Inexplicables - (Clockwork Century) by Cherie Priest (Paperback)

About the Book

The fifth book in the Clockwork Century steampunk adventure series that started with Cherie Priest's Boneshaker

Book Synopsis

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 merelyabout 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 simpley "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.

Review Quotes

"Maternal love faces formidable challenges in this stellar steampunk tale.... Intelligent, exceptionally well written and showcasing a phenomenal, strong female protagonist who embodies the complexities inherent in motherhood, this yarn is a must-read for the discerning steampunk fan." --Publishers Weekly, starred review on Boneshaker

"Priest delivers a fast-moving story filled with cool steampunk technology and scary zombies. Fans of science fiction will find much to enjoy here. An impressive and auspicious genre-hopping adventure." --Kirkus Reviews on Boneshaker

About the Author

CHERIE PRIEST is the author of Four and Twenty Blackbirds; Boneshaker, the first book in the Clockwork Century series; and several other novels. She lives in Seattle, Washington.