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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I can't put into words how much I loved this book. I was almost breathless in parts!
I really enjoyed this, Mercy was a strong and likeable character and the story was fast paced and full of action. I was nervous after not enjoying Clementine, but this was a cracking read.
A well written no nonsense realistic and heartfelt strong female character and a nice breath of fresh air from the generic female leads. Not a killer or bloodluster, nor a pathetic useless princess I fell in love with the character Nurse Mercy Lynch.
I like Cherie Priest's style, but unfortunately Dreadnought didn't quite hold my attention as much as Boneshaker. I will definitely have to read more of her work in the future. I'm looking forward to more of The Clockwork Century and others from her in the future!
This is the second book in the Clockwork Century series, following on from Boneshaker, which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago - this is a world where the American Civil War dragged on for many years longer and where technological advances mean that it seems unlikely to end any time soon. Meanwhile, the poisonous gas we met in Boneshaker has been turned into an addictive and deadly drug, one which turns its addicts into the walking dead.
This time around, our story is told from the perspective of one Mercy Lynch, who is working as a nurse in a Virginia hospital. In quick succession she's informed of the death of her husband in a prisoner of war camp and that her estranged father is very close to death and asking for her - the only problem is that he's in Seattle, almost the other side of the country. Mercy decides to go to him anyway, starting a journey that will be both long and full of incident, initially by airship and then later mostly by means of the eponymous Dreadnought, a massive train.
The story drags a little during this period, as there's a substantial chunk of the book with Mercy just travelling and wondering what's going on - the Dreadnought has two heavily-guarded carriages, one at the front and one at the back. The one at the back is supposedly being used to transport the dead bodies of soldiers back to their homes but never seems to be unloaded at any point on their journey. As her medical knowledge is called upon when the train is attacked by raiders, Mercy quickly comes to know just what is in those two mysterious carriages and how it links together with the earlier disappearance of a group of Mexican soldiers.
As a result of my issues with the pacing and what felt like a little too much time spent on a period where very little was going on, I've given this book 3 stars as opposed to the 4 I gave Boneshaker. I still intend to continue with this series, as the author treats female characters as if they had a functioning brain and has so far not thrown any of them into a romantic entanglement (a temptation lesser authors would probably have seized upon, given the amount of time Mercy spends in relatively close quarters during this book). The next book in the series is Ganymede.
This time around, our story is told from the perspective of one Mercy Lynch, who is working as a nurse in a Virginia hospital. In quick succession she's informed of the death of her husband in a prisoner of war camp and that her estranged father is very close to death and asking for her - the only problem is that he's in Seattle, almost the other side of the country. Mercy decides to go to him anyway, starting a journey that will be both long and full of incident, initially by airship and then later mostly by means of the eponymous Dreadnought, a massive train.
The story drags a little during this period, as there's a substantial chunk of the book with Mercy just travelling and wondering what's going on - the Dreadnought has two heavily-guarded carriages, one at the front and one at the back. The one at the back is supposedly being used to transport the dead bodies of soldiers back to their homes but never seems to be unloaded at any point on their journey. As her medical knowledge is called upon when the train is attacked by raiders, Mercy quickly comes to know just what is in those two mysterious carriages and how it links together with the earlier disappearance of a group of Mexican soldiers.
As a result of my issues with the pacing and what felt like a little too much time spent on a period where very little was going on, I've given this book 3 stars as opposed to the 4 I gave Boneshaker. I still intend to continue with this series, as the author treats female characters as if they had a functioning brain and has so far not thrown any of them into a romantic entanglement (a temptation lesser authors would probably have seized upon, given the amount of time Mercy spends in relatively close quarters during this book). The next book in the series is Ganymede.
Three books seems to be about the amount I need to decide whether or not I'm going to continue to read an author's books, unless they do something right away to piss me off. This is the third Cherie Priest book I've read. Unless something major happens, it's also likely to be the last. I'm just not getting enough out of them, and there are things that nag.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Another great adventure from Priest, I particularly liked that the emphasis on the Civil War allegiances ran through the entire narrative and that the war does not just serve as some alt-historical window dressing. I'd be happy to read as many more stories set in this world as Priest care to write.
Another great addition to the Clockwork Century that follows Confederate nurse Mercy Lynch on her perilous journey into the West. Priest really kept the tension up, and the final showdown brought a blast of adrenaline. I immediately put in a request for the next book.
in a word: AWESOME.
I am really loving these books. They are tight. Fast-paced, quick-witted, easy page turners. Tied up the story in a bow, but left it so that I can't WAIT until the next book. These are quickly becoming my new favorite series.
I am really loving these books. They are tight. Fast-paced, quick-witted, easy page turners. Tied up the story in a bow, but left it so that I can't WAIT until the next book. These are quickly becoming my new favorite series.