Customer Reviews

Leviathan

5 star:		(101)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In an alternate history, Europe is headed towards a Word War. The Germanic Clankers, with their advanced machinery, face off against the British Darwinists, with their crossbred animals. The Darwinists have a new weapon, the Leviathan, a flying whale ship. Deryn Sharp is new to the service and is on the Leviathan for her first assignment. But only males are allowed to be in the service, so she must hide her identity from everyone, and disguise herself as a boy.

Meanwhile, Prince Aleksandar Ferdinand is woken in the middle of the night and forced to flee his home. With only a small group of men, Aleksandar faces foes at every turn. When the Leviathan lands near Aleksandar, he meets young Deryn, and their fates intertwine.

In this latest young adult novel from Scott Westerfeld, he has created an alternate history in a steampunk version of World War I. It's a fantastic world of elaborate machines and bizarre, unnatural animals. In addition to the unique world and fascinating story, the characters are just as absorbing and are the driving force behind the story. Aleksandar is spoiled, but very bright and capable. And Deryn is brave, talented, and humble. The two are from different worlds and seems as if the reader is viewing to drastically different stories, until the two worlds collide.

There is no lack of suspense and action in this steampunk adventure. As a growing niche in the science fiction genre, this novel is sure to be popular amidst youth and adults alike. With events culminating in a climactic ending, there is room left open for a sequel, which I certainly am hoping for. It's a fun, fresh and decidedly unique tale. Don't miss this one.

(I am reviewing a hardcover UK edition provided by the publisher)

How do you get a 15-year old boy to do exactly what you want him to do? Ask him if he's too scared to do it. At least, that's how two men under his father's service manage to convince Aleksander Ferdinand--heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne--to leave the safety of his rooms, abandon his mock battle toys, and put his Cyklop Stormwalker lessons to practical use in the middle of the night to drive his fencing and driving instructors, and a handful of other men loyal to the throne as far away from home as possible. Leviathan is Steampunk, you see, and the nature of the genre is providing readers with an alternate history--in this case, it's the summer of 1914 and Eastern Europe is rife with tension. What Alek doesn't know is his parents have been assassinated in Serbia, poisoned in an attempt at provocation; someone certainly wants war.

This war, however, won't be waged with mustard gas or in trenches; Aleksander's Great War is one split down the middle of two factions: the Clankers and the Darwinists. The Clankers depend on mechanics and steam power, man-made machines with legs that mimic animals and firepower that rivals the creative weaponry and biotechnology of their rivals. The Darwinists are inspired by Charles Darwin and his Theory of Evolution. In Leviathan, the mystery of DNA --brought forward a few decades for the sake of plot--has been discovered and manipulated to create crossbreeds of animals and huge, living dirigibles as part of their military power.

The Leviathan is one of these airships--one of the biggest--in which a young girl, Deryn Sharp, manages to serve aboard after an accident during her practical entrance exams leaves her stranded among its crew. Stranded isn't the word Deryn--or Dylan as she's known to her new crew members--would use; blessed is more like it. She's looked forward to this day for as long as she can remember, but being a girl hasn't made it easy. Women aren't allowed to joined the military, but Deryn's brother--already an airshipman--has helped her study and perfect her disguise as Dylan, the boy. Their ruse has worked so far, but Deryn is in for more than she ever could have expected. Before the Leviathan can return Deryn, Alek's parents are killed and war declarations start cropping up across Eastern Europe, summoning the huge airship to a highly secretive mission that involves a thylacine, a zookeeper, talking lizards, and a batch of eggs.

