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Leviathan (Leviathan #1)

by Scott Westerfeld, Keith Thompson (Illustrator)

3.91 · rating details · 14,915 ratings · 2,828 reviews

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
...more

Hardcover, 440 pages

Published October 6th 2009 by Simon Pulse

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Oct 31, 2011

mark monday rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: operatik-steam, teenworld-now, kidworld, soul-sucking-reviews

this is a zippy, high-spirited breeze of a novel, aimed at the lucrative TROPE(1) audience - and with clear appeal for even younger folks. as far as characterization and narrative go, there is not much here that will suprise or challenge the reader...but the novel does have charm, lots of it. don't expect to get your mind blown, but it is certainly a pleasant way to spend a few hours. and there are many enjoyable elements in the now-almost-played-out use of TROPE(2): big clanky walking-machines,...more

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Feb 03, 2010

Tatiana rated it

Recommends it for: existing Westerfeld fans, pre-teen boys

Shelves: 2010, ala-ya-2010, series-dropped-lost-steam, children-s-middle-school

Like many of my friends, I've been looking forward to getting my hands on "Leviathan" for a while. It is so sad that after such a long wait I can't give this book more than 2 stars. And if I am being honest, I added second star for fabulous cover art and excellent illustrations (1 or 2 per chapter!). My low rating doesn't mean however that I would recommend NOT to read this book. I simply didn't care for it personally, for several reasons.

First, this book seems to be mistak...moreLike many of my friends, I've been looking forward to getting my hands on "Leviathan" for a while. It is so sad that after such a long wait I can't give this book more than 2 stars. And if I am being honest, I added second star for fabulous cover art and excellent illustrations (1 or 2 per chapter!). My low rating doesn't mean however that I would recommend NOT to read this book. I simply didn't care for it personally, for several reasons.

First, this book seems to be mistakenly classified as young adult fiction. To me it read more like a children's book, middle school maximum. For a book about 15-16 year olds, Daryn and Alek are written awfully young. By the way their thought process, their behavior and motivations are portrayed, you'd think they are 11-12 years old, they are even drawn by the illustrator as pre-teens. I can enjoy some books written for this age group, such as first 2 Harry Potter books or "His Dark Materials," but the world of "Leviathan" just didn't hold my attention.

Secondly, the book is extremely heavy on descriptions of various machinery and fabricated animals and battles between them. I know, this is the core of the book - a war between Clankers and Darwinists - but I hoped this concept would be presented in a more interesting manner. Just reading about how the zeppelins are constructed or how to operate an airship made out of a combination of creatures bored me to death.

And lastly, for a book that is supposed to offer an "alternative history," the "alternativeness" is very thin and doesn't go beyond war machinery. The rest is pretty much taken from real history - we are not offered anything new in terms of government structure, social order, belief system, etc. It is possible however that Westerfeld will explore these avenues in later books in the series.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from giving this book a shot. But if you are like me and prefer books for older teens, have no interest in mechanics and war battles, like to have a little bit of teen romance in your stories, you can safely skip this book.(less)

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Feb 28, 2010

Valerie rated it

Shelves: sci-fi, historical-fiction

The style came easily to me even if it is my first historical sci-fi book. I usually avoid sci-fi for the reason that they usually have long series. I read somewhere that there is a sequel to Leviathan but I forgot. I probably would've read the book anyway though because Deryn is a girl disguised as a boy and that in and of itself would hook me to almost any book.

Absolutely loved the whole Darwinist v. Clanker bit. The fact that Westerfeld really made it fit so easily without makin...more

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Nov 23, 2011

Jo rated it

Shelves: 2011, gorgeous-prose, history-smishtory, my-geek-sense-is-tingling, oh-how-we-laugh, soul-sister-heroine, when-can-i-move-in, ya, you-got-a-friend-in-me

"A missing piece can be very bad for the puzzle, whether in the natural world, or politics, or here in the belly of an airship."

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
That’s what I want to know, Alek. That’s what I want to know.

