The Nightsilver Promise (Celestial Mechanism Cycle #1)

About this book

Defy your stars, rewrite the future.

In the empire of Albion, the Great Dragons of old are long gone—hunted for centuries by cruel emperors fearing the power they possessed. Now governed by the science of Celestial Physicists, everyone's life is foretold by the track of stars on their wrist.

When Paisley Fitzwilliam receives her track, she discovers that she is destined to die before the end of her fourteenth turning. Then, when her mother goes missing, Paisley is the only one left who can protect her Dragon Touched brother, Dax, from being exposed as a descendant of the Great Dragons and taken by the Emperor's men.

But an ancient power stalks the sewers of London—the Dark Dragon is rising, intent on restoring the Great Dragons of old at any cost, even if that means tearing Paisley's family apart.

To save her brother, Paisley must trust her instincts and forge new friendships as she attempts to outrun fate itself. Her journey will take her across the floating boroughs of London Above, through a vault guarded by Dragon Walkers, and into the dark sewers of London Below in order to unlock an ancient secret that will not only defy her stars, but will change the course of history forever.

Reviews

“Avery’s fast-paced and inventive novel features an alternate London that runs on clockwork and dragon fire, an Amerika where dragons still roam, and independent boroughs floating above the cities below. The history and philosophy of the empire are astonishingly detailed, and a cliff-hanger ending will send readers scrambling for a sequel.” —Booklist

“Paisley’s warmth and intelligence shine through this exploration of fate’s inevitability and the conflict between science and magic” —Publishers Weekly

“Destiny, science, stars, and a sprinkle of magic.” —Vashti Hardy, author of Brightstorm

“A smart, original fantasy adventure.” —Dominique Valente, author of the Starfell series