“The nurse would play the moment over and over in her head, on an infinite loop that would surprise her sometimes, startling her out of a reverie or out of her sleep, for the rest of her life.
And she would listen to it, watch it, scrutinize it through the windowpane of her memory and wonder if it mattered. Surely it didn’t matter who fired the first shot, or what small event caused the action to begin. But merely knowing that it might not matter did not make it bother her any less, not at the time and certainly not in retrospect, and it did not keep that moment out of her waking nightmares.
Her terrified and very human reaction was to duck down, to dodge, to lie on the floor and pray.”
Dreadnought ~Cherie Priest
2010, Tor Books
400 pages
8/10
In her Locus award winning novel, Boneshaker, author Cherie Priest unveiled The Clockwork Century, her alternate history universe in which:
“The Civil War is still underway, drawn out by English interference, a different transportation infrastructure, and a powerful Republic of Texas that discovered oil at Spindletop some fifty years sooner than real life allowed.
The competition of war has led to technological progress and horrors unimaginable, and many people have fled the combating states, hoping for an easier life out west.”
Her steampunk-infused tale expertly wove together two alternating story lines: those of a teenage boy whose adolescent bravado and curiosity about his birth leads him into the plague-ravaged underbelly of Seattle, Washington, a city walled in to prevent both the escape of poisonous gases and the decaying post-humans who occupy its streets, and the desperate mother who will brave all for his safe return.
In her follow up novel, Dreadnought, Priest turns the focus on Mercy Lynch, a Southern nurse tending the wounded in a Richmond, VA hospital. Lynch is propelled on a cross-country journey when she is confronted with the news that her husband has died in a POW camp and that her estranged father is on his death-bed in Seattle, Washington. With a small store of cash, two pistols and the supplies in her Red Cross bag, nurse Lynch undertakes a lone journey by airship and locomotive across the very active war torn front, not knowing what, or who, she will find at journey’s end.
Though her nursing experiences have prepared her for the horrors of war, Mercy Lynch will learn that there are far worse terrors yet to be revealed.
The stories that make up Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century are an amalgam of historical, western, steampunk, mystery and old-fashioned adventure and while the experiment of genre-blending is not always a success, the strength of Priest’s writing is that the genre elements exist quietly in the background, never impinging on the story or the characters who inhabit that story. With dialogue and atmosphere that are reminiscent of the television series, Firefly, Dreadnought unfolds as a frontier tale that stays intimately focused on its capable female protagonist. And that focus never wavers. The reader is treated both to Lynch’s journey across the nation as well as her more intimate personal journey as she comes to grips with the idea of being on her own.
However, since no man–or woman–is an island, the reader is also introduced to a number of interesting characters who will play parts large and small in the migration of Mercy Lynch. While Priest’s characters run the gamut from the fully-formed to those fulfilling standard gender stereotypes, she manages to present them in a way that feels right. And threaded within the narrative is a moving, non-judgmental examination of the human beings involved on both sides of any conflict.
Dreadnought begins slowly, allowing the reader to get to know nurse Lynch while being immersed in the historical familiarity of the Civil War era, albeit one with more imaginative technology. Mirroring the action of the steam-powered locomotives which are by all rights characters in and of themselves, the story builds and builds until it reaches a breakneck pace at the climax. The train for which the novel is named is itself a massive engine of armed destruction, built to strike terror and rain destruction while transporting the mechanized war machines of the Union army to and from the front lines. When Mercy Lynch finds herself on board the Dreadnought, the novel comes into its own and becomes very difficult to put down.
On rare occasions the dialogue takes on a decidedly contemporary ring which feels out of place with the rest of the story. And while the novel as a whole stands on its own, the denouement felt uneven despite my familiarity with the events of Boneshaker. This is one of the few places where the two tales overlap and without that knowledge the ending stutters and shudders to a close. The mild letdown of this final chapter is diminished by the fact that Priest hits a perfect emotional note in the final paragraph.
It is not perfect, but on the whole I feel no hesitation in declaring this another hit for Cherie Priest. I remain impressed that the author can write an alternate history story with dirigibles and air-pirates, steam-powered mechs and zombie-like humans that reads as if none of those components were present. For steampunk fans, the seemingly effortless fusion of these elements with a cogent plot gives legitimacy to a sub-genre of fantastical fiction that is currently flooding the marketplace.
The newest novel set in the Clockwork Century universe, Ganymede, recently hit bookstore shelves. After two solid outings, I am looking forward to seeing what Cherie Priest has in store for us next.
Excellent. I rather enjoyed Boneshaker, and after finishing it I knew I’d want to read the subsequent novels. That was December 2009. I’ve yet to pick up another, though I’m unsure why. This review makes me want to revisit the alternate history of the US.
But I’m curious. Did you not read Clementine? I think it’s Book #2 in the series, but I don’t believe it has any relations to the first and the third. Just curious.
I’m right there with you Logan. I read Boneshaker in November of 2009, bought this one right away when it came out and even started it but then got off on something else. It was good to come back to it, and in my opinion if you liked the one, you’ll like the other.
Clementine is the second story she wrote, but I’m thinking it was a novella. At any rate it is about half the size of these and because it initially started as a special edition book only I’m thinking they don’t consider it a direct sequel. Not that this really is either other than small parts that I won’t reveal for fear of spoilers.