Leviathan is funny and creative--Scott Westerfeld has imagined a world out of the depths of evolutionary history. As he writes in the Afterword, "Leviathan is as much about possible futures as alternate pasts. It looks ahead to when machines will look like living creatures and living creatures can be fabricated like machines" (p.439). Not to run away with the possibilities of what seems to be a technologically evolved society, Westerfeld has tempered those advancements with the realities of social politics as they existed at the beginning of the 20th Century: women can't vote or join the military; the divide between the aristocracy and the general public has never been more clear; distrust runs high for all technology based on ignorance and gross misunderstanding, religious and personal belief. To be fair, technophobia still exists, but in the case of the Darwinists versus the Clankers, personal preference and biased ideals over the dominant technological advancements are strong enough to start one of the most vicious wars in history.

In the middle of it all there is Deryn and Alek, 15-year old vulnerable sweethearts who only want to do what's right. Both are very new to the ways of the worlds they've been thrust into: Deryn, the floating home of the airshipmen; Alek, the politics of being the heir to an empire. In their youthful exuberance, it's encouraging to see their idealism isn't jaded by attitudes of those in charge who, in their age and experience, have turned more pragmatic than hopeful. Unfortunately, the innocence of youth keeps getting them into trouble with their more experienced, cautious, and suspicious adult counterparts. The friendship they develop is really quite endearing against the politics surrounding them, determined to drive them apart. It's touching and very understandable that two children, who represent so much of what each side stands for, are able to set aside their differences and begin to learn from each other. Deryn teases Alek about his irrational fears and disgusts over the conglomeration of living bodies that make up the Leviathan; Alek makes sure Deryn sees the advantage of machines. In between their banter is the truth of the situation: the survival of everything dear to them depends on teamwork; biotechnology is as necessary as gears, metalwork, and engines. Cooperation is the key to success.

My favorite character had to be Dr. Barlow. She's sharp and intelligent, British, and far removed (in belief) from the petty squabbles that would deny the advances of any science to any country for the sake of political advantage. She's a true scientist, but also a humanist and becomes a confidant to Alek and Deryn, entrusting them with the secret of her mission. Westerfeld's writing lends itself more to this type of commentary than anything else. He examines our world from a different perspective, but arrives at an interesting conclusion: does it really matter what advances are made, in any form, for any society, if those advances are greedily kept to a select few countries or people? What are the repercussions of keeping others ignorant on purpose? Does it really matter which group of people have the advantage or is it more a question of how it's used?

He wrestles with duty against morals, juxtaposing the order of the military against the plight of mercy. As Deryn finds out, doing one's duty can have its consequences; sometimes it's up to us to make the hard calls when we start to believe that the rules were sometimes meant to be broken. I like the socio-political commentary that comes with Westerfeld's book, the engines that drive his SF novels and project them as much into our past as into our near future. His themes reverberate widely and remind us to consider which is most to our advantage: helping just ourselves or helping both ourselves and others?

I liked the story but it just seemed to take forever to get off the ground (no pun intended). Of the two separate stories, I felt Deryn's was way more interesting, Alek came across to me as annoying, stupid, and illogical at times and I had to force myself to read through his parts of the story. Deryn was much more likable and thus easier to read about. Once the two parts came together, I thought the story flowed much better and was an easier read.
The details on the Darwinist creations, and they way they work together to form a sort of ecology was very interesting and made me want to read more to learn more about this world they live in.
All in all, a decent story, almost prologue like, that will leave you wanting to read the next book.

I'm a huge fan of Scott Westerfeld, from his Uglies series to the Midnighters series. And he keeps on getting better and better! This time, we get to go back in time to an alternate world that's a World War 1 / Steampunk mash-up. The steampunk element gives Keith Thompson an opportunity to show off his talents with beautiful black-and-white sketches.

The alternate reality in Leviathan is amazingly fascinating. As Westerfeld explains in his author's note, the basic events in the novel are based on history - there was a real Archduke of Austria/Hungary whose assassination precipitated the 1st World War in Europe. But for the rest of the novel, Westerfeld pretty much goes off into a tangent of his own making. The world in Leviathan is divided into the `Clankers' - people with highly advanced machine technology / engineering versus the `Darwinists' - people who have mastered DNA manipulation such that they are able to create bizarre crossbred species called `beasties' or fabricated animals. It is an incredible world wherein there are Stormwalkers (tanks that walk instead of roll - think of steampunk versions of the Imperial Walkers from `Empire Strikes Back') and the Leviathan (a whale that serves as a living airplane) amongst other delights.

