Category Archives: Cherie Priest

Brimstone by Cherie Priest
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Synopsis: In the trenches of Europe during the Great War, Tomas Cordero operated a weapon more devastating than any gun: a flame projector that doused the enemy in liquid fire. Having left the battlefield a shattered man, he comes home to find yet more tragedy for in his absence, his wife has died of the flu. Haunted by memories of the woman he loved and the atrocities he perpetrated, Tomas dreams of fire and finds himself setting match to flame when awake….

Alice Dartle is a talented clairvoyant living among others who share her gifts in the community of Cassadaga, Florida. She too dreams of fire, knowing her nightmares are connected to the shell-shocked war veteran and widower. And she believes she can bring peace to him and his wife s spirit.

But the inferno that threatens to consume Tomas and Alice was set ablaze centuries ago by someone whose hatred transcended death itself….

Review: I always appreciate a good novel by Cherie Priest and after having a good time with some of her previous ones, I was really curious to discover this new story! Yet I must admit that it was not necessarily what I expected.

We discover Alice and Tomas two characters who have never met and yet they are linked in dreams. Indeed, Alice has a quite exacerbated gift of clairvoyance that she tries to master by joining a group of people like her. On the other side, we follow Tomas Cordera, a man shattered by war and who tries to continue to live despite the death of his wife while he was away from home. But it seems that he has changed and as soon as he falls asleep he dreams of fire, which he also seems to ignite without desire. It started with small fires, until a disaster occurred and Tomas decides to do something. Yet, acting might well free an entity much more dangerous than he would have thought.

I was expecting a lot from this story but I finally did not manage to get into it. It was also complicated to connect with Alice or Tomas. This is not a bad book but I just did not succeed in joining or getting into the narrative perspective. Perhaps it will be different for you, but I will wait for my part with curiosity the next other novels of the author without keeping a memorable memory of this one.

2 

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Brimstone de Cherie Priest (VO)
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Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Dans les tranchées de l’Europe pendant la Grande Guerre, Tomas Cordero a opéré avec une arme plus dévastatrice que n’importe quel pistolet: un projecteur de flamme qui a plongé l’ennemi dans un feu liquide. Ayant quitté le champ de bataille en tant qu’homme brisé, il rentre à la maison pour se retrouver face à une tragédie, sa femme est morte de la grippe. Hanté par les souvenirs… et les atrocités qu’il a perpétrées, Tomas rêve du feu et se retrouve en train de mettre le feu quand il est éveillé ….

Alice Dartle est une voyante talentueuse vivant parmi d’autres qui partagent ses dons dans la communauté de Cassadaga, en Floride. Elle rêve aussi de feu, sachant que ses cauchemars sont liés au vétéran. Et elle croit qu’elle peut lui apporter la paix et l’esprit de sa femme.

Mais l’enfer qui menace de consommer Tomas et Alice a été déclenché il y a des siècles par quelqu’un dont la haine transcendait la mort elle-même ….

Avis : J’apprécie toujours un bon roman de Cherie Priest et après avoir passé un bon moment avec certains de ses anciens, j’étais vraiment curieuse de découvrir cette nouvelle histoire ! Pourtant je dois avouer que ce n’était pas forcément ce à quoi je m’attendais.

Nous découvrons Alice et Tomas deux personnages qui ne se sont jamais rencontrés et pourtant ils sont liés en rêves. En effet, Alice possède un don de voyance assez exacerbé qu’elle essaie de maitriser en rejoignant un groupe de personnes comme elle. De l’autre côté, nous suivons Tomas Cordera, un homme brisé par la guerre et qui essaie de continuer à vivre malgré la mort de sa femme alors qu’il était loin de chez lui. Mais voilà, il semble qu’il ait changé et dès qu’il s’endort il rêve de feu, feu qu’il semble aussi allumer sans le désirer. Ça a commencé avec de petits incendies, jusqu’à ce qu’une catastrophe se produise et que Tomas décide de faire quelque chose. Pourtant, agir pourrait bien libérer une entité bien plus dangereuse qu’il ne l’aurait pensé.

