Shadow of the War Machine

The Secret Order #3

by Kristin Bailey

Meg finally finds the answers she’s been searching for in the thrilling and action-packed conclusion to the Second Order trilogy, set in steampunk Victorian London.

Meg has come a long way from her days as a lowly housemaid, driven to learn the truth behind her parents’ murder. She’s since discovered that they were part of the Secret Order of Modern Amusementists—an underground society of inventors. Determined to reclaim her heritage, she joined the Amusementists as an apprentice, but that hasn’t brought her closer to the man responsible for the loss of her the man in the clockwork mask.

Now the man in the clockwork mask is coming for her. But Meg is tired of being hunted and she intends to become the hunter. The truth about her family is out there, and she will find it. With Will, the boy who holds her heart, Meg embarks on an adventure that takes them far from the cold London winter and into the heart of France.

But the City of Light is filled with dark shadows. There’s a plot afoot that could turn the tides of a terrible war, and cost the lives of millions—that is, if it doesn’t take the lives of everyone Meg holds dear, including her own.

Genres: Steampunk, Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Young Adult Fantasy

449 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2015

About the author

Kristin Bailey grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in California. As a kid she enjoyed visiting the beach, camping and skiing with her two brothers.

Now she is a military wife and mother of two young children. She is also terrible about spoiling her pets. She has one fluffy mutt, two cats who think they own the world, and a fish tank with a quartet of fat fish, and two secretive striped ninja-assassin snails.

In the course of her adventures, she has worked as a zookeeper, balloon artist, and substitute teacher. Now she enjoys writing books for teens who enjoy mystery and adventure as much as she does.

Kristin loves hearing from readers but asks that all Goodreads messages stay on the subject of books. E-ARCs are available through Edelweiss.

Reviews

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely epic conclusion to a fantastic series, Shadow of the War Machine was simply amazing. With lovely romance, shocking secrets, unexpected twists, and enough thrills to keep me on the edge of my seat, this book was wonderful and I absolutely loved it!

Meg once again proved how strong of a heroine she was. Even in the direst situations, she wouldn't admit defeat. She was tough, clever, and had grown into an admirable character that I really liked.

After Will having been absent for most of book 2, I was happy to see more of his in this book. He was just wonderful. He was clever, resilient and a more worthy man than he believed himself to be. Not to mention he was so sweet and devoted to Meg. I absolutely adored him.

The romance was lovely. With Meg and Will together, it was clear to see how much they cared for each other, even if it meant having to wait to truly be together. They were a perfect couple.

The plot was fast paced and I was completely hooked the entire way through. There were so many twists along the way, tons of thrills, and plenty of surprises. The reveal of who the culprit behind all the threats took me by surprise, especially with how it connected to Meg's family. I loved the story and the ending was just perfect.

Shadow of the War Machine was a brilliant ending to the Secret Order trilogy. Filled with romance, thrills, secrets, and surprises, this book definitely doesn't disappoint. Fans of the series, you will love this book. And, YA lovers, this is a series you won't want to miss.



*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My actual rating is probably a 3.5. Overall I enjoyed this series quite a bit. The best part is the character of Meg, who is smart and resourceful and funny and independent.

However, in this book, she missed something extremely obvious only to put herself in danger and get caught. I saw that coming from a mile away and it seemed a little out of character that she didn't notice it.

Also - the secondary characters were in and out. They were crucially important in the second book, only to appear at the beginning and end of this one. Because they weren't around much, I had forgotten who they were.

Overall I liked this series. Not sure if steampunk is really my thing, but this was interesting enough and I liked the character development of Meg so I stuck with it.

[Lígia Bellini · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to give 3 stars, but i decided to give 2. Because of the steampunk concept is so perfect on the series, i would have give 3 stars, but i think, that the true reason behind the whole mystery evolving Meg, her grandfather and the man with the clockwork mask is soooooo silly and soooo weak, that it was a boring end!! And to get worse, so many lives are lost, because of a mad woman with a broken heart!!! Meg's grandfather was such a coward and because of his stupid actions, so many bad things happened! At least, Meg is brave and smart! And thanks to Will, together they reunite the Amusementist and save the world! But sadly, it wasn't that great reading, i was expecting!

