Ganymede

Ganymede by Cherie Priest is the 3rd in the Clockwork Century series. I really enjoyed it. Good Characters, fun plot full of dirigibles, zombies, a submarine and all that other good steampunk adventure stuff. Going on now to pick up Clementine before reading the 4th adventure Fiddlehead. The character introduced in Clementine is the same one as in Fiddlehead so it made more sense to read it after Ganymede than before it.

**Based on audio books.
These books have really not been what I expected. I imagined steampunk adventure and these are more steampunk historical fiction drama with just a little bit of fantasy (magical realism? a little science-gone-wrong?) thrown in (and, to be fair, there are moments of "action/adventure" in all three books, with the first one probably being the quickest paced). But I've nevertheless enjoyed them, especially once I shifted my expectations. Priest does a fantastic job with the characterizations (most certainly helped along by the narrators who have read the first 3 books) and the scene, and I well-pictured everything that was happening, who was speaking, as well as emotions and all the subtleties that make a book show more something you can sink into. The next 2 in the "series" (they can each be standalone novels, but there are loose connections between them, including a handful of characters who recur in non-essential ways and, of course, the world) I have in paperback (not audio), and I am definitely looking forward to seeing if the excellent narrations are met by Priest's writing. Four stars. show less

I give up. I finally have to give one of Cherie Priest's books 5 stars. It's not perfection and it's not literature, but it's well written and darn good fun. I was disappointed to have reached the end, not because it was bad, but because I wanted more. This is the best story in the series so far. Since the others all got 4 stars, this gets 1 more.

This book, like the others, is full of wonderful characters, most with wonderful, arcane names. What's different is that in this one the relationships between the characters get explored a bit more richly and broadly. This is a result of a somewhat more laid back pace, which wasn't lazy, but does allow for more exploration of characters and the setting.

A few things didn't work. Much was made of show more leaving Andan Cly's airship somewhere to get refitted. But the result is glossed over or omitted. A supposedly shocking revelation was made about one of Josephine's girls. But the point of it eludes me. It did not seem to make any difference to the story. I felt a bit cheated by the climactic battle. There was tension and danger. (minor spoiler coming) But we were never given an all-is-lost moment. And then things wrap up quickly.

The next book in the series can't come out too soon for me. show less

The Clockwork Century books are among my favorite steampunk series. This book was very slow to get going for me, and it took a long time for the two main characters to come together. The book did irk me with the annoying 19th century cliche of "the harlot with a heart of gold"; too many books in that time period either use women as a doting mother or as a prostitute. Mind you, Priest is an excellent writer, and Josephine's character slowly grew on me. I really liked the male viewpoint, Cly, with his gruff way of looking at the world and his sweet regard for Briar back in Seattle.

The first and most famous book of this series, Boneshaker, darkly portrayed the city of Seattle as a wall-up city filled with noxious gas and killer zombies. As show more the series has gone on, it's explored the repercussions this had had across America--namely, that the zombie-causing gas can be filtered to a very potent drug, and that drug also turns people into zombies. It creates an interesting ripple effect and I'm curious about where Priest will take that development.

The most compelling element of Ganymede is the titular submarine. This is a subject of particular interest to me. I've been a Civil War buff since I was a kid, and I happened to be living in South Carolina in 2000 when the Hunley rose from the ocean and made its belated return to shore. In the world of the Clockwork Century, the Civil War has dragged on for twenty years, and Ganymede is part of Hunley's lineage. Priest did her research--and certainly twiddled with history--but Ganymede has a sense of realism to it.

In all, a good addition to the series, though the second book (Dreadnought) remains my favorite. show less

Another look at Cherie Priest's alternate reality, full of airships and zombies where the Civil War did not end in 1865. It is the third book in her Clockwork Century series but exists well as a standalone.

There are two separate main character storylines: Andan Cly, an airship pilot and pirate who smuggles sap (more on that later) and is based out of the Seattle area. The other is Josephine Early, madame of a bordello in New Orleans, a city now occupied by Texians (as spelled in the book). They were once lovers a decade ago, and now their lives intertwine in a truly steampunk way.

Cly is called to Early's city as a pilot, a journey of about a week, to help her and her brother with bringing a submersible to the Federal forces anchored in show more the Gulf of Mexico, as a way to end the War. As Cly makes his way to this city, the Texians decide to launch a siege on the hideaway near Barataria Bay where the famous pirate, Jean Lafitte, had his headquarters for years. The Texians suspect that the submersible is there and they want to seize it first.

Along with the occupation, the citizens of New Orleans have to contend with zombies and a sunset curfew. This is all new to Cly, who remembers the nightlife of New Orleans and has come from the underground of Seattle. Readers of this series know that the poison gas released during the events of "Boneshaker" caused Seattle to become a city surrounded by zombies; it turns out that the sap Cly has been running creates more zombies and most of them are ordinary soldiers in the Federal and Confederate armies who become addicted to the stuff.

The lives and times in this alternate history are well-drawn and the steampunk dress leaves costumers' imaginations full. There is a note of caution for readers: Priest uses the term "colored" throughout her descriptions of the non-white residents of New Orleans, in keeping with the norms of the time. Otherwise, the characters of the many human races in this novel are well-respected and each has their own part in the mystery and drama of these events. show less

Another strong outing in the Clockwork Century series. I really liked the way the characters develop. Priest has done a great job through her series of allowing her characters to have their own arcs, without forcing them into forced romances or insinuating that a single woman isn't complete she has a man to validate her worth.

In Ganymede, she allows her characters to form romantic attachments, but they don't sacrifice their individuality to do so. I like how she was able to have competent and interesting women succeed without having to partner up. I also like how she allows them to find meaning and joy in a partner without having to change their basic nature.

In face, one of the things I liked best about Priest's work (without realizing show more it before now) was how she could write interesting characters who were put into settings that traditionally incubate romance without forming entanglements. Romance/love/sex/partnership are great, but they aren't everything. In Ganymede, Priest introduces some Romantic elements without turning her characters into saps or weaklings. Bravo. show less

Madame - in the red light district sense - Josephine Early has a weapon that just might save her city from the clutches of Texians and Confederates alike. Trouble is, she needs a pilot to take advantage of it, and time's running out. Her last chance: a telegram to an old flame.

Airship captain and sometime pirate Andan Cly is contemplating a change in career paths. Selling sap is losing it's appeal - but the lack of ready cash is putting a bit of a damper on his plans. When the telegram offering him a clandestine piloting opportunity arrives, he sees a chance to kill two birds with one stone.

Meanwhile, in the French Quarter, Marie Laveau knows a deadly menace is growing fast, and her own days are numbered. The biggest threat to New show more Orleans isn't the Texians...

Zombies may not be new to New Orleans, but Priest's take on the situation is both unique and eminently enjoyable. Alternative history with adventure, suspense, humor, and horrific appeal! show less