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Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century, #1)

Cherie Priest

Start date: October 1, 2013

Finish date: October 31, 2013

Discussion: 2013 Reads

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2013 Reads

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What Members Thought

Jun 16, 2010 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, read2010, hugo-winners-or-nominees

I wasn't going to read this, even though a lot of people I knew were planning to. Then it was nominated for the Hugo Award, and then I discovered it was in the library where I work, and felt like I was running out of excuses. Someone even told me that despite my protestations that I don't read zombie novels, that it was more of a cyberpunk novel than zombie, and that made me hopeful. I'll give them that, but it still wasn't very good. The concept was interesting - an alternate history of Seattle ...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Jennifer Provost rated it liked it

This is the first steampunk novel I have delved into. Seattle has been ravaged by a giant mining drill called the Boneshaker, which not only collapsed half of the city but unleashed the Blight. The Blight not only turns you into a zombie, but those in the Outskirts cook it down into a drug they call lemon sap.

Briar Wilkes is tough - not only is her husband the man who built the Boneshaker, her father is the man who saved a great deal of people from the Blight, only to succumb to it himself. When ...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Eric rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, steam-punk

I read this book after watching this Steampunk panel that was hosted by Cory Doctorow, and featured authors Scott Westerfeld and Cherie Priest. I already read (and loved) Westerfeld's Leviathan, so I figured I would give Priest's Boneshaker a read.

Although I am glad I read it, because you can never have enough post-apocalyptic/steampunk/zombie books, I did not love it nearly as much as Leviathan, and am unsure whether I will read the next book in this series. ...more

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Sep 09, 2010 Elizabeth rated it it was ok

Whether you enjoy this book or not entirely depends on how exciting you think the premise is: do you want to read a book about an alternate 1860s Seattle ravaged by a mad inventor and a gas that turns people into flesh-eating zombies? Because the plot--concerning a mother's quest for her son--is gossamer-thin. It will be interesting to see if Priest can build the stakes over time, though I'm not totally sure I will be there to find out. ...more

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Sep 30, 2010 travelgirlut rated it really liked it

Shelves: zombies, dystopia

This was just a fun, creative read. I love reading a story that's not like anything I've read before. I've not read any steampunk books, so this was a first. It was exciting and intriguing and I'm looking forward to reading more of the series. (This is a pretty lame review. My brain is just not working with me to write something better, but I promise, the book was good!) ...more

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Nov 16, 2009 Clarice rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2009, borrowed

This was a really fun, imaginative and great book to read. This would get five stars, but I felt like there was a bit of disjointed plotting going on in it. The twists and reveals felt a little bit forced or cobbled in. And one of the premises of the characters (specifically her tight-lipped attitude about the past) did not feel consistent throughout her character arc. Ultimately it ended up working ok, but... there was something just a little off. I think my love of the premise and the ideas an ...more

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Oct 23, 2009 Lydia Presley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, steampunk

What a blast this book was to read. I was seriously creeped out by several scene's and it was the first book in a long time that actually had me jumping at sounds in the dark last night as I went to sleep.

Cherie Priest rewrote some of Seattle's history to give this book its setting - and that was fine by me. Her descriptions were colorful and fun to read and the characters were flawed and amazing. The story kept me guessing until the end and I really didn't want it to end. I could have kept on r ...more

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Mar 09, 2010 Joe rated it really liked it

Well written and lots of fun. Zombies, alternate histories, weird inventions, air pirates with stolen dirigibles, and a heartfelt family story. Awesome!

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