Metal & Lace Books
Seventeen-year-old Vivienne lives in a world of knights and ladies, corsets and absinthe, outlaw magic and alchemical machines. By day, she is lady-in-waiting to the future queen of Camelot--Guinevere. By night, she secretly toils away in the clock tower as apprentice to Merlin, the infamous recovering magic addict. Then she meets Marcus, below her in class, destined to become a knight, and just as forbidden as her apprenticeship with Merlin. When Morgan le Fay, the king's sorceress sister, declares war on Camelot, Merlin thinks they can create a metal beast powered by steam and alchemy to defeat her. But to save the kingdom, Vivienne will have to risk everything--her secret apprenticeship, her love for Marcus, and her own life.
In the aftermath of Morgan le Fay's war on Camelot, the once great kingdom struggles to rebuild. Knights scour the world, attempting to restore the Round Table's glory by locating Avalon and the Holy Grail before the dreaded Black Knight can do so first. Vivienne, Merlin's former apprentice, toils in secret day and night on orders from the Lady of the Lake to build an aeroship. The Lady has seen the future and promised that the ship will ensure Camelot's knights succeed in their quest. But when a company of knights goes missing―including Owen, Vivienne's brother, and Marcus, her beloved―Vivienne changes the plan and commandeers the aeroship for a rescue mission, altering the fates of all involved. Now, the Lady sees danger in Vivienne's future. And for Marcus, either betrayal or death. Praise: "Rose's story line integrates the tales of Camelot and the Holy Grail, which could intrigue fans of myth and legend."― VOYA "Spunky heroine, complicated back-story, noble quest . . . Fans of either steampunk or Arthurian stories will enjoy the blend." ―School Library Connection
It all ends in a grand, sweeping, soaring finale—Vivienne has lost all she holds dear, and the only way to fix things is to steal a dark spell as Merlin urges her on, one that could finally set everything right. But thievery of such dark magic might come at the cost of Vivienne’s very existence.Camelot’s quest to claim the Holy Grail before the monstrous Black Knight will only grow more desperate from there. A battle in the skies has erupted above Jerusalem, a violent clashing of Spanish rogues, Irish Druids, and Azur’s warriors all seeking the mystical chalice. The clocks are ticking, the Black Knight’s aeroship is unstoppable as it soars toward Avalon, and Vivienne risks becoming the next Morgan le Fay if she can’t beat the monster there first.