Here we go! 9/100! Do be aware that I spoil things so if you have any plans of reading this book YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. This book will be spoiled even MORE so because I have a lot of problems with it.

Title: The Inexplicables
Author: Cherie Priest

I am very sorry to report that this book, the fifth book in the Clockwork Century series, was a massive disappointment to me. I was at first very intrigued by the idea behind the book. Our main character is one that was introduced to us in the first book, Boneshaker, but that we didn’t like because he was the one who encouraged Zeke to go into Seattle and put himself in danger. This character, Rector, is an orphan who was raised in the local convent and has an addition to the drug Sap. This is the drug that we have, by this time, realized slowly turns its users into rotters/zombies overtime. I thought “this is a great thing, a character that she has to make us like! Oooo, what is going to happen!?”

What happened was disappointment. I don’t think Priest much likes Rector because THIS ISN’T HIS STORY! Everything is told from his point of view, but he has NO AGENCY. The only thing he really does in the story is get attacked. He doesn’t save his son, rescue his ship, save his country from neutralization, stop a train from being run off the rails, save a submarine and pilot it through dangerous waters, or hunt zombis. No, Rector runs through this story as merely a vessel for Priest to showcase her more favored characters and update us on how they have been. Have you been wondering about Zeke and his mother Briar? Well, here’s how they are doing! You interested in how Andan and Briar’s romance have been going? Not to worry! Missing any other quirky characters? Here they are! Also, let’s have some gratuitous rubbing in of how smart Huey is and how DUMB our main character is. Yup! That’s good!

Honestly, you could take Rector out of the picture and this story would have been a smooth ride without him. You would not have noticed him missing. What really tipped the scales into “Aw, hell no motherfucker” territory was the decision to have BIGFOOT running around the fucking city. Oh, yeah, here’s Bigfoot. Now, I know you are probably thinking, “Well, Michelle, you have accepted the reality of zombies in this world, why not Bigfoot?” Because it comes out of FUCKING NOWHERE!!!! Oh there is a thing going around and killing and eating rotters! It must be BIGFOOT! I understand that it is tied into Native American lore and it must have served some purpose to the author, but for me it was the final nail in my pronouncement that this series had inexplicably and suddenly jumped the shark. I would have bought it was a science lab mutation that was released by someone to cut down on the rotter population. I would have even swallowed it was a human or something that have been affected by the gas in a different way. The only reason I accept zombies IS BECAUSE IT IS EXPLAINED AND SET UP! Oh and by the way, Sasquatch’s lover is waiting on the other side of the wall for him.

Done. Just so fucking done.

Really, Rector could have been amazing, struggling with a drug addiction, working through living in a new place, trying to figure out where he fits in the world and all we get is: he is stupid, he’s a coward, he’s a drug addict, and all he’s really good for is brute force SOME TIMES. I just walked away from this book so angry and upset. It could have been an amazing romp and instead it was just irritating.