Priest, Cherie: Boneshaker
Boneshaker (2009)
Written by: Cherie Priest
Genre: Steampunk/Alternate History
Pages: 416 (Trade Paperback)
If you've followed this journal for any length of time, you should know I'm a serious Cherie Priest fan. I've read all of her books (save for Fathom, which I own but haven't been in the mood for yet), and I've re-read her debut, Four and Twenty Blackbirds (first review here and second review here). While all of her stories are a little bit different, I would say a defining characteristic of her fiction thus far is the element of horror. Sometimes it's straight-out horror, as found in Dreadful Skin and Those Who Went Remain There Still. Sometimes it's more of a dark fantasy/urban fantasy horror, like the Eden Moore trilogy, which starts off with Four and Twenty Blackbirds. But it looks like Priest is going to do a different kind of horror with her Clockwork Century books, of which Boneshaker is the first, and that type of horror?
Steampunk.
I'll be honest, I don't get it. Steampunk, that is, not Cherie Priest. I just don't get the appeal of steampunk, and I'll admit I was one of the few who wanted to die a little when Tor.com announced that October would be Steampunk Month, because that meant I was subjected to TONS OF STUFF about a sub-genre that 1) I didn't get and 2) didn't care about.
Do I "get" or "care" about it now that I've read Boneshaker? That is actually not a fair question, because anyone who knows anything about steampunk will tell you it's incredibly diverse. Priest tackles it through the horror/alternate history lens, and because it's Priest, I can handle it. Because it's Priest. Give me the exact same book with a different author's name on the cover? I wouldn't have looked at it twice. That's how much I love Cherie Priest.
The premise: in order to truly appreciate what Priest is doing, I'm giving you not one, but TWO premises. The first is the overall premise for the series/world-building, and the second is the actual premise of the book. I think that's fair.
The Clockwork Century: explanation plucked from Subterranean Press's website, the preface for Priest's short story, also set in the Clockwork Century universe, Tanglefoot.: Stonewall Jackson survived Chancellorsville. England broke the Union’s naval blockade, and formally recognized the Confederate States of America. Atlanta never burned.
It is 1880. The American Civil War has raged for nearly two decades, driving technology in strange and terrible directions. Combat dirigibles skulk across the sky and armored vehicles crawl along the land. Military scientists twist the laws of man and nature, and barter their souls for weapons powered by light, fire, and steam.
But life struggles forward for soldiers and ordinary citizens. The fractured nation is dotted with stricken towns and epic scenes of devastation-some manmade, and some more mysterious. In the western territories cities are swallowed by gas and walled away to rot while the frontiers are strip-mined for resources. On the borders between North and South, spies scour and scheme, and smugglers build economies more stable than their governments.
This is the Clockwork Century.
It is dark here, and different.
Boneshaker's Premise: Rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike encouraged the Russians to seek a machine that could actually drill for it. Leviticus Blue took up the challenge and built the great Boneshaker. But before the Russians could get a hold of it, it went on a test run through the city of Seattle, not only destroying several blocks of the city, but it released a blight of gas that turned anyone who breathed it into a rotter (aka the living dead). Now, years later, the son of Leviticus Blue is determined to prove his father wasn't a criminal for his actions, and he sneaks into the now-walled city of Seattle to get that proof. His mother, Briar Blue, terrified for her son's safety and what he might find, goes after him. But nothing easy within the walls of Seattle, as there's more than just the undead to outwit and outrun, and Zeke and Briar will need everything they've got to survive those who have a peculiar and deadly interest in them.
Review style: No spoilers. I'm going to talk about, and I may say some things that might lead you to figure out certain plot points, but I won't outright spoil anything. :) If you're paranoid, just jump to the "My Rating" section of the review, and you'll be just fine. :)
Right or wrong, there are two things I identify with steampunk: the first is anything clockwork, and the second is the fashion, the look: Victorian garb accented with goggles, weird clockwork devices, and gloves and boots that were certainly NOT in fashion in the day. To me, steampunk is a setting, an atmosphere, which is probably why I have a difficult time wrapping my head around it as a sub-genre. Perhaps the more I read the more I'll get, but for now, I'm floundering along.
That said, I really appreciated and enjoyed the pure utility of Priest's steampunk universe. Sure, the Briar and her son Zeke and everyone wears goggles, but it's because if you don't have those on, along with breathing masks, protective gloves, and whatnot, you're going to breathe in the Blight and turn into a rotter. Very practical. Also very practical and an excellent touch is how CUMBERSOME these items end up being. The characters are constantly aware of their goggles and masks and gloves, conscious because the items are, at times, uncomfortable. Sometimes there's the fear of getting cut through the glove and the wound getting infected with Blight, and sometimes there's the fear of being so ill by what you've seen that you want to vomit. Except, you can't through the breathing mask, because if you do, you're gonna have a mess and you're going to leave the mask on, otherwise you'll breathe in the Blight and turn into a rotter.
