Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Boneshaker is a novel by Cherie Priest which combines steampunk, zombies and an alternate version of the history of Seattle. Based early in the American Civil War, this book starts as rumors of gold brought thousands of hopeful prospectors to the Pacific Northwest.
Russian investors commission an American inventor Leviticus Blue to create a tunneling machine that will mine through the ice of Russian owned Alaska. The Incredible Bone Shaking Drill Engine or Boneshaker for short, is rushed and destroys several blocks of downtown Seattle releasing a subterranean vein of blight gas during its maiden voyage. The blight gas, or blight for short, kills anyone who breaths it and turns their corpses into the walking dead called rotters.
During the exodus Maynard Wilkes, a Seattle law enforcement agent, committed an act of great mercy and bravery by releasing the prisoners in his care before they could be blighted, losing his life in the process, and becoming a hero to those left behind the hastily walled-off city of Seattle, and a pariah to the settlers in the Outskirts beyond the wall.
Sixteen years pass and Leviticus's wife, Briar the daughter of Wilkes, lives in the impoverished outskirts of the former metropolis. Life is hard with a teenage son to feed. Ezekiel, but Zeke for short, wants to prove his father, like his grandfather, was innocent of wrong doing but just a man trying to do his best. He enters the lifeless city through a drainage whole that collapses in an earthquake after he enters.
Briar intends on following her son when she discovers his mission. Forced to hitch a ride over the wall by a captain of an airship, the unnaturally tall Captain Cly she rapidly learns that the rotters are still moving all these years later.
Inside the walls Briar quickly finds her self in over her head. Jeremiah Swakhammer and his Doozy Dazer rescue Briar from the roof of a building surrounded by rotters. He takes her to a bar named in honor of her deceased father to meet people including the armless barkeeper, Lucy O'gunning. Once again however rotters attack the bar forcing the occupants to retreat. It is later revealed that a man by the name of Minnericht caused the rotter attack. Lucy takes Briar to see Minnericht who claims to be the late Leviticus Blue, though Briar doubts this. Unbeknownst to her, Minnericht has Zeke hostage, but war breaks out between Minnericht's men and Swakhammer, Lucy, the Indian princess, and those on their side. This war attracts the rotters...
Well worth the read if you are a fan of steampunk, zombies, or alternate history.
Boneshaker is a novel by Cherie Priest which combines steampunk, zombies and an alternate version of the history of Seattle. Based early in the American Civil War, this book starts as rumors of gold brought thousands of hopeful prospectors to the Pacific Northwest.
Russian investors commission an American inventor Leviticus Blue to create a tunneling machine that will mine through the ice of Russian owned Alaska. The Incredible Bone Shaking Drill Engine or Boneshaker for short, is rushed and destroys several blocks of downtown Seattle releasing a subterranean vein of blight gas during its maiden voyage. The blight gas, or blight for short, kills anyone who breaths it and turns their corpses into the walking dead called rotters.
During the exodus Maynard Wilkes, a Seattle law enforcement agent, committed an act of great mercy and bravery by releasing the prisoners in his care before they could be blighted, losing his life in the process, and becoming a hero to those left behind the hastily walled-off city of Seattle, and a pariah to the settlers in the Outskirts beyond the wall.
Sixteen years pass and Leviticus's wife, Briar the daughter of Wilkes, lives in the impoverished outskirts of the former metropolis. Life is hard with a teenage son to feed. Ezekiel, but Zeke for short, wants to prove his father, like his grandfather, was innocent of wrong doing but just a man trying to do his best. He enters the lifeless city through a drainage whole that collapses in an earthquake after he enters.
Briar intends on following her son when she discovers his mission. Forced to hitch a ride over the wall by a captain of an airship, the unnaturally tall Captain Cly she rapidly learns that the rotters are still moving all these years later.
Inside the walls Briar quickly finds her self in over her head. Jeremiah Swakhammer and his Doozy Dazer rescue Briar from the roof of a building surrounded by rotters. He takes her to a bar named in honor of her deceased father to meet people including the armless barkeeper, Lucy O'gunning. Once again however rotters attack the bar forcing the occupants to retreat. It is later revealed that a man by the name of Minnericht caused the rotter attack. Lucy takes Briar to see Minnericht who claims to be the late Leviticus Blue, though Briar doubts this. Unbeknownst to her, Minnericht has Zeke hostage, but war breaks out between Minnericht's men and Swakhammer, Lucy, the Indian princess, and those on their side. This war attracts the rotters...
Well worth the read if you are a fan of steampunk, zombies, or alternate history.
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