Mark of the Dragonfly - review

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

The setting is another world.  A world where the poor live in shanty-like towns and the scavenge from the Meteorite Fields - a specific area where meteorites enter and crash monthly, bringing things from what I can only assume is/was our world.

Weird.

Piper is an orphan with a knack for fixing machines.  Her father died a couple years earlier working in the factories in the Dragonfly territories - where the King is ambitiously working on inventions to explore past the extreme mountains and oceans that have held this civilization back.  In a meteor storm Piper comes across Anna, a girl a bit younger than herself with no memory but the mark of the Dragonfly - and intricate tattoo and mechanical representation of a Dragonfly (I'm not sure what the significance of that was) and of the King's protection.  Thus begins their adventure where they board the 401 - a steam operated train the makes it runs throughout all the territories and Piper's dream to see it all.

Interesting sidetone - I just learned this genre is called steampunk.  Science-fiction that has a historical setting with steam powered machines.  How strangely specific.

What I liked: I liked the combination of magic and skill.  I liked there were some unusual characters.  I liked her penchant for mechanics - the descriptions and detail was different.  But I suppose the most important thing, was the development of characters I cared about - they were sweet and broken and strong all at once.

What I didn't like: Meteors bringing items from another world?   .... meh....

What I would have liked to read:  Wasn't anyone in this world interested or capable of exploring this rip in the sky, this phenomena of meteors, and exploration into it?


Quotes:
"Ms. Varvol took the coat and patched he torn places, all the while looking as if she was secretly planing to burn the garment.

"She'd needed all the skill and experience with machines that she'd gained during her years in the scrap town.  The magic was a part of her but it wasn't everything - her own talents were just as important."