Priest, Cherie: The Inexplicables
The Inexplicables (2012)
Written by: Cherie Priest
Genre: Steampunk/Alternate History
Pages: 371 (Mass Market Paperback)
Series: Clockwork Century
Why I Read It: Considering Priest is one of my must-read authors, it should come as no surprise that this latest installment in the Clockwork Century universe made my pre-order list. As soon as it arrived, I moved it to the top of the TBR, and grabbed it as soon as I finished the book I was currently reading.
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Rector “Wreck ‘em” Sherman was orphaned as a toddler in the Blight of 1863, but that was years ago. Wreck has grown up, and on his eighteenth birthday, he’ll be cast out out of the orphanage.
And Wreck’s problems aren’t merely about finding a home. He’s been quietly breaking the cardinal rule of any good drug dealer and dipping into his own supply of the sap he sells. He’s also pretty sure he’s being haunted by the ghost of a kid he used to know-Zeke Wilkes, who almost certainly died six months ago. Zeke would have every reason to pester Wreck, since Wreck got him inside the walled city of Seattle in the first place, and that was probably what killed him.Maybe it’s only a guilty conscience, but Wreck can’t take it anymore, so he sneaks over the wall.
The walled-off wasteland of Seattle is every bit as bad as he’d heard, chock-full of the hungry undead and utterly choked by the poisonous, inescapable yellow gas. And then there's the monster. Rector's pretty certain that whatever attacked him was not at all human-and not a rotter, either. Arms far too long. Posture all strange. Eyes all wild and faintly glowing gold and known to the locals as simply "The Inexplicables."
In the process of tracking down these creatures, Rector comes across another incursion through the wall-just as bizarre but entirely attributable to human greed. It seems some outsiders have decided there's gold to be found in the city and they're willing to do whatever it takes to get a piece of the pie unless Rector and his posse have anything to do with it.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay, because I have to talk about what the title is referring to, because it's too awesome not to talk about! If you're wanting to remain spoiler-free, skip to "My Rating." Everyone else, onward!
Zombies. Steampunk. And now…
*drumroll*
BIGFOOT!
Not just one, but two! Two Bigfeet! Erm, or sasquatches. Or something….
Seriously, can I just say how delighted I was by this turn of events? Because of course an alternate history in a zombie-filled Seattle is going to focus on Bigfoot eventually, right? And that's just awesome. And yes, THIS is what the title is referring to, which is a change from the usual: all of the other Clockwork Century stories have been named for an epic piece of equipment or technology, and the Inexplicables are decidedly not that.
Also differing from the norm, The Inexplicables is the first Clockwork Century book that does not feature a dominant female point of view. Instead, the entire book, with the exception of the epilogue and technically doesn't count, is told from the point of view of Rector, an involuntarily sap-recovering addict, making his way into Seattle to right some wrongs, only to learn those wrongs don't actually need to be righted. So instead, he learns the way of the city, trying to find his place in life, and becomes friends with Zeke and Houjin. In the process, they discover BIGFOOT and also an even greater threat to the city.
The camaraderie between the boys is really well done. The way they interact makes all the sense in the world, especially since they get on each other's nerves constantly, which provides welcome humor to the novel. Rector isn't exactly a warm and cuddly hero. He's not the kind of guy one would like, but Priest manages to make him very sympathetic, so you find yourself rooting for his success in spite of yourself.
And while we don't get a solid, female POV in this book, Angeline's presence more than makes up for it. She's a firecracker, and the story lit up every time she graced the page. I hope to see more of her in future books. :)
Also different from previous novels is that we don't get a new locale. We're back in Boneshaker's Seattle, but even that provides a bit of discovery. Because we already know what the city is like, Priest can delve in deeper, showing us new things, trusting us to know how the old things work, and generally expanding the world-building. How the Blight affects animals is quite interesting, and I wonder if we're starting to see hints of a possible cure for those infected (or at least, not too far gone into zombie-ism. After all, Rector is involuntarily recovering from sap, and we learn later he was really, really close to being turned.
And as always, Priest has interesting descriptions. This one on page 173 really caught my eye:
Sometimes the air was so thick that they couldn't keep track of one another unless they held hands. When they seemed to be hiking through a rich cream soup, they would spit one another's names between their teeth, calling back and forth with as little sound as possible.
One drawback: it's been three years (almost exactly) since I read Boneshaker, and some of the finer points of detail and description I've forgotten about. Most things, I could pick back up via context. Others, I was lost. I still can't remember who the Doornails are supposed to be. Not the Chinamen, but I don't think the Stationers either. Any enlightenment or reminders are most welcome. :)
My Rating: Good Read
Another entertaining installment of the Clockwork Century, and one that mixes up the formula a bit from what we're used to. That being said, I'm utterly enjoying this series and will happily lap up whatever Priest chooses to toss my way. I'm getting the feeling that a lot of groundwork was laid behind all the adventure of The Inexplicables, because I can see certain elements and revelations coming back and playing a role in the story at large. Obviously, I'll be around for it, whatever happens. And like all of Priests' A Clockwork Century series, you can read this book without having read any of the previous ones. But it'll mean more to you if you've read the previous ones. Trust me. ;)
Cover Commentary: Love, love, love the coloring! The blue is just so pretty, and of course, Rector's red hair stands out as well. For some reason, the cover is giving me a WWII vibe, but given the masks, I guess that makes sense. At any rate, I'm really happy with the consistency of design so far, and hope Tor keeps it up!
Next up: Star Wars: Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen by Troy Denning