High Points.
Deryn. Alek. This world… wooow, why doesn’t it exist yet?! Huxleys. Darwinists. Clankers. Flying wales. Cow farts. Trinkets&Diddies. Messenger lizards. Science. Nature. Snowshoes. Tazza. Dr Barlow. Frostbitten bums. Odd ki...more

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Mar 24, 2011

Gavin rated it

Shelves: sci-fi

Whew…where do I begin? First off, let me tell you this is my first steampunk experience, which will definitely not be my last. At work, I’ve had a few of my co-workers recommend this book to me, along with about fifteen other steampunk titles. I ignored them. Steampunk just wasn’t my bag. It seemed too…too…what’s the word?...ridiculous. Months passed. But every time I needed a new book to read and review for my job, I always found myself looking at LEVIATHAN. The cover art is pretty cool...moreWhew…where do I begin? First off, let me tell you this is my first steampunk experience, which will definitely not be my last. At work, I’ve had a few of my co-workers recommend this book to me, along with about fifteen other steampunk titles. I ignored them. Steampunk just wasn’t my bag. It seemed too…too…what’s the word?...ridiculous. Months passed. But every time I needed a new book to read and review for my job, I always found myself looking at LEVIATHAN. The cover art is pretty cool; but just not cool enough for me to read it…or so I thought. Then, last night, as we were closing shop, I dared myself to read this title. I’m not much into YA literature either, so my hopes were not great. I thought: If I can just read 50 pages, then I could tell them that this type of stuff isn’t for me.

Well, my wife and kids went to bed early, so I opened this book. And man oh man, did I have a fun few hours. As the night grew older, I kept saying, “Just one more chapter.” I ended up reading half the book.

The story revolves around an alternate history of what precipitated the events that triggered (no pun intended for those history buffs reading this review) WWI. In the real history, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed by an assassin’s bullet. In this version, the Duke and his wife are killed by poison after having survived two previous attempts. Their deaths leave their son, Aleck, now heir to the Austrian-Hungary Empire alone, save for two loyal officers that whisk him away in the dead of the night. This all happens within the first ten pages. I liked this. It kind of had an Ender’s Game feel to it.

As the story progresses, we find out that the world basically split into two factions: the Clankers, and the Darwinists. The Clankers live and die by technology. Machines are their future. In fact, their machines seem to serve one purpose only: advancement of military might. Darwinists are a bit different. Yes, they use technology, but this technology is fused with the life forms of earth. These are called Beasties. A great example of these Beasties is the Leviathan itself. This monstrosity has the body of a whale, but is actually an amalgam of ecosystems working together. It looks and acts like a zeppelin, the difference being, it is alive. Needless to say, the world-building in this story is incredible. I could see and smell and hear all what was happening, both in the Clankers world and in the Darwinists’.

I won’t spoil the story, but here are a few themes throughout: bravery, technology versus nature, overcoming odds, redemption, acceptance of loss, and loyalty. There are epic battles and escapes. Daring rescues. Science and speculation. Strange eggs. Descendants of Charles Darwin. Fusion of past and future concepts. A girl posing as a boy as to serve her country in war. (Possible romance in the next books?) And, my favorite, bats that eat pieces of metal so they can be used as missiles when attacking enemies. (You can probably guess as to how these projectiles are ejected from the bats!!)

The two major criticisms I have about this novel are: sometimes the language seems needlessly juvenile. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does it is jarring to the story. The other is the illustrations. I found this book to be dark. Not in violence or topic necessarily, but it is about war and is filled with war scenes, the illustrations detract from the story, sometimes making it less urgent or compelling. Had these been drawn to show the darker elements of the story, they would have added greatly.

Still, this was an awesome novel. I will proudly eat my own words and say steampunk is fun, good reading, and YA literature has a lot to offer.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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Nov 30, 2010

Isamlq rated it

Me, as I read Leviathan…

Oh, that’s what was going on...
...
Poor kid, all alone… in his big house… with servants… (I think I don’t like this kid.)
...
And he finally asks the right question.
...
...
“Jaw, meet floor...”

