Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Tor Books (2010), Edition: 0, Paperback, 400 pages
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML: Nurse Mercy Lynch is elbows deep in bloody laundry at a war hospital in Richmond, Virginia, when Clara Barton comes bearing bad news: Mercy's husband has died in a POW camp. On top of that, a telegram from the west coast declares that her estranged father is gravely injured, and he wishes to see her. Mercy sets out toward the Mississippi River. Once there, she'll catch a train over the Rockies and�if the telegram can be believed�be greeted in Washington Territory by the sheriff, who will take her to see her father in Seattle. Reaching the Mississippi is a harrowing adventure by dirigible and rail through war-torn border states. When Mercy finally arrives in St. Louis, the only Tacoma-bound train is pulled by a terrifying Union-operated steam engine called the Dreadnought. Reluctantly, Mercy buys a ticket and climbs aboard. What ought to be a quiet trip turns deadly when the train is beset by bushwhackers, then vigorously attacked by a band of Rebel soldiers. The train is moving away from battle lines into the vast, unincorporated west, so Mercy can't imagine why they're so interested. Perhaps the mysterious cargo secreted in the second and last train cars has something to do with it? Mercy is just a frustrated nurse who wants to see her father before he dies. But she'll have to survive both Union intrigue and Confederate opposition if she wants to make it off the Dreadnought alive..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
Mercy Lynch works as a nurse at a Confederate hospital. Her days are filled with endless bleeding young men, different only in manners and closeness to death. Mercy is smart, quick-mouthed and skilled. She’s damn good at her – constantly overwhelming – job. But when she gets two bad news in
The trip west wasn’t easy even on paper, with travel by dirigible dangerously close to the front, and long train hauls through bandit country. But pretty soon Mercy finds the travel even rougher than she expected. After a series of unforeseen disasters, she has to board the Dreadnought, the Union’s most fearsome war machine. That it is hauling civilians is strange enough, and Mercy understands there’s more to this journey than meets the eye. Both the first and the last car in the train are completely off limits. What’s in there?
I don’t know. I guess I have to realize Cherie Priest just isn’t for me. Because this book has so much going for it: a light handed steampunk touch, not bogging the story down with too much machinery. A high pace, full of suspense. The rather clever take of looking at battle from the nurse’s perspective (which, true, does become a tad tired towards the end, when Mercy patches up the ninehundredth brave lad with led in his gut, but works brilliantly in the beginning). The saving of the inevitable zombie action until the very end of the book.
And yet I find the negatives bogging down my experience: Priest’s endless, anxious repetitions of information (at one point I wanted to strangle Korman with my bare hands rather than have him explain one more time how he only wants to get to Salt Lake City). Her winded dialogues, of the “There’s a wall/ A wall? / Yes, a wall” variety. Her random descriptions of characters we only meet once – do I really need three lines describing the looks of a ticket clerk? And her heavy-handed using of tropes, especially in her villains.
The pages keep turning themselves here, but I also kind of want the book to be over with. An alright read, in the end, but I think two books might be enough of Priest, for me.
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one day: her husband’s death in a prison camp, and a telegram begging her to try and make it to her estranged father’s deathbed way out west, she has no choice but to leave the hospital behind. The trip west wasn’t easy even on paper, with travel by dirigible dangerously close to the front, and long train hauls through bandit country. But pretty soon Mercy finds the travel even rougher than she expected. After a series of unforeseen disasters, she has to board the Dreadnought, the Union’s most fearsome war machine. That it is hauling civilians is strange enough, and Mercy understands there’s more to this journey than meets the eye. Both the first and the last car in the train are completely off limits. What’s in there?
I don’t know. I guess I have to realize Cherie Priest just isn’t for me. Because this book has so much going for it: a light handed steampunk touch, not bogging the story down with too much machinery. A high pace, full of suspense. The rather clever take of looking at battle from the nurse’s perspective (which, true, does become a tad tired towards the end, when Mercy patches up the ninehundredth brave lad with led in his gut, but works brilliantly in the beginning). The saving of the inevitable zombie action until the very end of the book.
And yet I find the negatives bogging down my experience: Priest’s endless, anxious repetitions of information (at one point I wanted to strangle Korman with my bare hands rather than have him explain one more time how he only wants to get to Salt Lake City). Her winded dialogues, of the “There’s a wall/ A wall? / Yes, a wall” variety. Her random descriptions of characters we only meet once – do I really need three lines describing the looks of a ticket clerk? And her heavy-handed using of tropes, especially in her villains.
The pages keep turning themselves here, but I also kind of want the book to be over with. An alright read, in the end, but I think two books might be enough of Priest, for me.
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LibraryThing member okwari
I've said before that I am lousy at reviews. I find it difficult to zero in on specifics in a book. I blame that completely on my lack of attention in early schooling.
That said, I did want to write a few words on Cherie Priest's Dreadnought. It follows after Priest's earlier work, Boneshaker, but
I liked Mercy, and her straightforward mannerisms and speech. She is not a prim fragile woman, rather she is a tough woman, ready and able to take command if she has to.
The book's first half is well written, but, where the Dreadnought and the rival Reb train are on what seems to be a collision course, the second half seems to have lacked the use of a good editor. Maybe it's just me, but a line like this one:
"...Everyone kept one ear peeled for the sound of another whistle splitting the icy air."
