We’re already excited about 2018 debut books, and Ink, Iron, and Glass is one of the top on our list. Take a look at Gwendolyn Clare’s debut below, complete with cover art by Mike Heath.
Can she write a world gone wrong?
A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother―a noted scriptologist.
But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of pazzerellones―young people with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology―and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.
In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created―and only she can stop it.
“Not gonna lie, I gasped when I saw the custom typography for the title — I’m a bit of a typography nerd, and the fine detail that went into each word is just stunning,” said Clare. “The three materials listed in the title represent the three sciences in the book, so I love that this aspect is prominent. The Glass especially looks almost tactile. I also love the inky, smoky color palette, which gives such a sense of depth and mystery. The architecture and the flourishes have a very Old World historical feel, with hints of fantasy mingling with technology, which is perfect for Ink, Iron, and Glass.”
Ink, Iron, and Glass releases on February 20th.
