Boneshaker was my first real endeavor in the steampunk world. I challenged myself to read some steampunk books this year because I’d always found the concept fascinating, I’m practically in love with the clothing and I was wondering if the books would appeal to me in the same way. After reading Boneshaker I can safely say that it does (well, at least, I really enjoyed Boneshaker). I was hooked from the very first page. The writing is captivating and reads fluently. I liked the background story and the little introduction in the beginning that tells the tale of the Boneshaker destroying Seattle. In the wake of this destruction a gas was released in the city, nobody really knows where it came from, but it had devastating consequences. Everybody breathing in the gas either died or turned in to a “rotter” (a zombie). So they put up these huge walls to contain the gas and started a new live outside these walls, in the Outskirts. Zeke, the son of the creator of the Boneshaker wants to clear his father’s name and goes in to the city to look for evidence in their old house. Briar, his mother, sick with worry, decides to follow him and get him out. It was really refreshing to read a story about the relationship between a mother and her son, instead of the many romances I’ve read last year. My favorite character is by far Briar, and Lucy, Swakhammer en Cly make a really good set of secondary characters. But, although I could understand his motivations and some of his actions, I never really connected with Zeke. But I didn’t really mind that much because I had a lot of other characters I did connect to that kept the story going for me. The middle of the book is fast paced and full of rotters-action: edge-of-your seat kind of stuff, moments where I wanted to scream "Run!!" in the hope the characters would respond and get the hell out of the mess they were in. They usually did, so I might have a special book-power like Mo from "Inkheart". (How I wish that were true). I'm glad the author put in a few injuries and losses to make the story more realistic and fortifying the feeling that no one is save inside the city and surviving is one hell of a difficult job down there. Once they were both in the city for a while, however, the pacing seemed to stutter to a halt. The first halve of the book had been so fast paced, it took me by surprise and slowed down my reading. Luckily the pacing picked up again nearing the end, which was quite satisfying. Some of the technical devices were a little hard for me to imagine, which is a bit annoying, because those left a blank in my mind. I'm imagining the whole scene but sole areas are fuzzy because I'm not really sure how they're supposed to look like. I wonder if the reason for this is that English isn't my native language or if it has nothing to do with me at all. The fact I can't quite imagine all the devices puzzles me a bit, because we do get enough description for them, any more and it would be too much. So maybe it’s specifically a problem that only I have experienced? All in all, I really enjoyed Boneshaker and I will definitely read the next installment in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience steampunk for the first time.
Review by Cindy_DraumrKopa (LibraryThing), April 2, 2013 The setting was very intriguing--definitely the strongest aspect of the book, and I really wished that it was even more developed--but the plot seemed weak: there are only so many extended zombie chase scenes that I can handle before I automatically start skimming. Still, I read it in an evening and enjoyed myself.
Review by aliceunderskies (LibraryThing), April 1, 2013 This review is also available on my blog: Written Permission This book. It almost defies description. Steampunk zombie extravaganza? OK! Count me in! And that is what kept me going through the whole thing. The promise of a really interesting story. Unfortunately, the story fell flat. It had so much promise, and by the end of the book I just felt so deflated and cheated. Not to mention that nothing really happens for the first couple hundred pages anyways. It is cleverly written to disguise that fact, but really… nothing is happening. A lot of walking around Seattle and meeting new people. But barring a few glaring exceptions, nothing really integral to the story. The characters were likeable enough. I really enjoyed that Briar was tough, and not prone to swooning over anyone with muscles. Zeke, for all his mother fussed, seemed like an average fifteen year old. We don’t really see his resourcefulness kick in, and she talks about how grown up he is while he is calling her “Momma”. I made some predictions about the book. Only one of them was right. And it wasn’t even a really interesting one. The writing style made it really hard for me to get into this book. I found it to be very choppy and inconsistent. For example, I don’t have any issues with graphic gore… but in all the encounters with the rotters, Priest didn’t choose to describe fending them off in gory detail until the end. She trended towards the typical Steampunk writing style, but even that was inconsistent. I also found that a lot of times the book lacked excitement to keep pulling me forward. The timing is very confusing and hard to follow, especially near the end. The Bottom Line: A promising story that didn’t deliver. I am not sure how it will work as a series, especially with the way Priest chose to end the book. I am not against reading the rest of the books, but I am not rushing out to grab them either.