Just makes me wonder about ears being peeled. "Keep your eyes peeled" is a generally accepted thing to say, but I've never heard that about ears.
The scene I had trouble with where the train is in utter darkness. The writer describes the scene through everybody - all of them, without using Mercy as the viewpoint to the tense atmosphere in the train. It makes it harder for me as a reader to feel that tension, when it isn't made personal.
As well, the ending left me waiting for exposition fairy to stop talking through the previous book's characters, and let Mercy ask questions. I was treated to 'Welcome to hell! On your journey, we will be going through ...," type of lines. The text worked much better when it was using Mercy's POV, rather than the smiling and cute antics of her host and hostess.
I was also confused just how off course the Mexican soldiers had gotten. I think I needed a map of how the world Mercy and the other characters occupied in order to ground myself better.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. My attention was kept, and the characters, for the most part intrigued me.
That said, I did want to write a few words on Cherie Priest's Dreadnought. It follows after Priest's earlier work, Boneshaker, but
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doesn't require a reader to know that novel first. I went into it enjoying the old-time atmosphere, the never ending activity in the Robertson Hospital that the protagonist, Mercy Lynch works as a nurse at. She barely has time to recover from her long work shift when she receives two pieces of painful news; only one of which will send her on a cross-country journey to Tacoma, Wa. The journey will take her through the war-torn south, to the west, and put her smack dab into the middle of several sets of intrigues.I liked Mercy, and her straightforward mannerisms and speech. She is not a prim fragile woman, rather she is a tough woman, ready and able to take command if she has to.
The book's first half is well written, but, where the Dreadnought and the rival Reb train are on what seems to be a collision course, the second half seems to have lacked the use of a good editor. Maybe it's just me, but a line like this one:
"...Everyone kept one ear peeled for the sound of another whistle splitting the icy air."
Just makes me wonder about ears being peeled. "Keep your eyes peeled" is a generally accepted thing to say, but I've never heard that about ears.
The scene I had trouble with where the train is in utter darkness. The writer describes the scene through everybody - all of them, without using Mercy as the viewpoint to the tense atmosphere in the train. It makes it harder for me as a reader to feel that tension, when it isn't made personal.
As well, the ending left me waiting for exposition fairy to stop talking through the previous book's characters, and let Mercy ask questions. I was treated to 'Welcome to hell! On your journey, we will be going through ...," type of lines. The text worked much better when it was using Mercy's POV, rather than the smiling and cute antics of her host and hostess.
I was also confused just how off course the Mexican soldiers had gotten. I think I needed a map of how the world Mercy and the other characters occupied in order to ground myself better.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. My attention was kept, and the characters, for the most part intrigued me.
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LibraryThing member biblioholic29
Vinita "Mercy" Swakhammer Lynch is a Confederate nurse 20 years into the Civil War. Shortly after learning of her Yankee husband's death she receives a letter from the Seattle Sheriff telling her her daddy is sick and asking for her. Mercy hasn't seen her dad since he packed up and left when she
I've never really read steampunk before, unless you count Verne and Wells, so when I learned of a first-come, first-served contest by TOR to get a copy, I entered, knowing almost nothing about it other than "steampunk". I was a bit disappointed, therefore, when I discovered it was also an alternate history and zombie novel; two "genres" that have never been favorites. Zombies in particular give me pause after what they did to Jane Austen. However, I ended up pleasantly surprised.
Though the beginning (100-150 pages) dragged a bit for my tastes, once Mercy was on the train I was captivated. The action was perfectly paced and the mystery given just enough build; and while the book certainly subscribes to a variety of genres, all are done in a way that the book never really feels like a zombie-book, or an alternate history, or even steampunk. Dreadnought is about Mercy Lynch and her journey with the plot devices being secondary.
It turns out, when done well, I do like all these genres. I will certainly be seeking out other Cherie Priest novels in the future.
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was a little girl, but she decides to make the cross-country trek to see him, soon getting caught up in adventure and mystery. What is the drug the men call "sap" and what are it's ultimate effects? How did a large group of Mexicans end up in Utah and are they really eating people? What is in the mystery cars on the train that require a Yankee regiment and the most dreaded Yankee war engine in the country to guard them?I've never really read steampunk before, unless you count Verne and Wells, so when I learned of a first-come, first-served contest by TOR to get a copy, I entered, knowing almost nothing about it other than "steampunk". I was a bit disappointed, therefore, when I discovered it was also an alternate history and zombie novel; two "genres" that have never been favorites. Zombies in particular give me pause after what they did to Jane Austen. However, I ended up pleasantly surprised.
Though the beginning (100-150 pages) dragged a bit for my tastes, once Mercy was on the train I was captivated. The action was perfectly paced and the mystery given just enough build; and while the book certainly subscribes to a variety of genres, all are done in a way that the book never really feels like a zombie-book, or an alternate history, or even steampunk. Dreadnought is about Mercy Lynch and her journey with the plot devices being secondary.
It turns out, when done well, I do like all these genres. I will certainly be seeking out other Cherie Priest novels in the future.
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LibraryThing member NatashaCreates
What a fun book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ms. Priest's rendition of Civil War events. The story follows a young nurse from the war-torn South to the "quiet" West. Many adventures befall her on her journey and it is definitely one exciting ride. I really enjoyed Priest's writing style and the
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fabulous tale that she wove. Show Less
LibraryThing member cissa
An excellently exciting "road" novel in an alternative, steampunk America. I look forward to extensions of the story, because it ends on an emotional cliffhanger.