Me, right now: ECSTATIC

Why? Because second chance books are wonderful, aren't they? Especially if they turn out much better than initially assessed. I’m so happy that I gave this another go, but what took me ...more

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Jul 19, 2010

Gorfo rated it

Shelves: sci-fi, dystopia, unfinished-series

This was a surprisingly good book. I am not a fan of science fiction but I found myself sucked into the explosive parallel past Scott Westerfeld creates in Leviathan. I felt drawn in to this world of gigantic "beasties" formed by the life threads of many animals working as one. I found the concept beautiful unlike the Monkey-Luddites. I could picture them floating about the sky's limits and I could picture the walkers tromping around too. I don't know what side I would be on in this wa...more

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Nov 09, 2010

Lyle Kimo Valdez rated it

Shelves: steampunk, ya, favorites

I liked the premise when I saw it, I found it intriguing. The book is a non-stop action story, with an incredibly imaginative steampunkish world-building, two very sympathetic protagonists and amazing illustrations and I loved every minute of it.

The two kids, Alek and Deryn are what make Leviathan stand out for me. They each are immersed in their own culture and have their views about Clankers vs Darwinists and it is through their eyes that questionings about each side are raised and t...more

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Mar 28, 2010

dioscurio rated it

Shelves: 2-ebook

Oke, pertama2 gua pengen muji Trailer Book Leviathan yang menurut gua sangat keren dan menggugah selera pembaca, berikut sebagian petikan dari trailer-nya:

The year is 1914, archduke Franz Ferdinand has just been assasinated,
and Europe is on the break of war.
But put your history books away, this is not the war you remember.

The clankers, who put their faith in machinery.
Or the darwinist, who evolve living creature into tools and weapons: fighting kraken, l...more

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Feb 02, 2010

Sarah rated it

It's WWI except this time, the Allies have Darwin on their side and have figured out how to make living weapons and airships (including the Leviathan which is a giant whale airship) while the Germans and Austro-Hungarians are the Clankers and have steampunk weapons and monsters on their side. Enter the fictional son of archduke Franz Ferdinand, Alek, who is on the run after his parents were murdered and Deryn, a 15 year old Scottish girl who pretends to be a boy so that she can fly with the Brit...more

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Dec 15, 2011

Amanda rated it

Shelves: ya

This is the tropiest trope book that ever had ALL THE TROPES. Why hellloooo feisty young woman who is generally sharp but doesn't recognize her own romantic feelings and goes off to war despite disapproval from home and society at large and- you know, I'm just going to stop. The whole thing is a YA formula.

BUT I still enjoyed it. It was 14,564,654 better than the last Westerfeld I read (UGLIES), which was LITERALLY the worst book I read all year. God, it was ghastly. Just. *shudder.* I...more

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Jan 25, 2010

Sammy rated it

Shelves: young-adult

An interesting alternative history/steampunk book, set in the beginning of World War I, featuring a child of Sofia and Fernidad - and his attempts to escape the same fate that his parents met.

Westerfield weaves an interesting premise of machine vs Darwinism gone amuck, and two kids growing up a bit too fast for the same reason.

The plot would have been improved had the characters been introduced earlier on - it was clear where it was heading, but it just took forever ...more

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Jun 01, 2011

Jen rated it

Shelves: steampunk, young-adult

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Picking up this book, all I know is that it’s sci-fi and takes place just before WWI. How those two bits will reconcile remains to be seen. The artwork on the inside cover is beautiful. I wish the library hadn’t glued the book jacked so that I can only see half of it.

150 pages in — Ah-ha! So this is steampunk. I’ve been hearing about this new genre for awhile now, but wasn’t exactly sure how it would play out. In this novel, it looks like genetica...moreLeviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Picking up this book, all I know is that it’s sci-fi and takes place just before WWI. How those two bits will reconcile remains to be seen. The artwork on the inside cover is beautiful. I wish the library hadn’t glued the book jacked so that I can only see half of it.

