Review: Leviathan (Leviathan #1) by Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis from back cover:

Alek is a prince without a throne. On the run from his own people, he has only a fighting machine and a small band of men.

Deryn is a girl disguised as a guy in the British Air Service. She must fight for her cause-and protect her secret-at all costs.

Alek and Deryn are thrown together aboard the mighty airship Leviathan. Though fighting side by side, their worlds are far apart. British fabricated beasts versus German steam-powered war machines. They are enemies with everything to lose, yet somehow destined to be together.  

Review:

 

LEVIATHAN is a great addition to the steampunk genre. Westerfeld has created a fantastical alternate history of World War 1. Two sides are on the brink of war- the Darwinists, who use genetically engineered 'beasties' and the Clankers, who use mechanical machines. Leviathan gives an alternate history of The First World War by incorporating future technology with the past. Though humans have not yet mixed up the DNA of animals and created whole new creatures, it is an all-too-real possibility in the near future.

I was very excited to read Leviathan because I had previously read Westerfeld's Uglies series and enjoyed it to a great extent. Furthermore, steampunk is one of my most favourite genres and to top it off- parts of Leviathan takes place in London.

Alek and Deryn were very good characters. After finishing the book, I asked myself whether I liked one more than the other, but they were always quite equal in my affections. Alek is a Prince and does not know much about the real world, so it was highly interesting to observe him out of his comfort zone. He behaved how I suspected he would; unsure of how to act and making numerous embarrassing mistakes that frustrated both him and me. However, I found that he acted in a very realistic way for someone who had never really interacted with 'common' people.

Deryn was also a good character. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go out and get it. Disguised as a boy to enter the Services, I thought that it would only be a matter of time before she was caught out, as she is fifteen years old after all. Deyrn does have quite a potty mouth, what with her constant use of the swear words 'bum rag', 'barking' and 'blistering' in a lot of the dialogue. This slightly annoyed me because they occurred so often and sometimes felt unnecessary. The secondary characters were all very good. I found them entertaining, though Volger, Alek's fencing master, is my favourite because of his acerbity.

Westerfeld has created a strong, visual world in Leviathan and I was very interested in this world. The story really picked up momentum about halfway through the book, however, the first half was really good at setting up the world. I enjoyed all the action sequences because it made me sit on the edge of my seat. When describing a machine or an animal, I did, on occasion, feel myself zoning out, so the exquisite illustrations by Keith Thompson scattered throughout the book were highly usefel in furthering my understanding.

The plot was great overall, though I was expecting much more to happen. The ending was a slight cliffhanger and I confess, I did turn over the page, expecting another chapter to wrap it all up. This did not happen. I will read the sequel to find out what happens next.

Leviathan reminded me of books by Philip Reeve; The Mortal Engines Quartet and The Larklight Trilogy. I would recommend these to anyone who enjoyed Leviathan and who are looking for similar books to read. Leviathan was entertaining and action-packed and I look forward to reading Behemoth, the second in the trilogy. I would recommend this to anyone interested in steampunk, action/adventure and alternate history.

Rating: 4/5

 Concept: 5/5

Cover: 5/5

Author: Scott Westerfeld