Great attention to detail. That's what I appreciate. Priest makes the world real and plausible rather than overindulgence, and I'm grateful.
Also, I'm glad the rotters were never referred to as zombies. Don't know why that matters, but rotters makes great sense in terms of the time period and what the people might've really called them. Sometimes, not naming the obvious gives the monster more of an allure. It worked in Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and it worked here too.
The alternate history aspect was interest for me. Some of it, like the particulars of the Civil War, were obvious deviations. Other alterations I had no clue about, because American history isn't exactly my strong suit, and I don't live anywhere near Seattle and therefore have no personal or family history to cloud my reading. I say that because I've seen reviews that criticize Priest for getting details wrong, but . . . isn't that the POINT of alternate history? To alter the way events really happened? To accelerate or decelerate certain things? Priest discusses this in her author's note at the end of the book, but I really, really wish that she or her editors had chosen to put that note FIRST, before the text. Because it spoils nothing, and it reminds the reader right away that 1) this is fiction and 2) it is alternate history and 3) the author has taken some liberties, which is her right. Seriously, what's the fuss? So if you read this, flip to the back and read the author's note first. Just because I think it puts things in context, especially for those more familiar with the local history than I am.
As far as characters go, I found myself frustrated with Zeke more often than not, and the book's tendency to not state the obvious when the obvious SHOULD BE STATED. Without getting into spoilers, when someone knows who Zeke is or thinks he recognizes Zeke, why don't they blurt out, "Your mother's looking for you!" instead of staying silent and/or being more vague and saying the ever-ominous someone. However, Zeke does come into his own brand of heroism, and I really grew fond of the kid due to his actions at the end. He doesn't take the expected path, and for that, I admire him.
Briar's sections I enjoyed more. It's fascinating to read the POV of a mother who doesn't feel she's a good mother, but who'll do anything for her son regardless. I liked her name, I liked her sensibilities, and I liked the fact she was portrayed in such a way that she both kicked ass and was scared out of her wits. The only time I got frustrated with her was her insistence that Leviticus Blue was really dead, because I kept asking her, "What makes you so damn sure?" It didn't occur to me until late (later than it should've, to be honest), that there might be a very good answer to that question, and sure enough, I was right. I liked that. And I like how the book ends on a note of hope, but yet mystery. We might see these characters again in a different setting, but as of now, we really don't know what happened to them. It's not a cliff-hanger by any means either. It's just their exit from the stage of adventure, and we're left to imagine what might be next. Me, I hope for the best, and I wouldn't mind seeing this cast pop up again in later installments of the series. For that matter, I wouldn't mind going back to walled-up Seattle, to see how the survivors of the city survived that final battle, and to see what's going on with the rotters. :)
My Rating
Worth the Cash: it's definitely an entertaining read, and a well-written one. For anyone curious about steampunk as a sub-genre, it's a great place to start, because Priest has a sensible, practical approach to it, all the while telling a fun story. Fun might be an odd word to describe a book that reeks a bit of horror, but it's all good. I could easily see this made into a movie, and to be honest, I hope it happens. There's something wonderfully visual about this book, and the story lends itself to the big screen. While it's not my favorite Priest book (that honor goes to the Eden Moore trilogy, but that may be bias talking as the trilogy's setting is two hours from where I live), it's very good and I'm happy to have another Priest book under my belt.
For those of you still not sure if Boneshaker is right for you, you can sample the Clockwork Century universe by reading Priest's short story Tanglefoot. The only relation to Boneshaker is the world itself, as no characters overlap and nothing references the events, let alone spoils the events, of the book. It's a good little read, with shades of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and I think you'll enjoy it. You can also check out her Clockwork Century website, which features news of all the books and short stories taking place in the universe. Priest is an entertaining blogger anyway, so you shouldn't be disappointed.
As for my part, Priest remains one of my favorite authors, and I'm happy to continue with her books, steampunk or no. She hasn't kindled a great love within me for steampunk or anything, but I'll read whatever she writes provided it's well-written and entertaining. She hasn't let me down yet.
Cover Commentary: very eye-catching, and very appropriate for the book. I particularly like the design and placement of the author's name and the title of the book, as well as the fonts used (surprising, since people tend to complain about Tor's use of fonts). I also like that splash of yellow and gold in the goggles and its lens. Nicely done.
Next up: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews