Dreadnought: Dramatized Adaptation

This novel can be read as a stand alone, if you have not yet had the pleasure of reading Boneshaker or Clementine, have no fear (but, really, go get them they are fabulous). This story belongs to the main character, and although her story is tied to some of the characters in Boneshaker, this tale belongs to Mrs. Mercy Lynch alone.
Mercy is fabulous. She is strong, logical, and more than a little kick-ass. She has received the notice that her husband has died and her father is ailing. The problem of traveling from Virginia to Tacoma, Washington is greatly hampered by the Civil War. Mercy must take several modes of transport in order to cross the continent in order to reach her father's deathbed. Missing from this part of the story are the air pirates, but that is okay as we had just been served up a heaping helping of pirate goodness in Clementine.
There is no end to the action in Dreadnought. It is page after page of excitement. Several nights this week, I was unable to sleep due to the peril I left the characters in by closing the covers. Sometimes the action was so heart pounding, I actually had to look up for a while.
As usual with Priest's writing, there is magic in the secondary characters as well, none fall prone to stereotypes, and all of them have little surprises up their sleeves that make the plot that much more interesting. Throughout the novel there is a large cast of characters (some historically famous! Many of them are memorable.