Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Contemporary speculative fiction writers nowadays love to mix and match sub-genres. It illustrates a willingness to explore the limits of the possibilities open to them.

Take, for example the latest work of horror/sci-fi author, Cherie Priest, Boneshaker. It is alternate history - it takes place in Seattle, Washington, USA during the late 19th century at the time of when rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brings prospectors to the area from all over the place, even as far as Russia. However, in this world's Seattle, the American Civil war hasn't yet ended and has been going on for decades now. It is steampunk (fast becoming a favorite of many new authors), where clockwork technology exists. And there are also zombies....

The story evolves when Russian prospectors commission a Seattle inventor named Leviticus Blue to create a machine that would make it possible to drill through the hard Alaskan ice. But when Blue tests his creation, things go awry which unleashes a wave of destruction on a major part of the city and caused many deaths. But that isn't the worst part. The machine inadvertently releases some sort of gas that was hidden deep beneath the city, which makes those who breath it turn into... zombies.

Turn the reader's attention to the widow of Leviticus Blue, now called Briar Wilkes, who now many years later tries to eke out a living on what is left of the Seattle outskirts trying, but not quite succeeding, to escape the past. She is with her son, Zeke, who was born just after the incident, whom she also tries to protect from the history of her family. The problem is that, Zeke does not want to distance himself from it and refuses to believe the bad name placed upon his family and himself. Frustrated, and exasperated at his mother for not telling him anything significant about the event, and interested in clearing his family's and his father's name, Zeke decides to find the truth by entering the inner city, now cut off by an encircling wall, entering the place where the Blight (the gas that was unleashed) runs rampant, entering a city full of "rotters"... yep, that's what they call the zombies.

This forces Briar to go after Zeke in hopes of ever seeing him alive again. She enters a city, surprisingly still full of people... who are still alive. Who earn a living by some means. A city now seemingly being ruled by some inventor who calls himself Dr. Minnericht, and very much resembles the man who was once Leviticus Blue. Needless to say, Briar must approach this man where her son will surely be drawn to, and somehow force herself to face the truth of the events that happened years ago with the rampage of the machine called the Boneshaker.

The idea of steampunk and zombies is quite appealing and Cherie Priest delivers quite well. The language and the style is light and an easy read. Her characters are fascinating - from the airship captains, the one-armed lady whose remaining limb is bionic, the armored tough guy and more. Although there is a feeling that some of these characters aren't developed enough in this story and the climax seems to happen a little bit too quickly. But the work is interesting, and more importantly, entertaining. And one couldn't go wrong with that. And being nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards certainly shows that Ms. Priest did something right.

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Night is death and the sun brings life. Literally. Such is the world in the debut novel of Peter V. Brett, The Warded Man (published as The Painted Man in the UK), the first of an unnamed series. At night, the demons (or corelings, as they are called) come and kill everybody in sight. Man's only hope are wards (arcane writings that stop demons). Therefore every house is warded, as is every city wall. But it is small comfort to the populace as wards may fail (writings may fade, or get covered by dirt or some other materials) and when the demons get through, those lucky enough die quickly. Only few men dare come out at night, these are the Messengers. They are those who dare the night, guarded by their wards out on the road between cities. They bring letters, news and trade goods from one place to another – they are the lifeline of cities in man's eternal battle with the Core (or Hell). But man is losing the fight against the demons. For reasons, wards may fail, men get killed (or “cored”) every night. Humanity's numbers are getting smaller.

The Warded Man is the story of three young children. One is Arlen, forever haunted by the memory of what he perceives as his father's betrayal. He runs away from his home, somehow manages to survive, and strives to become a Messenger, traveling from place to place, refusing to let the demons imprison him in one place.

Another is Leesha, stifled by the traditional role of girls in her society, chooses to learn to become a Gatherer (or a healer). And with that knowledge comes not only the healing arts, but some simple sciences in making materials and chemicals that could not only affect human biology but also harm corelings. She will learn that among the Gatherers' knowledge are hidden some of the long-forgotten science that once have been able to defeat demons and allow men to be safe at night.

The last child is Rojer, who would be orphaned by a coreling attack of his village. Fate will make him tread the path of a Jongleur (an entertainer), valued for the happiness they bring (however short) through their performances, allowing people for a moment to forget their dark troubles, and through their storytelling give a small sense of hope (however fleeting) that somehow things will change.

At a glance, readers may groan about another coming-of-age type of story. But Peter V. Brett has ably managed to pull it off through his well-rounded characters. His is a captivating tale, albeit a dark one. There are very few light moments in it. In fact, it is almost a story without hope, and there is quite a heavy atmosphere to it. However, many readers would surely be absorbed by the tale.