LibraryThing member ladycato
This is how to write a non-direct book sequel.
I read Boneshaker a year ago. It set the background for Priest's Clockwork Century world: A United States where the Civil War has gone on for decades, resulting in advanced steampunk technology. There's also the small matter of a massive drill digging a
Dreadnought begins on the east coast. Mercy Lynch is a nurse in a Confederate war hospital when she learns her husband died in a POW camp. To complicate things further, she gets a telegram informing her that her estranged father is near death in Seattle. With no reason to stay in Virginia, she sets off on a cross-country journey complicated by skirmishes and the looming presence of a massive Union train known as the Dreadnought. When the Dreadnought ends up being the safest passage west, Mercy buys the ticket, only to find there is much more going on. The Dreadnought isn't a safe ride--it's a moving target, with several rail cars of particular interest to rival parties. Mercy's going to need all of her know-how and a steady aim if she'll make it off alive.
Mercy is a fantastic heroine, all smart and spunky. I have a fondness for healer characters, and it was refreshing to see a nurse in a lead role. It really brought a new perspective to an alternative history book. This ends up as a gripping action book, with steampunk vehicles such as the Dreadnought becoming characters in their own right. There were a few plot elements that were left dangling, but overall this is a tight and very well-written book, and one I am definitely keeping on my shelf.
I read Boneshaker a year ago. It set the background for Priest's Clockwork Century world: A United States where the Civil War has gone on for decades, resulting in advanced steampunk technology. There's also the small matter of a massive drill digging a
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hole in Seattle that released volcanic gases that turns people into zombies.Dreadnought begins on the east coast. Mercy Lynch is a nurse in a Confederate war hospital when she learns her husband died in a POW camp. To complicate things further, she gets a telegram informing her that her estranged father is near death in Seattle. With no reason to stay in Virginia, she sets off on a cross-country journey complicated by skirmishes and the looming presence of a massive Union train known as the Dreadnought. When the Dreadnought ends up being the safest passage west, Mercy buys the ticket, only to find there is much more going on. The Dreadnought isn't a safe ride--it's a moving target, with several rail cars of particular interest to rival parties. Mercy's going to need all of her know-how and a steady aim if she'll make it off alive.
Mercy is a fantastic heroine, all smart and spunky. I have a fondness for healer characters, and it was refreshing to see a nurse in a lead role. It really brought a new perspective to an alternative history book. This ends up as a gripping action book, with steampunk vehicles such as the Dreadnought becoming characters in their own right. There were a few plot elements that were left dangling, but overall this is a tight and very well-written book, and one I am definitely keeping on my shelf.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
Dreadnought is the third book in the Clockwork Century series by Priest. All of the books are separate adventures in the sames universe, so they can be read alone or together. There are five total books planned for this series with the fourth, Ganymede, being released in fall of 2011 and the fifth,
Mercy is a nurse on the Confederate side of the war and has just found out that her husband (who fought on the Union side of the war) has died in a POW camp. Immediately after learning this she receives notice that her father (whom she has not seen since she was a little girl) is very sick, is in Seattle, and is requesting her presence. Mercy decides to make the cross-country trip to the west to see her father knowing it will be a long journey. Little does she know her journey will take her through the air by dirigible, through the front-lines of the war, and onto a fabulously dangerous ride on the train Dreadnought.
This story is about Mercy's journey and the adventure she goes through to get where she's going. Mercy (like all of Priest's protagonists) is a tough as nails woman who does what she needs to do to get through life. She uses her nursing skills to help those in need and to get herself through tough times. She is a very capable, lovable, and honest protagonist. The characters Mercy meets in her travels are all very human, complex, and interesting to read about. I am always thrilled with how well Priest is able to give life to even small side characters.
The world of the Clockwork Century is amazing; you have a world stuck in Civil War long beyond what actually happened, strange steampunk devices created to make life easier (and more dangerous), and a strange zombie-like disease stalking the coasts of the country. It is creative, believable, and absolutely engaging.
Priest's writing style is just all around wonderful; she is an excellent writer. She balances out everything so well; description, action, world-building...every book I have read of hers so far is a joy to read and this book follows that trend.
There is a ton of action scenes in this book and they are interesting action scenes; taking place on crashing dirigibles, speeding war trains, etc. This book ties in more with Boneshaker than Clementine (the 2nd book in the series did). We get to see some of the original characters from Boneshaker interacting with Mercy towards the end of the book and the mysterious things that Mercy uncovers on her journey west also coincide with some of the incidents that happened in Boneshaker.
My only complaint with this book is that I thought Mercy's journey was a bit more drawn out than it needed to be and there were a couple parts of the book that got a bit slow for me. Because of this I liked both Boneshaker and Clementine slightly more than this book; still this book was a wonderful read.
Overall another great addition to this series. Priest is definitely a top-notch writer and I look forward to reading her next two books in this series; Ganymede and Inexplicable. Priest is also starting an urban fantasy series next year; the first book in it is Bloodshot and I will definitely be picking that book up as well.
