Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Following opener The Shadow Cipher (2017), Ruby's York trilogy continues.Ruby returns to her fascinatingly similar-but-different New York City (the Liberty Statue and the Underway replace the Statue of Liberty and the subway; machines such as an animate suit of armor that makes pancakes are not out of the ordinary—but gentrification and the PATH line remain the same). Picking up shortly after the destruction of their building by developer Darnell Slant, Jewish twins Tess and Theo Biederman and their best friend, Trinidadian-Cuban Jaime Cruz, are still on the trail of the treasure promised by the Morningstarr Cipher. This time around the mystery is more complex, and some of the madcap fun has been replaced by a sense of deeper malice; "fixer" Duke Goodson and his "ladies" (all white, as all the villains here seem to be) are crafty foes who even manage to kidnap Tess' preternaturally intelligent service animal. Meanwhile the "brown-skinned" female superhero from Jaime's sketchbooks seems to have come to life, and the revelations she drops about the mysterious Morningstarr twins, who transformed the city after arriving there in 1798, move the series from mostly mystery to possibly science fiction but maybe fantasy, in the best way possible, all supported by overt discussion of inclusion, diversity, and social justice.Woke magical mystery for preteens? Bring on Volume 3, STAT. (Mystery/fantasy. 10-15)

ALA Booklist

Tess, Theo, and Jaime are struggling to settle into new homes after the suspicious destruction of their beloved apartment building, and, while they're still on the case of the infamous New York Cipher, they're not as gung ho fter all, the last time they solved a puzzle, their building collapsed into rubble. But when Tess' beloved cat, Nine, is framed for an attack, they hunt even harder for clues and find a conspiracy bigger than they bargained for. Ruby takes a classic puzzle mystery and compellingly draws it out, both in the time the puzzles take and by giving the characters room to contemplate their feelings. That emotional depth is not typical for this kind of plot, and kids who crave meaty character development will appreciate it. Meanwhile, the intricate puzzles, fantastical gadgets, and rich grasp of the hidden history of New York City mean there's something fascinating to explore on nearly every page. A mystifying cliff-hanger raises even more questions and should leave series fans desperate for the forthcoming trilogy-ender.

Horn Book

Codebreaking twins Theo and Tess Biedermann (York: The Shadow Cipher) and artistic puzzle-solver Jaime Cruz are still committed to solving the impossible-seeming Morningstarr Cipher. The tweens aren't the only ones pursuing the treasure that supposedly awaits at the end of the Cipher, and danger is rapidly closing in. This second installment in Ruby's steampunk mystery series should enthrall fans.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Following opener The Shadow Cipher (2017), Ruby's York trilogy continues.Ruby returns to her fascinatingly similar-but-different New York City (the Liberty Statue and the Underway replace the Statue of Liberty and the subway; machines such as an animate suit of armor that makes pancakes are not out of the ordinary—but gentrification and the PATH line remain the same). Picking up shortly after the destruction of their building by developer Darnell Slant, Jewish twins Tess and Theo Biederman and their best friend, Trinidadian-Cuban Jaime Cruz, are still on the trail of the treasure promised by the Morningstarr Cipher. This time around the mystery is more complex, and some of the madcap fun has been replaced by a sense of deeper malice; "fixer" Duke Goodson and his "ladies" (all white, as all the villains here seem to be) are crafty foes who even manage to kidnap Tess' preternaturally intelligent service animal. Meanwhile the "brown-skinned" female superhero from Jaime's sketchbooks seems to have come to life, and the revelations she drops about the mysterious Morningstarr twins, who transformed the city after arriving there in 1798, move the series from mostly mystery to possibly science fiction but maybe fantasy, in the best way possible, all supported by overt discussion of inclusion, diversity, and social justice.Woke magical mystery for preteens? Bring on Volume 3, STAT. (Mystery/fantasy. 10-15)