The Inexplicables (Clockwork Century, Book 4) by Cherie Priest (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult (fine for YA too!)
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: November 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0765329479
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Clockwork Century series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 3/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Clockwork Century series. It is a well done steampunk novel, but I had some trouble connecting with the main characters and staying engaged in the story.

The main character Wreck, is a sap-addicted orphan who's been thrown out of the orphanage after turning 19. He decides to head beyond the Wall to Seattle to try and find a job dealing sap. When he gets there he meets Zeke and Huey and ends up wrapped up in an adventure to save the city and discover what a strange creature haunting the night really is.

This is very well written but just wasn't that engaging to me. Wreck is not a likable character; he is lazy and likes to take advantage of people...this made him hard to engage with. While it was nice to see Zeke in the story (he was in Boneshaker) I still had trouble engaging and relating with any of the characters in this story.

The story moves slowly and it takes quite a while to get to the point of the story. I just had a lot of trouble staying engaged in the story up until the last fourth of the book or so. My mind kept wandering. The first part of the book is basically about Wreck getting past the Wall and finding his way around Seattle amidst the zombifying gas and different factions.

This book is very steampunk; you have zombies, gas masks, steam driven power, and all things steampunkish. Priest is always spot on with the steampunk elements of her books.

The story is fairly predictable and, as I mentioned, I had a tough time staying engaged in what was going on. When it came right down to it the mysterious zombie disappearances and the mysterious creature in the night just weren’t enough to really drive this story and keep it interesting.

Overall an okay steampunk read. I thought earlier books in this series were better. Still, if you are a huge steampunk fan you might want to give this a read. The main character is just very hard to relate to. I’d recommend reading Boneshaker over this book, I would also recommend Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series as an excellent steampunk read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Zombie Reading Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- Steampunk Reading Challenge

Review - Ganymede (Clockwork Century, Book 4) by Cherie Priest (3.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 352 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
ISBN: 978-8765329462
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Clockwork Century series
Source: Bought
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This was the fourth book in the Clockwork Century series. I have loved all of the books in this series and was eager to read this one. This one was good, but probably my least favorite of the bunch I didn't find the story or the characters as engaging as the first three books.

Josephine Early has a secret, and it's not the fact that her Boarding House of Women is actually a mixed race bordello, no it's the fact that she is helping to get a war machine called the Ganymede out of the south and to the north to help the other side of the war. Trouble is Josephine needs someone to pilot the thing and being that Ganymede is the first submarine ever and that a number of people have died trying to pilot it she's having some trouble. Then she remembers Cly. Josephine and Cly have history, and since Cly's trying to give up pirating and straighten out his life this might be the perfect gig for him to start with.

I love Priest's writing style; she has enough detail in there to really help the reader picture what's going on. I also love how she blends history, zombies, and steampunk elements together to create this awesome world. We meet Cly in Boneshaker and it was fun to read more about him. I love how the zombie issue is kind of woven into the back story and how, even though this is a serparate story from the first three books, it still has many elements of those books tied in with it.

I did have some problems with this book too. Josephine wasn't my favorite character, I just had trouble engaging with her. This was odd because I usually love Priest's quirky, strong female leads. Josephine just rubbed me the wrong way though; she was too abrasive and too cold to be very likable. I liked Cly better, but he wasn't in the story nearly as much as Josephine. With Cly and Josephine's history together I expected them to interact more and have more tension, but this didn't really happen.

I also enjoyed the number of social issues that are addressed in this book: issues of race, war, sexual orientation, etc are discussed and interesting points are brought up. Nothing incredibly unique, but there is some food for thought there. I was a little surprised when one of the characters was revealed to be transexual...mostly because I didn't understand how it added to the story, the way this was revealed at the end was a bit odd. I am wondering if that will carry on to the next book or if it was just included for novelty.

I also had some problems with the plot. There is a lot going on in this book but the overall premise and goal of the book was pretty simple; to get the Ganymede out of the marsh and into the river to deliver to the other side of the war. This is the main issue the whole book deals with and at times I found it to be a bit tedious. I understand that the Ganymede was supposed to provide a turning point for the war; I just didn't find it all that interesting. Maybe it's because I am not a history buff and don't like war stories all that much; but I thought this book had a lot less adventure and steampunk elements than previous books in this series and a lot more tactics and war games.

