misterg65's review
5.0
Another in the Clockwork Century - what's not to love :)
The characters are familiar as from previous books, but don't require you to have read these to enjoy the book. The only real constants are The War and the Rotters!
The characters are familiar as from previous books, but don't require you to have read these to enjoy the book. The only real constants are The War and the Rotters!
hoperu's review
4.0
Cherie Priest is one of my favorite authors right now, and Ganymede is a good example of why. You start with a hefty helping of adventure, some humor, a little social commentary, mix it all up, and you get a novel that compels you to keep reading (even when you should be cleaning house or something else "productive").
This time, the action is mostly centered in New Orleans, where Josephine Early is trying to get a purloined Confederate submarine out of Lake Pontchartrain and out to the Gulf, where it will be given over to the Union. Problem? The sub has killed just about everyone who has tried to sail it, including its inventor. As a last resort, she sends to Seattle for Andan Cly, airship pirate (last seen in Boneshaker, the first Clockwork Century book), on the chance that an airship pilot will have better luck than the sailors who have tried in the past. Throw in occupying Texians, zombis, and the tension from a long ago love affair, and you have another great story.
My only quibble is that a few bits of plot don't seem to lead anywhere, exactly, like the Texian who has basically taken up residence at Josephine's "boarding house." He plays a small part in learning about the zombis, or at least I assume he does, since the last we see of him, he is heading off to talk to a Texas Ranger in his hat and underwear, but there were so many hints that he was something more that I felt like he got lost somewhere. But that is really a minor quibble in a book that kept me turning pages and holding my breath more than once.
This time, the action is mostly centered in New Orleans, where Josephine Early is trying to get a purloined Confederate submarine out of Lake Pontchartrain and out to the Gulf, where it will be given over to the Union. Problem? The sub has killed just about everyone who has tried to sail it, including its inventor. As a last resort, she sends to Seattle for Andan Cly, airship pirate (last seen in Boneshaker, the first Clockwork Century book), on the chance that an airship pilot will have better luck than the sailors who have tried in the past. Throw in occupying Texians, zombis, and the tension from a long ago love affair, and you have another great story.
My only quibble is that a few bits of plot don't seem to lead anywhere, exactly, like the Texian who has basically taken up residence at Josephine's "boarding house." He plays a small part in learning about the zombis, or at least I assume he does, since the last we see of him, he is heading off to talk to a Texas Ranger in his hat and underwear, but there were so many hints that he was something more that I felt like he got lost somewhere. But that is really a minor quibble in a book that kept me turning pages and holding my breath more than once.
squishies's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Interesting, but pace was quite sedate.
Nice to see Cly's character being fleshed out, but found that I really wanted to know more about Houjin (found that he was a LOT more interesting for some reason) despite being only a few scenes.
Interesting, but pace was quite sedate.
Nice to see Cly's character being fleshed out, but found that I really wanted to know more about Houjin (found that he was a LOT more interesting for some reason) despite being only a few scenes.
richtate's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoying read albeit rather anticlimactic after the previous installment. Nonetheless I do enjoy the characters and the unique cast as opposed to a centralized character.
repunzee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
and_abelard_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Frustrating as it is to start mid-series I found it easy to pick up the plot and engage with the well rounded and sympathetic characters. Great sense of place that lends more of an alt-history feel to the more speculative steampunk. It could just be that this is the only one of the series I've read, but I finished with the impression there was a whole world outside this story waiting to be explored.
An entertaining romp, with more thought put into it than another bit of pulp-popcorn.
An entertaining romp, with more thought put into it than another bit of pulp-popcorn.
ken_bookhermit's review against another edition
3.0
I was prepared to give this novel more than three stars, because I love the aesthetic and the premise. But at some point in the middle, it lost the tension. Sure, there seems to be peril, but it was too slow for me to feel any sense of urgency among the characters. As always though, I love Priest's naming conventions (Naamah Darling and Crawdaddy are two ships I'll willingly ride, if not only for the name.)
drey72's review against another edition
4.0
drey’s thoughts:
I know I sometimes start things off with an assumption. Sometimes it’s valid, sometimes I just can’t count–which I guess is what happened when I thought Ganymede was the third Clockwork Century title… How did I miss Clementine??
Oh well. I’ll have to hunt that one down. The good news is, reading the Clockwork Century books in order isn’t an absolute requirement. Sure, you’ll get the backstory straighter than if you hadn’t, but Cherie Priest does such an excellent job at introducing new characters and plots that you won’t realize you’ve missed anything… I’ll let you know if that holds true once I’ve gone back upstream and read Clementine!
In Ganymede, former air pirate Andan Cly heads to New Orleans to help out an old friend. Josephine Early is a madam, Union spy, and has ties to the local rebellion. She’s also looking for someone to pilot a Confederate submarine lying to the Northern forces waiting in the Gulf. All while avoiding the Confederate and Texian armies, and the local version of Seattle’s rotters… Yes, the dead are alive in New Orleans (heh).
The story is entertaining, the characters interesting, I love Huey’s enthusiasm for all things techie, and I want more of Josephine and the Ranger. I love this world Cherie Priest has created for us. Where’s the next one? *grin*
drey’s rating: Excellent!
I know I sometimes start things off with an assumption. Sometimes it’s valid, sometimes I just can’t count–which I guess is what happened when I thought Ganymede was the third Clockwork Century title… How did I miss Clementine??
Oh well. I’ll have to hunt that one down. The good news is, reading the Clockwork Century books in order isn’t an absolute requirement. Sure, you’ll get the backstory straighter than if you hadn’t, but Cherie Priest does such an excellent job at introducing new characters and plots that you won’t realize you’ve missed anything… I’ll let you know if that holds true once I’ve gone back upstream and read Clementine!
In Ganymede, former air pirate Andan Cly heads to New Orleans to help out an old friend. Josephine Early is a madam, Union spy, and has ties to the local rebellion. She’s also looking for someone to pilot a Confederate submarine lying to the Northern forces waiting in the Gulf. All while avoiding the Confederate and Texian armies, and the local version of Seattle’s rotters… Yes, the dead are alive in New Orleans (heh).
The story is entertaining, the characters interesting, I love Huey’s enthusiasm for all things techie, and I want more of Josephine and the Ranger. I love this world Cherie Priest has created for us. Where’s the next one? *grin*
drey’s rating: Excellent!