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This is how to write a non-direct book sequel.[return][return]I read Boneshaker a year ago. It set the background for Priest's Clockwork Century world: A United States where the Civil War has gone on for decades, resulting in advanced steampunk technology. There's also the small matter of a massive drill digging a hole in Seattle that released volcanic gases that turns people into zombies.[return][return]Dreadnought begins on the east coast. Mercy Lynch is a nurse in a Confederate war hospital when she learns her husband died in a POW camp. To complicate things further, she gets a telegram informing her that her estranged father is near death in Seattle. With no reason to stay in Virginia, she sets off on a cross-country journey complicated by skirmishes and the looming presence of a massive Union train known as the Dreadnought. When the Dreadnought ends up being the safest passage west, Mercy buys the ticket, only to find there is much more going on. The Dreadnought isn't a safe ride--it's a moving target, with several rail cars of particular interest to rival parties. Mercy's going to need all of her know-how and a steady aim if she'll make it off alive.[return][return]Mercy is a fantastic heroine, all smart and spunky. I have a fondness for healer characters, and it was refreshing to see a nurse in a lead role. It really brought a new perspective to an alternative history book. This ends up as a gripping action book, with steampunk vehicles such as the Dreadnought becoming characters in their own right. There were a few plot elements that were left dangling, but overall this is a tight and very well-written book, and one I am definitely keeping on my shelf.