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third and final book in the Secret Order series by Bailey. This book did a fantastic job of wrapping up this series. I really enjoyed both the series and the conclusion a lot. This has been a wonderful YA steampunk series.

Meg is still training to be an Amusementist and still being hunted by the man with the clockwork face. However she is sick of running. She wants to find her grandfather and solve the mystery behind the man with the clockwork face once and for all. Then Will shows up for one of Oliver’s invention unveilings and he offers his help. Meg is so happy to be able to spend time with Will and they end up on the adventure of a lifetime as they follows clues that lead both to the man with the clockwork face and to Meg’s long lost grandfather.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. There are so many awesome steampunk inventions in these books and they are so interesting.

I also really love the characters. Meg is an awesome heroine; she is still a lady but she is also tough and determined and smart. I really enjoy reading about her as a character. This is a good book for her; she goes through a lot but she has the support of friends to back her up.

Will is in this book a lot more and he has grown a lot as a character. I think him and Meg are great together. I also really respect how they love each other, but have both realized they need to grow up and be stable in their own professions and lives before making a life together. They are smart and make good decisions and are great role models.

The plot is very well done with some interesting twists and turns and the story is wrapped up nicely. There is an Epilogue where you see where all the characters are later in life which I really enjoyed.

Overall a spectacular conclusion to this amazing YA steampunk series. I really enjoyed this series and this book a lot. This book wraps up the story nicely and is full of wonderful steampunk contraptions, engaging characters, adventure, invention, mystery, and some romance. I would highly recommend this whole series to all the steampunk fans out there!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first book, the sexual tension between Meg and Will was well carried out. In the second book, it was barely-there. In Shadow of the War Machine, it is simply tedious. Bailey spends the first half of the book reminding us every five minutes of the fragility of Meg's reputation and how she and Will can't be alone together because they have no control over their teenage hormones. *rolls eyes* I really think, hormones or not, anyone in a life or death situation is not going to be sidelined by the fact of a hemline above the toe.

I enjoyed the series as a whole, but Legacy of the Clockwork Key is definitely the strongest of the trilogy. Shadow left a lot of questions unanswered, not least of which was David: Do you mean to tell me that he just gives up in his pursuit of Meg? Without another woman to take his affections? I'm sure a lot happened in the intervening four years between the story's end and the epilogue's wrap-up, but it felt unanswered to me.

Additionally, Meg's grandfather had a lot to answer for by the end of the book. And where is this supposed wealth that her parents had amassed? And I still don't understand why Meg and Will couldn't be married why she was still an apprentice. Sure, it would have gone against societal mores, but that doesn't really seem to stop Meg.

Read the rest of this and other reviews at The Bookwyrm Abides. New posts every Tuesday and Thursday!

[Chelsea Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended the trilogy thinking this should not have been three books. The mystery surrounding her grandfather isn't a strong enough plot to carry three books. The conclusion to those mysteries also became abundantly clear early on in this book. Once I'd figured out all the motives behind the characters I was almost bored. Book one and three should have been one book. Book two could stand alone, or drive a new plot to lead into book three.
I will say her ending the love trianle right away was appreciated!
I still enjoyed the characters. I still read for the happy ending I knew would come. However, the satisfication was missing that comes from ending a series.
Again, it is a fun read, predictable, but I don't regret the time spent. 😊

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit scattered, character development and tying up various different plot lines happened in a crammed in sort of way. Not too fond of the reveal of the villain, either. But a fun steampunk romp with plenty of action, nonetheless.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. It had old mixed with new and even mentioned the civil war in this book. I really liked the characters and the chemistry that they had with each other. A fun read.

[Chloe Blanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

if there was any way to rate a book above a 5 i absolutely would!!!

[Sandy Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT ENDING!

[Summer Magyar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful completion to the story!

