Cherie Priest is an acclaimed and versatile author of genre fiction, ranging from Southern Gothic ghost stories to pulpy steampunk adventures to YA graphic novel mash-ups.
Her work has been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards, and she won the Locus Award for Boneshaker, the first in the Clockwork Century Universe series, for which she’s perhaps most known.
She’s also the author of several duologies, including the mystery-driven Booking Agents series, the historical horror-tinged Border Dispatches, and the urban-exploration-themed Cheshire Red Reports, starring a vampire art thief and her band of misfits.
Her most recent works include the Gothic thriller It Was Her House First, the horror thriller The Drowning House, and the Southern Gothic mystery/thriller Cinderwich.
Along with her novels and novellas, she’s the author of several short stories published in acclaimed anthologies, as well as a regular writer of non-fiction.
If you enjoy reading across genres, or you have a soft spot for horror thrillers and mysteries with a supernatural bent, you’ll definitely enjoy Cherie Priest’s books.
And if you’re going through a reading slump, our introductory list to some of her best-known works can perhaps help you figure out where to get started!
Boneshaker
If you’re in the mood for a gala steampunk extravaganza, there’s no better read than Boneshaker, filled with pirate airships, a zombie plague, and spunky women set in an alternate apocalyptic Seattle.
The narrative follows Briar, a brave mother in search of her estranged son Ezekiel, as she journeys across a wasteland where even the air is too poisonous to breathe and there are dangers lurking in every corner.
The sci-fi and steampunk elements are very well-realized, the characters compelling, and the writing utterly original and refreshing. It’s an interesting take on the American Civil War, and a page-turner, for sure.
Fathom
Those who prefer a standalone fantasy may find Fathom to be quite a nuanced and gripping read.
It’s different from her earlier Southern Gothic flair, and follows the machinations of Arahab, a water witch who wishes to wake the great slumbering Leviathan. However, to fulfil the ritual, she enlists the aid of a notorious Spanish sea pirate and, later, an unhinged teenager from the 1930s.
Fast-paced, chaotic, and filled with surprises, Fathom makes for a great read for anyone looking for something different.
Dreadnought
Dreadnought is set in the same vividly-realized world as Boneshaker, and follows the journey of a Confederate Civil War nurse who not only gets news that her husband is dead, but also that her estranged father is dying.
Thus, she has no choice but to journey across a dangerous wasteland to see her last living family before it’s too late.
The hazardous trip allows Priest to show-off her worldbuilding skills, and expand upon the settings and political upheaval that we only saw a small snapshot of in Boneshaker.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds
A gorgeously atmospheric book, Four and Twenty Blackbirds taps into the Southern Gothic tradition to tell a rather intense and mature ghost story.
It follows the exploits of one Eden Moore who can see dead people as she slowly untangles family secrets and uncovers clues to her mysterious past.
The first in Priest’s Eden Moore trilogy, Four and Twenty Blackbirds is eerie, unsettling, and will keep you guessing until the very end.
Ganymede
The third entry in the Clockwork Century series focuses on air pirate Andan Cly (whom fans already met in Boneshaker) and his former flame Josephine Early, a biracial prostitute and Union spy.
There’s a nice balance of old characters and new, along with plenty of action, romantic tension, and resistance—plus a mysterious submersible war machine called Ganymede at the heart of the narrative.
A masterful alternate history novel in the steampunk vein, Ganymede is one hell of a riveting ride.
Fiddlehead
The fifth book in the hugely entertaining and engaging Clockwork Century series is best enjoyed if you’ve read the preceding novels and novellas—not just to get a sense of the steampunk world that Priest has so carefully designed, but also to get a better understanding of the characters, the stakes, and their motivations.
The plot revolves around “Fiddlehead,” an intricate predicting machine that could cause great damage if it fell to the wrong hands. Former-spy-turned-Pinkerton-agent Belle Boyd is tasked with assisting none other than Abraham Lincoln, even as war brews on the horizon.
Political and full of intrigue, Fiddlehead also neatly wraps up some plot threads from the earlier books.
Not Flesh Nor Feathers
Finally, Not Flesh Nor Feathers takes the Southern Gothic genre in new, deadlier directions (think: zombies).
Unfolding in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a river flooding isn’t just a natural disaster—it brings along a supernatural terror. It falls upon the medium Eden Moore to keep the danger at bay.
Full of suspense and scares, Not Flesh Nor Feathers nicely wraps up the trilogy and makes for an excellent comfort read.
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