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Inexplicable, being release in the fall of 2012. This was another great addition to this series; I love the world Priest has created and it was a great read.Mercy is a nurse on the Confederate side of the war and has just found out that her husband (who fought on the Union side of the war) has died in a POW camp. Immediately after learning this she receives notice that her father (whom she has not seen since she was a little girl) is very sick, is in Seattle, and is requesting her presence. Mercy decides to make the cross-country trip to the west to see her father knowing it will be a long journey. Little does she know her journey will take her through the air by dirigible, through the front-lines of the war, and onto a fabulously dangerous ride on the train Dreadnought.
This story is about Mercy's journey and the adventure she goes through to get where she's going. Mercy (like all of Priest's protagonists) is a tough as nails woman who does what she needs to do to get through life. She uses her nursing skills to help those in need and to get herself through tough times. She is a very capable, lovable, and honest protagonist. The characters Mercy meets in her travels are all very human, complex, and interesting to read about. I am always thrilled with how well Priest is able to give life to even small side characters.
The world of the Clockwork Century is amazing; you have a world stuck in Civil War long beyond what actually happened, strange steampunk devices created to make life easier (and more dangerous), and a strange zombie-like disease stalking the coasts of the country. It is creative, believable, and absolutely engaging.
Priest's writing style is just all around wonderful; she is an excellent writer. She balances out everything so well; description, action, world-building...every book I have read of hers so far is a joy to read and this book follows that trend.
There is a ton of action scenes in this book and they are interesting action scenes; taking place on crashing dirigibles, speeding war trains, etc. This book ties in more with Boneshaker than Clementine (the 2nd book in the series did). We get to see some of the original characters from Boneshaker interacting with Mercy towards the end of the book and the mysterious things that Mercy uncovers on her journey west also coincide with some of the incidents that happened in Boneshaker.
My only complaint with this book is that I thought Mercy's journey was a bit more drawn out than it needed to be and there were a couple parts of the book that got a bit slow for me. Because of this I liked both Boneshaker and Clementine slightly more than this book; still this book was a wonderful read.
Overall another great addition to this series. Priest is definitely a top-notch writer and I look forward to reading her next two books in this series; Ganymede and Inexplicable. Priest is also starting an urban fantasy series next year; the first book in it is Bloodshot and I will definitely be picking that book up as well.
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LibraryThing member iamiam
Having come to know Cherie Priest first (through a convention) and the books she writes as a result of thinking "this is a wonderful person", it's quite possible that I was pre-destined to like this book as much as I enjoyed the previous book of hers read, Boneshaker. That said, Dreadnought is not
This might sound a bit patronizing, but isn't intended to: Priest writes the best action scenes I've ever seen from a female author, bar none. In order to qualify that statement, I'll further say that this is among some of the very best action-based narrative I've ever read, including Desmond Bagley and Ian Flemming. It's often thought that woman either can't or don't write action scenes, but this is bumf; it's just more 'manly' to have people zipping around and shooting at each other, that's all.
Strong female characters with Father Issues seem to be recurring themes of Ms Priest's, and this novel is the same, with the protagonist being both a young war-widow and her father becoming estranged from the family when she was quite young; her previous novel having similar aspects to it. This is where the parallels end, however, and we have an entirely different sort of woman to root for in Dreadnought: one who must learn to act, to trust her instinct, and to take chances far in excess than she might have even imagined before. Previously a nurse acting as part of a team, in many ways now she must lead and directly influence the decisions of others.
An exceedingly wonderful book, filled with rich detail, setting, and characterization. An action-based plot to keep one interested, and train-based technology that I happen to have a fascination for. Bits of humour here and there, some zombies, plus some Civil War politics that I'd never quite got a handle on before now.
This is a book that's good for just about anyone, but especially for a young woman who might be looking for a role model of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and down-right solid moral code.
WARNING: some language, but no more that you'll hear standing around a 7-11 for about twenty minutes, or watching the occasional TV show after 9:00 pm.
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the same book, but is just the same level of fascinating read. While last year's book was set in a small geographic area and stressed character and rules of the world over action (while still including the latter very much), Dreadnought covers nearly half of the USA geographically (as the heroine rushes to the side of her dying father) as a plenitude of dangers attempt to block her travels. This might sound a bit patronizing, but isn't intended to: Priest writes the best action scenes I've ever seen from a female author, bar none. In order to qualify that statement, I'll further say that this is among some of the very best action-based narrative I've ever read, including Desmond Bagley and Ian Flemming. It's often thought that woman either can't or don't write action scenes, but this is bumf; it's just more 'manly' to have people zipping around and shooting at each other, that's all.
Strong female characters with Father Issues seem to be recurring themes of Ms Priest's, and this novel is the same, with the protagonist being both a young war-widow and her father becoming estranged from the family when she was quite young; her previous novel having similar aspects to it. This is where the parallels end, however, and we have an entirely different sort of woman to root for in Dreadnought: one who must learn to act, to trust her instinct, and to take chances far in excess than she might have even imagined before. Previously a nurse acting as part of a team, in many ways now she must lead and directly influence the decisions of others.
An exceedingly wonderful book, filled with rich detail, setting, and characterization. An action-based plot to keep one interested, and train-based technology that I happen to have a fascination for. Bits of humour here and there, some zombies, plus some Civil War politics that I'd never quite got a handle on before now.
