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Cherie Priest

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Boneshaker Paperback – Illustrated, Jan. 1 2009

by Cherie Priest (Author)

4.0 687 ratings

Book 1 of 5: The Clockwork Century

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In the early days of the Civil War, rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska's ice. Thus was Dr. Blue's Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born.

But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead.

Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue's widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenaged boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.

His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overlords, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive.

Book 1 of 5

The Clockwork Century
Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Tor Books
Publication date

Jan. 1 2009
Dimensions

13.72 x 2.67 x 20.96 cm
ISBN-10

0765318415
ISBN-13

978-0765318411
Lexile measure

840L
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Product description

Review

“Cherie Priest wove a story so convincing, so evocative, so terrifying that I read this book with the doors locked and a gun on my lap. Boneshaker is a steampunk menagerie of thrills and horror.” ―Mario Acevedo, bestselling author of Jailbait Zombie

“This exquisitely imaginative steampunk adventure is a joy to read! My favourite of Cherie's books.” ―Cassandra Clare, bestselling author of the Mortal Instruments trilogy

“Everything you'd want in such a volume and much more.... It's full of buckle and has swash to spare, and the characters are likable and the prose is fun. This is a hoot from start to finish, pure mad adventure.” ―Cory Doctorow, bestselling author of Little Brother

“A gorgeously grim world of deadly gasses, mysterious machines, zeppelin pirates, and a relentless plague of zombies. With Boneshaker, Priest is geared up to begin her reign as the Queen of Steampunk.” ―Mark Henry, Author of Road Trip of the Living Dead

“A rip-snorting adventure in the best tradition of a penny dreadful. Priest has crafted a novel of exquisite prose and thrilling twists, populated by folk heroes and dastardly villains, zombies and air pirates, incredible machines and a heroine who'll have you cheering. Boneshaker is the definitive steampunk story, absolutely unique and one hell of a fun read.” ―Caitlin Kittredge, author of the Nocturne City novels

“A marvelous book, crammed with readerly pleasures--zombies, pirates, cracking adventures, historical conceits and characters that make you wish you could linger inside it long after turning the final page. Cherie Priest is one of my favorite fantasists.” ―Kelly Link, acclaimed author of Magic for Beginners

“If Jules Verne and George Romero got together to rewrite American history it might go something like this. I loved it. I want more.” ―Mike Mignola, bestselling author of Hellboy

“If the Wild Wild West had been written by Mark Twain with the assistance of Jules Verne and Bram Stoker, it still couldn't be as fabulous and fantastical as Boneshaker. Cherie Priest has penned a rousing adventure tale that breathes a roaring soul and thundering heart into the glittering skin of Steampunk. Stylish, taut, and wonderful, it's a literary ride you must not miss!” ―Kat Richardson, bestselling author of Greywalker

“A steampunk-zombie-airship adventure of rollicking pace and sweeping proportions, full of wonderfully gnarly details. This book is made of irresistible…. It totally pushed all my buttons.” ―Scott Westerfeld, bestselling author of Uglies and Peeps

About the Author

Cherie Priest debuted to great acclaim with Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Wings to the Kingdom, and Not Flesh Nor Feathers, a trilogy of Southern Gothic ghost stories featuring heroine Eden Moore. She is also the author of Fathom, Dreadnought, and Boneshaker, which was nominated for a Nebula and Hugo Award and won the PNBA Award and the Locus Award for best science-fiction novel. She is an associate editor at Subterranean Press. Born in Tampa, Florida, Priest went to college at Southern Adventist University and earned her master’s in rhetoric at the University of Tennessee. After spending most of her life in the southern United States, she recently moved to Seattle, Washington, with her husband, Aric, and a fat black cat named Spain.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books; First Edition (Jan. 1 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765318415
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765318411
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 kg
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.72 x 2.67 x 20.96 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #477,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #568 in Steampunk Science Fiction (Books)
- #1,412 in Alternate History
- #3,345 in Dystopian Science Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.0 687 ratings

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Cherie Priest

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You can learn everything you want to know about Cherie Priest via her website, http://www.cheriepriest.com - thanks so much!

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Fast Paced and Fun

Reviewed in Canada on June 11, 2023

A thrilling steampunk adventure, BONESHAKER is nonstop from the very beginning and focused on one thing: entertainment. And on that front, it most certainly delivers.

The story follows a woman named Briar as she travels through Civil War America looking for her son, who is trying to find out the truth about his heritage. Along the way, the separated duo must face those who can use mechanized weapons and hordes of zombie-like creatures.