Overall this was a very good book, but not the strongest in this series. I didn't think the characters were as admirable as in previous books, I also found the overall premise of getting a war machine from one place to another to be a bit tedious and boring at times. This is an excellent world though and I still find it intriguing. I enjoy Priest's writing style and the intricacy of her descriptions a lot. I look forward to reading Inexplicable when it releases in 2012.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Get Steampunked!
- Zombies! Reading Challenge

Early Review - Hellbent (Cheshire Red Reports, Book 2) by Cherie Priest (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size:  352 pages

Publisher:  Spectra

Release Date: September 6, 2011
ISBN: 978-0345520623
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Cheshire Red Reports
Source: ARC through Librarything's Early Reviewer Program
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through Librarything's early Reviewer program.  I was soo excited to read this.  I love pretty much everything I have read by Cherie Priest (I've read all her Clockwork Century series and of course the first book in this series, Bloodshot).  Well I loved this book too.  It was so much fun to read; definitely not as serious as her Clockwork Century series but a very fun, fast paced urban fantasy series with a lot of humor.

Our favorite OCD vampire thief, Raylene, is back with more hijinks.  Raylene gets a call from one of her contacts asking her to steal some very valuble magical baculum (penis bones..uh yep that's what baculum are).  It looks to be a simple snatch and grab, of course things aren't ever simple.  Along with this snatch and grab gone wrong, Raylen's housemate Ian has problems of his own.  The head of Ian's House has died and Ian would be next in line, except with his blindness he isn't suited for the position and is being hunted down instead.  So Raylene and Adrian (the drag queen ex-Navy Seal) go over to Ian's House to try and fix things up for him; along the way they may even find out more about Adrian's sister.

This book has three plot lines going on: the stealing of the baculum, Ian's problems with his house, and the search for Adrian's missing sister. These plots are neatly and efficiently woven together making for a fast-paced, action packed urban fantasy that is hard to put down and fun to read.

The characters are part of what make this book wonderful.  Raylene is quirky, hilarious, and very good at what she does.  Adrian is another wonderful quirky character, that is a load of laughs, but also very bad-ass.  There pretty much aren't any characters in this book that I don't like; they are all interesting, engaging, creative and...did I already mention fun?!

The dialogue throughout is also witty.  The banter between Raylene and Adrian is hilarious.  I absolutely love Raylene's snarky attitude and enjoy her constant digressions to only slightly related topics.  Just beware there are numerous sexual references (but no sex) throughout and a crapload of swearing.  I enjoyed it, but it is not for younger readers.

I love where this series is going, some big things happen right at the end of the book that make me excited to see where this series is headed to.  The main plotlines are nicely wrapped up.  You could probably read this book as a stand alone; good background is given in the beginning of the book.  Why would you want to though when Bloodshot was such a fun read too?

Overall I absolutely loved this book.  The plot and action are well done, the characters quirky and funny, it is fast-paced and lots of fun.  I love love Raylene and her snarkiness.  I love where this series is going and am so excited to read the next installment.  I pretty much loved everything about this book.  Is this book for everyone?  Probably not, the humor is a bit off-the-wall and dark, there's a lot of swearing, and pretty much no romance.  But, if you love fast-paced action-packed urban fantasy with a biting sense of humor you should definitely check this series out.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

Review - Bloodshot (Cheshire Red Reports, Book 1) by Cherie Priest (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: January 25, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0345520609
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in Cheshire Red Reports series
Source: Amazon Vine Program
Rating: 5/5 stars


I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program.  I will preface this review by saying that so far I have liked every book that I have read by Priest; I have read all of her Clockwork Century novels and enjoyed them.  Although I loved the Steampunk theme to those books, I love urban fantasy even more.  So I was very excited to see that she had decided to release an urban fantasy novel.  This novel was wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it and can't wait to read the next book in the series, Hellbent. 

Cheshire Red a.k.a. Raylene Pendle is a world renown thief and a vampire.  When a mysterious letter appears at her current safe-house with no address, she knows it is from another vampire.  The letter is from Ian Stott a vampire who is blind after being kidnapped and forced into biological experiments that the government was doing.  Ian wants Raylene to acquire his medical records from the secret government research facility.  Easy peesy, right?  Well of course not.  The convoluted path will lead her through a number cities across the nation as well as throw her a new investigator partner in the form of an ex-Navy Seal drag queen.

This book was wonderful from beginning to end.  It was fast-paced, had a plot that kept you guessing, lots of wonderful quirky characters, and great action sequences.  This book is a lot lighter than Priest's Clockwork Century series and a lot more fun.  Raylene is a bit OCD, snarky, witty, and downright human despite the fact that she, well, really isn't human at all.  Ian Stott is another wonderful character as a blind, yet sensitive vampire and I wish that he had been in the story a bit more.  Adrian is also a top character; I mean how can you not love a funny, kick-butt, ex Navy Seal drag queen?  He is just great.