This is a book that's good for just about anyone, but especially for a young woman who might be looking for a role model of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and down-right solid moral code.
WARNING: some language, but no more that you'll hear standing around a 7-11 for about twenty minutes, or watching the occasional TV show after 9:00 pm.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
In my opinion, Cherie Priest is the reigning queen author of Steampunk novels, and Dreadnought is a solid example of why. It's hard to explain Steampunk to someone who doesn't already know what it is - I mean, you can bring Verne into the picture and then try to bring the word "mash-up" into the
Sure, the historical aspects have been twisted and pulled a bit - but these aren't historical fiction novels (unless your world actually does contain zombies). The thing about Cherie Priest's books are - even though you know they aren't historically accurate, the manner in which she writes them makes you doubt that more than once as you are reading the story. In Dreadnought, there are many scenes in which Mercy is treating soldiers, in which relationships are being developed between the North and the South on the Dreadnought itself (which alone is.. man, so awesome to read about), and it seems plausible that these things did, in fact, happen. Another thing that helps is the way that Priest implements things such as dirigibles and zombies without batting an eye at how unusual they really are. Everything is incorporated into the story in such a matter-of-fact way that if you, the reader, seems to bat an eyelash at it, you would be the one out of the ordinary.
Mercy Lynch's journey from Virginia to Seattle, Washington is a fun, romping good time. There's adventure, there's flying vehicles, there's massive trains and there's zombies... and it all makes perfect sense. Boneshaker and Dreadnought are two shining examples of just how great Steampunk books can be, and I cannot wait to see what Cherie Priest comes up with next.
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mix (citing Glee for those who tend to not read much) and then finish off with a flourish of "something like that" and hope that they get it... or you can just hand over a copy of Boneshaker and tell them to read it.Sure, the historical aspects have been twisted and pulled a bit - but these aren't historical fiction novels (unless your world actually does contain zombies). The thing about Cherie Priest's books are - even though you know they aren't historically accurate, the manner in which she writes them makes you doubt that more than once as you are reading the story. In Dreadnought, there are many scenes in which Mercy is treating soldiers, in which relationships are being developed between the North and the South on the Dreadnought itself (which alone is.. man, so awesome to read about), and it seems plausible that these things did, in fact, happen. Another thing that helps is the way that Priest implements things such as dirigibles and zombies without batting an eye at how unusual they really are. Everything is incorporated into the story in such a matter-of-fact way that if you, the reader, seems to bat an eyelash at it, you would be the one out of the ordinary.
Mercy Lynch's journey from Virginia to Seattle, Washington is a fun, romping good time. There's adventure, there's flying vehicles, there's massive trains and there's zombies... and it all makes perfect sense. Boneshaker and Dreadnought are two shining examples of just how great Steampunk books can be, and I cannot wait to see what Cherie Priest comes up with next.
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LibraryThing member andreablythe
Mercy Lynch works as a nurse at Robertson Hospital, where they heal more patients than they loose. She will will patch up anyone put in front of her, whether Confederate, Yankee, or Reb. In rapid succession Mercy finds out that her husband died in the war, and her father, who she hasn't seen since
On her way, she finds herself aboard a train pulled by the Dreadnought, a heavily armored terror of a steam engine, which soon meets harsh resistance from rebels and pirates and something even more dangerous, something inhuman. Mercy can't help but wonder why the train it meeting such resistance, and begins to unravel the mystery of the second and last rail cars with their secret cargo.
I loved Boneshaker, Priest's foray into steampunk, and Dreadnought is an excellent companion novel and fills you in on what some of the characters you loved from the first book are now up to. The book definitely picked up more steam, as the elements of espionage and mystery entered into the story, at which point I didn't want to put it down. Priest does steampunk right, presenting a torqued view of history and a fun ride through an imagined wild west.
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she was girl, is out west in Tacoma on his deathbed. Suddenly free of ties, she decides to make the dangerous trek across the continent to reach her father. On her way, she finds herself aboard a train pulled by the Dreadnought, a heavily armored terror of a steam engine, which soon meets harsh resistance from rebels and pirates and something even more dangerous, something inhuman. Mercy can't help but wonder why the train it meeting such resistance, and begins to unravel the mystery of the second and last rail cars with their secret cargo.
I loved Boneshaker, Priest's foray into steampunk, and Dreadnought is an excellent companion novel and fills you in on what some of the characters you loved from the first book are now up to. The book definitely picked up more steam, as the elements of espionage and mystery entered into the story, at which point I didn't want to put it down. Priest does steampunk right, presenting a torqued view of history and a fun ride through an imagined wild west.