[Delia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Emiliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Не чета много често стиймпънк, но тази поредица ми допадна.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

My beloveds x3

[Marley · Rating 4 out of 5]

the end was a complete surprise with the fight Seane
and then graduation. The book was like the agency and enola homes

[Angela Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping plot line; could not put the book down

[Thais Rivera]

Its a good book i like it

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book of the series. It ran on a bit in places, all the books did, but it truly was written beautifully.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow of the War Machine is a perfect conclusion of The Secret Order trilogy that takes all the elements of the previous two books that worked, sheds the ones that didn't, and adds new elements to create a satisfying final installment. This book managed to completely succeed my expectations, which were already very high after its surprisingly good predecessor. The plot picks up a few months after the end of the second book. Meg is no closer to finding her grandfather and discovering the identity of her parents killer. She does know that the man who has her grandfather is her parents killer. As the mysterious man that is behind Meg's problems escalates his harassment of her, Meg decides to take matters into her own hands, Meg travels to Paris with Will to uncover the truth. There she discovers a shocking secret that will change everything she thought she knew. This book fixes the main problem of the last book, which felt like a filler episode of a TV show. It significantly raises the stakes of the story, making to much more compelling. Meg's character development in this book brings her arc full circle. This book also cleverly attaches its plot to actual history, with the Civil War playing a key role as a motivating force in the plot. There are several well done twists that change the story without contradicting previous facts, which is an impressive feat for a YA plot twist. Overall, The Shadow of the War Machine ends the trilogy with a bang rather than a whimper. Anyone who enjoyed the first two books will absolutely adore this one.

[Cassie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadow of the War Machine provided an EPIC conclusion to one of the best steampunk series I have read to date. Ms. Bailey has always impressed me with her wonderful steampunk world, and this book is no exception. She once again, swept me into her wonderfully unique and creative world that I never wanted to leave. There is romance, action, adventure, and twists and turns that will leave your head spinning like a broken automaton. What's not to love?!

Meg has always been a favorite character of mine, especially because she has always been such a strong lead. If it's possible, Meg is even stronger. She has truly grown over the past 2 books, and she comes into her own in this novel. Meg doesn't back down, and goes to great lengths for those she loves. She is willing to sacrifice anything and everything to find and bring down the Man in the Clockwork Mask, and this constantly reminded me of how brave and strong she is. Will, who was absent for the majority of the second book (*sob*), is back and better than ever. He is utterly swoonworthy, and you can feel how much he loves Meg. Will was clever, dependable, and went to any lengths to help Meg accomplish her goals. He is the perfect man in every way. Meg and Will's romance is sweet, and never over the top. It never overshadows the story, and Ms. Bailey did a wonderful job at creating the perfect balance.

There are some new characters as well as the return of some other favorites. Ms. Bailey did an extraordinary job at introducing these new characters, and made them feel as if we have known them for the entire series. The writing in this novel is perfect, and I can't wait to see what Ms. Bailey writes next. She has accomplished what few authors can do...write one of the best steampunk books. What I love the most is that this is a good introduction to steampunk for newcomers. The steampunk is never excessive. There is the perfect amount that will satisfy fans of steampunk, and not scare any newcomers off.

Shadow of the War Machine was truly a fantastic finale to The Secret Order series, and I was extremely satisfied with the ending. While I am sad to see these characters go, they will always have a place in my heart. There are so many shocking revelations that this book will continuously keep you on your toes, and make you fly through the pages, desperate to see how it will all end. Ms. Bailey is an author to watch, and I am excited to see what her next book is about!!

Happy reading :)

[The Twins Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review can originally be found at The Twins Read.

It's time for the hunted to become the hunter. Meg is sick and tired of living in constant fear and worry, she's determined to put an end to the man in the clockwork mask's diabolical scheme and his reign of terror.

Let's cut to the chase. The ending? Lacklustre. Anticlimactic. I seriously did not expect it to end this way. The villain turned out to be textbook, a little boring and one-dimensional. I mean having read the first two books and finding myself quite invested in the story, this is just incredibly disappointing.

