Boneshaker

In Cherie Priest's steampunk debut, Boneshaker, set against the backdrop of the early Civil War, the quest for gold in the Klondike leads to the creation of a disastrous mining machine by inventor Leviticus Blue. When the contraption mishap uncovers a toxic gas that turns people into the undead, the city of Seattle is walled off from the surrounding dangers. Sixteen years later, Blue's widow, Briar Wilkes, struggles to care for her son Ezekiel, who embarks on a perilous journey into the ruined city filled with dangers to uncover the truth of their past. As Briar ventures into this treacherous world of air pirates and undead, her fight to rescue her son becomes a battle for survival.