The Steam Punk (The Steam Punk Trilogy Book 1)

At sixteen, all Yulo wants is time spent with his surrogate family, and a place to work on his inventions (and not have them explode or destroy the barn...again). Those things and more were lost when the Empire took over. Now even the most simple wants, like going a day without being treated like an animal or spat on by Imperial foreigners, prove too much to hope for.

When Yulo's adoptive father becomes addicted to a substance known as the Inner Light, a deadly, hallucinogenic drug that is decimating the lower classes and wiping out entire families, it seems that his one source of sanctuary may be destroyed along with everything else. Worse, Yulo discovers that those responsible for the drug sit in the highest positions of power, protected by magic-wielding crooks, otherworldly demons, and the might of the Imperial Legion.

Putting all of his engineering and mechanical knowledge to use, Yulo constructs a powerful clockwork and magic-powered suit of armor to combat the Empire's corrupt servants. To complicate matters, he must keep his new secret identity and vigilantism from his best friend and relatives, and still make time for school, all while trying to find a cure for the Inner Light. Because if he can't find one, he may lose what's left of his family and his home.