Nearly a year ago Piper's father died from factory smoke poisoning. Since then she has harbored deep-seated anger for the Dragonfly King and her own King of the Merrow Kingdom. The two countries battle over iron - Merrow to build weapons, the southern kingdom to build exploratory ships to spread over Solace. But Piper's life in the far north revolved around those things which fall to the ground from other worlds.
Piper grew up in Scrap Town 16 and is the best machinist there. Her neighbors bring the thirteen-year-old their broken finds and she fixes them. When her friend Michah risks the storm to salvage some of the best scrap available Piper follows and witnesses a caravan being destroyed. In the caravan, she finds a lifeless girl with the mark of the Dragonfly King's protection.
The girl could be Piper's last chance to escape the scrap town. She helps Anna escape the man following her by jumping the 401, a train which travels the reaches fo both the Merrow and Dragonfly Territories. On the train, Piper learns more about Anna and her strange tendency to remember everything. Grudgingly the girls become more like sisters than friends.
When they discover the man chasing Anna is a powerful and dangerous enemy Piper must challenge her tendency toward secrecy to trust the crew of the 401. Jeyne Steel, her fireman, and Gee unite to help the girls discover the secrets behind Anna's amnesia.
This steampunk adventure has touches of romance, danger, and fantasy as Piper learns to find her place and to find a home. Older elementary and middle school readers will enjoy the imaginative adventure across Solace.
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