Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Published by Simon and Schuster
In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.
I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read a great deal of steampunk (except Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel) but I definitely think it is a genre I need to get into more as I really love it.
The historian in me really got into the alternative world set up around the outbreak of World War One especially as it is an era I already love. I like how the book was set around an historical event even though it was taken into a different direction. It's quite something for me to say that as sometimes if the author has done this sort of thing badly it really winds me up. I loved the world Westerfeld had set up with the Darwinists and the Clankers and loved finding out about the different machines and the world set around them.
There were some interesting characters introduced as the book went along and although I didn't entirely warm to them I am definitely interested enough in both Alek, Deryn and Dr Barlow to want to know more about them and what happens to them. The thing I really liked was how much the two teenagers contrasted each other and complimented each really well and I enjoyed seeing their different perspectives on the world.
I liked that the book was illustrated but quite honestly I don't think the paperback edition did them any favours as they were black and white and a little hard to make out all of the details on the more detailed pictures (this probably wasn't aided by the fact that I read in bed by fairylight)
All in all an awesome book whichI enjoyed a lot. I will be eagerly awaiting Behemoth.
Published by Simon and Schuster
In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.
***
The historian in me really got into the alternative world set up around the outbreak of World War One especially as it is an era I already love. I like how the book was set around an historical event even though it was taken into a different direction. It's quite something for me to say that as sometimes if the author has done this sort of thing badly it really winds me up. I loved the world Westerfeld had set up with the Darwinists and the Clankers and loved finding out about the different machines and the world set around them.
There were some interesting characters introduced as the book went along and although I didn't entirely warm to them I am definitely interested enough in both Alek, Deryn and Dr Barlow to want to know more about them and what happens to them. The thing I really liked was how much the two teenagers contrasted each other and complimented each really well and I enjoyed seeing their different perspectives on the world.
I liked that the book was illustrated but quite honestly I don't think the paperback edition did them any favours as they were black and white and a little hard to make out all of the details on the more detailed pictures (this probably wasn't aided by the fact that I read in bed by fairylight)
All in all an awesome book whichI enjoyed a lot. I will be eagerly awaiting Behemoth.
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