The Girl and the Clockwork Crossfire

Clockwork Enterprises #3

by Nikki McCormack

Since finding the cat Macak, Maeko has gone from living as a pickpocket on the streets of London to becoming deeply enmeshed in rising hostilities between the Pirates and the Literati. All around her, the two warring factions are hard at work looking for ways to destroy each other. Both sides have offered to help protect her loved ones if she does what they want. Meanwhile, things are spiraling out of control in her relationships with her companions, Chaff, and Ash. With the cat Macak as her constant ally, Maeko must decide who else she can trust. Only one thing is certain, she’ll need help to keep from getting caught in the crossfire.

Genres: Steampunk, Fantasy, Mystery

278 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2017

About the author

Outside of her career as an author, Nikki is a professional technical and creative writer, spider wrangler, animal lover, and devoted cat mom. Writing fantasy and science fiction stories has been a lifelong passion since she started her first book about talking, space-traveling unicorns at the imaginative age of 11. She loves to draw on her life experiences, doing everything from wild cave exploration and competitive horseback endurance riding to practicing iaido and archery. Come join her for some grand adventures.

2025 Finalist (4th place overall) in the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Awards (BBNYA) for Child of Vanris.

2025 Finalist for the Ozma Fantasy Fiction Award for Child of Vanris.

2018 Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for The Keeper

2016 Finalist for the Cygnus Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction Award for Dissident

2015 Grand Prize Winner of the Dante Rossetti Award for Young Adult Fiction for The Girl and the Clockwork Cat

2009 Writers of the Future semi-finalist with the short story In Silence Waiting.

NOTE: No generative artificial intelligence (A.I.) has been or will be used in any part of the creation of my books.

Reviews

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maeko must choose where her loyalties lie – with the Pirates or just those she loves. Can she betray her new friends to keep her loved ones safe? New information from the Lits’ secret prison isn’t good and Maeko won’t be able to ignore it.

Maeko only wants to do right by those she loves, but she can’t always save everyone. In fact, those around her seem to get into just as much trouble as she does! Maeko’s love and empathy for everyone around her, even the cat (and so much the cat) is quite endearing. She is a phenomenal person (even for a Rat and a Pickpocket) and a well-built main character. She is loyal to a fault and stubborn and brave.

Macak the cat even gets his own mini chapter in this third book and he’s more important than ever! He is one of my favorite literary ‘pets’ even though he’s more like a sidekick to Maeko. I wish I had a cat that sat on my shoulder and followed me into all sorts of danger!

The story line continues to be amazing and the balance between action and storytelling is perfect. I do wish there was more to the Maeko and her mother story line, but such is the way between parents and their children sometimes.

McCormack is a professional storyteller and I would read anything she writes.

[Bygonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to finish this series ever since I picked up this final book but haven't been in the mood to read it until a couple weeks ago (I got the book probably a year or more ago) since mysteries are not my usual genre. I am so glad I waited until I felt the urge to pick it up, though so I could appreciate it properly. Honestly, this is such a good series, and Clockwork Crossfire is practically a perfect conclusion. It has a great balance of action with mystery and further character development and etc.

I wish I understood better what made Chaff have a change of heart about Maeko, but it's a very small gripe, and I was so annoyed at him for being mad at her in the first place that I actually don't really care lol. Plus, it is completely made up for by so many other things in the book. I was so happy when Maeko figured out what her feelings were for Ash and Chaff and actually chose one of them with no more flip-flopping after that. It felt like a welcome change from the uncertainty and constant back and forth up until the very end that I've read in other love triangles. I really like the sweet romance between Maeko and Chaff as well. I love that in the end, despite his misgivings, he respected her decision to help and did not try to stop her.

She is wonderful and brilliant and stubborn as ever, and I love it, even if sometimes I want to tell her to chill and not put herself and/or Macak in more danger. Speaking of, there were times where I was at first a little cross with Mae for taking him with her, but then he helps out and proves that he should be there, so I couldn't even be upset anymore lol. Macak does take a bigger role in this book, especially towards the end, than I remember him taking in previous books, which is lovely. He even. gets. his own. chapter. Ahhh, that made me so happy! I adore that little Macak chapter, how he thinks, his motivations, just everything about it is delightful.

The last thing I'll say is the final chapters once they arrived in the prison are fantastic. That last bit is so intense, suspenseful, heart-pounding. It's just masterfully done.

[Sherry Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!

Once I started with book one and couldn’t put it down, I knew I had to read book two. The same thing happened and I had to have book three. I love the fact that there was no bad language or sex. It was a great series without it. I’ve already recommended this series to friends.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I've just finished reading all three books in this series. While I enjoy many different genre's I haven't found all that many of the "Steam Punk" gene that really held my attention for long, this series definitely captured and held my attention. Well written with wonderful characters.

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice HEA ending to this trilogy...