The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon

The Expeditioners #1

by S.S. Taylor

Computers have failed, electricity is extinct, and the race to discover new lands is underway! Brilliant explorer Alexander West has just died under mysterious circumstances, but not before smuggling half of a strange map to his intrepid children—Kit the brain, M.K. the tinkerer, and Zander the brave. Why are so many government agents trying to steal the half-map? (And where is the other half?) It’s up to Alexander’s children—the Expeditioners—to get to the bottom of these questions, and fast.

Genres: Adventure, Middle Grade, Steampunk, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

S. S. Taylor has been fascinated by maps ever since the age of 10, when she discovered an error on a map of her neighborhood and wondered if it was really a mistake. She has a strong interest in books of all kinds, expeditions, old libraries, mysterious situations, long-hidden secrets, missing explorers, and traveling to known and unknown places.

Reviews

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really WANTED to like this book. It has all the makings of an incredible story: steampunk, gadgets, exploration, an alternate world with reinvented cultures. Alas the execution left a lot to be desired.

First off it was incredibly boring. The words literally put me to sleep - it was terrible! I can't even imagine what it will do to those kids who don't like reading on the best of days. Part of this is the very lack of personality that the characters portrayed. They just felt flat. I did like Kit and Zander and MK seemed different from him but only the slightest. Reading was incredibly easy but it also felt all the same and run together. There should be exciting moments and action moments and moments of depression. Ups and downs.

Second, not much happened. They did get from point A to point B, and they had a few obstacles, but there were convenient helps along the way to the point I already knew the kids would have zero difficulty getting out of their troubles. I never once feared for the characters, worried or even applauded! That is deeply troubling.

I DID really love the look of the quartz and gold city in the cliffs. I say look because I got very little culture or society. The animals they came into contact along the way were also probably the best used element of the story. Tex was a neat twist but it would have been more effective if I cared a whit about the man! I did like how Sukey was introduced and came to join them though she lost a lot of her personality once she became their friend, friend. Halle was really interesting if flaccid but she was just a giant hand moving the kids around the city so they couldn't have contact with anyone else!

I loved and adored the exploration idea and that the government was exploiting the new lands. LOVED the maps and that their dad hide them with clues and past experiences so only his kids could figure anything out. I just wish there were better motivations developed for why things happened and especially why the father had them make dangerous and pointless journeys where the men that killed him might possibly kill his children!

***I do recommend they book for middle grade readers who might be able to imprint themselves on the weak characters and enjoy the ride.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. At first it reminded me of The Golden Compass - then I learned that both books are in the "Steam Punk" genre. The Expeditioners is smart, intriguing and absorbing. Both my ten-year-old and I loved it. The illustrations are amazing. I have rarely held a book that so beautifully balances story and image. A real triumph.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through the Goodreads First-Reads giveaway program. My copy is an advance uncorrected proof and although it's definitely a little rough around the edges, I enjoyed the story and the artwork. The steampunk / dystopia / alternate history / adventure story sucked me in and I think The Expeditioners could become an engaging middle-grade series. In a way, this novel kind of reminds me of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket in that the story revolves around 3 smart siblings each with distinct characteristics, skills, and personalities trying to uncover past secrets surrounding their parents. Overall, I really liked it and I would be interested in checking out the final copy coming out this December and the potential series it could become.

[Laudys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I won this book in a giveaway

Another series I'll be gladly following!

The West children are exceptional. Bright and cautious Kit, brave and stubborn Zander and the ferocious, mech tech genius M.K. have been cautiously groomed by their dad to make up the perfect expedition ensemble and now they are off in an adventure of their own!

I liked this book all the way. From the very distinct illustrations to the fast paced plot, I knew it was a keeper from the very beginning.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year ago I didn't even know of the existence of the fantasy or science fiction subgenre "steampunk." Lately I've been reading quite a few that fall in that category. This science fiction steampunk novel looks to the future when the world is running out of resources and humans have turned to steam-engines for transportation and other technology. In "The Expeditioners," the gadgets and dirigibles are fun and seem impossible but in a world with Gryluminum, (a play on the word, aluminum), it is easy to envision sleeping bags that can fold into small squares, along with parachutes, and rafts. It is a material that exists in the future that makes the impossible, possible.