150 pages in — Ah-ha! So this is steampunk. I’ve been hearing about this new genre for awhile now, but wasn’t exactly sure how it would play out. In this novel, it looks like genetically engineered animal-machines and Star Wars-like walking tanks set in Europe just before the start of the Great War. Reminds me of something*, but I can’t put my finger on what.

This is a very strange read — hard to track between real and alternate histories, hard to keep up with the various inventions. And this may sound ridiculous, considering the genre, but genetically splicing all sorts of animals with a whale in order to create a living alternative to zeppelin seems a little far-fetched, even for sci-fi.

So we’ve got Alek — fictional son of the historical archduke — on the run from his own countrymen after his father and mother have been assassinated. And then we’ve got Deryn — a young, Scottish girl pretending to be a boy so that she can join the Royal Air Service and fly around on Darwinist beasties. And somehow their lives are going to intersect. I won’t tell you how.

At the end — I’m happy with where this book is leaving off. It feels more like the end of the first volume of a book, rather than the first book of a series. Very few questions were answered, very few secrets revealed, leaving many of the same story arcs intact. I like that. If you’re going to write a trilogy or series, this is the way to do it.

Aside from having to get used to the feel of this steampunk world, I really have only one major concern about the book: Westerfeld sets up two camps — one having sprung from Darwin’s theories, one reacting against them. And he relentlessly trumpets the idea that everything sprung from Darwin’s ideas is brilliant while everything mechanical or contrary to genetic manipulation is backward and primitive. An issue like genetic manipulation is complicated even for those who are the most well-informed. It’s frustrating to see it laid out in such a way that a kid would feel shamed or ridiculed for questioning its morality.

I wrote more about the responsibility of YA and children’s authors at the end of my review of Gareth Hinds’ Beowulf - Graphic Novel. In a nutshell: children and teens are vulnerable and their opinions are often easily manipulated, which means authors (and teachers and counselors — people who aren’t their parents) should be careful of foisting their values and ideas into susceptible minds. Especially since there are so many universals to be dealt with in endless variations.

It ends on a much more balanced note, but the elements of condescension remain.

Other than that, it was a great read. Good characters, interesting storyline, and a pretty fast read -- probably a 7th grade reading level, but keep in mind a kid's cognitive abilities -- some 13 and 14-year-olds won't have enough higher-level reasoning skills to deal with the alternate history aspect and may need to wait a couple years before being able to enjoy it.

*I know what it reminds me of — it’s a bit like the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey, Jr. You know, set in history but filled with science and machines that don’t actually exist and probably never will.
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Oct 11, 2010

Amelia Robinson rated it

Shelves: 2010-2011-reading, best-action, best-original-idea, best-plot, historical-fiction, recommended, own

Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.

So sure, it can be a kid's book, too. But as we all know, Harry Potter was published for children and look how many people love it. (Lifetime lover of the HP series, right here. Read HP1 when I was a wee little girlie at five-years-old. Just in case you were wondering...) So this book doesn't contain all the nitty-gritty, teenage dramatic rabble we get so much in YA fiction today. Instead....

It's a wonderfull...moreOriginally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.

So sure, it can be a kid's book, too. But as we all know, Harry Potter was published for children and look how many people love it. (Lifetime lover of the HP series, right here. Read HP1 when I was a wee little girlie at five-years-old. Just in case you were wondering...) So this book doesn't contain all the nitty-gritty, teenage dramatic rabble we get so much in YA fiction today. Instead....

It's a wonderfully refreshing journey. I very much enjoyed how it wasn't centered around a romance or a couple or the "normal" setup. It's set up at the beginning of World War I--1913--and it was rich in detail and atmosphere. For a while, I've felt the beginning signs of a history lover in me. I don't know of many books that are set in the World War time periods and are written specifically for young adults. I consider this a jewel for inspiring children--making them interested in their history.

