A tale of the broken heart

Lowly youngsters must evade mysterious and tenacious villains in Plieseis' YA SF/fantasy, the first in a series. Orphan Kristane and her twin brother, Xander, belong to a group of thieves. The teen and tween pilferers--collectively known as the Rogue--pick pockets around Kairos, a bustling, steampunk-like city of automatons and clockwork machinery. They return each day to their glass-domed "Attic," located somewhere in an abbey, where their mentor, Rellion, collects the goods they've stolen. Rellion seems to harbor secrets; when cloaked figures suddenly storm the Attic, Rellion fights them off, somehow knowing they're plotting to "awaken" someone. Surprisingly, these menaces also want the heart-shaped necklace Kristane has always worn. She and the Rogue flee to hide out in Kairos and its tunnels, but answers as to why these shadowy "Forgotten Ones" are chasing them are frustratingly hard to come by. Complications only pile on as various enigmatic individuals enter the narrative, from a prisoner that Rellion visits to the eccentric boy following the Rogue who consistently refers to himself in the third-person. Plieseis delivers sublime worldbuilding. Lyrical prose elevates the story, limning intermittent action scenes and vividly describing the "musty" tunnels, an ominous ever-present fog, and the dance of clockwork marionettes. At the narrative's helm is the charismatic Kristane, who shares a seemingly unbreakable bond with Xander but likewise cares for every one of the Rogue. Tension runs high throughout as Rellion and the kids evade Forgotten Ones and Kairos' law-enforcing Briggers. Why all of this is happening is something characters either don't know or won't explain, leaving readers with cryptic passages concerning both the past and "some of what is to come." One crucial element, though, is thankfully clarified well before the end, further boosting an already marvelous character and beefing up the sequel-teasing denouement. Razor-sharp writing and an unforgettable cast propel this delectable steampunk adventure. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.