J’attendais énormément de cette histoire mais je n’ai finalement pas réussi à rentrer dedans que ce soit par rapport à Alice ou encore à Tomas. Ce n’est pas un mauvais livre mais je n’ai juste pas réussi à adhérer ou à rentrer dans le récit. Il sera peut-être autrement pour vous mais j’attendrai pour ma part avec curiosité les prochains romans de l’auteure sans garder un souvenir mémorable de celui-ci.

2 

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The Family Plot by Cherie Priest
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Synopsis: Music City Salvage is a family operation, owned and operated by Chuck Dutton: master stripper of doomed historic properties, and expert seller of all things old and crusty. But business is lean and times are tight, so he’s thrilled when the aged and esteemed Augusta Withrow appears in his office, bearing an offer he really ought to refuse. She has a massive family estate to unload—lock, stock, and barrel. For a check and a handshake, it’s all his.

It’s a big check. It’s a firm handshake. And it’s enough of a gold mine that he assigns his daughter Dahlia to personally oversee the project.

Dahlia preps a couple of trucks, takes a small crew, and they caravan down to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the ancient Withrow house is waiting—and so is a barn, a carriage house, and a small, overgrown cemetery that Augusta Withrow left out of the paperwork.

Augusta Withrow left out a lot of things.

The property is in unusually great shape for a condemned building. It’s empty, but it isn’t abandoned. Something in the Withrow mansion is angry and lost. This is its last chance to raise hell before the house is gone forever, and there’s still plenty of room in the strange little family plot…

Review: I had the chance to read different novels by Cherie Priest, and it’s true that I had a great time mostly. When I saw the release of this new story, I admit that I was very curious to see what the author would present us again. How not to be intrigued when we find a mixture of ghosts and haunted house? I love this book! The idea of a company paid to retrieve pieces of a home, removing everything slowly for its wood, windows, doors, I find it always very intriguing. I heard about this type of business months ago by seeing a show on a television program where we follow the day of such an undertaking and it is true that it is interesting to see that even if a house falls, it is possible for it to persist in another way.

We discover in this story Dahlia, the daughter of the manager of the firm who prepares her team to work in this mansion … but now, you can imagine that nothing will be easy from there. Indeed, it seems that several spirits haunt the place and although some seem harmless and act mostly as spectators, this is not the case for all. We thus follow our characters in their work but also their survival and their investigations to understand the truth about the past events.

I confess that I was completely carried away by the history and the events. The unhealthy, stuffy and tense atmosphere is well represented by the author in this novel. I was caught by the universe to the point that I was anxious at night by closing the book between two chapters. Yes I admit that I was not necessarily very comfortable but I loved it. It was fascinating to see this house and its secrets even if it is true that I would have liked to know a little more. Anyway as I said I had a great time, and I did not expect that. I wonder if we will discover more with a second volume or if this novel is ultimately a standalone.

4-5

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The Family Plot de Cherie Priest (VO)
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Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Music City Salvage est une entreprise familiale, détenue et exploitée par Chuck Dutton: maître de la récupération des propriétés historiques condamnées, et expert en vente de toutes les choses anciennes et croustillantes. Mais les affaires ne sont pas florissantes et les temps sont durs, alors il est heureux quand l’estimée et agée Augusta Withrow apparaît dans son bureau, portant une offre qu’il ne peut vraiment pas refuser. Elle a une propriété familiale immense à proposer. Pour une poignée de main et un chèque, il peut tout avoir.

C’est un très gros chèque. Il est une poignée de main ferme. Et c’est une possible mine d’or qu’il attribue à sa fille Dahlia pour superviser personnellement le projet.

Dahlia prépare quelques camions, prend une petite équipe, et ils se rendent jusqu’à Chattanooga, Tennessee, où l’ancienne maison Withrow les attend, demême qu’une grange, un garage, et un petit cimetière qu’Augusta Withrow a oublié de mentionner.

Augusta Withrow a d’ailleurs laissé beaucoup de choses de côté.

