Fires of Invention by J. Scott Savage - ADVISABLE

Savage, J. Scott, Fires of Invention (Mysteries of Cove #1). Pgs. 312. Shadow Mountain, 2015.

Language: G, Mature Content: PG, Violence: PG

Trenton Colman is creative person with an aptitude for mechanics. He lives in a city known as Cove. Buried below a cave, Cove is anti-invention, anti-creative, and anti-independence. When youth finish school, they enter an apprenticeship assigned by the government, they eat what they’re told each day, and they don’t ask question. Failure to follow the rules results in retraining or, worse, death. When Trenton finds a cylinder of unapproved origin, Callista Babbage, inventor, Leo’s daughter, confronts him. Together, they not only discover clues to an invention Leo was building, but also that something is off about the history Cove has told everyone.  All of which got Leo killed. As the government starts to catch on to what they’re doing, will Callista and Trenton be able to finish finding the clues?  Will they be able to figure out Cove’s dark past?

The plot is slow to pick up, but well developed. The characters’ personalities are a little stiff, but draw the reader into the story with their quirky natures and character growth. With a cliff-hanger for an ending and the promise of something really interesting to come, readers who enjoy dystopian fiction, adventure, and fantasy will enjoy reading this book.

EL. MS. ADVISABLE.

Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.