I really enjoyed the cast. Briar is a fiercely protective mother who is driven to rescue her son, no matter the cost. Zeke's growth comes from the danger and adventure that surrounds him, which forces him to adapt and growth both mentally and physically. There are a host of side characters who add in fun little asides and keep the plot moving, even if they don't get a whole lot of development themselves.

There are flaws in this book, such as the purpose of some of the characters and some encounters that could have lasted longer. However, it excels in what it was meant to do: entertain. It reads like one big action scene with contraptions, creatures, and creative character designs. If you are in the mood for a unique spin on steampunk and some exciting hijinks with strong women, BONESHAKER is the story for you!

Reviewed in Canada on January 19, 2017

Verified Purchase

Wasn't certain I'd like the whole Zombie thing but they didn't play huge in the story and added a bit of excitement and leg lifting action. Had a great steampunk feel and style. Will certainly look for sequels.

Helpful

Kurt Berger

Enjoyed - Could Have Been More

Reviewed in Canada on February 13, 2010

Boneshaker was a good read. I finished it in a couple of sittings. On the positive side it was a good mashup blending zombies, alternate history, and classic adventure. The characters were interesting, the premise unique, and the storytelling focused. On the negative side, I would like to have seen the characters more fully developed. While I was able to empathize with them, there seemed to be something missing. If you are looking for a light steampunk read, I would recommend Boneshaker.

5 people found this helpful

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lauren glaude

Nonstop Steampunk action, air pirates and zombies! Do you need more?

Reviewed in Canada on November 20, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is my favorite book. Cherie Priest is a Steampunk Goddess! If you want nonstop action, air pirates and zombies then purchase this book that begins the adventurous series.

Reviewed in Canada on May 22, 2011

I found it entertaining nonetheless. The characters are not very well described at first and you learn how they are by their actions and goals rather than by their background, which makes it a little hard to like them. The story itself is okay, its interesting without being very thrilling. The book is very well written. Overall I recommend it if you're interested in steampunk and zombies.

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Give Me Something I Can Use

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2014

Verified Purchase

Her best book by far!

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Kristin Matte

A good steampunk starter.

Reviewed in Canada on September 20, 2010

Boneshaker was a nice, light read. I'm just getting to know the steam-punk genre, so it seems like it's been a good introduction. It was solid. The only segments I'm limp on are, as mentioned in the other amazon review, the character development. I'm also a little uneasy about the denouement, which felt rushed. Overall, I enjoyed it though, and I loved discovering the world it takes place in.

One person found this helpful

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Elizabeth Prevost-Maurice

More realistic than any fantastical fiction has any right to be.

Reviewed in Canada on November 20, 2019

I haven't been able to focus on a book for more than 10 pages for over a decade. I read almost the wbtirety of this 400ish page book in a single day. It's so emersive and the pacing seems so perfectly balanced you could keepbit stable on the head of a pin. I can't get my hand on the next one fast enough.

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Steven v W

Great product and service!

Reviewed in Australia on February 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

Great book and seller was quick with postage!

Whitt Patrick Pond

Steampunk, zombies, airships and really memorable characters

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2010

Verified Purchase

Cherie Priest's Boneshaker is first and foremost a great read. For those fans of steampunk, Boneshaker has that in a unique setting: Old West Seattle in the late 1870's, a town transformed by twin disasters into a walled city, but one in which the dangers lie inside the wall instead of out. For fans of zombies, it has that in a unique way as well in the form of "rotters" (the word "zombie" never appears in the novel), people turned into the ravenous decaying undead by the deadly yellow gas called "Blight" that the wall keeps contained. And for the fans of airships, Boneshaker has them in vivid detail, magnificent and make-shift that as one would expect in the early stages of their development.

But all that aside, it's the characters you meet in Boneshaker that hold it all together, that make it all believable and keep you reading. Priest clearly knows her characters, intimately, and makes them live and breathe for you. Briar Wilkes, daugher of a sheriff, Maynard Wilkes, whose last act in the disaster made him a legend; widow of Leviticus Blue, the inventive genius blamed for the disaster; and mother of Zeke Wilkes, a fourteen year-old boy who, trying to reconcile these twin legacies, goes into the walled-up zone in search of the past his mother has kept secret from him. And Briar, when she finds out what he's done, must go in after him:

"She wasn't worried about her father's house; it had withstood worse. And when she got there, she wasn't even relieved to find it standing without any obvious damage. Nothing short of finding Zeke on the porch could have slowed her down.
--She burst in the door and into the cold, dry interior that was every bit as empty as she'd left it.
--Her hand stopped at the knob to her father's room.
--There was a brief instant of hesitation, a resistance to the breaking of long-established habit.
--Then she seized the knob and shoved it.
--Inside, all was dark until she brought the lantern around. She left it on the bedside table and idly noted that the drawer was still open from where Zeke had stolen the old revolver Rector had mentioned. She wished he'd taken something else. The gun was an antique that had belong to Maynard's father-in-law. Maynard himself had never used it and it probably didn't even work, but, of course, Zeke wouldn't have known that.
--Again she felt that stab of regret and she wished she'd told him more. Something. Anything.
--When she got him back, then.
--When she got him home, she'd tell him anything he wanted to know -- any story, any fact. He could have it all if he'd just make it home alive. And maybe Briar had been a terrible mother, or maybe she'd only done the best she could. It didn't matter now, when Zeke was in that toxic, walled-up city where undead Blight victims prowled for human flesh and criminal societies lurked at the bottom of rigged-up homes and cleaned-out basements.
--But for all the things she'd botched, screwed up, lost, forgotten, lied about, or misled him on... she was going in there after him."

In addition to the characters, Priest does an excellent job of keeping the action going, an important factor as the story takes place over just a handful of days. The pace is fast and her descriptions are vivid, lending an immediacy to things that happen as can be seen in this bit:

"The sound of something clacking outside relieved everyone inside. "Did that do it? Are we loose?" Mr. Guise demanded, as if anyone knew any better than he did.
--The ship itself answered them, shifting in the hole it'd broken into the side of the half-built tower. It settled and listed to the left and down. Zeke felt less like the Clementine had disengaged than that it was falling out of place. The boy's stomach sank and then soared as the airship tumbled away from the building and seemed to freefall. It caught and righted itself, and the dirigible's lower decks quit rocking like a grandmother's chair.
--Zeke was going to throw up.
--He could feel the vomit that he'd swallowed after watching the Chinaman's murder. It crept up his throat, burning the flesh it found and screaming demands to be let out.
--"I'm going to--" he said.
--"Puke in your mask and that's what you're breathing till we set you down, boy," the captain warned. "Take off your mask and you're dead."
--Zeke's throat burbled, and he burped, tasting bile and whatever he'd last eaten, though he couldn't remember what that might have been. "I won't," he said, because saying the words gave his mouth something to do other than spew. "I won't throw up," he said to himself, and he hoped that he gave that impression to the rest of the men, or that they could ignore him, at least.
--A left-facing thruster fired and the ship shot in a circle before stabilizing and rising.
--"Smooth," that captain accused.
--Parks said, "Go to hell."
--"We're up," Mr. Guise announced. "We're steady."
--The captain added, "And we're out of here."
--"Sh[expletive]," said one of the Indian brothers. It was the first English Zeke had heard from either of their mouths, and it didn't sound good.
--Zeke tried to stop himself, but he couldn't.
--He asked, "What's going on?"
--"Jesus," Captain Brink blasphemed with one eye on the rightmost window. "Crog and his buddy have found us. Holy hell, I figured it'd take him a little longer. Everybody buckle down. Hang on tight, or we're all of us dead."

Highly recommended for fans of steampunk, zombies and airships, and for anyone who just enjoys a really good read.

5 people found this helpful

B. O'Steen

Zombies, Steampunk, Zeppelins, oh my!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2010

Verified Purchase

A very human tale set amongst the rubble of a zombie-ruined town - walled in by the authorities, ignored by the majority and occupied by a handful of stubborn, resourceful locals with their own, individual reasons for being there.

The life of Briar Wilkes is interwoven with this town: her deceased grandfather, its lawman and her disappeared husband, the man believed responsible for the disaster which released poison gas into the town, turning people into the 'rotters' that rise from the dead.

At the start, we join Briar and her 17 year old son Zeke, born as the walls went up around the town, trapping both the gas and the rotters in. Briar's chase begins as Zeke rashly enters the town to clear his father's name and she will go to hell and back to try to rescue him.

--------------------

The 'rotters' follow the normal zombie rules (bites are infectious, no cure, no real conscious thought, insatiable hunger), but that's no bad thing. The real story is about the characters - did Briar Wilkes' husband really do it? Was it done on purpose? What drives people to stay behind and try to eek out a living in such a horrible place? And who profits from it all?

A great story, with personable characters and excellently realised details.

4 people found this helpful

Erinome

Zombies, Luftschiffe und Piraten - Großartig!

