Out of the Shadows — Dana Fraedrich

When the Allens rescue Lenore from certain torment, she's offered a new life, a life that can save her from the underworld of crime in which she's forced to live. The universe is keeping score, however, and Lenore isn't the only one caught in this web of debt. Can she truly escape her past when it comes to find her or will she be drawn back into the darkness?

Homeless, orphaned, living in secret as a thief--Lenore Crowley just wants to survive, but the city of Springhaven has no sympathy for cases such as hers. She chose her path, and the consequences are hers alone. Being caught would mean certain death; her odds of survival are beginning to look bleak. When she meets the Allens, she's offered a new life. In a world where debts and oaths carry very real weight, however, this second chance comes at a price. Lives entangle, and Lenore soon finds that her secrets aren't so secret. Someone is looking for her, someone who knows who she really is. One wrong move and everything around her might fall.

Fans of the Parasol Protectorate and The Finishing School series by Gail Carriger, Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix, and A Natural History of Dragons and the rest of the Lady Trent Memoirs series by Marie Brennan will delight as this new Victorian era reminiscent world unfolds for them. A multi-layered steampunk fantasy realm of history, subterfuge, colorful characters, potential, and lost magic and technology promises to entrance readers of all ages.