The Nightsilver Promise (Celestial Mechanism Cycle #1)

In an alternate London where the rule of Great Dragons has been displaced by Celestial Physicists—scientists who bend space and matter to their will—white 13-year-old Paisley Fitzwilliam awaits to discover which “track” destiny has in store for her. Though most children are told their fates in childhood, gaining a pattern of constellations on their wrist that maps out their future, Paisley has so far gone unmarked. But finally, she learns a horrifying truth: the stars foretell that she will die before her 14th birthday. As her time ticks down, Paisley must find a way to keep her younger brother Dax, who is Dragon Touched, safe from being hunted as a “half-breed.” Meanwhile the Dark Dragon, an ancient evil, works to bring back the reign of dragons—seeking to destroy all that Paisley holds dear in the process. Avery’s debut paints an imaginative portrait of steampunk London, complete with floating boroughs and aerocopter transport. Though flat worldbuilding sometimes undercuts the fast-paced narrative, and a lone brown-skinned character is presented as more icon than nuanced being, Paisley’s warmth and intelligence shine through this exploration of fate’s inevitability and the conflict between science and magic. Ages 8–12. Agent: Helen Boyle, Pickled Ink. (Feb.)