Thirteen-year-old Kit West is accosted at the market by a man with a clockwork hand that gives him a map. Kit's father disappeared three years ago and he is living alone with his fourteen-year-old older brother, Zander, and ten-year-old sister, M.K. Kit is an expert cartographer, taught by his father while Zander is a fearless adventurer that knows more about animals than is normal for a someone his age. M.K. is a mechanic that is more aggressive than her brothers. She can sense danger and acts quickly or brashly. She swears and sounds like a kid that has lived too long on the streets without adult supervision. You don't usually see swearing in a middle grade book, but it seems to work with M.K. Life hasn't been easy for her and she's a tough hammer that stands up for the group like a German Shepherd dog protecting its territory which just so happens to be her brothers. She might be the youngest of the trio, but she's the one that bludgeons the agents that come to their house when they threaten to take Kit's mysterious map. She can take down a lion and rescues her brothers several times on their adventures. When Kit determines what the map is, the three take off on an adventure that has them fighting for their lives against others in a race to find a lost treasure.

The name of their parrot is "Pucci," a shortened version of Explorer Amerigo Vespucci, but also sounds like the pet endearment "poochie." However this is no sweet "poochie" of a parrot with its deadly metal legs and talons that were once used to drop bombs on enemies. Not that the parrot is used for that anymore. Zander rescued it from a cat that was making a meal out of it and nursed it back to health. It's high intelligence and ability to fly helps the Expeditioners out of some tight spots. Along with Sukey, an expert pilot and independent thinker. She becomes embroiled in the West siblings adventure when she helps them find some answers. She also rescues the boys a few times as well. I appreciate authors that go against stereotypes and create strong females.

Steampunk tends to lean toward the unbelievable and it is a fine line the author walks when making the story plausible. S.S. Taylor not only does it well, but weaves cartography and government attitudes of colonialism creating a futuristic world full of possibilities. Having just read "Mortal Engines," by Philip Reeve, I can't help but see similarities between the two in terms of political groups that believe in preserving the environment versus those that feel they have the right to take anything they want whether that means relocating natives, exploiting natural resources, or silencing opponents. The Expeditioners must decide between fame and preservation. Doing the right thing can get murky when lots of money is involved. Power is shown to corrupt government leaders making their decisions based on self-interest and money versus human impact.

The world building shows how the people in power making all the decisions oppress the majority of the populace that is starving and running out of water. One of the villains has an action at the end that shows he is not completely bad. Either he has a guilty conscience or he wants to keep a close eye on the West children. It teases the reader into wanting to get the next book to see what happens. Don't miss this treasure hunt.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think steampunk now has a cousin. I'm not sure what you would call that cousin - explorationpunk? - but THE EXPEDITIONERS AND THE TREASURE OF DROWNED MAN'S CANYON definitely shares blood with steampunk. There's the alternate history aspect. In the Expeditioners world, there was a certain machine that never existed in our world. The machine eventually led to the discovery of new lands and a longer-lasting age of imperialism. There's the fashion aspect. Explorers wear vests equipped with all sorts of nifty gadgets. But The Expeditioners is a different beast. No steam in sight.

Kit, Zander, and M. K.'s father, Alexander West, recently went missing and is assumed dead. But they knew where their father intended to go, and it wasn't where the government told them he died. When a mysterious man delivers a book to Kit, government agents start poking around the kids' business. In turn, they decide to investigate their father's belongings more closely. There's half of a map that's clearly important, and no one can decode Alexander West's secrets better than his children. They set out to find the other half of the map and go to where it leads.

THE TREASURE OF DROWNED MAN'S CANYON will appeal to fans of adventure stories. There's a nice balance in genders - once the children meet up with Sukey, there are two girls and two boys. Sukey and M. K. are just as tough as the boys and both have important skills that aid the group's quest. (No, neither of them are medics.) Kit, the brainy one, is also the narrator. Thus, I think girls and guys can enjoy the book. But THE TREASURE OF DROWNED MAN'S CANYON goes deeper than most adventure stories and asks questions about who owns the treasure. It seems like The Expeditioners will be a series not only interested in unexplored places, but also the people who live in those places and what will happen to them if they are discovered.

But that doesn't mean THE TREASURE OF DROWNED MAN'S CANYON avoids the tropes of adventure stories. There are lots of puzzles, and I love a story with puzzles. There are chase scenes and crash scenes and scenes with newly discovered species that are not friendly. I was, at points, strongly reminded of Jules Verne. And in my opinion that is a good thing.