The author tackles many themes. One would be courage. What does it really mean to be really brave against what many would perceive as a hopeless situation where the penalty for a wrong move would be death. How much would people be willing to sacrifice in the face of certain death? For friends, for family, for love, if the only possible outcome is one's own destruction? Is heroism just another name for idiocy? Brett tackles this question as honestly as he possibly can. What does it mean to be truly free?

One other theme that is sprinkled all throughout the book is the question of Religion and Atheism / Science and Faith . This theme is taken up in the story and Brett approaches it from both sides and from all angles using all arguments used by all. This is a question unresolved by the end of the story and is going to be a central theme of the whole series and some people would certainly bristle whenever this subject comes up.

The Warded Man is certainly a very impressive debut work. The last time this reviewer felt compelled with a story as this one may have to go back and point to George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. It is dark, but it is a great read. And it places Peter V. Brett high among the tier of contemporary fantasy writers. Highly recommended.

Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Book 1 of Shadows of the Apt

Rating: 4 out of 5

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s real name is Adrian Czajkowski (pronounced the same way). It was thought that the Polish spelling of his name would confuse potential readers and so his surname was given its Latinized spelling. Whatever… this reviewer always thought that it is a good story that always attracts readers and not how an author spells his name, especially if the new pseudonym seems to borrow from a famous classical Russian composer. But if you have a story as good as Tchaikovsky’s first offering, Empire in Black and Gold, you can spell your name any way you want.

The Wasp Empire is on the march. They have just conquered the city of Myna and are now poised to invade the Lowlands. One man, Stenwold Maker, who just escaped the fall of the city, has decided to make the detriment of the plans of the Wasp Empire his life’s work. He becomes a member of the council of the city of Collegium where he tries to spread his warnings against the coming catastrophe. The problem? No one believes him. It has now been 20 years since the fall of Myna and the Wasps seem to have their attention elsewhere.

But Stenwold is sure they are coming. He has established a school which he can use as a vehicle to teach students of the dangers of the Wasps and find suitable recruits for a spy network he also planted within the Lowlands. But the enemy knows this and is now making plans to eliminate Stenwold lest someone starts to believe him, because the time has indeed come for them to make their move. This forces Stenwold to send four of his most cherished students into the jaws of danger, possibly never to see them alive again.

Looking at the plot, one wouldn’t be faulted for thinking this is another one of those “evil empire invades peaceful land threatening to engulf the place into a dark age” kind of story, and the thought would probably be right. But Tchaikovsky capably manages to bring a fresh look into this story and present something new. Tchaikovsky’s concept presents a world not of dwarves and elves and any of the usual fantasy creatures. In his world, humans (or human-like creatures) have developed in ways that they have acquired features and characteristics that are similar to insects. Hence, each community (or race) of these people seem to be classified according to their “totem” insects with their own unique characteristics.

There are the Beetle-kinden, who are tough as well as great artificiers (machine-makers). The Spider-kinden are known for their beauty and their deadly subtlety and decetifulness. The Dragonfly-kinden are graceful flyers and exceptional archers. The Ant-kinden are great fighters and are capable of linking minds which they use to perfectly coordinate their actions. The Mantis-kinden are the best individual fighters in the world. The Moth-kinden are night-fighters and the only remaining practitioners of the art of sorcery (if it ever was real). And, of course, the Wasp-kinden, the story’s antagonists, who are ferocious warriors of great number and posses a deadly “sting” in the form of some sort of plasma blasting from their hands. There are more of these kinden, and they are presented in the book.

The world is also not your usual medieval-flavored fantasy world of fairies, dragons and wizards. This is a world were early scientific technology has begun to appear and the kindens are subdivided into the “inapt” – who once ruled most of the lands but who can’t understand the concepts of technology which is the cause of their downfall; and the “apt” – former subjects who because of their proficiency in technology are able to break the bonds of subjection and rise as powerful city-states. It has elements of steampunk and more. There are gunpowder weapons, repeating bolt guns, airships, single-wing flyers, automotive “walkers” and electric-powered trains. And magic is practiced by a few and is disbelieved by the vast majority as nonexistent.

It is a world that is unique and fascinating, but that in itself isn’t just the reason why this book is good. Adrian Tchaikovsky creates a story that is well-thought, and quite interesting. The story has a good pace and easy to read; the action scenes are quite exciting. One can easily get immersed in the story and before one knows it, the reader is halfway through the book.

