Reading Shelf is a regular, every-other-week feature wherein I discuss a book that I’ve read recently. It’s kind of like a mini review. I try to be light on the plot discussion, but I cannot guarantee that what follows is completely spoiler-free.
I’ve enjoyed Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century novels ever since I read my first one. If I remember correctly, it was CLEMENTINE, which is actually a novella in the same world in which the series takes place. After that introduction, I went on to read DREADNOUGHT and, only with the recent release of GANYMEDE, went back to read BONESHAKER, which is technically the first book in the loosely-related series.
None of this matters. It’s just my way of saying that although this isn’t a series that has to be read in strict order, I’m focusing on the first book, BONESHAKER.
BONESHAKER is a novel with two protagonists, Briar Wilkes and her son Zeke. They live outside the city of Seattle, which was walled off and virtually abandoned after an accident released a toxic gas from under the ground that turned the city’s citizens into Rotters, walking dead with a hunger for human flesh. Blame for the accident fell on the late scientist (Briar’s husband and Zeke’s father) who built a giant drill called the Boneshaker, that he either lost control of or (as most people believe) released on purpose. Zeke, eager to learn more about his father and possibly clear the man’s name, sneaks into Seattle to search for answers among the city’s remaining denizens — the literally underground settlement of folks who brave the gas for a variety of reasons. Briar catches a ride on a smuggler’s airship in order to follow her son into the city on the desperate hope that she can find him and get him out alive, before either the gas kills him or the walking dead do. (Phew!)
Of the two characters, I connected more with Briar, a single mother and emotionally-damaged woman who’s trying to keep her head down and eke out whatever life she can for herself and her son, all while haunted by not only her husband’s reputation but that of her father, who released a group of criminals from Seattle’s prison rather than abandoning them to the toxic gas. Her relationship with Zeke is deeply flawed, but when he disappears she doesn’t let anything stop her from reuniting with him. Her determination, strength, and overall character arc made her the stand-out star of the novel to me. Zeke’s storyline, which is something of a coming-of-age crossed with an adventure plot, was equally compelling, but I found myself more drawn to Briar because of our similarities.
The other star of the novel was Seattle itself. The walled-in city of underground maze-like passages and roaming undead created constant tension as the characters had to not only wear gas masks for protection from the toxic gas, but also sneak around (and alternately flee from) gangs of Rotters. Looming over it all is the underworld’s overlord, a scientist who controls the city and wants to get his hands on Briar and Zeke for his own shady and possibly nefarious purposes. It’s a truly unique setting of dim underground passages and boarded-up buildings, with “safe” zones throughout the city where clean air is pumped down through a series of tubes for the denizens to breathe. It was really fascinating to watch the characters explore this unusual world.
BONESHAKER is an alt-history steampunk novel with airships, undead, and strong protagonists. Anyone who enjoys any of the above with like this novel because it’s not just speculative fiction and not just horror, but also a compelling story about human relationships and how far a person go to get what he/she wants. With two more books in the series coming out in 2012 and 2013, I look forward to enjoying this series for quite a while.
(image copyright Tor Books, used without permission)
