Started: 21/11/09
Finished: 30/11/09
Rating: 9 - Read It Before I Tie You Down & Force You Too!
In my hunt for good steampunk novels, I stumbled across Boneshaker on Amazon & I instantly fell for the cover. The blurb sounded great so I ordered it immediately. & I am so glad I did.
Set in an alternative 19th Century USA, Boneshaker focuses on a woman with a ruined reputation, thanks to her late husband, Briar, & her son Zeke. Sixteen years ago Russia paid Dr. Leviticus Blue to build a drilling machine that would cut through the ice of the Klondike to the gold that was rumored to be trapped beneath. However, on a test run, Dr. Blue's Bone-Shaking Drill Engine crashed through his basement & into the town of Seattle, destroying buildings, killing many & cracking through the earth, releasing the Blight gas underneath. This gas began to poison anyone who breathed it in, soon turning them into the undead. The town was evacuated & sealed off, it's former residents living as best they can in the Outskirts. Briar struggles to care for herself & Zeke, as the people of the Outskirts never let them forget who they blame - the now dead Dr. Blue. Sick of hearing nothing from his mother about what happened & having to piece his family history together from the slander of bullies, Zeke decides to find out the truth for himself; by crossing the wall & finding his parent's old home. But determination & luck won't keep him alive & un-eaten for long, & Briar is the only person who can get him out.
What can I say? I loved this book. The detailed descriptions of the ruined town, the spirit of the characters determined to stay alive at all costs, the love between Briar & Zeke. My favourite character was Briar; I admire her strength & love for her son that gives her the courage to, literally, stare death in the face to find him. The world-building was detailed & convincing, & the basic idea of gas that turned people into zombies was intriguing. Boneshaker has pretty much everything I could hope for - fighting & gore, developed & detailed characters, mystery, steampunk elements & surprising twist at the end.
I've got my fingers crossed for a sequel.
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