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shmark's review
5.0
Excellent. Gripping, exciting, good characters, and is a wonderful expansion to the world Priest created in Boneshaker.
coleycole's review
2.0
I was into it initially, but it just kept going and going and I got tired of it -- had a bit of the same feeling with her other book as well. With some editing, I think I'd have really liked it.
tiarala's review
3.0
As much as I loved Boneshaker, I kept wishing Dreadnought would capture more of the magic, more of the flavor of the setting. It was a fine book, but I just kept wanting more. I might continue on with the series because I'm really intrigued by the world Priest is developing, but the thing I keep saying when I think of this is "I just wanted more".
callmecat's review
3.0
I'm just not interested in all the war stuff. And it's not even really about that but we're still supposed to care about it and I just don't. I wish the main character had made some actual friends but she stayed really disconnected despite everything and that was frustrating.
roald3's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
The second book in the CLOCKWORK CENTURY series is almost as action packed as its predecessor, and has a fresh take on its world while adding fresh elements. Mercy is a recently widowed nurse who sets out to find her estranged and wounded father. Her path takes her onto a train filled with quirky characters, each with their own agendas and secrets regarding a mysterious train car. Mercy has all the sass and propriety one could expect from this time period, though she wisely shows reluctance whenever someone tries to drag her into trouble. I enjoyed her, as well as the colorful cast of side characters. The plot is fairly tight, and yet its still felt like there were long stretches of time where little seemed to be happening. I was very invested in seeing Mercy reach her goal, though it didn’t seem like we got to spend a lot of time with it. That said, there are all kinds of action scenes with the supernatural element coming in later in the story. The writing is still sharp and I still enjoyed the escapism offered by DREADNOUGHT. Recommended for fans of steampunk, westerns, and historical fantasy!
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
Mercy Lynch is a nurse in the Civil War, which has been lingering on for decades. Like many people, she has torn loyalties. She's a nurse for the Confederacy but her husband is a soldier in the Union. Shortly after she receives word that he died in a POW camp, she receives a telegram notifying her that her long-estranged father is very sick and asking for her to come see him in Tacoma, Washington. That's quite a trek away from Richmond, Virginia, especially given the state of the country. Duty and curiosity win out and she sets out via dirigible and then train to hopscotch her way across the country.
I really enjoyed Boneshaker so I had high hopes for this book. I downloaded it on audio but read the first in print. When I realized that Kate Reading was the narrator, I wasn't quite sure what to think. Don't get me wrong--I've enjoyed Ms. Reading's narration but I've only listened to her reading fiction that is more directly targeted to women. I wasn't sure how she'd handle the steampunk action that I expected. I needn't have worried. The performance was so pitch perfect that I'll continue with the series on audio.
It's been a while since I read Boneshaker but I do think Dreadnought may actually be a little better. It's not a direct sequel but it does take place in the same book world and at the very end a few characters overlap.
I was a little disappointed that the rotters (read: zombies) aren't around very much. But when they are--holy cow!
I didn't like Mercy quite as much as I liked Briar from the first book but she was still a strong character. She's just trying to get across the country as fast as she can and she finds herself caught up in some wartime intrigue/action. She and the other civilian passengers try to stay out of it but they keep getting dragged into things whether they like it or not. Mercy just handles everything that comes along and does what needs to be done, whether that's patching up a soldier who's been shot or breaking into a private car to find out exactly what the train is carrying.
The book is so tightly focused on Mercy that I was left wanting to know more about a few other characters. Of course I don't remember their names now and I don't have a print copy to refer back to. The Texas Ranger, the Mexican inspectors, the awfully warlike young lady sharing Mercy's compartment--I'm curious about them all. I hope they show up in later books.
This was a great audio book and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to get my hands on the next in the series!
I really enjoyed Boneshaker so I had high hopes for this book. I downloaded it on audio but read the first in print. When I realized that Kate Reading was the narrator, I wasn't quite sure what to think. Don't get me wrong--I've enjoyed Ms. Reading's narration but I've only listened to her reading fiction that is more directly targeted to women. I wasn't sure how she'd handle the steampunk action that I expected. I needn't have worried. The performance was so pitch perfect that I'll continue with the series on audio.
It's been a while since I read Boneshaker but I do think Dreadnought may actually be a little better. It's not a direct sequel but it does take place in the same book world and at the very end a few characters overlap.
I was a little disappointed that the rotters (read: zombies) aren't around very much. But when they are--holy cow!
I didn't like Mercy quite as much as I liked Briar from the first book but she was still a strong character. She's just trying to get across the country as fast as she can and she finds herself caught up in some wartime intrigue/action. She and the other civilian passengers try to stay out of it but they keep getting dragged into things whether they like it or not. Mercy just handles everything that comes along and does what needs to be done, whether that's patching up a soldier who's been shot or breaking into a private car to find out exactly what the train is carrying.
The book is so tightly focused on Mercy that I was left wanting to know more about a few other characters. Of course I don't remember their names now and I don't have a print copy to refer back to. The Texas Ranger, the Mexican inspectors, the awfully warlike young lady sharing Mercy's compartment--I'm curious about them all. I hope they show up in later books.
This was a great audio book and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to get my hands on the next in the series!
rbixby's review
4.0
Another page turner from Ms. Priest. The story bogs down a bit in the middle, but not terrribly so. Priest's lyrical prose gets you through to a quite satisfying edge of your seat climax. All in all a winner.