Review by erincathryn (LibraryThing), March 31, 2013 I feel slightly guilty that I bought this book used, but I had a b*tch of a time finding it in stores when it came out. Now that it's up for a Nebula, I figure it's getting plenty of attention... but still. Anyway, steampunk zombies - what's not to love?
Review by JeremyPreacher (LibraryThing), March 30, 2013 I bought this book because it was listed as a Sci-Fi essential and it got good reviews from authors I enjoy. I really should have followed the 20% rule where if you aren't enjoying it 20% into a book, you just delete it from you Kindle and move on. It was boring, I never did come to care about the main characters, there was no suspense or excitement. It was just flat. I finished it just because I couldn't believe it was so bad.
Review by glitrbug (LibraryThing), March 30, 2013 Lost interest within the first thirty pages. Intriguing premise, but I just couldn't get into this book at all. It begins with sort of a brief historical recap to establish the setting, and then switches to a somewhat fraught conversation between two characters. It wasn't clear to me who these people were or what their relationship was to the events previously described, and I got bogged down and frustrated trying to keep track of what and whom they were discussing, none of which I felt I, as a reader, had any reason to care about. I may give this one another chance sometime when I'm feeling more patient.
Review by rose.cooke (LibraryThing), March 29, 2013 Anyone into steam punk will love this book. It doesn't really have the Victorian feel to it but then again it is set in the American North West so there shouldn't have a Victorian feel. However it does have the Industrial Revolution feel along with Zombies, mad scientists and all kinds of steam punk machinery. If you like action/adventure with a taste of horror and the fantastic you will love this book.
Review by marysneedle (LibraryThing), March 28, 2013 A decent action-adventure set in an alternative history Seattle. This was my first Steampunk novel, and I'd have to say as an introduction it was okay, but nothing amazing. Priest has created interesting characters, a decent plot and some good ideas, but nothing overwhelming. It was a fun read, but I'm not chomping at the bit to read more Priest at this time. "Boneshaker" just did not capture me as a reader.
Review by Xaviers_Dog (LibraryThing), December 26, 2012 I WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STEAM PUNK GENRE SINCE I HAD A FEW FOR REVIEW. I WANTED TO BE FAIR WITH MY REVIEW SINCE THESE WERE NEW BOOKS. I ASKED A FRIEND WHO WAS REALLY BIG INTO STEAM PUNK AND SHE GAVE ME A WHOLE LIST OF BOOKS TO READ SO THAT I CAN BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE GENRE, AND THERE’S A HUGE VARIETY IN THE RECOMMENDATION. WHEN I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE GENRE, I WILL MOVE ON THE REVIEW BOOKS THAT I HAVE. WITH BONESHAKER, I CAN’T SAY IF I’M MORE IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK OR THE AUTHOR, BUT EITHER WAY I AM SO GLAD THAT I TOOK THE TIME TO READ THIS ONE. IT WAS A GREAT STARTING PLACE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO THE STEAM PUNK CRAZE THAT IS SLOWLY GROWING. I CAN’T TELL YOU IF THIS IS A TYPICAL STEAMPUNK. BUT, I CAN SAY THAT IT GRABBED MY ATTENTION FROM THE BEGINNING. I FOUND MYSELF IMMERSED IN THE STORY AND IT WAS REALLY HARD TO PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. IT WAS OVER BEFORE I KNEW AND IT WAS SAD TO LEAVE THIS SEATTLE. I’M NOT SURE WHAT SEATTLE WAS REALLY LIKE IN THE 1800’S/EARLY 1900’S. THAT MAY HAVE PUT ME AT AN ADVANTAGE TO BE ABLE TO JUST ENJOY THE STORY. IT WAS EASY TO IMAGINE WHAT SEATTLE WAS LIKE POST-BLIGHT. THERE IS ENOUGH DETAIL THAT WHEN BLUE IS WALKING AROUND THE OUTSKIRTS, IT BECOMES MORE OF VISUAL EXPERIENCE. THE OUTSKIRTS SEEMS TO BE A VERY DARK AND HARD PLACE TO LIVE. BUT THE WALLED CITY ISN’T MUCH BETTER. I COULD ALMOST FEEL MYSELF STRUGGLING FOR BREATH WALKING THROUGH THIS DESOLATE CITY. AS FAR AS THE CHARACTERS GO, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT PRIEST TOOK THE TIME TO DEVELOP HER CHARACTERS INTO THREE DIMENSIONAL PEOPLE. AT THE END, WHEN EVERYTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED, I STILL FELT AS THOUGH WE HAVE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE FOR THE CHARACTERS. I WAS (AM) CERTAIN THAT THEY CONTINUED ON WITH THEIR LIVES, WALKING AND GROWING IN THE PLACE THAT THEY CALL HOME. I CAN’T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE “STEAMPUNK” QUALITIES OF THE BOOK AS IF THEY WERE A SEPARATE ENTITY. IT WAS ONE PACKAGE WITH THIS STORY. THE MACHINES PLAYED THEIR PART IN MAKING THIS STORY COME TO LIFE. THOUGH THIS IS NOT THE FIRST STEAMPUNK BOOK THAT I’VE READ, IT HAS CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT THIS GENRE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO READING MORE. RECOMMENDATION: IF YOU LIKE ZOMBIES, EVIL SCIENTIST GREEDY FOR MORE POWER, AWESOME CHARACTERS WHO TRIUMPH OVER DEPRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES THEN YOU’LL LOVE BONESHAKER. WHAT’S NEXT? CLEMENTINE
Review by StarrK (LibraryThing), August 23, 2012 This is a Steampunk novel and it is a fun and fast romp from beginning to end. Sure, the premise is a bit improbable, okay a lot improbable - but it's STEAMPUNK! You are supposed to suspend belief and just enjoy the ride, and I did. Set in Seattle, Washington during an alternate version of the 1800s, the core of the city has had to be walled off due to an incident that happened 16 years earlier. Leviticus Blue was supposed to be inventing a drilling machine the likes of which had never been seen before, but what happened is that he drove his invention - the Boneshaker - under the banking district and wrecked havoc. A mysterious gas seemed to have been released from the earth, and this gas has horrific effects; it creates...Rotters (um...zombies!). Did Levi purposefully create disaster, or is it just an experiment gone horribly wrong? This is the mystery young Zeke sets out to solve for himself, after all, he does have a vested interest in the answer - Levi Blue was his father. Finding the answers means returning to the scene of the crime, except that this is more difficult than even Zeke can imagine. When she finds out where her son has gone, of course his mother has no choice except to follow him and hope that it is not too late to find him and bring him home. In their journey, they will encounter airships, pirates, a mad inventor who calls himself Dr. Minnericht, contraptions and gadgets galore, and of course...zombies. What could be more fun? Even though the plot feels contrived in places and the characters could have been more deftly drawn, the action and pacing make up for that. SO put your polarized goggles on and grab your gas mask, and you are ready for a fun adventure.
Review by Crazymamie (LibraryThing), August 19, 2012 I took a chance on this audiobook, because it was on sale, and I'm glad I did! The narration - by both narrators - was dynamic and kept my attention.I felt the story was a bit redundant though. I could have done without half of the "journey" and more character development. I thought the plot was great! Just could have been executed better.I've never read any other book by Cherie Priest.
Review by maura_ea (LibraryThing), June 27, 2012 What is there not to like, a compelling heroine, airships, an alternet timeline and zombies. Well written, good plot and an interesting supporting caste. There were a few short passages that dragged a little but heck you find them in any book. Definitely an excellent read and it is a good entry into the Steampunk genre.
Review by BobVTReader (LibraryThing), June 15, 2012 Great job with the setting, and the plot seemed really interesting... until you finally met the big-deal archnemisis, and he wasn't as cool as you thought he should be.
Review by faganjc (LibraryThing), May 27, 2012 The *idea* of this book is cool and fun and good. But the execution is lacking. The characters are pretty undeveloped and inconsistent. The actual story is pretty unexciting and bland. This book is all style (not word style, just idea style) and no substance. Coulda shoulda woulda. Ah well. Next!
