Boneshaker | ||||||||
Cherie Priest | ||||||||
Tor, 416 pages | ||||||||
|
A review by Katherine Petersen
Briar Wilkes, Blue's widow who took back her maiden name, and her son, Ezekiel, are two of these
survivors. Ostracized by nearly everyone because of her husband's machine, Briar works in a factory that purifies
water, and tries to keep Zeke out of trouble. But she never told him the truth about what happened with Blue and the
Boneshaker, so Zeke sets out on a mission to clear his father's name.
Armed with a gas mask, a gun and some mementos of his grandfather Wilkes, who was well-respected for saving many
lives during the disaster, Zeke enters the walled city through an underground pipe. And Briar, who loves her son more
than anything else in the world, enters the city to find him and bring him home. What follows are Zeke and Briar's
adventures, told in alternating chapters. In addition to rotters, the two must face air pirates, a mad doctor who
calls himself king and armed mercenaries, some of whom are friendly. We follow both Briar and Zeke through an
underground world, elaborately detailed in both its grimness and how the residents have made parts of it
liveable. Having grown up in Seattle and taken the underground tour, I can picture much of it although I can safely
say I'd prefer not to live there.
The novel combines a mother-son relationship, adventure, history and elements of steampunk. I say elements because
my understanding of steampunk is that it combines history and technology, but the only gadget is the Boneshaker,
which is only peripherally involved in the story. Cherie Priest also references some other machines, one that temporarily
knocks out the rotters, invented by "King" Minnericht. This is a minor quibble or even misunderstanding on my part
and doesn't detract from the storyline. Historically, the plot is easily believable, but it's hard to understand
why people would stay in the blighted city or even in the outskirts.
In this alternate history, the Civil War rages on for years; add in dismal economic conditions, and you have a
good idea of the confining environment of few choices for the people living there. War has a devastating impact
on morale even if it's happening across the country.
Boneshaker is Priest's first novel in the Clockwork Universe, and more are anticipated. She has created a
moving and entertaining adventure whose fast-moving plot will keep readers turning pages.
Priest has created strong characters in Briar and Zeke as well as an intriguing supporting cast such as Lucy,
the good-hearted, one-armed barkeep; Jeremiah Swakhammer, a mercenary/friend who knows how to find his way
around and take care of himself; Captain Cly, an air pirate and old friend of Briar's grandfather; the
aforementioned Dr. Minnericht, a mechanical whiz and walled city overlord; and Angeline, an Indian princess
who helps Zeke out of more than one jam. Overall, Priest has created a terrific story that will please
endless science fiction fans in search of a thrill.
Katherine Petersen started reading as a young child and hasn't stopped. She still thinks she can read all the books she wants, but might, at some point, realize the impossibility of this mission. While she enjoys other genres, she thrives on fantasy, science fiction and mysteries. |
If you find any errors, typos or anything else worth mentioning,
please send it to editor@sfsite.com.
Copyright © 1996-2014 SF Site All Rights Reserved Worldwide