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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I liked Boneshaker better, but this is well-written and deserves a wider audience. Somehow, I skipped over the second book in the collection.
Not as good as "Boneshaker" but still a pleasant read. I really enjoyed the characterization of Mercy Lynch. Priest does know how to write strong female characters. I hope she continues with her characters at some point.
https://www.spdhpod.com/spdhepisodes/2017/7/6/episode-2-doin-it-for-themselves
Really enjoying these books, mainly because--thank God!--the main characters are smart, strong, different women (mothers, nurses, etc.) It's a fun world, over all, too.
Another solid offering from Cherie Priest. This book shows a bit better the overlap between steampunk and diesel punk and where they meet. It's an alternate history setting where the civil war lasted far longer than it really did. I actually find the aspects of the book that talk about the impact that has on the war even more than the steampunky ness. We follow a Rebel nurse from Richmond to Tacoma, riding dirigibles, steamboats and trains along the way. There are zombies. Enough said?
While the train stuff got slightly repetitive, I really enjoyed the ride of this book and how it weaves together with the world of Boneshaker. Can't wait to read what comes next.
This was a very good follow up to Priest's earlier novel, Boneshaker. More so than in Boneshaker, Priest's wonderful control of dialogue is present. Characters spout off wonderfully colorful bits of slang and expressions that, though still only written words, practically carry with them the various accents of the period. There characters themselves are also very well-crafted.
The narrative is also exciting, but those who have read Boneshaker will find the central "mystery" a little less surprising. However, Priest throws in enough other bits of intrigue to keep things fresh. Overall, a fine sequel.
The narrative is also exciting, but those who have read Boneshaker will find the central "mystery" a little less surprising. However, Priest throws in enough other bits of intrigue to keep things fresh. Overall, a fine sequel.
A bit slow going in parts, and the zombies don’t show up again until the very end of the book. But all in all, an enjoyable read. Mercy is a strong, likeable woman; a great addition to an already vibrant cast of characters.
I actually really enjoyed this. Maybe it's just the secret part of me that's a bit too much for state's rights, but stories where the States aren't united are a secret joy of mine. Only criticism of mine is the frankly overused zombies, but I can forgive her for it.
Review originally posted here.
Why I Read It: Loved Boneshaker, so I jumped right into the sequel as soon as I could.
One thing I'm growing to love about this series is that Priest features strong female characters, but they're strong in different ways. Briar is more of a "run in with guns blazing" kind of strong, while Mercy has a more quiet inner strength. She's obviously affected by the recent death of her husband, and while she doesn't bottle up her pain, she certainly deals with it head-on in an admirable manner. There's also the fact that she goes through hell and back to get across the country to her dying father, but she deals with every problem with aplomb, and a fierce kind of grace. She's a super cool lady and I loved her.
I love that the alternative civil war world Priest introduced to us in Boneshaker is further expanded and developed in this installment. We get to actually see a bit of the East and see some of the war first-hand. The steam-punk elements continue to be pleasantly subtly instead of glaringly in your face, and compliment and build upon the world instead of feeling tacked on. Actually, there were hardly any steampunk elements in this installment at all, minus the Dreadnought train and the few Walkers (mechs basically) used by both sides in the war efforts.
The plot is actually kind of slow moving when you think of it; it has a lot of Mercy being bored while riding the train, but it's only slow-moving in a way that's realstic. When you're stuck on a train for weeks on end, you're going to be doing a whole lot of nothing. Thankfully though, there's plenty of action (train heists!) to keep things rollicking and interesting. There's also a bit of a mystery going on, but if you've read Boneshaker, you'll know what's going on immediately. This isn't a BAD thing though; Priest doesn't present this element like a mystery for the reader, only for the characters, and watching them put the pieces together and come to answers in their own way was well written and executed. I also know there was some crossover with Clementine, but I have yet to read that, so I didn't spot them.
Final Verdict: All in all, it was a good time and I'm excited to get my hands on a copy of Clementine and Ganymede. This world is so much fun and I love Priest's strong female characters. The steampunk elements continue to be minimal, but perfectly complement her growing Civil War America. I strongly recommend this to fans of alternative history and steampunk (though the two usually go hand-in-hand anyway).