The Clockwork Orchard
In the quiet village of Bellhollow, an ordinary apple orchard suddenly begins to tick. Eleven-year-old Wren Applecross, a girl who notices everything, discovers the metallic sound emanates from the fruit....
In the quiet village of Bellhollow, an ordinary apple orchard suddenly begins to tick. Eleven-year-old Wren Applecross, a girl who notices everything, discovers the metallic sound emanates from the fruit itself, each apple bearing a mysterious, toothless-key symbol. Her eccentric grandfather, Cornelius, reveals a shocking truth: the orchard was never truly theirs, but a carefully guarded secret, and the ticking apples signal an ancient Keeper has finally taken notice. Now, Wren must step through a hidden gate into a world far stranger than she ever imagined, a world her family has protected for generations. But what lies beyond the gate, and what destiny awaits the girl chosen to unlock its secrets?