Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

It is the summer of 1892, one year since Sophia Tims and her friend Theo embarked upon the dangerous adventure that rewrote the map of the world. Since their return home to Boston, she has continued searching for clues to her parents' disappearance, combing archives and libraries, grasping at even the most slender leads. Theo has apprenticed himself to an explorer in order to follow those leads across the country-but one after another proves to be a dead end.

Then Sophia discovers that a crucial piece of the puzzle exists in a foreign Age. At the same time, Theo discovers that his old life outside the law threatens to destroy the new one he has built with Sophia and her uncle Shadrack. What he and Sophia do not know is that their separate discoveries are intertwined, and that one remarkable person is part of both.

There is a city that holds all of the answers-but it cannot be found on any map. Surrounded by plague, it can only be reached by a journey through darkness and chaos, which is at the same time the plague's cure- The Golden Specific.

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

RAVES FOR THE GLASS SENTENCE A National Indie Bestseller A Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices Selection A Kids' Indie Next Top Ten Book A Publisher Weekly Flying Start A Washington Post Summer Book Club Pick A Junior Library Guild Selection One of Publishers Weekly's Best Summer Reads An Amazon Editor's Pick, Summer 2014 STAR "Brilliant in concept, breathtaking in scale and stellar in its worldbuilding; this is a world never before seen in fiction . . . Wholly original and marvelous beyond compare."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review STAR "A thrilling, time-bending debut . . . It's a cracking adventure, and Grove bolsters the action with commentary on xenophobia and government for hire, as well as a fascinating system of map magic."--Publishers Weekly, starred review STAR "A mind-blowing debut . . . The bookmaking behind this first novel is as elegant as the maps within it." --Shelf Awareness, starred review "I loved it! It's filled with fabulous, interesting ideas. Amazing!"--Nancy Pearl, NPR "I am in no doubt about the energy of S. E. Grove as a full-fledged, pathfinding fantasist. The Glass Sentence is named "Book 1." I look forward to the next installment to place upon the pile. Intensely." --Gregory Maguire, The New York Times "A page-turner .  . So imaginative."--Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal "Not since Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass have I seen such an original and compelling world built inside a book."--Megan Whalen Turner, New York Times best-selling author of A Conspiracy of Kings "Absolutely marvelous [and] completely original. I love this book."--Nancy Farmer, National Book Award-winning author of The House of the Scorpion "Exuberantly imagined [and] exquisite."--Elizabeth Wein, New York Times best-selling author of Code Name Verity Excerpted from The Golden Specific by S. E. Grove All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-8-A Great Disruption has shattered history's time line, and Sophia is searching for her parents. A mysterious ally leads her to an excerpt from her mother's lost diary, then, against her uncle's wishes, Sophia sets sail for the Dark Ages to seek the rest of the diary and follow her parents' trail. Meanwhile, her brother and uncle have been accused of murder and Sophia's mission may be their only hope. Narrator Cassandra Campbell's experienced narrative style easily brings to life Sophia's world and complements Grove's book. The well-developed, dynamic characters are easily distinguishable. The plot is complex with many twists and turns that will keep listeners engaged. VERDICT This complex historical adventure will be enjoyed by fantasy fans, particularly if they are familiar with The Glass Sentence (Viking, 2014). ["This delicious blend of magic, history, and science will continue to delight fans of intricate world-building and rich storytelling": SLJ 6/1/15 review of the Viking book.]-Jessica Moody, Olympus Jr. High, Holladay, UT © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Since Sophia Tims returned from her adventure in The Glass Sentence (2014), she has not only received a new lead about her missing parents' whereabouts but also has been visited by an ethereal vision of her mother, which speaks in enigmatic prophesies. Sophia eventually learns that a copy of her mother's diary is in Granada, and she impulsively departs for Spain, which is centuries behind Boston after the Great Disruption. With the help of a falconer and a mysterious woman imbued with healing powers, Sophia follows a strange map and increasingly cryptic messages to track down a hidden city. Meanwhile, political turmoil and the assassination of the benevolent prime minister of New Occident put Shadrack and Theo in danger. There's a lot going on in Grove's follow-up to her best-selling debut, and while the plot threads are all compelling and richly fill in details about her multitemporal world, they often feel only loosely grounded in the central premise. Patient readers, however, who relish the thought of being immersed in Grove's inventive, wholly original fantasy world should be pleased.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2015 Booklist

Horn Book Review

While Sophia Tims travels to the Papal States in search of a diary that will give her clues to her missing parents' whereabouts, her friend Theo goes undercover and witnesses the brazen power grab of Boston MP Gordon Broadgirdle, a one-time tormentor of his. The weirdly time-misaligned world introduced in The Glass Sentence here deepens and elaborates into a strong fantasy performance. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

In the second installment of the Mapmakers trilogy, Sophia Tims goes on a journey in search of her parents in a world broken apart by the Great Disruption of 1799. Sophia's parents are missing, and finding them is no simple task in this new world of "intermingled futures and pasts," in which the former United States has splinteredinto New Occident, Indian Territories, and the BaldlandsCanada is now Prehistoric Snows, and large pockets of the world are simply "Unknown." Epigraphs by master cartologer Shadrack Elli open many chapters, offering geographical and political context useful to readers new to the series. Sophia leaves Boston in 1892 for the Papal States, now mostly in the 15th century, with pockets of other ages mixed in. In this world of political intrigue, Dark Ages, plague, phantom hunters, witches, and travelers from the future, it's fortunate that Sophia meets up with Errol Forsyth, phantom hunter, and the healer Goldenrod to journey together, each with a particular mission. Though this volume doesn't sustain the fresh wonderment of The Glass Sentence (2014), and the plot proceeds in fits and starts with each jump to a different Age, readers who have already read the first installment will gladly savor another journey with Sophia and marvel at the worlds they enter. Brilliantly imagined and full of wonder. (Fantasy. 10 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.