Fifteen-year-old Phillip enjoys his cozy life in Central Florida. His chief activities are video gaming and avoiding his mother's assignments of responsibility. Then, a mysterious tailor gifts him a backpack with a key to his tailor shop in Norwall. The trouble is, Norwall is not to be found on this planet. Curious, he investigates and finds that the tailor harbors deep secrets. He comes from a dystopian Victorian steampunk city. Not only does a dictator rule the town with a bloodthirsty automaton army, but the people are enslaved in workhouse prisons and factories. When a loved one accidentally falls through the Parallax, his choice is complicated. Does he stay and enjoy his comfortable life? Or does he go into a dangerous land on a Clockwork Adventure? Although the people may look to him to lead a rebellion, he knows that if he fails to live up to their expectations, he will never go home again.