The romance? Meh. The truth is, after the first book the romance kind of just sizzled out and I couldn't bring myself to cheer for the Meg and Will any longer. It was like now that they're together the tension and sparks and heat between them just disappeared. Woohoo! Together forever, who cares about keeping the sparks/love/lust alive? Don't get me wrong, Will is Meg's rock, her pillar of strength, but he kind of had more similarities with a rock than with an actual human being. He was that boring! I can't even remember what role he played anymore.

The characters? I would have liked them to be fleshed out more. I mean it's the last book in the series! Better end it with a bang, right? But as I was reading this, I found myself slowly losing interest in everyone.

One thing I might have slightly enjoyed were the twists the author introduced in the story. And the battle scenes. Although truth be had the battle scenes were kind of wrong, like they didn't quite fit the story. It's like when you're playing tetris and you get the Z shaped block and you're going all "This should fit here but somehow it doesn't ohmygosh I don't get it!!!!" Well. That's just me probably but seriously there was just something strange about the battle scenes, like they were somehow forced so characters could be killed off and voila! They lived happily ever after.

So to sum this review up -the last book in The Secret Order series was very disappointing. I wish it would've ended with a bang, but I guess not. The characters were boring, the villain was textbook and everything was wrapped up in a cute little bow.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long journey

Book Review: Shadow of the War Machine

What stared out sad when Meg was left alone and broken, The Shadow of The War Machine took her in a journey. A long path from London to France in search of her Papa, she grandfather. Will, her rock had kept a good steady ground for her to stand on as she trips and falls through tunnels, ladders, psycho uncles and crazy old ladies. She's been tossed, probbed, ship and hurt in so many ways it seems she would break before she found her Papa. What turned out to be a game of cat and mouse, she fell into Clue, a mystery of her Papa's past and the almost war machine that would devastate the world and cost many their lives. Through think and thin, her friends had been there for her, some lives lost, other found family and happiness. Although the struggles and the journey was. Continuous even with snags surprises along the way, I did fall bored at some point and too breaks. Book one was slow moving but it set the stage and characters were building. Book two was a continued adventure that needed and extension, an expansion of fun and exciting new machines to wow me. Book three was stretched on a long journey that I didn't feel the pull of constant attention. But non the less I enjoyed the story, the plots, especially the characters which was hard to ignore. Everyone was special and had a good place in the book. Although we went from a simple flower key to battling mechanical monsters to a clockwork masked villan, the time setting and everything else was good and interesting. I found book three slow but I enjoyed it. Endings are always sad and good but I wouldn't change this one.

[Katharsys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm quite a fan of The Secret Order series, and Shadow of the War Machine is a satisfying conclusion to the series. I really admire Bailey's writing; she knows how to write epic scenes!

It took some time for me to really get into this book. While I was glued to Rise of the Arcane Fire, Shadow of the War Machine begins with a hunt for the villain, and I'm not really interested in all of the running around. Once Meg (the protagonist) finally faces the villain, everything got a lot more interesting.

The climax is especially exciting and epic, which I can't help but love. The author doesn't go over the top, but she keeps the stakes high and the readers on the edge of their seats. Bailey is definitely another one of my favorite authors and someone I aspire to be like in my own writing.

As far as the characters, I love Meg and how devoted she is to her own dreams. No matter who is offering, she will not marry right away because it would jeopardize her apprenticeship. She is adamant about it through the whole series; I admire that. I think her relationship with Will is sweet and one of the better romances I've seen in YA.

Another problem is that we did not see much of Josephine. I won't say much about who she is, because I don't want to spoil anything, but I feel like she played an important part in the story and it would have been nice to get to know her better. It seemed she was a character added for convenience rather than improvement of the story.

Overall, Shadow of the War Machine was riveting and a gratifying conclusion to one of my favorite series. I would recommend The Secret Order series to any fan of fantasy and steampunk.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last night when I finished reading this, I gave it 3.5 stars. But on reflection, I'm downgrading that to 3 stars.

