tweetybugshouse
The machine that destroyed Seattle reminds me of big bertha a real machine that Seattle was using during the Alaskan viaduct replacement project. They also refer to real life places such as Pike Place Market, Smith Tower, and real city streets around that area. Having been to these places really help make the story come more to life for me in my imagination.
The story centers around a mother and son relationship and alternates between the two chapters. This was done exceptionally well in the audiobook as there were two narrators telling the alternate chapters. The story moved along with neither point of view taking dominance over the other so the story when it comes together at the end really works out well.
Like any good dystopian kind of story you need an enemy in this one, we have The Rotters which are zombie-like creatures who been turned by the positions gas. This made the adventure inside the city exciting and dangerous. There are steampunk aspects to this story as well with airships and various inventions that were designed by Blue and commandeered by those who choose to stay inside the wall.
This is the first book in a series but I think each book is a stand-alone set in the same type of universe centered around events that involve some sort of steampunk machine. I am intrigued enough that I will be checking Dreadnought.