Dreadnought by Cherie Priest

Dreadnought is Cherie Priest’s follow-up to Boneshaker. Sort of. While it takes place in the same alternate America at roughly the same time, and while we see a few familiar characters by the end of the story, Dreadnought is an otherwise indirect sequel… I thoroughly enjoyed Boneshaker, but found Dreadnought to be a bit of a slog at times. I kept picking it up and putting it down, which is always a sign that I’m not particularly enjoying a book… The pacing of Dreadnaught never quite falls into a smooth rhythm… What saves Dreadnought probably more than several strong scenes (and there are several such) is Priest’s sharp prose… I finished Dreadnought perhaps more satisfied at the finishing than the reading. It is a mostly well-written book that just didn’t fully capture my attention due to issues with pace and character. While I’d call Dreadnought a disappointment, it won’t prevent me from reading the next book in the series. Read the rest.