Katherine Roy's art will help to draw in readers who might be daunted by the size of the book. (320 pages at a larger-than-standard trim size.) Her style is quite geometric and stylized, but not in an offputtingly arty way. The way she shades reminds me of topographic maps, which is quite fitting in a novel where cartography plays a large role in the plot.

I think THE TREASURE OF DROWNED MAN'S CANYON was a good beginning to the series. I felt like the characters fit fairly stereotypical roles, but there's room for growth. However, other parts of the novel were very developed. S. S. Taylor spent a lot of time developing the Expeditioners' world, and I'm eager to see more of it. The novel certainly ends with an interesting change in the Expeditioners' lives. (The next book might involve boarding school! I love fictional boarding schools!) I'm also intrigued by the fact Alexander West may be alive and hiding. The Expeditioners seems like it will have a strong story holding together the separate adventures, something I am definitely in favor of.

I liked this one, and strongly recommend it. Partially because in addition to a fun story the book is really pretty. And the cover turns over to become a poster! Who doesn't love posters?

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through Goodreads's First Reads program, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Orphans battling the odds, using above-average wits and survival skills to solve a puzzle? That's right up my alley! (I was all about The Boxcar Children as a kid, then A Series of Unfortunate Events ten-ish years ago...it's no surprise that I liked The Expeditioners.) There were a couple of spots where I felt that the plot dragged and it was a little *too* clear that I was being given background information, true, but overall I thought that the introduction to a new world (similar to our own in many ways and yet so, so different in others) was done smoothly enough. One of my favorite things about this book is how it makes learning seem worthwhile: each of the three West children has a special interest that is unique and timeless and proves useful in their quest. These are kids who maintain a sense of wonder when exploring their world, and I found that refreshing in a world where kids spend more time texting their friends than talking to them. I can only assume that this is the first book in a series, and I'm hoping that it's not too long before the next installment is released!

Edit: Oh, shoot! I just realized that I didn't comment on the artwork. It fit beautifully with the story, and I loved it for its simultaneous detail and simplicity. I know that I received an uncorrected proof, so I hope that this will be remedied before the final publication, but there was one instance in which an illustration appeared before the text and it gave away a bit of the scene to come. That's easily remedied by switching pages, so I'm not too worried about it. All in all, the art was an excellent complement to the storyline.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.S. Taylor has done an extraordinary job creating this mystery/adventure/fictional tale. I absolutely LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!! Every person in the whole entire world should read this awesome book!

[Lindsi (Do You Dog-ear?) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading The Expeditioners with my son and we both enjoyed it. Although, I do think he liked it more than I did. I found it hard to suspend my disbelief when three kids were taking on tasks that were wholly unbelievable at best. I wish their dad's friend had stuck around after their impromptu visit, but he didn't show back up until the end. There were very convenient solutions to all of their problems that seemed to appear out of nowhere (like a flamethrower or a boat), and the author's explanation was basically a utility vest. How did the vest work? How did the mechanics allow for the seemingly impossible to happen? I wanted to better understand the story and the world Taylor had created.

I will say that the illustrations were amazing. My son would always hop out of bed to study them more intently. They really added a whole other level to the storytelling that we both found interesting and engaging. I also liked the secret code and wish the reader had played more of a role in deciphering it. Unfortunately, it's like we're on the outside looking in and experiencing everything secondhand. I wanted to feel like I was uncovering hidden truths alongside Kit and his siblings, not as a bystander waiting for something to happen.

Three very young kids managed to travel all over the world, survive on very little food and water (if any at all), and all of the problems resolved themselves quickly and without much effort on their part. I also think the author was trying to insinuate a potential relationship between Kit (I think he was 14) and a girl that joined their group about halfway through. It felt awkward and out of place in the story, especially when his older brother also seemed interested.

Speaking of girls, both brothers drooled over a different girl later on and it was weird and uncomfortable. The sting of jealousy their friend experiences also felt out of place given their dire circumstances. Their comments about her beauty were off-putting and didn't feel natural at all.

The entire ending felt rushed and someone's death felt forced into the story instead of happening in a believable way. We were also given very little background information on the person to make their story and personal history relevant to the events that take place. It felt like the author wanted to end this book just to set up the second, and I wish more time had been spent developing the characters, world, and how everything in it worked. I shouldn't still feel confused at the end.