I do intend to pick up a copy though!
I’m still kicking myself because Cherie Priest was here in town signing books last month and I missed her. I really enjoyed Boneshaker and would have liked to meet her. Hopefully I’ll get around to Dreadnought soon.
Doh! I would be kicking myself too. But I won’t kick you, I understand how things like that happen. I would have certainly caught her had I the opportunity. She lives in Seattle, I believe, so hopefully you’ll get another opportunity to see her. At least you are much more likely to in the Portland area than I am in Kansas City. 🙂
I have this. I really need to find time to read it. I really enjoyed Boneshaker, so one of these days…
We can say that about so many books, can’t we Kailana? And that list is just gonna get longer over the Christmas season.
This looks interesting! I haven’t actually read any steampunk before, which is something that I intend to remedy in the upcoming year.
Her first book in this series, Boneshaker, is one I would recommend for a steampunk introduction largely because of what I mentioned in this review, her ability to incorporate those elements without the story being about those elements. It makes it a much stronger story that way, in my opinion.
Sounds like a great one. And I’ve never heard of steampunk before. That’s pretty cool. I’ve always shied away from alternative history novels since I get mad when the history channel gives false information. But I think I just need to get over that and just have fun!
I haven’t read a great deal of alternate history either, outside of the fact that steampunk itself could be considered an alteration of history. I’d certainly recommend Boneshaker, and the Langdon St. Ives novels written by James P. Blaylock. If you like the Sherlock Holmes’ London atmosphere, Blaylock is the way to go.
Thanks for the tip!
It’s funny you mention the contemporary language angle because I have experienced this as well in a book I’m currently reading, On Basilisk Station by David Weber, It reads like a period piece space opera most of the time and every once and awhile it will drop in some modern day dialogue which is jarring to the reader. I’m really digging the book but it would be one of my knocks against it as well.
Unfortunately, my lack of passion for books involving the civil war, alternate histories and steam punk will cause me to give this one a pass. It does sound like a great character story though and I’m glad you dug it. I just have so many books on my TBR pile involving my personnel reading interests that I know I enjoy reading that I’m going to have take a pass on visiting Mercy’s world. I enjoyed reading your review though and I’m sure I’ll read your next one in this series which sounds great for Steam punk fans.
Wow, I haven’t noticed that about On Basilisk Station, but I’ll be paying more attention now as I’m reading it. It really is a fun one.
I completely understand. While I don’t find myself drawn to most of the flood of steampunk books that are on bookshelves now (similar to not being attracted to most of the urban fantasy), there are those stand-out books that I cannot resist, and I just love the clockwork/steampunk look and feel. I especially enjoy how Priest’s stuff is so different than the other stuff I’ve read. Her books feel like the Civil War era equivalent of a Jane Austen book, or a Little House on the Prairie book, only with some more modern sensibilities.
Whereas Blaylock’s stuff really reads more like a Sherlock Holmes mystery with the steampunk elements being more mad-scientist in nature.
The real draw for both authors though is that they write good stories, with characters that you enjoy spending time with and a story that may not be unique, but fits within the type of adventure/mystery/action stories that I tend to like.
Boneshaker has been an intention of mine that I am going to have to remedy this coming year. Dreadnought looks intriguing, and as always you did a great job reviewing.
Ha! Thanks L. Most of the time anymore as I type I get worried that people are thinking, “would you please shut up already!!!”.
I would love to read your analysis on Boneshaker.
I’ve got her first three books, ‘Four & Twenty Blackbirds,’ ‘Wings to the Kingdom’, & ‘Not Flesh nor Feathers’ that are paranormal mysteries set in and around Chattanooga, TN. Really liked those…also have ‘Fathom’ tho i’ve not gotten around to reading it yet. As a matter of fact, I think I actually do have ‘Boneshaker’ in a pile somewhere.
Glad to hear you like them so well, I knew liking the first books i’d probably like these also, but, it’s always nice to have someone who’s opinion you trust confirm it. 😀
I’ve heard good things about those books, but had avoided them mostly because I always have so much I want to read come RIP time and they feel like October reads to me. Now that I’ve read and enjoyed two of her books, I’m more likely to check those out at some point.
I definitely need to pull this one off the shelves and read it some time soon. Perhaps over the Christmas break, if I don’t let the break get away from me.
I’m taking two weeks off and I’m already worried about just that same thing Darren. I wish you (and me) all the best in that not happening. 🙂
I feel like I’ve been living in the Shire for the last few months – I’ve not heard of Priest or Blaylock but I like the sound of both. I sometimes feel like I’m trapped in a bubble! Great review. Two more authors to go on the list. Do you ever feel that there just really isn’t enough time?
Thanks
Lynn 😀
Well you’ve been in good company, Lynn! 🙂 I have that same thing happen with authors. And yes, I ALWAYS feel that there isn’t enough time.
I have Boneshaker on my shelf, like it appears many of us do! You did such a good review of Dreadnought, Carl, that I have to read Boneshaker, and soon. I enjoyed that you wrote about what you did and didn’t like about the book, too. Thank you!
As for the Christmas break and reading – I have so many plans to read, and I have this feeling that what I envision is not likely to fully happen – though I am going to try to read every day through the holidays.