However, as good as the story is, the main strong point is the characters. Well-rounded and quite alive, they have well-defined strengths and weaknesses that readers will find themselves able to relate to all of them, including the main antagonist of the story, Captain Thalric, who is probably the most interesting and sympathetic persona, if one can say such things for story antagonists (but then again, George R.R. Martin made a living of doing just that).

The bad part? Sometimes the reader might wish there was more information and background on the world Tchaikovsky has created, because interestingly enough the author offers nothing in this book with regards to distant history, culture or society structure of each of the kindens (at least in this book, there are five more books coming up), making his world seem a little bit “shallow” without any soul. But the story isn’t finished yet, so we may get more data in later installments.

Tchaikovsky has made a quite commendable effort for Empire in Black and Gold as an initial work. With an easy-to-read style, fascinating concept and great characters, he gives readers something to look forward to in the coming months and years as the Shadows of the Apt series unfolds. Another good news? Book Two is out almost at the same time as Book One and it seems that readers do not have long to wait before the succeeding books hit the stands. Always a plus for any epic fantasy writer.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Rating: 4 out of 5

It is one of the most familiar stories of the 20th century. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, visits the newly acquired territory of Bosnia. There, in the city of Sarajevo, he and his wife are tragically killed by assassins. Their deaths became the catalyst that sparks the events that lead to the eruption of the First World War between Great Britain, France, Russia and their allies, against Germany, Austria-Hungary and their allies, a pivotal event that would change the subsequent history of the world forever.

This is the event which starts off Scott Westerfeld’s novel, Leviathan. But any similarity with that monumental historical event of 1914 ends there. In the book, the countries at war are divided not just according to political divisions but also by scientific philosophy. On one side are Germany and Austria-Hungary, also known collectively as the “Clanker” nations. Their society is based on reliance in mechanical technology where in this world, they have created innovative war machines, including various forms of steampunk versions of those famous Star Wars Imperial Walkers.

On the other side are the “Darwinists”, relying on the advancements in biology or, more precisely, genetic engineering. In this world Charles Darwin, not only formulated the Theory of Evolution, but taken his studies a little further and deciphered the genetic codes of all organisms. Using this knowledge, various creatures’ genes were manipulated into the purpose of the development of new species of animals that are tailor-made for the use of human society. This includes monsters that were developed for the purposes of war like the kraken, a gigantic octopus or squid (or possibly a combination of both!) that could crush a galleon in its tentacles, or bats that would eat metal-piercing darts and ‘drop’ them on a certain target. And then, there is the showcase of all, a large whale that is capable of floating in the sky and serve as a massive airship capable of bringing destruction to the enemy, of which one is named the Leviathan.

In this story, Archduke Franz Ferdinand leaves behind a son and heir, Aleksandar, of whose future and very life is placed into jeopardy upon his death. In order to save the boy, some of the Archduke’s loyal retainers devise a plan of escaping inside a Stormwalker and make a mad rush towards Switzerland before anybody is wiser.

Meanwhile in Britain, a young girl, Deryn Sharp, pretends to be a boy in hopes of being accepted into the British Air Service where she wishes to follow in the footsteps of her late father. She joins just in time as Great Britain finds herself embroiled in a coming war. And soon enough the stories of Alek and Deryn follow the same path where it seems that, for the moment, their futures are intertwined.

Scott Westerfeld created a story aimed at a young audience, but it is still an enjoyable story for readers of every age. The writing is simple and clear. And the two main characters are well fleshed out and interesting.

Westerfeld also plays with various themes. Firstly, while the story is based on his vision of an alternate past, he presents possible visions for the future, with mechanical wonders and genetically engineered creatures. He also gives readers a look at the present through the ideologies of the two warring sides. Through them, Westerfeld depicts the outlooks of two social philosophies: the conservative Clankers and the liberal Darwinists. It is particularly interesting to read the way each side views the other: the Darwinists sees the Clankers as somewhat backward, afraid of innovation and too much tied to tradition. While the Clankers see the Darwinists as irreverent, godless and playing at being God.

All in all, it is a wonderful story with very fine two main characters, and is very enjoyable to read. It doesn’t hurt that elements of steampunk are effortlessly integrated into the tale. In fact, it is probably one of the best stories which incorporates the said sub-genre of speculative fiction. If there is a downside to this, it is the fact that the reader can easily be immersed in the story, that it may seemingly end too quickly. It is the first book of a series, and Leviathan only sets things up. Leaving the reader fussing over when the next installment would arrive.