Authors: Beth Cato

The Clockwork Crown (30 page)

This was my first
sequel novel and my first book written under contract. It was all kinds of terrifying. I'm grateful to so many Âpeople for their supportive woots, advice, and animated cat gifs. I can't name everyone, but I do want to give some shout-Âouts.

To the awesome writers who critiqued the manuscript and made it a much better book in the process: J. Kathleen Cheney, Rebecca Roland, Rachel Thompson, and Rhonda Parrish.

My thanks to everyone at Codex Writers for giving me space to rant, rave, and celebrate. I'd feed you all cookies if I could. Sara Dobie Bauer deserves special kudos for enduring my babbling in person.

Crystal Light with caffeine boosted my mana when I needed it most. Hooray for grape and strawberry-Âflavored power-Âups!

My gratitude to my superagent, Rebecca Strauss, and the team at DeFiore and Co. I always know you have my back.

Everyone at Harper Voyager has been so supportive. I can't thank you enough. Deep appreciation to my editor, Kelly O'Connor, and my publicist, Caroline Perny. You're better than maple fudge. That's saying something.

I have the most awesome and pleasantly eccentric family ever. My love to my mom, dad, and brother Scott. Porom the cat has been my loyal footstool through all my drafts. Thanks to my husband, Jason, for putting up with me, even if I turn into a frothing madwoman during revisions. As always, love and hugs to Nicholas.

Finally, I want to acknowledge my cat, Palom, who was the inspiration for Leaf. Cancer stole away the loud, nosy, extroverted cat I love so much. He deserves some immortality.

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

Beth Cato hails from Hanford, California, but currently writes and bakes cookies in a lair outside of Phoenix, Arizona. She shares the household with a hockey-Âloving husband, a numbers-Âobsessed son, and a cat the size of a canned ham.

Follow her on Twitter @bethcato.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
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.

P
RAISE FOR
B
ETH
C
ATO'S
C
LOCKWORK
D
AGGER SERIES

“Beth Cato's
The Clockwork Crown
is a satisfying follow-up to
The Clockwork Dagger,
each twist of the action pulling me deeper into the story. These are books I'll be recommending to friends, both teenagers and adults.”

âLaura Anne Gilman, author of
Silver on the Road

“Beth Cato handles this heady mix with a fine sense of language, emotion, and event, making the whole thing flow more like a force of nature than the work of a first novelist.”

â
Locus

“[
The Clockwork Dagger
takes an] intriguing approach, and a rewarding one. [It] is set in a completely fabricated universe rather than an alternate version of our own. This makes for some dazzling, uniquely detailed backdrops. It also frees Cato from having to haul around the Victorian Era's real-world Âbaggageâand it helps level the playing field for those who aren't as familiar with steampunk's particulars.”

â
Entertainment Weekly

“
The Clockwork Dagger
was just what I needed: A steampunk adventure with an uncommon heroine, a fascinating magic system, and a young gremlin! I'm hooked and can't wait for more Octavia and Leaf!”

â
New York Times
bestselling author Kevin Hearne

“This rousing tale . . . keeps itself grounded with a story as disarming and forthright as its appealingly capable heroine. . . . Ample action and a delectably delayed romance propel the story toward a riveting finale, marking Cato as an author to watch.”

â
Publishers Weekly

“Not only does Cato create an intriguing universe, but she also develops a one-of-a-kind, kickass heroine who is determined to forge her own path. Adventure, magic, unexpected romance and heart-breaking betrayal all combine for a thrilling tale.”

â
RT Book Reviews

“The action is pretty much nonstop in this debut steampunk fantasy. . . . Although readers will enjoy the satisfying climax of this adventure, there is plenty to the plot for a sequel from promising novelist Cato.”

â
Library Journal
(starred review)

“As a piece of genre fiction,
The Clockwork Dagger
works on two levels: It doesn't assume that the reader has any familiarity with steampunk, yet it hits all the high notes that steampunk fans crave. Then it pokes those tropes to just the right degree. It's an action tale that's as thought-provoking as it is rollickingâand a statement about how heroes don't always fit our definitions, nor should they.”

âNPR

“Full of magic and steampunk adventure, Beth Cato's
Clockwork Dagger
will delight fans of Meljean Brook's Iron Seas series.”

âNicole Peeler, author of the Jane True series

“
Dr. Quinn
meets
Dreadnought
in this thrilling, delightful tale combining the political stakes of epic fantasy, the airships and corsets of steampunk, and the heartwarming joy of romance. Excellent fun for lovers of Cherie Priest and Scott Westerfeld.”

âMichael R. Underwood, author of
Geekomancy

“Airships, assassins, pulp writers, and an independent, appealing heroine:
The Clockwork Dagger
is an exciting debut full of mysterious magic, forbidden romance, and adventure at 5,000 feet.”

âTina Connolly, author of
Ironskin

“
The Clockwork Dagger
had me at hello and kept me with unexpected twists, intriguing magic and splendid betrayals. At the satisfying conclusion, my immediate impulse was to inquire in tones of gentle inquiry, when do I get to read the sequel!?!?”

âC. E. Murphy, author of the Walker Papers series

“A light read that . . . may offer an interesting new world to readers who enjoy the flavor of steampunk fantasy and soap-opera intrigue.”

â
Kirkus Reviews

A
LSO BY
B
ETH
C
ATO

The Clockwork Dagger

C
REDITS

Cover design by Richard L. Aquan

Cover illustration by Gene Mollica

C
OPYRIGHT

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE CLOCKWORK CROWN.
Copyright Â© 2015 by Beth Cato. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

FIRST EDITION

Harper Voyager is a federally registered trademark of HarperÂCollins Publishers.

ISBN
978-Â0-Â06-Â231398-Â0

EPub Edition June 2015
ISBN
9780062313997

15 16 17 18 19
OV/RRD
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

A
BOUT THE
P
UBLISHER

Australia

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www.harpercollins.com.au

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