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  • The Clockwork Key by Vashti Hardy book cover
  • The Clockwork Key by Vashti Hardy book cover
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The Clockwork Key

by Vashti Hardy

A relic hunt for a lost clockwork town

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A relic hunt for a lost clockwork town

Mabel and Will Greystone join their aunt Lucy, a relic hunter, in a search for Umber, a town renowned for inventing clockwork and abandoned centuries ago. An ancient map points the way, while a mysterious key left by Umber’s last inhabitant offers another clue. Their rival, Byron Cogsworth, is also pursuing the discovery, hoping to claim its glory. The setup brings archaeological exploration together with steampunk fantasy, giving the quest both a historical puzzle and a race to reach the lost town first. The key’s purpose—and the secrets it may open—remain central questions of the adventure.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 9–12 interested in fantasy adventures
  • Readers who enjoy archaeological exploration and relic hunts
  • Steampunk fans drawn to clockwork inventions and mysteries

Themes

Exploration and discoveryClockwork inventionsRivalryUnsolved mysteries

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A super-readable and accessible adventure that is a fun melding of archeological exploration and steampunk.

Mabel and Will Greystone are looking forward to an exciting trip with their aunt Lucy, a renowned relic hunter in the land of Marvolia.

Using an ancient map, they are searching for the legendary lost town of Umber, famous for the invention of clockwork, which was mysteriously abandoned hundreds of years ago. The only other clue they have is a strange old key left behind by the last inhabitant of the town, but they have no idea what the key is for.

Also on the hunt for Umber is devious Byron Cogsworth, who is desperate to claim the glory such an important discovery will bring.

Can Mabel, Will and Aunt Lucy find Umber before him? And what secrets will the clockwork key unlock?
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