These two groups are natural enemies, but an alliance is formed from necessity between a group of `Clankers' - 15-year-old young prince-in-hiding Alek and his loyal band of men and `Darwinists' - 15-year-old Deryn/Dylan (who is masquerading as a boy soldier) and the British Air Service aboard the Leviathan.

Westerfeld has always had a nice touch with young girls as characters. Deryn is no different, she is spirited, spunky and endlessly resourceful, and yes, can be annoying at times with her over-achiever Type-A personality. Another strong female character, the scientist/diplomat Dr. Bowler, serves as a good counter-weight to all the testosterone aboard the Leviathan.

Meanwhile, my 14-year-old self would have had a huge crush on the young prince Aleksandar who has had to grow up really fast due to the total upheaval in his life. Aleksandar shows a lot of growth, going from a much coddled, sheltered, spoilt prince to a level-headed strong young soldier.

I love that at its heart, take away the sci-fi elements, this is an old-fashioned adventure story. There's non-stop action and battle scenes to satisfy anyone, and I was pretty much hooked from the first chapter (where Alek makes his escape from the palace) to the last chapter (where - oops - okay, I won't spoil it!). Suffice it to say that I am highly recommending this book to both the young and old, and I can't wait for Behemoth to come out!

Eventhough the protagonists in Leviathan are 15 and 16 years old, Westerfeld's clean writing makes this book entirely appropriate for the younger middle grade (ages 8-12) set. My 11 yo really enjoyed the story - and he's taken to sporting a knit cap he says is a Bowler Hat.

Deryn is a girl who disguises herself as a boy so she can join the Air Service in 1914 Britain. Prince Aleksander is the half-royal not-heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne who struggles with duty and survival when the assassination of his parents pitches the world into war. Their paths collide and Westerfeld's fast-paced action doesn't disappoint. Oh, and there's Darwinist creatures pitted against Clanker machines, and the technology is a delicious mixture of retro steam and futuristic custom-designed creatures. Scott Westerfeld's fantastic imagination, combined with Keith Thompson's gorgeous line drawings, creates a feast for the mind and eyes.

The only drawback to this book is its ending: curses upon Westerfeld for his cliff-hanger books! You must read the next book Behemoth, but it doesn't come out until October 2010. Westerfeld says he will probably tour when Behemoth is released, so I may have to stalk him. The only question: how do I get my e-book signed? I might have to resort to having him sign something else. Maybe that collectible Leviathan art that would really look awesome on my wall.

Westerfeld writes smart and very clean books. The violence is real, but not gratuitous, and almost completely bloodless. There is death in Leviathan. This is war, after all. Alek accidentally kills a soldier, and Deryn is involved in a couple battles where fatalities occur. The dead are hinted at, but not described. Unless your child is very sensitive to such things, Leviathan is an excellent book for advanced readers ages 9+.

I will be shocked if Leviathan isn't made into a movie. It is action packed and has "summer blockbuster" written all over it.

Now if I could just get my own messenger lizard.

Before Leviathan, steampunk was obscure to me, nothing more than an undefined sub-genre lurking in the background. Now, this fantastical novel, featuring two heroic protagonists and a living whale airship, has awakened me to the wonders of steampunk fiction, a science fiction/speculative book set in the past, usually in the nineteenth century. Scott Westerfeld exceeded all my expectations by crafting a world interlaced with history and futuristic science, teaching me about the confusions of World War I while sparking ideas about the possibilities of creating artificial life. The alternate history timeline, brimming advances in evolutionary science, one of my favorite things in the world, will rouse the imaginations of readers of all ages.