Overall, it's a fun story. However, it's not a series I will be continuing. My son might decide to pick up the next book on his own, but he hasn't asked about it yet.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siblings Zander, Kit and M.K. West have been on their own ever since their dad died while on an expedition. Their father was the famous explorer Alexander West with the Expedition Society. He was a map maker who helped map many of the New Lands when they were discovered. The New Lands opened up new resources for a world that had run out. People are no longer dependent on technology but have reverted to steam machines again. The Bureau of Newly Discovered Lands controls all the expeditions to and the wealth from the New Lands. They cleaned out the West house when the dad died and have been watching the kids. One day in the market Kit is handed a book from another explorer from his dad. He is told to keep it secret and it is a good thing because BNDL is at the house when he returns looking for it. The map is half a map to Drowned Man's Canyon and a hidden treasure in gold. The kids head to Arizona to discover why their dad left them the map. They are helped along the way by another child of an explorer. They are followed by BNDL who wants to get their hands on the treasure. What they discover will change how they think of the world and their father.

This was a fun steampunk adventure story. I enjoyed the fact that it was all about maps and figuring out how to read them. Kit is the map expert in the group. Zander as the oldest likes to think he is the leader, but it is more Kit's show than anything. M.K. was a delight; a tough girl who loves machines and tinkering with them. Their friend Sukey is a pilot and helps them escape the BNDL. I like the thought of undiscovered lands in our world but am not really sure how that would work. In the book it is because the Mueller Machines controlled the maps and they just didn't show these lands, but you do wander how no one really noticed them. There is a lot of mystery about the dad and what he was really up to and whether he was part of a secret society of mapmakers. There is a lot of adventure as the kids make their way across the country pursued by BNDL and as they follow the map to the treasure. This is the beginning of a series so the ending leaves the story open for further adventures.

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review at Cracking the Cover
Read Cracking the Cover's interview with S.S. Taylor

Computers have failed. Electricity is no longer used. The world is bigger and more complex than originally thought. A whole new profession of explorers has evolved, mapping undiscovered lands and discovering new species of plants and animals.

Among those explorers is the brilliant mapmaker Alexander West. His maps and discoveries are world-renowned. And now he’s dead, and the events surrounding his demise are anything but clear-cut.

Alexander left behind three children: Kit the brain, M.K. the tinkerer and Zander the brave. He also left them a secret map — well half of a secret map — that could change their lives forever. It’s up to the three siblings to decode their father’s message before the wrong people get their hands on it.

“The Expeditioners” is an exciting ride from beginning to end. I love author S.S. Taylor’s idea of unexplored places right under our noses.

Steampunk imagery combined with James Bond-like gadgets really help round out the book, but it’s the characters that bring it fully to life.

Middle-sibling Kit becomes the voice of “The Expeditioners” giving familial insight with a slight bias. It’s just the right edge to lend emotion and likability to the West family. While the siblings are brave, vulnerability also shines through, making them feel both real and relatable.

“The Expeditioners” is a fast 384 pages — I read it in one sitting — that’s a perfect choice for either girls or boys looking for a new series that will keep their attention. I can’t wait for the next book.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

2014-15 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee. My first thought was WOW - steampunk for MG! That alone would earn it 4 stars as there is so little of this genre at this level. Then I arrived at page 28 for the first swear word, used appropriately, not gratuitously. However, this was a 10 year old character speaking these words (hell, damn mostly). I realize that some students hear these words, and worse, all the time at home and other places and perhaps even use them themselves. When I encounter books with even mild cuss words I warn the students that they are there in case that would cause the book to be an inappropriate choice for their family's values. I've never had a complaint, which makes me wonder if the reader even noticed or got that far in their reading.

That said, it was a great Indiana Jones type of adventure, a real action movie in my head. I loved the cliff dwelling scenes, reminding me of my trip to NM this summer. There was a bit of pro and con around an imperialism theme, wondering if young readers would notice that. The ending felt a bit open ended, will be more adventures for the Expeditioners? Best for 6th grade and up.

