An outcast is plunged into the heart of a rebellion in the engrossing steampunk fantasy that kicks off the Ironheart Chronicles from Pang (the Abby Sinclair series). In the plague-ridden land of BrightStone, Moon Children like Raggy Maggy are ostracized and forced to struggle for survival in clans. After Maggy stumbles upon an immaculate clockwork dragon and a dead body fallen from Meridian, the technologically advanced city floating above BrightStone, her life is thrown into chaos as she is hunted by BrightStone’s armed enforcers, the Inquestors. Maggy survives a near-fatal encounter with the Inquestors with the help of a fellow Moon Child named Ghost and a Meridian doctor who seeks her help in the brewing rebellion. As Maggy recovers and trains, she learns dangerous secrets about the plague sweeping BrightStone and finds a cause worth fighting for. Maggy is an unlikely heroine, but Pang makes it easy to root for the foulmouthed scavenger. Though many of the story beats read as setup for adventures to come, the unique worldbuilding and impressive character work make this a worthwhile installment in its own right. Readers will be eager to know what comes next. (Self-published)