The Clockmaker's Apprentice

In the quiet town of Oakhaven, eleven-year-old Ollie spends his days scavenging gears and springs, nursing the hole left by his missing father. But when he discovers a mysterious brass gear etched with strange symbols, his world shifts forever. The trail leads him to Merriweather's Clockworks, a wonderland of whirring automatons and ancient secrets-and to a gruff, brilliant clockmaker who sees potential in the lonely boy.

As Ollie trains under Mr. Merriweather, he learns that Oakhaven's magnificent clock tower-the Great Regulator-isn't just a monument. It controls the flow of time itself, and it's breaking down. Temporal dust clogs its heart, warping hours, stealing moments, and threatening to unravel the town's future. To save everything he loves, Ollie must brave the tower's labyrinth of gears, decipher a centuries-old riddle, and confront the darkness hidden in its depths.

Lyrical, heartfelt, and filled with steampunk adventure, The Clockmaker's Apprentice is a middle-grade fantasy for fans of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Nevermoor. Step into a world where time is alive, gears sing, and courage is the key to setting everything right.