It was a fascinating mix of future and past. And I do believe that is what Scott Westerfeld describes as the "steampunk" genre. I haven't been very impressed with the few steampunk novels I've read but this one was brilliant. This wasn't something that Mr. Westerfeld came up with on a whim. He put some real effort into this--doing his research and getting it right. I can't even begin to wonder how he came up with half the creatures in this book.

Some say "slow". Of the reviews I've read of "Leviathan," they say that it was slow--not a lot of action. As I read, I couldn't help but think, "Ooooh, they meant that kind of action." Like I said, this was written to be appropriate for middle grade kids while being interesting and complex enough for older teens. So, no. It won't have hot and heavy sex scenes. But there was plenty of action-action. Like the kind you see in war films. Getting chased by a huge metal spider-like thing while on the run for being the son of a murdered archduke? Getting caught in the middle of a storm strapped to the belly of a giant flying jellyfish? Getting stranded on a glacier in the mountains, waiting for your giant, hydrogen-making, living ship to re-inflate itself? And they say "no action"? Oy.

I loved the characters. Deryn was so flipping awesome! Maybe an overuse of the British slang but still, awesome all the same. A very strong heroine. :) And Alek wasn't too bad either. They were both so sharp and both had their own unique voice. (The chapters alternated between the two.) Sometimes I had a hard time keeping Alek's crew straight but it became clearer as I continued to read.

Thrilling plot. Talk about a cliffhanger! Grr! (But I can't say anymore--gotta keep to the Spoiler Free policy, after all.)

Shew! The illustrations? Okay, talk about talented. Personally, I LOVE young adult books that have illustrations in them. (The "Leven Thumps" series by Obert Skye is the only other series I know that is middle grade/young adult that has illustrations in it.) The illustrations provided the perfect visual aid I needed...it gave the extra spunk to the imagination.

Definitely a favorite. I can't wait to head to Scott Westerfeld's appearance in Raleigh on the 22nd. I want to ask him so many questions! And I can't wait to read "Behemoth" (which released on October 5th, by the way.) On the 22nd, I will be the proud owner of a signed copy of "Leviathan" and "Behemoth" by Scott Westerfeld. Oo-rah!(less)

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Aug 01, 2010

Erin rated it

Shelves: teen, fiction, historical, sci-fi

I thought that this was a great story- Perhaps steampunk is just new and novel to me, but I love the time period (1914, just at the beginning of World War I) and the re-imagined technologies. The "Darwinist" biological creations are really very beautiful in how they work by creating systems rather than individual parts. The "Clanker" machinery is cool in its power, but not really as unique. While the writing style itself is only good, not great, it becomes irrelevant and y...more

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Mar 30, 2011

Brittany rated it

Shelves: sciencefiction, yafiction

I liked Leviathan much better than I liked Westerfield's Pretties/Uglies. Possibly because I liked (or could stand) the protagonists Alek and Deryn much more than I ever liked Tally. This book has good pacing, decent dialog, and a very good plot.

The part I struggled with is that I'm not sure he has a very good grounding in biology or physics. There are some authors who can blithely and believably write about technology they don't understand. However, Westerfeld is no Anthony Burgess,...moreI liked Leviathan much better than I liked Westerfield's Pretties/Uglies. Possibly because I liked (or could stand) the protagonists Alek and Deryn much more than I ever liked Tally. This book has good pacing, decent dialog, and a very good plot.

The part I struggled with is that I'm not sure he has a very good grounding in biology or physics. There are some authors who can blithely and believably write about technology they don't understand. However, Westerfeld is no Anthony Burgess, nor is he (sadly) a Neal Stephenson. He obviously tried, so I owe him credit for that. Possibly it's only because my background is in biology and I've had to endure rants and screeds about how anything so large as a dragon couldn't possibly fly. Or maybe the main problem is my lack of grounding in physics. Maybe you could inflate a whale body full enough of hydrogen that it floats. (Query: Why hydrogen and not helium? Has the Hindenburg not happened?) For the biology side of things, I'm very dubious that you could genetically engineer creatures like those in this book only knowing enough about DNA to call it "life strands" and not know about genes and base pairs. But perhaps I'm not giving the Steampunk Victorians enough credit. (Or maybe it did take years and years and years and that just wasn't emphasized. Though it can't have taken that long if Darwin's granddaughter is still a fairly young woman).

