Book Review: Legacy of the Clockwork Key

Author: Kristin Bailey
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: The Secret Order # 1

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.

When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key that only Meg which unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg has no choice but to follow.

She has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect, and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.

Something in my life had to change, but there was only one thing I could call my own. I pressed my hand to my bib, feeling the broken watch push against my heart as I silently left the room.

He could sit in the dust and dark of the carriage house and rot for the rest of his life. Clearly that's what he wished to do. It was not my place to get in the way of so profound a destiny.

I was the only person who knew the song, who could complete any section of it. I was the master of the key.

Have you ever wondered how great books often slide by you? Yes, well that happened to me with this particular title. Apparently this book was the debut for the author back in 2013 and I just completely missed the memo! However, I am so glad that I found out about it now. This book is full of so much imagination and steampunk that I might explode with excitement before I finish typing this review. Meg’s life has been swept out from under her as we begin the story. Her home has burned, killing her parents, and destroying her fortune and any hopes for her future. But, alas, Meg is a fighter and picks her head up eventually and finds work as a housemaid in Lord Rathford’s mansion. There she witnesses a multitude of strange phenomena and meets some pretty interesting characters as well; the stable boy being one of them. After asking him to help fix her watch, she learns that she possesses no ordinary watch but what is actually a key unlocking her ability to travel through time!

This book is full of action, adventure, and even a secret society! Readers could honestly not ask for any more than what this book offers. Nothing is too clichéd and I actually really enjoyed being able to help Meg search for clues. There were amazing twists and turns around every corner and Meg picked up some pretty interesting characters on the way. I actually found myself more attuned to Will than Meg. It took me a little time to warm up to Meg, thus the four star rating. However, by the end of the book I was happy to understand her a little better and be able to see her in a different light.

I have always said that it takes such artistic skill to be able to create a steampunk world much like the one Bailey gives us in this story. Since starting my blog in 2012, I would say that steampunk is one thing I have been trying to find and read more of, that and New Adult. There is just something about the world of steampunk and all the inventions and uncanny characters that sends a spark through me! I absolutely loved the world and the descriptions that Bailey incorporates in her story. I cannot wait to read the second book!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Simon Pulse in exchange for my honest review***