My most beloved books drip with setting, the plot taking place in vivid or unusual locations. The majority of Leviathan's plot unfolds in a highly unique setting, aboard the Darwinists' massive, hydrogen fueled whale airship, from which the book gets its namesake. It's obvious from the meticulous, facinating descriptions of the airship that Scott Westerfeld knows and loves what he's writing about. The tidbits of military terminology will engross both adults and children alike. While not aboard the Leviathan whale airship, the settings are still rich and stunning; journeying through the frigid, desolate Alps, or soaring through the vast skies of early nineteenth century London. The intricate illustrations, though sometimes slightly childish, assist my imagination in picturing the impossible. Without them, it would be hard for me to visualize correctly a giant soaring, breathing whale airship, complete with balconies and verandas. I might struggle to picture the giant walkers that Alek and his loyal crew men journeyed in. With at least one per chapter, the illustrations appear with frequency and give me flashes of nostalgia, as they remind me of those classic old adventure books that I used to read in my younger days.

Told through the alternating two viewpoints of Deryn and Alek, this book's plot drives on with a fast pace, since action is constantly happening to at least one of the narrators. When they meet in the middle of the book, the plot starts to flow even more smoothly, the two perspectives melding into an even more interesting tale. Imagination, not emotion, has always been Scott Westerfeld's aptitude, so I wasn't surprised to find that the character's emotions do not run very deep. However, the characters are still complex. Both the protagonists have their flaws, though end up being likable. Known to the crew as Dylan, Deryn Sharp, a daring airman with an even more daring secret, is cocky and very real. Aleksander Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian empire, can be slightly illogical and arrogant at times, exposing himself and his crew of men to danger on numerous occasions, though eventually develops into a likable person. The two build an endearing relationship, setting aside their differences to become trusting friends. Their endless bickering is entertaining, reminding me of Ron and Hermione's relationship in Harry Potter.

Like every good book, readers can learn important things from Leviathan. The stark contrast between the Austro-Hungarian Clankers, who build huge, steam-powered machines for weaponry, and the British Darwinists, who evolve animals for battle purposes, shows a perfect example of two very different cultures, each who finds the other to be very strange. At first, Alek, heir to a Clanker driven empire, recoils at the sight of living Darwinist beasties, finding them to be very disgusting and scary. When Deryn takes him into the Leviathan airship for the first time, Alek exclaims, "This is... disgusting! We're inside an animal!" Deryn laughs and retorts, "Aye, but the skins of your zeppelins are made of cattle gut. That's like being inside an animal, isn't it? And so's wearing a leather jacket!...[B]eing inside a dead animal is much more awful, if you think about it. You Clankers really are an odd bunch." On the other hand, Deryn, a Darwinist, shudders at the thought of manmade, heartless Clanker machines. However, they both come to realize that each group has a lot to learn the other's fortes. In order to achieve their goal, Deryn and Alek must cooperate and use a combination of Darwinist and Clanker technology. This shows that combining the strengths of different cultural groups is a vital idea for a successful modern world, where diversity has never been more important than before.

Overall, Leviathan is an astoundingly hearty and refreshing read that will fuel the daydreams of readers of all ages. With the crisp writing, engaging plot, likable characters, and pure imagination, readers will immerse themselves in this book. It ends satisfyingly, while maintaining enough mystery so that readers will be excited for the sequel Behemoth, releasing in October, 2010. It's one of the books I'm the most excited for this year; I can't wait to dive back into Deryn and Alek's world of Clanker contraptions and Darwinist beasts. Leviathan definitely makes me want to read more steampunk novels!

I am usually not interested in fantasy books that involve war, so I was hesitant to pick up Leviathan. If you are like me, and afraid the book will be battle heavy, don't worry, it's not. If however, you are looking for a book full of battles, scheming, and maneuvering, this may not be the book for you. For such a serious subject matter, Leviathan is surprisingly lighthearted and fun. It's not at all depressing, and the characters really add life to the tale. The story may be slow to some, so don't expect a large amount of story to fit into this book. Instead, be prepared for a wild ride with two exciting main characters from different worlds. I loved the opposing forces of machines and beasts, and I think the author did a great job of explaining how each work without getting too technical. My only complaint would be that I expected more progression and I did feel that the novel dragged around the middle. Those are just minor issues though, and Leviathan really is unique, fun, and exciting.