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LibraryThing member jlparent
An intriguing alternate history/steampunk/zombie entry in the Clockwork Century series - Mercy Lynch is a Red Cross nurse among the wounded of the 20+ year long Civil War. She is notified that her husband died in a POW camp and her estranged father is on his deathbed. She undertakes a massive
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journey to get to his side - enduring dirigible accidents, battlefield atrocities (not the least the technological advances used to make war upon each other), raiders, zombies, and more on her arduous trip. I liked Mercy as a character, she's capable, intelligent though unschooled, and solid. Much like Briar Wilkes from Boneshaker - the first entry in the Clockwork Century - whom she meets briefly near the end of her journey. Can't wait for the next one... Show Less
LibraryThing member amandrake
The second book in Cherie Priest's alternative history/Steampunk/zombie series not only does not disappoint, but carries plot, setting, and character to new and fascinating levels. Readers of "Boneshaker" who are piqued that the intriguing and sympathetic characters from that book aren't here, take
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heart. Priest demands our emotional involvement from page one, and this book satisfies. Show Less
LibraryThing member HeikeM
Mercy Lynch, a nurse in a war hospital in Richmond, not only has to deal with the death of her husband but is also asked to come and see her dying father in Seattle, a man she has not seen since childhood. Crossing the war-torn country is of course not easy and becomes yet another one of Priest's
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brilliantly written and imagined adventures. Mercy wants to get to her dad by any means and so boards a train that will take her into the biggest adventure of her life. And rebels attacking the train are only the smallest problem.... The third novel in the Clockwork Century series is not only as good as the first two - it is a good deal better. Airships, steam trains, zombies and the never ending war, a female lead who can show any man a thing or two about survival, spies, soldiers and mysterious freights - there is absolutely nothing more you could possibly expect of a big fat steampunk novel. Written in a fast pace, gripping you and drawing you into the world of Mercy, with well thought through facts and an ending that connects this third book to the beginning. Fantastic read. I just hope this is not the end of the Clockwork Century. Show Less
LibraryThing member dsekeres
What fun! This story moves along as fast as the Dreadnought. Reminds me of the Frank Reade books of the 1880s.
LibraryThing member SunnySD
Mercy Lynch is a nurse - and now officially a war widow. The timely arrival of a telegram summoning her to the bedside of a father she thought long dead sends Mercy the length of the war-torn United States. Her adventures along the way include an ill-fated dirgible-ride, numerous applications of
Mercy is occasionally a bit too unflappable, but those with heroic aspirations could do far worse for a role model. Page-turning, nail-biting adventure.
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her nursing skills, and yes, zombies.Mercy is occasionally a bit too unflappable, but those with heroic aspirations could do far worse for a role model. Page-turning, nail-biting adventure.
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LibraryThing member jcmontgomery
Whether you’re familiar with steampunk or not, this is an author who represents it so well, I have no problem recommending her novels as an introduction to this sub-genre of science fiction.
The unique aspect, for me at least, with these novels is the horror element. Who thought zombies could
Boneshaker and Dreadnought are books 1 and 3 respectively in the Clockwork Century stories. Unfortunately, the second Clementine, a short novel, is only available as an eBook as far as I can tell.
The books don’t need to be read in order, although I recommend reading Boneshaker first to help set the tone, and offer a better understanding of the Clockwork Century.
What struck me about the writing and stories is how quickly I became involved, especially with Boneshaker. The strength of this novel is its characters and the setting.
Dreadnought is a different read. If you can refrain from trying to compare the two, and read each, and judge each, singularly, then they are equally excellent reads. Despite being set in the same century and having characters appearing in both, they are as unique, and similar as siblings – not twins.
There is no cookie cutter formula used here to develop this series of novels. I love the fact that the author has no fear in giving her characters and their stories a quality unique to each.
Another love was that each book has a female protagonist that is not stereotypical and has strengths and faults that make them easy to like. My only gripe may be that the supporting characters in Boneshaker had a stronger presence and more impact on the reader than in Dreadnought.
I think this is because the author told the story in Boneshaker from the point of view of two people and Dreadnought from only one person. This would affect the development of the story and its characters as it all has to be told in a way that is more limiting.
However, it’s still successful. It took no more than two days to read each book. And both times I was up to the wee hours of the morning finishing them because I couldn’t put them down.
In fact, they were such fun and great reads, I am going to find it nearly impossible to wait until September when Ganymede is released.
These books are adult fiction, but would be fine for older teenagers. There is no heavy romance, but there is violence as there is a horror element in each. Not too gory, and never gratuitous.
Whether you are a steampunk fan or not, these books are worth a spot on your shelves or eReader. Definitely.
The unique aspect, for me at least, with these novels is the horror element. Who thought zombies could
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work so well in an alternative history novel? Well, it does!Boneshaker and Dreadnought are books 1 and 3 respectively in the Clockwork Century stories. Unfortunately, the second Clementine, a short novel, is only available as an eBook as far as I can tell.
The books don’t need to be read in order, although I recommend reading Boneshaker first to help set the tone, and offer a better understanding of the Clockwork Century.
What struck me about the writing and stories is how quickly I became involved, especially with Boneshaker. The strength of this novel is its characters and the setting.
Dreadnought is a different read. If you can refrain from trying to compare the two, and read each, and judge each, singularly, then they are equally excellent reads. Despite being set in the same century and having characters appearing in both, they are as unique, and similar as siblings – not twins.
There is no cookie cutter formula used here to develop this series of novels. I love the fact that the author has no fear in giving her characters and their stories a quality unique to each.
Another love was that each book has a female protagonist that is not stereotypical and has strengths and faults that make them easy to like. My only gripe may be that the supporting characters in Boneshaker had a stronger presence and more impact on the reader than in Dreadnought.
I think this is because the author told the story in Boneshaker from the point of view of two people and Dreadnought from only one person. This would affect the development of the story and its characters as it all has to be told in a way that is more limiting.
However, it’s still successful. It took no more than two days to read each book. And both times I was up to the wee hours of the morning finishing them because I couldn’t put them down.