La propriété est en grande forme pour un bâtiment condamné. Elle est vide, mais n’a pas été abandonnée. Quelque chose dans le manoir Withrow est en colère et perdu. Ceci est sa dernière chance de soulever l’enfer avant que la maison ne parte pour toujours, et il y a encore beaucoup de place dans la petite parcelle familiale…

Avis : J’ai eu la chance de découvrir différents romans de Cherie Priest et c’est vrai que j’ai passé un très bon moment la plupart du temps. Quand j’ai vu la sortie de cette nouvelle histoire, j’avoue que j’étais très curieuse de voir ce que l’auteure allait nous présenter une fois de plus. Comment ne pas être intriguée quand on retrouve un mélange de fantômes et de maison hantée ? J’adore ce type de livres ! L’idée d’une entreprise payée pour récupérer des morceaux d’une maison, la démontant petit à petit pour son bois, ses fenêtres, ses portes, je trouve ça toujours très intrigant.  J’ai pris connaissance de ce type de métier il y a quelques mois en tombant sur une émission à la télévision suivant le quotidien d’une telle entreprise et c’est vrai que c’est intéressant de voir que même si une maison tombe, il est possible de faire persister autrement.

On découvre ainsi Dalhia, la fille du gérant de la firme qui prépare son équipe pour se rendre dans cette grande demeure… mais voilà, vous vous doutez que rien ne sera facile à partir de là. En effet, il semblerait que plusieurs esprits hantent l’endroit et que bien que certains semblent inoffensifs et agissent la plupart du temps en spectateur, ce n’est pas le cas de tous. On suivra ainsi nos personnages dans leur travail mais aussi dans leur survie et leurs investigations pour comprendre la vérité sur les évènements passés.

J’avoue que j’ai été complètement emportée par l’histoire et les évènements. L’atmosphère malsaine, étouffante, et tendue est très bien représentée par l’auteur dans ce roman. On se laisse prendre par l’univers au point d’être angoissé le soir en fermant le roman entre deux chapitres. Oui je l’avoue, je n’étais pas forcément très à l’aise mais j’ai adoré ça. C’était fascinant de découvrir cette maison et ses secrets même si c’est vrai que j’aurais beaucoup aimé en savoir un peu plus. En tout cas comme je le disais j’ai passé un très bon moment, et je ne m’attendais pas à cette fin. Je me demande si nous en découvrirons plus avec un second tome ou si ce roman n’est finalement qu’un standalone. A voir !

4-5

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Clementine by Cherie Priest
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The Clockwork Century, book 1.1

Synopsis: Maria Isabella Boyd’s success as a Confederate spy has made her too famous for further espionage work, and now her employment options are slim. Exiled, widowed, and on the brink of poverty…she reluctantly goes to work for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in Chicago.

Adding insult to injury, her first big assignment is commissioned by the Union Army. In short, a federally sponsored transport dirigible is being violently pursued across the Rockies and Uncle Sam isn’t pleased. The Clementine is carrying a top secret load of military essentials–essentials which must be delivered to Louisville, Kentucky, without delay.

Intelligence suggests that the unrelenting pursuer is a runaway slave who’s been wanted by authorities on both sides of the Mason-Dixon for fifteen years. In that time, Captain Croggon Beauregard Hainey has felonied his way back and forth across the continent, leaving a trail of broken banks, stolen war machines, and illegally distributed weaponry from sea to shining sea.

And now it s Maria’s job to go get him.

He’s dangerous quarry and she’s a dangerous woman, but when forces conspire against them both, they take a chance and form an alliance. She joins his crew, and he uses her connections. She follows his orders. He takes her advice.

And somebody, somewhere, is going to rue the day he crossed either one of them.

Review: This novel is considered in France as the second volume of the Clockwork Century series and presents a novella, but it is placed between Volume 1 and 2 abroad in the US. That said, I did not notice it at first and I was surprised by the thickness of the book when I received it.

We follow the first story and meet with other characters that we had the chance to discover before. Indeed, his ship stolen, the captain Hainey is determined to reclaim his own whatever the cost! Yet he did not expect that so many persons would try to prevent him from that, starting by Maria Boyd, a spy, sent to immobilize him.

