The thrilling conclusion to two-time National Book Award finalist Laura Ruby's epic adventure through the streets of an alternate New York City.
It was only a few days ago that Tess Biedermann, Theo Biedermann, and Jaime Cruz, along with a mysterious figure from the past, managed to survive an assault on the location of the latest clue in the Morningstarr cipher-and, in the process, made a shocking discovery about their own connection to this one-hundred-sixty-year-old enigma.
Now the friends are divided. Tess and Theo have no idea what the photo they found in Greenwood Cemetery means, but Jaime is convinced that they do, and that they've been keeping their own secrets from him. As the city continues to break around them, suddenly solving the greatest mystery of the modern world seems less important than saving their own friendship.
The stakes of completing the cipher, however, have never been higher. Darnell Slant, real estate developer and owner of all the Morningstarr buildings, knows that they hold one last secret: a power that even the Morningstarrs themselves never revealed. The world has rested on a precarious balance of power for generations; now Slant and his shadowy business partners aim to unbalance it.
It's up to Tess, Theo, and Jaime to uncover the Morningstarrs' final mystery in a desperate attempt to set things right. The world-theirs, and possibly others-depends on it.
- An Epic Steampunk Adventure: As Darnell Slant's hostile takeover threatens to shatter their world, Tess, Theo, and Jaime must race against time to solve a mystery woven into the very fabric of the city's clockwork machinery.
- Friendship on the Line: A shocking discovery drives a wedge between the three friends. With trust broken, they must find a way to work together, because saving their friendship is just as important as saving the world.
- An Alternate New York City: Explore a version of NYC you've never seen before, where history is different, mechanical marvels roam the streets, and ancient buildings hold the key to the future of multiple worlds.
- Puzzles, Ciphers, and Secrets: From a mysterious photograph from the 1800s to a challenge from an unbeatable automaton, the Morningstarrs' final enigma is the most dangerous one yet.