Review by Pool_Boy (LibraryThing), March 13, 2012 As a fairly recent reader of 'steampunk' I'm not in a position to rate this book for the genre. What I say is that it is a rollicking great adventure story. The characters are fully developed and absolutely wonderful in their roles. The plot is simple: teenage boy sets off to prove his father's innocence and gets into a world of trouble, mother goes after him, lots of bad guys, some really neat good guys and all the stuff that makes makes you read until late in the night and your eyelids come down involuntarily. Cherie Priest includes an 'author's note' at the end and I love her closing line... "At any rate, thank you for suspending your disbelief for a few hundred pages. I realize that the story is a bit of a twisted stretch, but honestly - isn't that what steampunk is for?"
Review by mysterymax (LibraryThing), February 23, 2012 Wonderful steampunk! Like other reviews have stated - it has everything steampunk from airships to goggles to zombies to victorianesque style. But this book isn't just about the steampunk style, the plot and characters are fantastic. There is not one, but two very strong female characters that make me proud to be a woman. The other main character, the teenage son of one of the previous mentioned women is a typical teenager. He makes poor choices and is stubborn and believes what he is doing is right. Some other reviews have been repelled by this, but I find it wonderful. I find teenagers in books that are too smart or not as stubborn to not be believable. The description of the boy in the book reminds me of what it feels to be a teenager, impulsive, stubborn and unaware of the real consequences. The plot is full of interesting points and even a couple twists. The side characters are very interesting - some are endearing while others are terrifying. There are plenty of zombie attacks, but as I'm not big on zombies, I was surprised in how much I enjoyed reading about them. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series/universe. I'd like to hear more about these characters, but we'll just have to wait and see!
Review by LVassmer (LibraryThing), January 10, 2012 Priest weaves a good setting, and an OK plot. The characters are fairly two-dimensional. All in all, a decent read, but nothing to write home about. Basic premise is naturally occurring poisonous gas that makes Zombies is released in downtown 1800s Seattle, an accident courtesy of a mad scientist's drilling machine, the "Boneshaker". Fast forward fifteen years. A wall has been erected around downtown Seattle, filled with poison gas, zombies, and survivalists. A teenage boy dons a gas mask and goes inside the wall to seek something. His rather hardcore mother goes in to get him.
Review by cargocontainer (LibraryThing), December 24, 2011 Boneshaker was the first Steampunk book that I've read. It was definitely very action packed. I could not put it down. I found the character of Briar to be very interesting and likeable. I also loved the side characters and would love it if they popped up again later in the series. I found Zeke's character to be very realistic. In a lot of books nowadays fifteen year old boys are written to seem older than they really are. Zeke was appropriately scared when he should be and looked to his mother for guidance. He made several stupid decisions that irritated me but that is to be expected of a teenager. Though I did think that his bad choices were at times a bit too convenient for the story. That was my only real complaint with the novel, and the only thing that keeps me from calling this book a favorite, or giving it a five star review, is that I felt a bit disconnected from the two main characters, and cannot say that I cared about them a lot. I cared more for the side characters than the main two. Putting the characters aside, the world building was great. I could really imagine this town and the wall that surrounded it. I also found the end to be satisfying and did not predict the twist. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an introduction to Steampunk novels.
