The plague has taken its toll on Alice. She finds herself caring for her ailing father. They are running out of money and her only hope is to wed but having the plague touch her family and add in her interest in automatons and you have an unlikely match. So much is working against Alice and now the zombies have come! What will she do? How can she live the life she is meant to? Will she end up sacrificing love in order to pay her families debts?

An unexpected disappearance of her aunt Edwina gives Alice the answer she is looking for in more ways than one. Alice must now rescue Gavin who has been trapped for weeks in a tower after being stranded in London when the airship he was on was attacked by privateers. The two come to the attention of the Third Ward, each for different reasons. On their journey Alice and Gavin discover secrets and must make some hard choices.

THE DOOMSDAY VAULT: A NOVEL OF THE CLOCKWORK EMPIRE is an adventure full of twists and turns that keep the readers interest. Alice and Gavin are likable characters that go through many struggles in this book. I enjoyed watching the two find their way through it all. They must deal with many things including the Third Ward, zombies and their own budding romance. I was also intrigued by the idea of the plague and what it does to the people it comes in contact with.

Although this is not a genre that I read very often I found myself immersed in Alice and Gavin's world and wanting to find out just what would happen next with these two. Fast paced and action packed this book was an interesting start to the series and I hope that the books that follow continue to be just as interesting.