Leviathan is an action packed adventure that takes place in an alternate history, at the beginning of the Great War. Instead of war raging between the Central Powers and the Allies, the two opposing sides are the Darwinists and the Clankers. Novels with war as their main focus are not my usual forte, but I had heard excellent things about Leviathan and read it anyway. I'm glad I did. I couldn't put the book down. After reading, I'm a Clanker at heart; no doubt about that.

I had two problems with the book. The novel starts out assuming you know terminology of this fictional world, throwing terms and slang around with no explanation whatsoever, making the first few chapters of the book rather confusing for someone unfamiliar with the words. My second problem was with the practices of the Darwinists. I'm no animal activist, but the treatment of the fabricated animals bothered me, even disgusted me at times. I had no problem whatsoever with the animals themselves (I found them rather fascinating), but some of the ways in which they were used would make PETA throw a fit. For a third problem, which wasn't really much of a problem, the book is told from two point of views, switching every two chapters. Once I was comfortable in the skin of one character, the POV switched to the other.

Even being a militaristic novel, the book didn't bog me down with too much terminology, once I understood what they were referring to. Most of the Darwinist military terms were easily understood, being basic naval and aeronautic phrases. The Clanker terminology took a little longer to understand, and for the longest time, I was confused by the term piloting not being used aeronautically.

The two main characters, Alek and Deryn, are engaging and very different. Alek was raised in a royal household and has the airs of a spoiled, pompous prince. Deryn is crass and full of swagger, being a girl disguised as a midshipman through the course of the novel. Both characters are in danger, both from the war and from their own secrets. Alek can tell no one he is the son of the assassinated Austro-Hungarian Archduke, and Deryn can tell no one she is actually a girl. Alek would be captured for ransom or killed, and Deryn would be cast from her home on the Leviathan airship. In Leviathan, there is the subtle hint that a romance may arise between them, but how can it with the secrets between them? The other characters in the novel are just as colorful, especially Dr. Barlow, a Darwinist aboard the Leviathan on route to the Ottomon Empire. Of the secondary characters, she is easily my favorite.

The plot itself is engaging and suspenseful. There is no way to know what happens next, and I caught myself holding my breath several times in some of the more exciting scenes.

When it comes down to it, I loved the book.

Fun fun fun fun fun--

Oh, an actual review. Well. It's got a girl pretending to be a boy in the British military (on a living airship) and a prince who rides around in a mecha-like contraption and it's fake WW1 with different tech and and I adored it.

It's a fairly straightforward plot: the Clankers (roughly corresponding to the Germans, Austro-Hungarians et al of WW1) and the Darwinists (Brits, French, Russians, etc) are on the brink of war. The former have steampunk tech while the latter have DNA-tweaked beasties large and small. The infamous assassination in Sarajevo sends Prince Aleksander, the not-quite-heir of Austro-Hungaria, on the run, while a female Darwinist scientist is on a top-secret mission to Istanbul on the same living airship as Deryn-dressed-as-Dylan. Their paths cross. It's also quite a small, incomplete plot, to be continued in book 2, but it's great fun all the way through. With accompanying illustrations!

Scientists are called boffins, the aforementioned female one has a pet thylacine, there are jellyfish-like floating beasties that the British use as surveillance balloons, there are messenger lizards, there's a kraken cameo, there are large eight-legged mecha as well as Alek's two-legged one, Deryn is marvellous. I adore the girl-dresses-as-boy trope with abandon, and Deryn did not disappoint. She's reckless and brave and throws herself off the airship at one point (with some rope) to save her fellow crewmen and holds someone hostage at knifepoint and complains loudly that she's lost her razor as part of a gambit to keep everyone convinced she's really a boy.