The plot is an intricate and interesting one that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from the beginning to the end of the story.  I especially liked how Raylene did so much travel; we got to read about her in Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and D.C.  It also seemed like Priest did her research on the cities Raylene went too.  Although I as a little bit put out at Minneapolis's main descriptor being that it was cold, I really can't deny that since next Monday we will have a daily high of zero oF, so I guess that is pretty accurate.

There isn't a lot of romance in this book, a touch here and there but that is it.  I love that since I like my books more towards urban fantasy than paranormal romance.  The main story is wrapped up nicely but you can tell there will be a sequel to wrap up some plot points that show up in the end of the story.

How does this compare to Clockwork Century books?  Well it is more fun and uses a more informal writing style.  It is not necessarily better or worse than the Clockwork Century books, it is just different. 

Overall a wonderful new urban fantasy book.  I love Priest as a writer and she has once again proven what an excellent writer she is and also how versatile she can be.  If you are a fan of the Kate Daniels series, the Jaz Parks series, or the Elemental Assassin series I would definitely pick this book up and give it a read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
- GLBT Reading Challenge

 

Review - Dreadnought (Clockwork Century, Book 3) by Cherie Priest (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult (appropriate for Young Adult)
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date:  September 28th, 2010
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Clockwork Century series (5 books planned, each book is stand alone)
ISBN-13: 978-0765325785
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars

Dreadnought is the third book in the Clockwork Century series by Priest.  All of the books are separate adventures in the sames universe, so they can be read alone or together.  There are five total books planned for this series with the fourth, Ganymede, being released in fall of 2011 and the fifth, Inexplicable, being release in the fall of 2012.  This was another great addition to this series; I love the world Priest has created and it was a great read.

Mercy is a nurse on the Confederate side of the war and has just found out that her husband (who fought on the Union side of the war) has died in a POW camp.  Immediately after learning this she receives notice that her father (whom she has not seen since she was a little girl) is very sick, is in Seattle, and is requesting her presence.  Mercy decides to make the cross-country trip to the west to see her father knowing it will be a long journey.  Little does she know her journey will take her through the air by dirigible, through the front-lines of the war, and onto a fabulously dangerous ride on the train Dreadnought.

This story is about Mercy's journey and the adventure she goes through to get where she's going.  Mercy (like all of Priest's protagonists) is a tough as nails woman who does what she needs to do to get through life.  She uses her nursing skills to help those in need and to get herself through tough times.  She is a very capable, lovable, and honest protagonist.   The characters Mercy meets in her travels are all very human, complex, and interesting to read about.  I am always thrilled with how well Priest is able to give life to even small side characters.

The world of the Clockwork Century is amazing; you have a world stuck in Civil War long beyond what actually happened, strange steampunk devices created to make life easier (and more dangerous), and a strange zombie-like disease stalking the coasts of the country.  It is creative, believable, and absolutely engaging. 

Priest's writing style is just all around wonderful; she is an excellent writer.  She balances out everything so well; description, action, world-building...every book I have read of hers so far is a joy to read and this book follows that trend.  

There is a ton of action scenes in this book and they are interesting action scenes; taking place on crashing dirigibles, speeding war trains, etc.  This book ties in more with Boneshaker than Clementine (the 2nd book in the series did).  We get to see some of the original characters from Boneshaker interacting with Mercy towards the end of the book and the mysterious things that Mercy uncovers on her journey west also coincide with some of the incidents that happened in Boneshaker. 

My only complaint with this book is that I thought Mercy's journey was a bit more drawn out than it needed to be and there were a couple parts of the book that got a bit slow for me.  Because of this I liked both Boneshaker and Clementine slightly more than this book; still this book was a wonderful read.

Overall another great addition to this series.  Priest is definitely a top-notch writer and I look forward to reading her next two books in this series; Ganymede and Inexplicable.  Priest is also starting an urban fantasy series next year; the first book in it is Bloodshot and I will definitely be picking that book up as well.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge Book List
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

Review - Clementine by Cherie Priest (5/5 stars)

I loved Boneshaker, the first book in Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century series, so I was really looking forward to reading Clementine.  I was not disappointed, I loved this book.  It follows a different set of characters and can be read separately from the first book (although there is some reference to the events that happen in the first book).

Maria Isabella Boyd is a famous actress and Confederate spy; after the Confederates kick her out she goes to the Union to work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency there.  There she is given a mission of ensuring some stolen cargo gets to where it's suppose to be.  Along the way she crosses paths with Croggon Hainey, who is an escaped slave turned air pirate.  Croggon wants his ship, the Clementine, back and this just happens to be the ship that is carrying Maria's cargo.  Despite their different backgrounds and goals they are forced to cooperate in order to get what they want.