In fact, they were such fun and great reads, I am going to find it nearly impossible to wait until September when Ganymede is released.
These books are adult fiction, but would be fine for older teenagers. There is no heavy romance, but there is violence as there is a horror element in each. Not too gory, and never gratuitous.
Whether you are a steampunk fan or not, these books are worth a spot on your shelves or eReader. Definitely.
Show Less
LibraryThing member birv2
One of my first forays into steampunk. Took about 100 pages to get rolling but by the end, I was really enjoying it, enough to search out the sequel.
LibraryThing member GirlMisanthrope
Another wonderful addition to the Clockwork Century line.
Priest creates another kick-ass hero with Mercy Lynch (aka Vinita Swakhammer), a nurse working in a military hospital who gets word that her husband has died in the war. She has seen so much horror, gore, terror, death in the hospital that
Thus begins a Civil War version of "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" which, in this case, could be "Dirigibles, Trains, and Paddlewheelers".
Part of her journey involves a memorable trip on a doomed dirigible, then a horse ride to a train station, and many connections later that lead her to the Dreadnought, a massive, powerful Union train. Here she will spend weeks crossing the plains on her way to Seattle.
She meets some great characters along the way, some whom I hope to see again in future installments. All modes of travel and weapons are laced with steampunk. And the yellow sap makes an unwelcome return.
The denouement had me holding my breath. That is how well Priest writes. I am on the train with Mercy, flecked in blood, trying to help and save those around me. I am horrified when I see what is attacking the Confederate train that tries to attack the Dreadnought.
None of her prose is wasted. None of it is excessive. She deftly weaves in racism, class-ism, and how women, especially one traveling alone, are treated. This becomes part of the story and part of what dictates the outcome for the characters. Fantastic action story. If you have not started this series yet, crawl out from under that rock and get to it!
Priest creates another kick-ass hero with Mercy Lynch (aka Vinita Swakhammer), a nurse working in a military hospital who gets word that her husband has died in the war. She has seen so much horror, gore, terror, death in the hospital that
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she accepts this news with numb resignation. Shortly thereafter, she receives word that her father is quite ill. Mercy is in Virginia and her father, Jeremiah Swakhammer (whom you will recall as a hero in Boneshaker) is in Seattle.Thus begins a Civil War version of "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" which, in this case, could be "Dirigibles, Trains, and Paddlewheelers".
Part of her journey involves a memorable trip on a doomed dirigible, then a horse ride to a train station, and many connections later that lead her to the Dreadnought, a massive, powerful Union train. Here she will spend weeks crossing the plains on her way to Seattle.
She meets some great characters along the way, some whom I hope to see again in future installments. All modes of travel and weapons are laced with steampunk. And the yellow sap makes an unwelcome return.
The denouement had me holding my breath. That is how well Priest writes. I am on the train with Mercy, flecked in blood, trying to help and save those around me. I am horrified when I see what is attacking the Confederate train that tries to attack the Dreadnought.
None of her prose is wasted. None of it is excessive. She deftly weaves in racism, class-ism, and how women, especially one traveling alone, are treated. This becomes part of the story and part of what dictates the outcome for the characters. Fantastic action story. If you have not started this series yet, crawl out from under that rock and get to it!
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LibraryThing member BobVTReader
Better than Bonshaker, though the plot is still weak. It is definitely a page turner and a good read. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Some of the characters from Boneshaker make cameo appearances in the book and the reader gets an update on Briar Wilkes. I think that the reader
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should read the first book in the series or they will have a hard time understanding this book, Show Less
LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
The second installment of what has been dubbed the “Clockwork Century”, a true Steampunk Time That Never Was. Priest continues her vision of an alternate version of the US circa late nineteenth century. If you accept her premise, the story is a great one, and is movie worthy. I don’t know if
The connection to the previous work, Boneshaker, is at first tenuous, but is later reinforced. I am anxious to see where this series is going and I want to be part of the journey, all the way to the finish.
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that is exactly a recommendation, but there is enough action (battle scenes with giant walkers, a chase between rival factions in locomotives and lots of shootouts) to make any indie director take note.The connection to the previous work, Boneshaker, is at first tenuous, but is later reinforced. I am anxious to see where this series is going and I want to be part of the journey, all the way to the finish.
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LibraryThing member bluesalamanders
Dreadnought is the third book in the Clockwork Century series, a steampunk alternate history world in which (for starters) the US Civil War has dragged on for decades. While it does take place after the events in Boneshaker and Clementine, it is unnecessary to have read the previous books to
Mercy Lynch, a nurse at a Confederate hospital in Virginia, receives two pieces of bad news in one day. The first informs her that her husband, a soldier, is dead. The second informs her that her father is dying, and she decides to take the long trip by dirigible and train from Virginia to Washington in hopes that she might see him before he goes. The trip turns out to be a little more exciting than Mercy anticipates.
Priest is a phenomenal author. Her books even induce me to read about the fictional creature I dislike the most (zombies) and while there were a few passages I could have lived without, the violence isn't gratuitous. Mercy is a great character and I hope Priest writes about her again, as well as the other characters she introduced along the way.
I wasn't thrilled with the end of the book - it was abrupt and left hanging questions that had been asked from the very beginning - but the point of the story is the journey, not the destination.
