Saturday, July 27, 2013

Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

In a departure from his usual science fiction novels, Scott Westerfeld turns to an alternative version of history in his latest novel, Leviathan. It is the early 1900s in Europe. Peace is disrupted when the Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated, leaving behind his son Alek to fend for himself against enemies. In the meantime, Deryn if trying to follow her passion for flying by pretending to be a boy to join the airman. While the setting is real, a world on the brink of World War I. That's where the similarities end. Alek escapes from Austria via a Stormwalker, a huge metal machine that walks on all fours like an animal. And Deryn is learning to fly hydrogen breathers, part machine, part animal, a living ecosystem used for combat and transportation. Add in all of the other creatures that populate the book, and this is a fine example of "steampunk" fantasy that will keep you reading to the last page and leave you wanting more. The story continues on in Behemoth and Goliath.

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