It was interesting to see the determination of Hainey regarding his ship but also to see the loyalty of Maria tested and finally to attend to an unusual alliance. I have not been as carried away as with the first volume but I had a great time with this little story. It was very interesting and fascinating to see one more time the Cherie Priest universe.

3

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Clémentine de Cherie Priest
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Le Siècle Mécanique, Tome 2

Résumé : 1880. La Guerre Civile américaine fait rage. Des dirigeables de combat sillonnent le ciel pendant que les scientifiques détournent les lois de la nature pour créer sans cesse de nouvelles armes. C’est dans cet univers que Maria Boyd, ancienne espionne confédérée, est chargée de protéger le dirigeable Clementine pour lui permettre de livrer sa précieuse cargaison. Mais un mystérieux pirate de l’air ne semble pas l’entendre de cette oreille et Maria devra user de toutes ses ressources pour accomplir sa mission.
Après Boneshaker, prix Locus du meilleur roman de science-fiction, voici le deuxième tome du Siècle mécanique.

Avis : Ce roman est considéré en France comme étant le deuxième tome de la série Mécanique du Siècle et correspond à une nouvelle, placée entre le tome 1 et 2 à l’étranger. Ceci étant dit, je n’avais pas fait attention et j’ai été surprise par la faible épaisseur du livre quand je l’ai reçu.

Nous faisons suite à la première histoire et suivons d’autres personnages que nous avions eu la chance de découvrir. En effet, après s’être fait voler le Corneille Libre, le capitaine Hainey est bien décidé à récupérer son vaisseau quoi qu’il en coûte ! Pourtant, il ne s’attendait pas à ce qu’autant de personnes essaient de lui mettre des bâtons dans les roues et notamment Maria Boyd, espionne, envoyée pour l’immobiliser.

C’était intéressant de voir la détermination de Hainey face à son vaisseau mais aussi de voir la loyauté de Maria testée et finalement d’assister à une alliance hors du commun. Je n’ai pas été autant emportée que par le premier volume mais j’ai passé un très bon moment avec cette petite histoire. C’était très intéressant et fascinant de se retrouver une fois de plus dans l’univers de Cherie Priest.

3

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Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
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The Clockwork Century, Book 1

Synopsis: In the early days of the Civil War, rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born.

But on its first test run the Boneshaker went terribly awry, destroying several blocks of downtown Seattle and unearthing a subterranean vein of blight gas that turned anyone who breathed it into the living dead.

Now it is sixteen years later, and a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenaged boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.

His quest will take him under the wall and into a city teeming with ravenous undead, air pirates, criminal overlords, and heavily armed refugees. And only Briar can bring him out alive.

Review: I had the opportunity to read The Borden Dispatches series and I really appreciated its originality in the recovery of the history of the Borden. Seeing Boneshaker I was then once again intrigued. I confess that by reading the synopsis, I was about anxious that the science fiction side would be too advanced for my taste, but I can now say that this is not the case and I loved discovering this steampunk world as well as its history and characters! Yes, I was completely carried away by the story!

Briar didn’t have an easy life, her father, a deceased former cop was mostly loved and respected by criminals but not as much by the locals. They could forgive her her origins if there had not been her ex-husband … Leviticus Blue who killed many people with the machine he had built for drilling the ground in Russia. But by destroying the city, this machine also left out a gas that changes people or kills them randomly. Building a wall for about five kilometers to limit the spread, the population was evacuated and now lives close to the scourge. But here, everything was quiet until Zeke, her son, decides to return to this part of the city to discover the truth about his family. Yet nothing had prepared him to confront this place so different from others and where danger lurks at every turn.

I took a great pleasure in reading this novel as I said and I even struggled to put it down before finishing it. We always look forward to see what will happen, to understand how our two heroes will come out of that and to see them adapt gradually to this new life. It’s quite impressive to see the conditions of life, to understand what people must do to survive. We understand the truth gradually about Leviticus, and the author reveals points until the last pages of the novel! Yes you will see, you will take pleasure in discovering all the main or secondary characters who bring so much to the story.

You will understand, this is a great discovery for me and I immediately looked at what volume 2 would reserve but I’m a little sad to see that other characters will be staged! But that will be for another discovery!

4

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