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understand and enjoy this one.Mercy Lynch, a nurse at a Confederate hospital in Virginia, receives two pieces of bad news in one day. The first informs her that her husband, a soldier, is dead. The second informs her that her father is dying, and she decides to take the long trip by dirigible and train from Virginia to Washington in hopes that she might see him before he goes. The trip turns out to be a little more exciting than Mercy anticipates.
Priest is a phenomenal author. Her books even induce me to read about the fictional creature I dislike the most (zombies) and while there were a few passages I could have lived without, the violence isn't gratuitous. Mercy is a great character and I hope Priest writes about her again, as well as the other characters she introduced along the way.
I wasn't thrilled with the end of the book - it was abrupt and left hanging questions that had been asked from the very beginning - but the point of the story is the journey, not the destination.
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LibraryThing member aliceunderskies
Vastly inferior to Boneshaker. I was bothered, more in this book than the other, by the historical revisions of this world--the lengthened American Civil War, changing its motives from a war over slavery, doesn't sit quite right with me: it's fantasy, I know, but it treads the line of diminishing
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the cultural and historical import of the real event. This issue aside, Dreadnought was simply a poorer book: where Boneshaker was rollicking, with a well-drawn, engaging setting, Dreadnought was clunky and anonymous. Weak characters combined with absolutely no sense of place--they're traveling through the whole of 19th century America and there's nary an interesting instance of setting description, not even on the weird train that the book takes place!--weakened my interest almost to nonexistence. I found it incomprehensible, episodic, and rather dull: a slog rather than a romp. I doubt I'll pick up any further entries in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
This is the second book in Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series, set in an alternative 1800 world of steampunk, airship pirates, zombies and wild inventions. Like the first book, Boneshaker, this book features a strong female protagonist that I immediately took to.
Mercy Lynch, a nurse in a
One of the things I love about this book, and Boneshaker, is that the protagonist is not just strong, but that she is not a stunning beauty that men fall instantly in love with. In fact, there is no romance in the books. Nor are they genius inventors; they are average women doing what needs to be done. One can identify with them easier than with some fantasy women- or at least I can!
The universe that Priest has built for this series holds together well. Dreadnought is a can’t-put-it-down, fast read that is full of action and has just enough creepiness- not enough to slow the story down, but enough to ratchet the anxiety level way up.
Mercy Lynch, a nurse in a
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Confederate hospital, gets word that her soldier husband has died at almost the same moment that she gets a message that her long vanished father is very ill and wants to see her- in Seattle. She surprises herself by making the decision to go and visit him, a trip that, given the war, isn’t easy. Her trip across the continent by airship, steamboat, and train – no regular train- is a wild adventure full of disagreeing Confederates, Union soldiers, Texians, missing Mexican troops, zombies, gold, and a mad scientist. Mercy is a tough woman, though, and deals with it all with courage and inventiveness, her nurse’s training standing her in good stead what with the bullets flying almost constantly. One of the things I love about this book, and Boneshaker, is that the protagonist is not just strong, but that she is not a stunning beauty that men fall instantly in love with. In fact, there is no romance in the books. Nor are they genius inventors; they are average women doing what needs to be done. One can identify with them easier than with some fantasy women- or at least I can!
The universe that Priest has built for this series holds together well. Dreadnought is a can’t-put-it-down, fast read that is full of action and has just enough creepiness- not enough to slow the story down, but enough to ratchet the anxiety level way up.
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LibraryThing member renbedell
A steampunk journey across a Civil War era USA starring a strong female lead and an exploration of an alternative history. While it is a sequel to Boneshaker, it is not similar to the first book at all. Completely different characters and a different tone. Dreadnought is all about Mercy and her
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journey to Seattle. It discusses many political issues at the time in a glancingly way as it focuses mostly on a woman's plight of travelling alone, divided factions, and the war. The first three quarters of the book is a bit slow. The ending then comes a bit too quickly. This is more of a backstory of a new character in the series to set up the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member silentq
I stayed up an hour past my bedtime to finish this, and it was totally worth it. :) I loved it! After reading "Boneshaker" I had taken on the task of reading all of Priest's other work that I could find, and this tops them all. The focus is tight, following Nurse Mercy Lynch as she's told that her
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husband died in a Civil War POW camp and that her father is dying and wants to see her in Seattle. She undertakes the epic journey from Virginia to Washington, through battles, airship crashes, raiders, suspicious travel companions (I'm still wondering what Ms. Clay's motiviations were), off track Mexican forces, train races, and soldiers addicted to the sap that we saw being refined in "Boneshaker". I'd just read "Clementine" (a novella) before this one and when I got to the halfway point of this book I was happy to see that there was a lot more story still left to go. The tension was kept cranked up during the action sequences, but there were enough breathers when her journey was going well to keep the pacing working well. The knowledge transfer was handled well, I never felt like I was getting a knowledge dump, but I found out details as Mercy did. I've read Lousia May Alcott's writings on serving in a Civil War hospital and Priest acknowledges the inspiration for that part of the story and applies it masterfully. Mercy's nursing skills are often called on, but her intelligence, physical fitness, and ability to fire a gun also play big parts. Show Less
Awards
Chesley Award (Nominee — 2011)
Endeavour Award (Winner — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2010-10-01
Physical description
400 p.; 8.1 inches
ISBN
9780765325785