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this story had some cute moments and creative descriptions of places, but somehow it didn't all gel into a fun adventure for me. there's a bunch of kids living alone in a sort of dystopian/Hitler-salute steampunk society where parents die/disappear mysteriously. we're introduced to the idea of explorers; after people discovered that computers lied to them about the borders of the world, people stopped using computers and started going places (on zeppelins and robot horses), discovering new continents and animals and plants. there was a lot of, like, we line jackets with the fur of this animal, but it felt like noise because it's basically just renaming something that already exists. I also felt like the pacing of the adventure (following clues across the country) was kind of off. the denouement was abrupt and somehow undermined the severity of the kids' plight while escalating the villainy of the villains. it was kind of weird? but, I can see imaginative kids really enjoying the fantastical elements of this and reading it as an introduction to steampunk.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before this book I thought we had discovered pretty much all that there was to discover; was I ever wrong! Part steam-punk, part dystopia, and all adventure, the world has been found to be larger than anyone has ever believed and Explorers bring back new creatures, foods, and discoveries, but at what cost?

America is without electricity or computers and people travel by dirigibles or iron horses (literally!). The President is a ruthless man who everyone must listen to . . . or else. Famous Explorer Alexander West is dead under mysterious circumstances and three children are not doing well when a mysterious quest comes their way. What in the world is going on?

*Just finished re-reading it (7/12/15); it's the bomb! Starting 2nd book....

[Erin Pauley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific story for treasure hunters and adventurers! For me this was definitely a case of judging a book by it's cover because I fell in love with the illustrations first and foremost. If you liked Treasure Island you will love this story, it is very straightforward and a little simple but I think that's what I liked most about it. I would absolutely recommend this book and will be reading the next one in the series soon!!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this steampunk YA novel. The world as we know it has collapsed. New explorers have discovered unknown lands and animals and peoples. The gadgets are fun. The children are spunky. I would not say this book changed my world, but I will pick up the second one and give it a read. It was also a quick read which is a relief among the heavy books I often find myself bogged down by. I would recommend this novel to any 10-13 year old or any adult who just wants to have some fun.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first began this book I loved it. Now, my love lessened over the course of the book, but I still enjoyed it. It ended well and set up a possibility of a series. Good for kids who like codes, maps, secret passage ways and adventure-mysteries.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

While somewhat intriguing, I am not a fan of most steampunk or alternate histories and the personalities of the kids didn't grab me either. I didn't finish with so many other more promising things to read.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: Thoroughly enjoyable from tip to toe with rip-roaring action, likable characters, and enough twists to keep you guessing throughout.

[Jack Lyell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I read books and think, "Man, if I had been four years younger, this book would have knocked my socks off."
I'm not sure if this one fits that criteria. I think the prose's general... serviceability... would have bugged me less if I was younger, and the massive leaps of logic it takes would have irked me less, but there's also a lot to appreciate here for older readers with a fondness for children's literature. The Expeditioners is at the very least inventive, constantly brimming with new lore to shove in your face. It spends most of its time balancing its completely impossible premise (suspend your disbelief and you will have so much more fun with this one) and steampunk worldbuilding with moments of character for each moment of the four-person cast. The cast balance is on point. They are not *the* most novel characters in the world but you kind of have to love all of them and their wonderful interests and family dynamic. It's hard not to root for them, and equally hard not to smile.

That said man this book is wack. At first it seems contrived that money/fame is essentially the motivation, seeing as the kids have no idea where they'll go from Azure Canyon, but then you realize they're a product of their broken society. This is especially potent given the ending which I won't spoil but it can't quite read as a happy one even if its presented as such. They know that too. They're between a rock and a hard place.

Yikes!

It's also disingenuous to do any review of this book without mentioning the artwork. It adds to the charm and if the cover was what drew you in, there will be more, but the quality is somewhat variable. The kids' face style is different from that of the adults and as a result a lot of the close ups on them, especially in pictures with the adults or in that one picture that's just Sukey's face, look dorky at best. However the landscapes sell the wonder they're going for and every picture of a certain late-book character is just... mmm. Delicious.

Overall, definitely not a book without its flaws, but it was a fun read with some geniune clout behind it. If you like dystopias where kids have to fight the power this is honestly so much better than 99% of books billed as dystopias. It's just subtle enough.

I want to see where this goes.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although The Expeditioners starts out by dumping a little too much information about the world at once, it evens out and becomes a delightful treasure hunt novel that brought to my mind Indiana Jones, the Uncharted video game series, and Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn. I’m a fan of steampunk lite (“The Steampunk for Kids!” TM) and Taylor does a good job with introducing the world and explaining the differences—although it is, as I said, very heavy in the beginning, and I still am confused about the “how the world got this way” part.

