This is another book I picked up in the library because I thought the title and cover were interesting. Interestingly enough, as I started to read it, I realized I had heard of the book referenced on Writing Excuses. I actually started reading this book about a year ago, but didn't get very far before I had to return it. As the cover picture and blurb indicate, it is a steampunk story. Set in Seattle in an alternate history of the 1880s, the story did a good job of combining steampunk, post-apocalyptic, and zombie elements in the story. It felt like it was more of a literary fiction, that is it read slower than normal, but I might just be out of practice. I enjoyed the story and will keep an eye out for other books by Cherie Priest in the future.
Plot: The start of the Yukon gold rush saw a contest to develop a machine capable of harvesting the gold from the frozen wasteland. Leviticus Blue won the contest but on a "test run" tore through downtown Seattle ripping the bellies out of the four largest banks and destroying, killing, and impacting countless thousands. What's more, it released a gas, the Blight, from under the earth that eats away at people turning them into mindless eating machines that crave human flesh. People were evacuated and a giant wall was built to keep the Blight and the Rotters contained. Ten years pass and Briar Wilkes, the wife of the vanished Leviticus Blue, has a son desperate for answers and sure that he can prove Leviticus' innocence. The search for truth takes him under the wall an into Seattle's deadly streets. Briar suits up and with her father's old service repeater goes in after him. What they find is whole communities of people who have made a living for themselves behind the wall. And these communities are on the brink of war.
My personal favorites: The story line had some great diversity to it. It moved incorporated so many elements from across a broad spectrum that I found the world very engaging and interesting. The characters were fascinating, even if it took a while to relate to them. I liked how the story presented the challenges and the people that had to overcome them. While some might accuse the author of deus ex machina, I found the story flowed well with the characters. There are quite a few fun characters that I liked.
Considerations: There are some graphic descriptions but nothing over the top or outside of what I consider outside of young adult. There was no sensuality gratuitous violence. There was some strong language, but no F-bombs. I recommend it for a mid to late teen without difficulty.
The book was a great example of using multiple elements of multiple stories together. I enjoyed the way the story flowed and thought the characters interesting and engaging, even if it took me a while to engage. The total length was 416 pages.
Plot: The start of the Yukon gold rush saw a contest to develop a machine capable of harvesting the gold from the frozen wasteland. Leviticus Blue won the contest but on a "test run" tore through downtown Seattle ripping the bellies out of the four largest banks and destroying, killing, and impacting countless thousands. What's more, it released a gas, the Blight, from under the earth that eats away at people turning them into mindless eating machines that crave human flesh. People were evacuated and a giant wall was built to keep the Blight and the Rotters contained. Ten years pass and Briar Wilkes, the wife of the vanished Leviticus Blue, has a son desperate for answers and sure that he can prove Leviticus' innocence. The search for truth takes him under the wall an into Seattle's deadly streets. Briar suits up and with her father's old service repeater goes in after him. What they find is whole communities of people who have made a living for themselves behind the wall. And these communities are on the brink of war.My personal favorites: The story line had some great diversity to it. It moved incorporated so many elements from across a broad spectrum that I found the world very engaging and interesting. The characters were fascinating, even if it took a while to relate to them. I liked how the story presented the challenges and the people that had to overcome them. While some might accuse the author of deus ex machina, I found the story flowed well with the characters. There are quite a few fun characters that I liked.
Considerations: There are some graphic descriptions but nothing over the top or outside of what I consider outside of young adult. There was no sensuality gratuitous violence. There was some strong language, but no F-bombs. I recommend it for a mid to late teen without difficulty.
The book was a great example of using multiple elements of multiple stories together. I enjoyed the way the story flowed and thought the characters interesting and engaging, even if it took me a while to engage. The total length was 416 pages.
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