However, leaving the science aside, this was a very engaging steampunk novel. The divisions and differences between the Clankers and the Darwinists are interesting and engaging. The characters are fairly well drawn and believable. (I loved Deryn's pride in her satisfyingly clompy boots). Though both protagonists seemed younger than their supposed age. Deryn and Alek act (and seem to think) closer to 12 or 13 than 15 or 16. At times the book veered a little too close to Afterschool-Special-Zone (maybe the best solution is a mix of our two extreme views instead of one or the other being right!) But even that was over very quickly. Very fast-paced, interesting, and thought-provoking. I was particularly interested in the intimations that the Leviathan was sentient, as the main thing that bothered me about the Darwinist creations was the mixing of creatures with completely different life history strategies. It seems to me that in anything approaching a sentient creature, this would cause confusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed the illustrations, and very much appreciated Westerfeld taking time at the end to spell out where it differed from reality; I think that's a great way to get teens interested in history.

I'm looking forward to the next one. I can't wait to find out hatches out of the eggs. I'm hoping for dinosaurs.(less)

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Jan 30, 2012

Luann rated it

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction, 2012, historical-fiction, war

I enjoyed this so much! I almost always enjoy Scott Westerfeld, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But I just wasn't sure about this. Although I was sure enough to actually purchase it way back when it first came out - and then let it sit here at the bottom of my stack of TBR books because it provided such a nice base to the stack. But I'm glad I finally pulled it out and read it! And I'm actually glad I waited a bit because now I can read book two, Behemoth, and book three, Goliath, as soon a...more

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Jan 28, 2010

Mitchel Broussard rated it

Shelves: fantasy, sci-fi, series, ya-fiction, steampunk

It's almost impossible to put into words how much i absolutely loved and appreciated what Westerfeld managed to do in this book. He took the history i know of World War I and added just a little bit of fiction to all the facts.

The juxtaposition of the Clanker's (Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary) machinery that seems leaps and bounds of anything humans have ever made, and placing it in an era that is almost 100 years old, is brilliantly realized (especially in the beautiful drawi...more

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Jun 19, 2011

Emily rated it

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, science-fiction, young-adult, alternate-history, drama, thrillers, favorites, wwi, steampunk-gaslamp-fantasy

LEVIATHAN is a novel of alternate history. More specifically, it can be classified as steampunk, which depending on what definition you read, is an extension of science fiction and fantasy. Westerfeld decides to reinvent the era of World War I in his latest novel. While he maintains some of the actual events of the war, he creates and alters many.

The story follows the lives of Deryn and Alek. Deryn is a young woman desperate to join the Air Men of the Darwinists Army (British Empire/...moreLEVIATHAN is a novel of alternate history. More specifically, it can be classified as steampunk, which depending on what definition you read, is an extension of science fiction and fantasy. Westerfeld decides to reinvent the era of World War I in his latest novel. While he maintains some of the actual events of the war, he creates and alters many.

The story follows the lives of Deryn and Alek. Deryn is a young woman desperate to join the Air Men of the Darwinists Army (British Empire/France). With the help of her brother, she disguises herself as a boy and joins the fight. She has excellent Air Sense, which is a must for the Darwinists, since their main type of weaponry are flying airships made of living animals, with each animal in the ecosystem playing its part. The Leviathan is an airship made up of a countless number of animals - from the smallest microscopic animal to a giant whale that contains everything.

Alek's parents, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, have been assassinated, leaving Alek on the run for his life. The Austro-Hungarian Empire/Germany wants him dead in order to ensure the end of the bloodline to the throne. Alek's people are referred to as the Clankers because of the loud noises that come from their form of weaponry - swords, cannons, aeroplanes, and, most exciting, walkers. Picture a huge tank with legs instead of treads.