I did like the world and the treasure hunt aspect of the book much more than the characters themselves; Kit had this awful philosophizing first-person voice that I hate, where at any lull of the novel he dwells on something and then goes on and on about it and what it means in the Grand Scheme of Things, and the other characters alternated between flat and semi-interesting continuously. The illustrations are delightful, though, and add a little bit of depth to the treasure hunt/adventure vibe of the book.

There are better treasure hunt books out there, and better steampunk worlds, but The Expeditioners does a good job of joining the two together and getting a decent treasure hunt and a decent—but highly confusing—steampunk world that helped lessen the pain that a handful of fluctuating characters and a waxing philosophic narrator brought.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light dystopia/alternate history with strong characters and a good explorers' yarn. Halfway between Joan Aiken and Lloyd Alexander, I'd say. A world where computers were developed early, and somehow they were used to hide certain areas of the world from US resource-grabbers-- but once the computers (and apparently electricity?) failed, a national explorer society found the hidden lands and opened them up for exploitation.

The Expeditioners are the orphaned children of a (died under mysterious circumstances) Explorer.
But a message from their father sends them to puzzle out a secret that the untrustworthy government shouldn't be let into. Lots of secret gadgets, steam and technology powered cool stuff, and kids on a mysterious adventure-- what's not to like? The 10 year old youngest in the family, a girl mechanic, is especially engaging.

[Stas · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

This book is very tedious. Writing is not engaging, and it reads very flat. It's not bad but few could read the whole thing without losing will to live. By which I mean that this book is NOT to be given to tentative readers of ANY age for fear of driving them away from reading for good.

Too many descriptions. Instead of sketching the author tries to paint. Key word being tries. The overexplanation ruins the premises and is, frankly, off-putting. You know something is wrong if you find yourself wishing for things to actually happen. Few -children and adults both- could make it past the beginning chapters unless they like reading expositions.

It may sound like a splendid adventure in the blurb, but it fails to engage and to excite. Very disappointing.

Would not recommend.
(though it might make a decent adventure on screen)

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite good. I liked the intricate plot, I liked the three main characters and the addition of Sukey and the writing and setting were well-done. I love how Kit, M.K., and Zander are siblings because I really like sibling trios. They reminded me of a younger version of the Baudelaire siblings. I love their loyalty and resilience. I love how they each have three different skills that are all used in the book, and there's no underdog or one sibling who's so obviously better than the rest. I love how they're all equal in a sense. The illustrations in this book also made it so much better and more intriguing. I really liked how the illustrator and the author worked together to make this book come alive. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a stranger hands Kit a map from his late father, he and his siblings must outwit the society of explorers he once belonged to and locate ancient treasure across the country - if they can survive the hunt of a government that will do anything to keep them from discovery the truth first. Taylor & Roy bring readers an intriguing mystery and enjoyably fleshed out steampunk atmosphere, a bit rushed but promising enough for future adventures to come. Can The West family figure out what their father wants them to find before his old allies catch up?

[matteo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good YA adventure story. I'm not exactly a fan of steampunk, but it mostly works here. There are some plot holes, amazingly easy travel sequences, and a cliffhanger that I felt was a little too obviously setting up book 2. The characters were surprisingly not as annoying as I was expecting after the first couple of chapters, although they aren't really fleshed out. I may check out the next book.

[Coral Smith]

In a world with no computers the race to discover new lands is underway. The famous exploreer - Alexander West - has died mysteriously and his children are given a secret map that governement agents are trying to find. The West children embark on an adventure to find their father's hidden treasure while trying to expose bad government agents.

A Indiana Jones tale in book form, a fun, thrilling adventure story.

[Diego Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4
The book started off great: maps, codes, lost treasures! It progressively turned into a travel adventure where the protagonists always seemed to have the right tool hidden in their vests (which were too good to be true), or would have somebody help them overcome whatever obstacles they faced. That second part lacked a little tension, I found, everything was a bit too convenient. Overall a good read, I haven't yet decided if I will continue the series.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adventure series for middle grades. Definite steam punk overtones and fantasy elements. Three siblings set out to follow a map their dad left for them. They defy the government and Explorers to discover the hidden gold and a more important treasure.
Some violence at the end as a man is shot and killed.

[Carol Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, it was an original, exciting adventure/science fiction story. My only real problems were the subplot with the "princess" of the canyon people (the West boys' teenage hormones were too obvious) and the last chapter was rather abrupt. Still, I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.