Reviewed in Germany on November 16, 2009

Verified Purchase

Leviticus Blue wird Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts von den Russen bezahlt, eine Bohrmaschine zu erfinden, die leistungsfähig genug ist, um an das Gold in Alaskas Boden zu gelangen. Blue entwickelt den so genannten Boneshaker, den er prompt unter ungeklärten Umständen in der Innenstadt Seattles zum ersten Mal testet. Bei diesem Testlauf kommt es zur Katastrophe. Mehrere Straßenzüge werden verwüstet und dabei wird ein unbekanntes unterirdisches Gas freigesetzt, das alle, die damit in Berührung kommen, in lebende Tote verwandelt. Das betroffene Gebiet muss geräumt werden und eine gewaltige Mauer wird darum errichtet, die sowohl das Gas als auch die Zombies fernhalten soll.
Sechzehn Jahre später leben Briar Wilkes, die Witwe von Blue, und ihr Sohn Zeke in den Outskirts von Seattle. Beide werden aufgrund ihrer Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse wie Parias behandelt. Während sich Briar so weit mit ihrem Los abgefunden hat, will Zeke ihr Schicksal unbedingt ändern. Er dringt in die verlassene Stadt ein, um dort Hinweise für die Unschuld seines Vaters zu suchen, und gerät prompt und nicht unerwartet in Schwierigkeiten. Briar erfährt von seinem waghalsigen Plan und macht sich ebenfalls hinter die Mauer auf, um ihren Sohn zu retten.

Cherie Priest hat mit BONESHAKER ein großartiges Steampunk-Abenteuer geschaffen. Das Setting des Romans ist nicht nur clever und ungewöhnlich sondern auch sehr detailreich und stimmungsvoll. Man kann das ätzende und giftige Zombie-Gas beinahe riechen und die dreckige, verwüstete Innenstadt Seattles ersteht praktisch vor dem inneren Auge. Auch die Bedrohung durch die Untoten wurde von Priest perfekt eingefangen und im zweiten Teil des Romans gewinnen sie mehr und mehr an Bedeutung. BONESHAKER wartet aber nicht nur mit wilden Zombieverfolgungsjagden auf, es gibt auch Luftschiff-Schlachten, Piraten, die aus dem Gas die Droge "lemon sap" herstellen, schräge Erfindungen und verrückte Wissenschaftler.
Es geht in BONESHAKER nicht nur alleine um die Aufklärung von Levi Blues Schicksal, auch über die Herkunft des Gases wird spekuliert (ich verrate wohl nicht zuviel, wenn ich sage, dass man keine eindeutige Antwort zu diesem Thema erhält) und die Gesellschaft innerhalb des verseuchten Gebiets wird näher beleuchtet. Auch die Figur Minnericht ist sehr wichtig für die Handlung. Über den ganzen Roman verteilt werden immer wieder Hinweise und Andeutungen über seine Person eingestreut, die ein doch recht unheimliches Bild erschaffen.
Die Hauptcharaktere in BONESHAKER machen es einem zunächst nicht einfach, mit ihnen mitzufühlen. Vor allem Briar erscheint zu Beginn des Romans sehr abgestumpft und desillusioniert, aber im weiteren Verlauf der Geschichte beginnt man zu verstehen, dass sie ein sehr schweres Schicksal zu tragen hat und nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen versucht, das Beste aus ihrer Lage zu machen. Insgesamt ist sie eine starke Frau, die sich nicht unterkriegen lässt und unbeirrbar ihren Weg geht. Zeke erscheint als typischer Teenager, der gegen seine Mutter rebelliert und sich seines Plans für Seattle sehr sicher ist, um dann aber feststellen zu müssen, dass er für sein Abenteuer so gar nicht gerüstet ist. Insgesamt wird er realistisch dargestellt, mir erschien er in seinen Handlungsweisen nur manchmal gar sehr naiv, was mich doch etwas erstaunt hat, wenn man bedenkt, dass sein bisheriges Leben auch nicht gerade ein Zuckerschlecken war. Die zahlreichen Nebencharaktere, auf die Briar und Zeke im Verlauf ihrer Odyssee treffen, sind vielschichtig und interessant und bereichern BONESHAKER ungemein.
Großartig fand ich auch die Aufmachung des Buchs. Sowohl das schöne Cover als auch die liebevolle Aufmachung im Buchinneren mit Karte, Illustrationen und einem Druck in Sepia haben mich begeistert.
Alles in allem kann ich BONESHAKER allen Freunden von Steampunk und Zombies auf jeden Fall empfehlen. Großartig!

12 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Reviewed in Australia on November 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

An AWESOME read. Very humanising and evoking the kind of nuance that served Issac Asimov so well.

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