It's rare (for me) to read a tough as nails heroine who delivers on the grit and still has enough heart to keep me reading. While she took a little while to grow on me, Boneshaker's Briar Wilkes' ferocity (and at times her heart-achingly dear vulnerability) where the fate of her son is concerned is a wondrously written thing. I felt I was getting a little sneak peek at the future of worry and love over an almost grown up child, and I connected with Briar in a way I'm not sure I would have before I became a parent.

But Cherie Priest's Boneshaker offers plenty to revel in. The Doornails and the gadgets and the rotters and a surreal, Blight-fogged Seattle thrilled and really fired my imagination. I even loved Priest's epilogue for the nit-pickers (and anyone who does their research just so they can toss it).

My only complaint was in the reveal of Minnericht's identity. Without more of his story, it lacked the impact of Briar's confession (which I loved, and should've seen coming and didn't, a credit to Priest's writing).

Super curious about the next installment and will absolutely be reading.