If you found yourself captivated by the urban grit and high-stakes tension of Crescent City, then A Heart of Brass and Blood is the evolution of Romantasy you've been waiting for. While both explore a world where ancient magic and modern machinery collide, Memphis Money's debut pushes the boundaries of the genre by making the stakes more intimate and the rebellion more visceral. Her heart is a machine. His key is her life. Their love is the only thing that can break the world. Twenty-four hours. One turn of the key. No room for error. Vesper Michaels is a ghost in the gears, a legendary thief who can pick any lock in the ironclad city of Oura. But when a heist in the Royal Vault goes sideways, Vesper doesn't just lose her freedom-she loses her life. She awakens to a cruel new reality: her shattered heart has been replaced by an Aether-Engine, a ticking brass nightmare of gears and springs that demands the touch of a master key to keep running. The man holding that key? Victor Flowers, the very Inquisitor who caught her. Victor doesn't want her dead; he needs her skills. On the orders of the merciless Architect, Gabriel Barclay, the two are forced into a sterile dance of reluctant obligation. Their mission: venture beyond the city's suffocating grip into the Forbidden Wilds to seize the Ever-Spring-a mythic source of power that could either mend a broken world or grind it to dust. As they traverse the desolation of the Rust-Belt and the shimmering dangers of the Wilds, the forced proximity begins to grind away their defenses. But for Vesper, passion is a luxury she cannot afford. Every time her heart beats faster for Victor, her Aether-charge drains away, bringing her closer to a permanent stop. In a world where love is the ultimate rebellion, Vesper and Victor must decide if they are willing to break the very foundations of a regime built on domination to reclaim their souls.