- Cherie Priest is the Queen of Steampunk authors, in my own opinion.
I also recommend:
- The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
Summary from GoodReads:
The air pirate Andan Cly is going straight. Well, straighter. Although he’s happy to run alcohol guns wherever the money’s good, he doesn’t think the world needs more sap, or its increasingly ugly side-effects. But becoming legit is easier said than done, and Cly’s first legal gig—a supply run for the Seattle Underground—will be paid for by sap money.
New Orleans is not Cly’s first pick for a shopping run. He loved the Big Easy once, back when he also loved a beautiful mixed-race prostitute named Josephine Early—but that was a decade ago, and he hasn’t looked back since. Jo’s still thinking about him, though, or so he learns when he gets a telegram about a peculiar piloting job. It’s a chance to complete two lucrative jobs at once, one he can’t refuse. He sends his old paramour a note and heads for New Orleans, with no idea of what he’s in for—or what she wants him to fly.
But he won’t be flying. Not exactly. Hidden at the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain lurks an astonishing war machine, an immense submersible called the Ganymede. This prototype could end the war, if only anyone had the faintest idea of how to operate it…. If only they could sneak it past the Southern forces at the mouth of the Mississippi River… If only it hadn’t killed most of the men who’d ever set foot inside it.
But it’s those “if onlys” that will decide whether Cly and his crew will end up in the history books, or at the bottom of the ocean.
My Review:
Clementine, by Cherie Priest, is one of my favorite of the Clockwork Century books. So with that said, bringing the same characters back that kicked butt in Clementine for Ganymede pushed this book up into a frontrunner spot before I even began to read it.
It didn’t have to stay in that spot when I started reading it – but it held it by its own merit, because y’all, this book kicked butt. Serious butt. Seriously – submarines, zombies, tough girls fighting off zombies – I honestly think this is the best book of the Clockwork Century books yet. So much action, it had me fist-pumping mere pages into the story and the classy touch of romance only helped matters – it was just enough.
I admire Cherie Priest so much. She has such a distinctive, unique way of writing. I love the layout of these books, the sepia ink, the fantastic covers, the awesome re-writing of history (making it much more cool). There is so much style in each of her stories, and I think Ganymede really shows that style off. I’ve been following each release of these books since reading Boneshaker, and anxiously hoarding them on my shelves – loaning them out only when I’m sure I’ll get them back in the same condition.
Ms. Priest, you have one loyal fan here, and you’ve above and beyond earned that loyalty. I cannot wait for the next release!
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