This was...fine? I mean, as far as the big finale climax goes, it was a little lacklustre. Meg continues to be a fun character who's not afraid to stand up for herself and go against social expectations. And I was thrilled that Will played a pretty big role in this book after his off-in-Scotland status in book 2. But. A lot of the time, this felt more like the middle book of a series rather than the finale. There was a decent chunk of wheel spinning at the start, followed by a decent chunk of action. Then it felt like it stalled again once they hit Paris - although the appearance of Gustave Eiffel was a fun addition.

And then the big action packed battle happened so quickly that it seemed like it was basically a way to injure, maim and kill off certain characters. But it all happened so fast that I didn't really have a whole lot of time to process any of it. And then boom, we were straight into an epilogue that wrapped everything up.

So yeah. It was fine. But it wasn't especially memorable.

[Liz Calderone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this series. Meg and Will were great characters and a cute couple they were good for each other balanced each other out and cared for each others well being plus there relationship was realistic for the time that the book was set in through the ups and downs. I loved Will he was protective without being possessive he truly cared for her safety above all else. I liked Meg as well she was a very spirited character smart and determined even if it gets her into trouble she always try's to do what is right, though she had few immature moments that's only due to her being young in the time of age she was in she grew as the series went which was nice to see. Even though each book had a different villain it was well connected as Meg continues her search for her grandpa and in how the mystery of the clockwork mask man is finally solved. I really liked this series and hope to see more of this author.

[Rachel Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A glorious and epic ending to one of my favorite steampunk ya series ever! I started this one night and was so mad at myself because I had to go to work the next morning and I couldn't get back to Meg and Will. I just love their story and this book had plenty of scenes with them together. I loved that Meg didn't compromise for anything to get her happy ending despite society's constraints on her and that Will was a strong enough man to accept her for who she was and to wait patiently. Once again the details in the gadgets, machines, and automatons was perfection and I could definitely see this being made into a movie or tv series, but please don't because it will probably ruin my vision of the characters. I can't wait to see what this author writes next

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is rare that I find a trilogy where all the books are worth reading and where each can stand alone as a complete story; this is that trilogy.
A 19th century London and France; a young apprentice and her societally-unacceptable amour; a group of inventors, the Amusementists, who use their creativity for the enjoyment and betterment of man; and the mad evil-genius who wants to take over the world, or in this case, America.
These stories have it all, from fantastical inventions to a not-overplayed, chaste, love story. The characters keep you engaged and caring about them. The action is non-stop and varies in each story. Each book leaves you wanting more.
If I had to provide one let-down, I would say the ending of the final book was overplayed and became a bit tiresome to read.

[Bruna Bellini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy all this series!
One of the best steampunk's books! But the last one, was a little bit disappointing, to me.
The reason for all the actions of the villain it was too weak!
Meg was always such a brave and smart person, but in this book, it was kind of the opposite. I mean, she felt too easy in the trap of the villain, here!
Something that really annoys me, it was Meg's worry about her reputation, all the time! I mean, she already makes part of the Amusementist, so, i don't think she would care much for a reputation!
Anyway, as always, the story is full of adventure and surprises!
The end had an epic battle and good ending! It was a worth reading.

[Eireann Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot possibly give this book higher praise or a stronger recommendation. Kristin Bailey has done an absolutely marvelous job. The stakes continue to grow, throwing readers into heart-racing, fast paced thrills and dangers that will have you just as fearful and excited as the characters themselves. The descriptions written in black ink truly come to life off the page in full color pictures as you forget you are reading. The story is gripping, captivating, and will have you hooked from beginning to end.

[Nana Firus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful conclusion to The Secret Order. Though the book isn't 100% complete yet and changes may be made, the adventure was wonderful. It was more tense than the previous books and although it gave many new questions to be asked, it finally gave us answers to many that have been looming. Deceit, danger, betrayal, fear, and a long-sought reunion is what you will face along with Meg as you read this book. I'm glad to have the chance to have read it early.