This book was just perfect.  It is like a retelling of the Civil War era but with airships and crazy gadgets.  It happens in a similar time frame as the first book, there is some mention of the crazy things happening in Seattle.  You can't help but love Maria with her "can do it" attitude and her absolute fearlessness.  Priest gives us a civil war dame with a dangerous streak in Maria and it is wonderful.  Croggon is another great character, he wants his ship back and will stop at nothing to retrieve it, still (like all good pirate characters) he has a sense of morality that won't let him leave a comrade in a tough position.

The descriptions of the air battles are superb and the I can always picture exactly what Priest is trying to show me.  The book is short, at barely over 200 pages, but the story packs a punch all the same.  Issues of piracy, slavery, woman's rights are all touched on in this very convincing re-imagination of this era.

I absolutely loved all the steampunk details and the descriptions are spot on.  I really enjoy Priest's writing style; she weaves a tight plot with wonderful action scenes and description.  This book was truly a treat to read and I was kind of sad when it was over. 

Overall just a wonderful book.  I am really looking forward to reading the final Clockwork Century novel Dreadnought, which will be released late September 2010.

This book goes towards the following reading challenge:
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

 

News - Edge Book 2 by Ilona Andrews, Cherie Priest's Clockwork Universe, Generation Dead Book 3, Jaz Parks Book 6, and Anita Blake Books 18 and 19

Okay so lots of book series news today. At least for me. Some of this might be old news to other.

Ilona Andrews posted on her website that the 2nd book in "The Edge" series now has a name: "Bayou Moon". You can read more about it here.

Cherie Priest announced (a while back) that there will be two more books in the Clockwork Universe. "Boneshaker" which I reviewed here is the first. It will be followed by two books set in the same universe but with different characters. "Clementine" will be the second book released in Spring of 2010 and "Dreadnought" will be the third book released in Fall of 2010.

The third book in the Generation Dead series by Daniel Waters will be called "Passing Strange" and will be released in May of 2010. I loved the first book in this series and am anxiously awaiting the second book from my library.

The seventh book in the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin will be titled "Bitten in Two" and will be released in 2010. There are 8 books currently planned for this series.

Lastly there are two Anita Blake books coming out next year. Book 18 will be titled "Flirt" and is due to be released in Jan. 2010 and book 19 will be called "Bullet" and that will be released in June 2010. So lots of fun for Anita Blake fans next year.

Boneshaker (Clockwork Century, Book 1) by Cherie Priest (5/5 stars)

I have been wanting to read something from Cherie Priest for some time. When I saw Boneshaker out on the shelves and read the premise of it I had to get it. It was a good buy. I really enjoyed the book, the plot, the world, the characters, all of it. This is the first of three planned books to take place in the Clockwork Universe. The books are supposed to be unrelated stories set in the same universe.

Lecviticus Blue won a contest to drill for gold in the Klondike with his invention the Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine. Only problem was that on the first trial something went extremely wrong. The Drill ripped apart Seattle and released the Blight; a poisonous gas that turned many of the residents of Seattle into walking zombies that love to feast on raw flesh. A wall was built to contain the Blight. Briar Wilkes is Blue's widow and lives outside the Wall; she is eking out a living raising her son and daily deals with the hate of her fellow humans for the actions of her husband. Her son Zeke is determined to prove that his father was not a bad man so he sneaks back into the Blight filled city to find evidence. While he is there things go wrong and now Briar must enter the city of her childhood and face all of the horrors there if she is ever going to rescue her son.

This was a great book. I mean it had zombies, so that's pretty cool right there. It also had airships, lots of shotguns, non-stop action, beautiful descriptions, and a wonderful cast of characters. It shows how both a mother's love and humanity's penchant for survival can go against all odds.

You have to love Briar as a character, she has her flaws, but she is one resourceful mother and will stop at nothing to get back her son. Zeke is an awesome character too. Priest captured the family dynamics really well. All of the side characters were fascinating and interesting too.

The action is non-stop with danger lurking around literally every corner. The descriptions of the various steampunk machinery are wonderful and well-done. This is steampunk adventure at its best. I think just about everyone will find this book a fascinating read. It could also be read to young adults, maybe not younger kids though; it gets pretty scary and there are quite a bit of rather violent fighting scenes.

The asthetics of the book also bear mentioning. This was the first book I have ever read that is on an deep off-white paper with the words printed in a deep rust color; it does a good job of setting the mood of the story. I was worried that the lower contrast would make it hard to read; but it didn't, just leant the book a very, well, steampunk feeling!

This is definitely a keeper and I look forward to reading the next two Clockwork Universe novels that are planned. I will also be checking out Priest's previous works like her Eden Moore series.