Dreadnought

Cherie Priest is one of those authors who I've been debating over whether or not I wanted to read for year, and now that I've read two of her books, I'm really mad at myself for not reading them sooner. Boneshaker and Dreadnought are both great reads, but I definitely preferred the latter. Boneshaker is at a disadvantage because it has to establish Priest's alternate nineteenth century as well as tell Briar and Zeke's story, and it felt like it was weighed down because of that. Dreadnought, on the other hand, started with the assumption that the reader already knew about the world it was set in, and was able to plunge into the main story much more quickly. I also liked the setting(s) of Dreadnought much more, mainly because we got to see a lot more of the country and learn firsthand about the social and political atmospheres through Mercy's journey. Also, I liked the character of Mercy much more than Briar, although I liked the supporting cast of Boneshaker more than that of Dreadnought (and was quite happy to see them pop up at the end of the book!). I can't wait to read the rest of the series!