Summary: Grayden is determined to get into the Academy and to defend his country. His straightforward plan gets derailed when an ancient wizard joins them, a swashbuckling pirate shows up, and he isn’t sure who to trust. 

Notes: Wizards and pirates, flying ships and complicated clockworks, this book is awesome! Somehow, it is totally high fantasy and steampunk. (The magical orbs help) Through most of the first book, you aren’t sure if the characters should trust Captain Marik...but you know that if he is a villain, then the characters are going to have a really, really hard time. About the wizard: he’s like Gandalf...but blue. (He’s not one of the two blue wizards whose names Gandalf forgot.) Jenelle Leanne Schmit has also written another series...which I haven't read yet. (If it's like this one, it will be great) 

Age of main character: sixteen-ish Violence: Yes...but not too descriptive. Explosions, battles, duels, chases, kidnapers, other kidnapers. In the rest of the series, there is also a mad scientist (really creepy guy) and more battles, explosions, fire. 

Romance: Just a tad in the beginning, none throughout the rest of the first book. Rest of the series? Yes, there is...but not mushy. 

Scary themes: A weaselly political maneuverer (like Lando Calrissian), evil wizard, in the later books there is a mad scientist...and his experiments on humans. Not overly described, just disturbing. 

Genre: High Fantasy/Steampunk