Cato doesn’t stint on the worldbuilding but always keeps the focus on her richly developed characters. “ Crown draws just enough mysticism to keep its airship-and-industrialization level of technology superbly balanced.t’s impeccably paced and compact, making for a potent conclusion to Cato’s rousing steampunk lf-contained and wholly satisfying.” - NPR Books “A satisfying follow-up that…offers an entertaining, swiftly moving adventure in the company of Cato’s appealing characters.” - Kirkus Reviews “Cato continues to defy expectations, moving the saga toward an unexpected, heartfelt conclusion, and the revelations about Octavia’s abilities are amply rewarding.” - Publishers Weekly

“This sequel to Cato’s amazing steampunk adventure The Clockwork Dagger has all the imagination, treachery and nonstop thrills of the first.Cato and steampunk fantasy are truly an excellent match!” - RT Book Reviews (4.5 stars) Joined by unlikely allies, including a menagerie of gremlin companions, she must evade killers and Clockwork Daggers on a dangerous journey through a world on the brink of deadly civil war. For years, the Waste has waged a bloody battle against the royal court to win its independence-and they need Octavia’s powers to succeed. Eons ago, this land was made barren and uninhabitable by an evil spell, until a few hardy souls dared to return over the last century. But the tree lies somewhere in a rough, inhospitable territory known as the Waste. The truth may rest with the source of her mysterious healing power-the Lady’s Tree. Now, they are on a dangerous quest to find safety and answers: Why is Octavia so powerful? Why does she seem to be undergoing a transformation unlike any witnessed for hundreds of years? Narrowly surviving assassination and capture, Octavia Leander, a powerful magical healer, is on the run with handsome Alonzo Garrett, the Clockwork Dagger who forfeited his career with the Queen’s secret society of spies and killers-and possibly his life-to save her.

Rich in atmosphere, imagination, and fun, the action-packed, magic-filled sequel to The Clockwork Dagger is an enchanting steampunk fantasy, evocative of the works of Trudi Canavan and Gail Carriger.

The clockwork dagger by beth cato