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Nicholas Karpuk's Reviews > Clementine
Clementine (The Clockwork Century, #1.1)
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Hey, whaddya know, Priest actually improved upon her steampunk series in most of the ways that angered me in Boneshaker.
First of all, the story goes somewhere. It has characters who all want something other than to merely survive. There's a genuine thrust to the narrative.
The pacing goes along at a nice rate, the characters all have amusing back stories rather than just featuring a wide-eyed kid with a dark family history (the ultimate fantasy trope.)
What I still take issue with is Priest's dialogue. While it doesn't fail completely and has a certain utilitarian simplicity to it, it doesn't reflect the deeply southern and quite diverse origins of its characters. The best I can say about her characters talking is that they don't embarass her.
An issue I assume may always remain with Priest's writting is the plot structure. It has the arbitrary feel I can only equate to a dungeon master's whim. Characters end up in situations less because that's what they're driven to than because that's how we get to the next big set piece. Sometimes attitudes are bent slightly so as not to interfere with the fun direction she's hoping to take the story in. It's by no means a deal breaker, but it's awkward when you can see the seams in a narrative.
First of all, the story goes somewhere. It has characters who all want something other than to merely survive. There's a genuine thrust to the narrative.
The pacing goes along at a nice rate, the characters all have amusing back stories rather than just featuring a wide-eyed kid with a dark family history (the ultimate fantasy trope.)
What I still take issue with is Priest's dialogue. While it doesn't fail completely and has a certain utilitarian simplicity to it, it doesn't reflect the deeply southern and quite diverse origins of its characters. The best I can say about her characters talking is that they don't embarass her.
An issue I assume may always remain with Priest's writting is the plot structure. It has the arbitrary feel I can only equate to a dungeon master's whim. Characters end up in situations less because that's what they're driven to than because that's how we get to the next big set piece. Sometimes attitudes are bent slightly so as not to interfere with the fun direction she's hoping to take the story in. It's by no means a deal breaker, but it's awkward when you can see the seams in a narrative.
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Reading Progress
November 15, 2010
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Started Reading
November 15, 2010
– Shelved
February 24, 2011
–
Finished Reading
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Colin
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Feb 28, 2011 10:51AM
Three months to get through a 200-page book? Distracted or hard to take in large chunks?
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I bought it for the Kindle on my iPhone and read a chapter whenever I was stranded somewhere boring. I think more than one chapter was read at a wedding.
"An issue I assume may always remain with Priest's writting is the plot structure. It has the arbitrary feel I can only equate to a dungeon master's whim."I felt this way about Boneshaker as well, but it was just so entertaining that I didn't mind much.
Cherie Priest was in town a week ago, and I went to the reading/signing. After listening to her talk, it's obvious that she does pretty much whatever she wants with her characters and plots. When asked why she put zombies in Boneshaker, she replied, "I like zombies, that's why." It's a bold trait for a writer to have, but also refreshing for someone to be so unapologetic about what they write.
I also had issue with dialogue in Boneshaker. As you said, it's utilitarian. But when I tried to imagine actual people speaking the dialogue in the story, it sounded ridiculous.
Looking forward to Clementine, which Priest said is the story that Tor didn't want.
I think it would be challenging to read some of the dialogue in Boneshaker aloud without sounding like a jackass.
