Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve

I wish I had a better memory. I know I read and enjoyed Reeve's Hungry City Chronicles (4th book in the series is A Darkling Plain), but that was back in 2007! I've read hundreds of books since then and can't remember a darn thing.....

In this prequel, we see the birth of Grike, a stalker (dead human with robot innards). London is about to become a traction city. I'm sure there are more details that make this a prequel, but I just can't remember them.

Fever Crumb is a foundling who is raised in the Order of Engineers. She has always known she was different, but she had no idea that people outside the order would be scared of her. Because of her strange eyes, people believe she is Scriven, hated for their ruling of London years before. Fever works for an archeologist, Kit Solent, and finds herself remembering things she shouldn't. She knows secrets and her ability is related to her mother and the scar on the back of her neck. As Fever discovers who she is, she isn't sure if she wants to belong to the world of her mother or her father.

Great steampunk!