Fun! =D

I should add that I was amazed when I found out the author's not English. The way he repeated only a handful of Scottish words made me suspect he wasn't Scottish, because it felt a bit off at times, but he wrote all the British characters so well - so absent of any tally-ho old chap stiff upper lip sirrah stupidity - I thought surely he's British. Nope! I tip my hat to you, sir.

If you are partial to good YA, I recommend this one. I rarely finish a book grinning with joy.

As usual, no spoilers.

Scott Westerfeld is perhaps currently best known for his YA SF novels. He recently decided to try his hand at Steampunk in an alternate version of World War I. LEVIATHAN is a good entry into the genre, but it isn't without drawbacks (depending on your point of view, of course).

LEVIATHAN follows the PoV of Alek, the son of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In Westerfeld's story, the assassination of the Archduke and his wife incites World War I, just like in actual history. This differences are the Steampunk and Biopunk (this term will make more sense in a moment) settings. The two major factions are the Clankers (the Austrians, Germans and such), and the Darwinists (England and other "Allies"). The Clankers are based in machinery, and lend to the Steampunk stylings that the book promotes. The Darwinists, frankly, are much cooler. They manipulate biological creatures into war machines, ships, and anything else they have need of. As a counterpoint to young Alek's "Clanker" PoV, we have the PoV of Deryn Sharp. She is a fifteen year-old girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service aboard the Leviathan--a huge biologically created ship that resembles a flying whale.

The PoVs are both entertaining, if a bit juvenile. I had it in my mind that LEVIATHAN would be geared (no Steampunk pun intended) to the older end of YA. In reality, it is towards the younger end. Once I understood this small piece of info, any measure of initial disappointment faded quickly away. The characters, especially Deryn, won me over quickly. As we follow Alek's escape from Austria in his Stormwalker (think of it as a Steampunk Mechwarrior), and as we follow Deryn's adventures on the Leviathan, we are treated to a very imaginative, uh, re-imagining of WWI, and how the paths that Alek and Deryn each follow inevitably merge.

Where LEVIATHAN really shines is in the Steampunk and Biopunk elements. The way Westerfeld imagines warfare in this setting is nothing short of fabulous. The Steampunk in the novel is actually fairly light, with most of the focus on the Biopunk. Some may argue that this is bad, while others rejoice in it. Personally, I wish that I could have seen a bit more of the Steampunk area of the world, but I'm not terribly upset about the lack of it. The Darwinist ideas in the novel more than made up for the lack of more machinery.

Ultimately, the thing that most disappointed me was discovering it was a series. The next novel, BEHEMOTH, won't be released until Oct. 2010. Considering how quick of a read this novel is--the pacing is terrific, I should add--waiting another year for the sequel seems a long way off. If you understand that this is a series, the relative lack of "stuff happening" won't bother you.

However, is it worth the $[...] price tag? Oh yes. Allow me to gush with regards to the beauty of the book itself. Just seeing the cover in person made me drool a little. It is one of the best designed covers to come out during 2009. It hints at a stronger Steampunk element than is really in the novel, but it is a stunning cover regardless. There are dozens of internal illustrations by Keith Thompson that give a fantastic visual aid for the beasties and machines described in the book. The production quality of this book is top-notch.

LEVIATHAN is a good book. Not incredible, but good. I liked it. I fully intend on reading the sequels, and buying them--assuming they look as awesome as the first novel. LEVIATHAN is marketed towards a younger crowd, and serves as a good intro into the Steampunk genre. I still think that Philip Reeve's MORTAL ENGINES is a better introduction into Steampunk at the YA level, but Westerfeld has done a fantastic job. Let's face it, Steampunk is a genre that more people should be reading, and it is typically a pretty safe genre content-wise. Go out and pick up LEVIATHAN. You'll enjoy it, and it will make you want to read more Steampunk.

Content: Nothing that will offend anyone.