Book Review: Boneshaker

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If you haven't read much steam punk (and I haven't), this seems like a good intro to the genre. It takes place in Seattle. Not the Seattle we know today, but the Seattle of an alternate post-Civil War era, where a huge tunnel digging contraption (the Boneshaker) drilled through the main part of the city, opening up a seemingly endless pocket of toxic gas that turns people into zombies.

So, zombies and steam punk. A match made in heaven.

The story concerns a young man whose father was the pilot of that disastrous Boneshaker. He's out to prove his father's innocence. His mother is out to keep him from killing himself. A good premise, and the book sustains the action well throughout. There are airships, triple barreled shotguns, and everything else you could want from a steam punk book. The characters aren't perhaps as rounded as I'd like, and it all feels a bit off from perfect, which makes me wonder if I were more familiar with the steam punk genre, if I'd still be giving this 4/5 stars.

But I'm not familiar with it, so oh well. Any of you out there read it? Am I off base? What are some better steam punk books to start with? Do share, please . . .



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