The Lock-Eater
by Zack Loran Clark
Intermediate, Middle School    Dial    368 pp.    g
1/22    978-1-9848-1688-7    $17.99
e-book ed.  978-1-9848-1689-4    $10.99

When a gearling (a mechanical clockwork man) shows up at the orphanage in search of an apprentice for his witch mistress, Melanie Gate (an orphan with a talent for ­opening locked things) embarks on the adventure about which she’s always dreamed. Once outside the city gates, however, the gearling, newly named Traveler, reveals that the witch is a fiction, that he himself is far more than the mindless automaton he’d initially seemed, and that he needs a human to front for him. Traveler can’t remember his past, but he’s able to do remarkable feats of magic, and he both teaches Melanie and sets her up to appear to be the magical prodigy Lady Porta the ­Periwinkle, a role Melanie is happy to play. When they run into a real aldermage, however, the man sees through Melanie’s impersonation and blackmails her into using her talent to steal a hidden treasure. Strong themes of belonging and identity inform the narrative: Melanie is torn between her drive for excitement and her longing for the warm and cozy friendships she made at the orphanage; Traveler questions how “real” he is and fears being used as a weapon. Both characters’ origins have roles to play in a conflict between two magical factions, and Melanie’s fellow orphans swoop in for a rescue at just the right moment. Although lighthearted, this inventive fantasy nonetheless plumbs areas of darkness and loss, with those serving as a bracing counterbalance.

From the March/April 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.