Review by thenightbookmobile (LibraryThing), November 26, 2011 Boneshaker turned out to be everything I was hoping for and more. I started looking more into the steampunk genre about this time last year and this book caught my eye. However, I must have been crazy to have gone for so long without reading it because I was blown away. Which is surprising because I have seen quite a few negative reviews for this book. Fortunately for me though, I ended up thoroughly enjoying the story and cannot wait to read the next book in the Clockwork Century series. Boneshaker is set in an alternate late 1800's Seattle setting and takes place after the Klondike Gold Rush while on the Ease side of the country the Civil War is going on. The story begins with a little background into the Seattle area with an emphasis on the history of how the Gold Rush commenced, consequently leading to the infamous story of the deranged inventor, Leviticus Blue, who invented a machine called the Boneshaker that was supposed to be one of the best drilling machines known to man which was going to unveil gold deep in the crust of the Earth. However, the Boneshaker ended up wreaking havoc on the small town he lived in causing massive damage to the buildings in the Banking District and killing many people. However, the occupants of the town are left to wonder if it was all an accident or is Leviticus really as deranged and violent as people think? And was the Boneshaker the cause of the mysterious Blight, the noxious gas that arises out of the wreckage the Boneshaker left and causes people to turn into mindless man-eating zombies (called Rotters)? You're going to find out! The story is about Ezekiel (Leviticus' son) who goes into the gas-ridden city to discover the truth about his father and whether he was an innocent bystander in the Boneshaker incident or whether he was the guilty culprit of the damage. I did like Zeke for the most part. He was an adventurous boy that had quite a bit of gumption and stood up for himself. However, there were moments when I just wanted to wring his neck. He kept flip-flopping back and forth on who to trust and his decisions sometimes had no logical reasoning behind them whatsoever. The other protagonist in the story is Brian (Leviticus' wife and Zeke's mother) who goes into the city in search of her boy to rescue him. I loved the character of Briar. She really stole the story away because she was such a strong-willed and courageous heroine. She didn't back down in a fight and she fought for what she believed in, even when people thought she was not as smart or as persistent as she turned out to be. The story was told in alternating points-of-view between these two characters and I think that Priest really did a great job of keeping the reader intrigued by their individual stories and their own specific personalities. It kept the story moving at a brisk pace and the action seemed continuously nonstop for most of the book. There were many other secondary characters as well. Of course the antagonist, Minneretch (or however you spell is name haha) was well done. I liked his style, his way of talking and his demeanor. I wish he had been elaborated on and developed more to be honest but his story wasn't horrible. Then there was Swakhammer, Lucy (I loved her, crossbow on her mechanical arm=badass), Crog and Cly (the airship captains we meet the most), Rudy, and several others. You do have to pay a lot of attention to the details in the book because everything does matter or more likely than not, it will show up again and have a purpose, But this book is completely worth your time and devotion if you have an attentive eye and enjoy a good story about airships, zombies, and inventions :)
Review by graceschumann (LibraryThing), October 6, 2011 More zombie apocalypse than steampunk--and I have to admit, I gave up halfway through due to the zombies (which really aren't my thing). Leviticus Blue unleashes a drilling device on Seattle that drills too deep and releases a gas that either kills or zombifies anyone who breathes it. Fifteen years later, his widow, Briar, and his son, Ezekiel, live on the Outskirts of Seattle, beyond the walls erected to contain the zombie plague. Zeke, in an attempt to prove his father's innocence, enters the walls and Briar follows to bring him out. Will they survive? Or will the zombies get them? And what about those air pirates? Well-written, just not my cup of tea.
Review by LibraryGirl11 (LibraryThing), September 7, 2011 Q: What do the following have in common? Pink Floyd's The Wall, Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Gilgamesh, Gaiman's Neverwhere, Ridley Scott's Aliens, Engdahl's This Star shall Abide, Lucas's The Empire Strikes Back? A: I was reminded of them while reading Cherie Priest 's Boneshaker. (Oh, a review? "Exquisite pacing and atmosphere, though the last decision struck me abruptly.")
Review by lisapaul (LibraryThing), July 13, 2011 Zombies and Pirates and Steampunk, oh my! Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest, goes a long way to explaining why the Grunge / Goth music scene is so big in the US Northwest. In this version of a mid-nineteenth century that never was, Seattle, while waiting to be admitted to Statehood during the Civil War Era, became a bigger boom town than actually it did, thanks in part to the Alaska Gold Rush being historically relocated. An eccentric inventor (is there any other kind in this genre?) puts together a steam operated drill at the request of the Russian government, to enable easy mining through the permafrost. During an early test, again at the request of the Russians, things go awry (no surprise here either) and the professor, Dr. Leviticus “Levi” Blue, sinks the town’s banks and unleashes a deadly (surprise!) gas cloud that turns the people killed by the gas into zombies. Sixteen years or so after “The Blight” has been released, Zeke, our young hero and son of Levi Blue, decides to sneak back into the walled city to prove his father did not deliberately sink the bans and release the gas. His mother follows to rescue Zeke and is both helped and hindered along the way by aerial pirates. The story has a nicely developed flow to it and enough action to keep any adrenaline based reader happy. The lines between the good guys and the bad guys gets mighty muddy at times, but the real evil dudes are easy to spot. Kudus to Ms. Priest for her characters’ dialogs; exceptionally well done storytelling. With all this going for it, Boneshaker is a great summer read! Four and a half stars and I want to read more of Cherie Priest’s work.
