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer’s trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself–at any cost.

Release Date: 2/1/2024

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I am writing a voluntary review.

This was a delightful book! I loved the whimsical steampunk style, and the story reminded me of a combination of Around the World in 80 Days and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, which is admittedly sounds like an odd combination, but totally works here.



The Christian components of this story were beautifully done, so that the messages were poignant without being preachy. There were so many quotes that I underlined, some because they were impactful and some because the vocabulary and comedy made me giggle. Here are some of my favorites:



“Don’t confuse the character of your heavenly Father with the voice of your earthly one.”



“I’m not a good Christian woman until after my tea and toast.”



“Almighty had a penchant for answering him with a particularly profane four-letter word. Wait.”



The only two (super minor) downsides of this book is that 1) it took me several chapters to get into the story, and 2) I was expecting more of a Nutcracker tie-in since two of the main characters are named Clara and Drosselmeyer. Overall, it was a delightful read!

Content Ratings:

2. Very mild action (mentions common injuries with some details).

2. Mild content (holding hands and mild kissing).

1. Infrequent substitute cursing (less than 10 "craps" etc.)

Other Trigger/Content Notices:

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