The Girl in the Clockwork Collar
Kady Cross
Harlequin Teen, May 22 2012, $17.99
ISBN: 9780373210534

In 1897 Finley Jayne and her “straynge” friends (Lord Griffin King, Sam Morgan and Emily) travel on Griff’s airship Helena from London to New York to help their friend Jasper Renn out of a nasty predicament. Dalton captured Mei Xing in order to get to her boyfriend Jasper, his former felonious associate. The crime king placed a clockwork collar on Mei’s neck so that if Jasper fails or betrays Dalton, she dies as the gizmo will turn into a choker. He orders Jasper to retrieves the parts of a machine if he wants his beloved alive and well.

The English visitors begin a quest to save Jasper while also rescuing Mei. They seek the machine parts and look for a means to rid the clockwork collar from around Mei’s neck without harming her. However within the team emotions run high. Sam may be more mechanical than human but his heart works as he has fallen for Emily who loves him. Griff loves Jasper but fears she will return to the dark side while he falls deeper into his need for the Aether.

The second Steampunk Chronicles historical fantasy (see The Girl In The Steel Corset) is a superb thriller that hooks the audience when the Helena flies over late Victorian Manhattan, which anchors time and place in the Cross alternate world. Action-packed but character driven
as the team struggles with emotions that could betray the mission, teen readers will appreciate the exhilarating The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

Harriet Klausner