Boneshaker

Cover retrieved from Goodreads

Boneshaker 

Cherie Priest

Tor Books: 2009, 416 pages

Reviewed by Salina Bush

During the Civil War, a rumor of gold in the Klondike sweeps the nation and Russian prospectors set up a contest for anyone that can build a machine that can cut through ice.  Leviticus Blue creates the Boneshaker to do just that but something goes terribly wrong.  Without warning, the Boneshaker rips through downtown Seattle, destroying everything in its wake and worse yet, releasing a gas that turns humans into zombies.

Sixteen years later, Briar, Leviticus's widow, is trying to eke out a living to support herself and her son, Zeke, on the outskirts of the great wall built to contain the blight gas and the living dead that still roam the ruined city.  She has been able to keep them alive this long but all this changes the day that Zeke decides to go beyond the wall to find out what actually happened the day the Boneshaker turned everything upside down.  This means it's up to Briar to go in and bring him back out.

I really enjoyed reading about the world the author had created, and how people would live in a world not only with zombies but also covered in poisonous gas.  It was very interesting to see this alternative take on U.S. History.  Also, the characters were very likable and capable, it never felt like they were making stupid decisions just for the sake of keeping the plot going like some other books do.  Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I will be picking up the others in the series soon.