Review by PghDragonMan (LibraryThing), July 2, 2011 A book that take a bit to get into, but picks up the pace towards the end, Boneshaker is a story of an alternate history. Set in a Seattle of the 1880s that is plagued by a gas called the Blight, that turns anyone who inhales it, into ravenous creatures called Rotters (i.e. zombies). Although, the book blurb makes it seem that the protagonist of this story is Zeke Wilkes, one gets the sense that the true 'hero' is actually, his mother, Briar. As she is the one who actual undergoes the trials and danger of trying to find her missing son in abandoned Seattle, while Zeke just seems to be blundering from one scene to another. Overall, this is a story where the setting tends to be more interesting that the plot itself. Somewhat slow to start, the plot starts to pick up somewhere around the halfway mark. Recommended for fans of steampunk, alternate history, zombie apocalypse, or just a fun adventure.
Review by timothyl33 (LibraryThing), June 26, 2011 The Civil War may be ravaging the East, but in Seattle they're more concerned about the Blight and the rotters. On the Outskirts life is tenuous and nasty, a constant struggle for food and fresh water. The inner city has been walled off in a desperate bid to contain both Blight and rotters. For Briar Wilkes, the deadly miasma hanging over the city has deeper connotations - she married the man everyone blames for the Blight, and is descended from the one man who was either the city's greatest hero or its second biggest traitor, depending on who you ask. When her son Zeke sneaks under the Wall in hopes of clearing his father's name, Briar has no option but to go after him. Now she's up to her neck in rotters and inner city politics - and Briar has a deadly secret of her own... I've been resisting reading this for some reason, but it kept showing up in my recommended list, so I tracked it down. And like many books I've put off reading, I ended up liking it very much. Historical liberties aside, Priest has managed a mother-son story where both characters are real and likable, and best of all end up with a stronger relationship by the end.
Review by SunnySD (LibraryThing), April 27, 2011 Zeke wants to know the truth about his family. He's heard the stories, how his father, Leviticus Blue, built the Boneshaker, a machine that would mine through the ice of the Klondike to read gold for the Russians. He's heard the stories about how something went terribly wrong with the Boneshaker and how Blue lost control of it and it powered its way through the financial district of 1890s Seattle, smashing through several bank vaults before it reversed course and made its way back to the Blue mansion. He's heard the stories of how the Blight gas started to seep out, killing anyone who came into contact with it and turning them into zombies. He's heard all these stories, and doesn't want to believe them because his mother, Briar, who was there, won't tell him anything. And he's suspicious. And he plans on breaching the wall that has been built around Seattle to keep the Blight and rotters inside and finding out the truth and help rewrite his family's history. What he finds on the inside, however, may not be exactly what he is looking for. Boneshaker is just as much a book about family and the ties that bind as it is a Steampunk extravaganza. Yes, it has the requisite dirigibles, goggles, mechanical goodness and other necessities that are obligatory in making a story Steampunk, but it is also the story of the love a mother has for her child and the lengths that she will go to to protect that child. Briar will stop at nothing to make sure that Zeke is safe, and this is what helps this book stand out in the Steampunk crowd. There's more to it than just Steampunk. And, just to make sure that her story stands out from other Steampunk stories, Cherie Priest also throws in a (un)healthy dose of zombies, just for good measure. It's also full of great characters who are each unique and engaging, and the world-building is topnotch. Boneshaker is a great read. It's a great Steampunk novel. And it's a shame that it took me this long to finally getting around to reading it. Whether you're a fan of Steampunk or just enjoy a romping good book that is solidly written, Boneshaker is for you. Now, it's time for me to move on to Clementine and Dreadnought, the continuing stories of The Clockwork Century!
Review by tapestry100 (LibraryThing), April 1, 2011 More reviews: page 1 | page 2 | [page 3] | page 4 | page 5 | page 6