Ink, Iron, and Glass
by Gwendolyn Clare
Synopsis:
A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother―a noted scriptologist―constantly alters and expands their reality.
But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology―and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.
In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created―and only she can stop it.
Review:
Elsa is a scriptologist, like her mother. So when her mother is taken, Elsa is the best person to fix the damaged world books and find her mother.
Ink, Iron, and Glass is the first in a unique, steampunk duology for young adults. The worldbuilding is impressive with alchemists, mechanics, and notably scriptologists who can create worlds from books. I would love to see it fleshed out even more. I would’ve liked to see some more character development. However, this debut was very enjoyable. It’s a fun, fast-paced adventure with exciting twists.