Readers' rating:
Published May 2014
322 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Born to privilege and gifted in languages and spells, Neil Franklin has planned his brilliant future well. From academic accolades to finding a proper marriage he is intent upon upholding his family name and honor. The sudden death of his parents shatters all of that, leaving Neil and his younger sister beggared and orphaned. When Neil's estranged uncle offers him a bargain that will save him and his sister from debtor's prison or exile, Neil eagerly agrees. Handing over the family grimoire as collateral for his debt, Neil devotes himself to working as a teacher for wayward youth at a boarding school high in the clouds.
But Highfell Hall is not the charity Neil imagines it to be and the young men there aren't training for the dull lives of city clerks. Amidst the roaring engines and within the icy stone halls, machinations and curious devices are at work. And one man, the rough and enigmatic Leofa, holds the key to both the desire that Neil has fled from all his life and a magic as dangerous as treason.
"Starred Review. This is a gripping, beautifully written, and thoroughly enjoyable example of steampunk." - Publishers Weekly
"Delightfully inventive and engaging. Hyde conjures a world I want to visit again and again." - Ginn Hale, award-winning author of Wicked Gentlemen
This information about Highfell Grimoires was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Langley Hyde first fell in love with steampunk while studying at Oxford University. There she divided her time between reading about alchemy and heresy in Duke Humfrey's Library, and visiting London to gawk at Babbage's Difference Engine. Her hobbies include making wire sculptures, talking to cats, and wearing tiny hats.
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