Both Deryn and Alek are dedicated to their causes, and when they are thrust into the same fight and forced to work together, both must take a look at the world around them and see things from the other's perspective.

The ending really leaves the reader hanging, and not necessarily in a good way. I felt like it cut off right when we needed some important information, but I guess Westerfeld is leaving that for the sequel.

The book contains several beautiful black-and-white illustrations by Keith Thompson. I really enjoyed coming across those throughout the story.

Even though LEVIATHAN took me a while to get through, I still enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel.
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May 03, 2010

Bry rated it

Shelves: 2010, historical-fiction, steampunk, young-adult, fantasy, rubbish

My first impression of this book is that it is beautifully done. The map on the inside covers are amazing with the details and colors. Plus the illustrations throughout the book are fantastic. Full page sketches of a scene that are highly detailed and stunning. The text itself though is not written for teens but for young pre-teens, and the characters are said to be 15-16 but appear 12 or so in the illustrations. It just all sounds and feels so juvenile. They also think, sound, and act juv...more

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Jan 28, 2010

Abigail rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone who likes steampunk

Recommended to Abigail by: Robyn

Shelves: read-2009, mfa-annotations, steampunk, read-2010, favorites

I quite liked Leviathan, Westerfeld paints a realistic view of WWI Europe with the added benefit of Steampunk. I particularly liked the way the war is set up with Darwinists vs. Clankers. :) Nature vs. machines is a time old trope but one that's done quite well in this book. He combines technologies we are just now developing in our world and puts them into historical context. As he says in the afterward, "That's the nature of steampunk, blending future and past."

The...more

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Oct 29, 2009

Amanda rated it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, young-adult, 2009, the-best

Alek, son of the assassinated Archduke Ferdinand, is on the run for his life as war stirs in Europe. Along with his tutor and fencing master, 15-yr-old Alek treks across Europe in a steam-powered Stormwalker in an attempt to reach the safe grounds of neutral Switzerland.

Deryn Sharp is a 15-yr-old commoner from Britain who wants nothing more than to become an airman and fly on the Darwinist fabricated animal-machines. The problem: she’s a girl, and only boys are allowed to become airmen...more

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Jan 05, 2012

***Dave Hill rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: text, favorites

This steampunkish take on the beginning of World War I (with the Central Powers reliant on legged war machines and zeppelins, while the Allies -- the Brits, at least -- specialize in genetic manipulation to make war animals) was a fantastic ripping yarn. It was made even better by the lead characters -- one the son of the assassinated Franz Ferdinand, fleeing from the Austrian and German forces who want him dead; the other an adolescent British girl masquerading as a boy so she can serve in the ...more

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Jun 24, 2010

Angela rated it

Shelves: ya, steampunk, favey-faves, sci-fi-fantasy, library-book

Absolutely stunning! I've always been a fan of steampunk and love a great historical fiction. Westerfeld delivered both in this epically original novel. With a wonderful cast of characters, an interesting plot-line that puts a twist in history, and a beautifully unique world filled with flying whales, Westerfeld has yet again won me over with his fantastic imagination and his skills of a writer! I can't wait for the next novel in this exciting new series to come out!

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Sep 15, 2011

Bridget rated it

I liked the alternate history aspect as some of the historical references to World War I made this book more interesting for me. Cool concept of the allies/ Darwinists using DNA altered animals on their side of the fight while the Axis powers/Clankers used machines. Worth the $3.50 I paid for it & I'd read the second book 'Behemoth' as this one did end as a cliff hanger of course. I guess most authors these days think why write one book when you can write three or more & make more money?;) I d...more

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Dec 11, 2011

Dena rated it

Leviathan
Summary: Set in World War I, a battle rages between the German Clankers and the British Darwinists. In the middle of this fight are Aleksander and Deryn, who at first are enemies, but find themselves together in Switzerland. The Leviathan, a giant flying ship developed by the Darwinists, represents the scientific future to come.
Personal Reaction: This story seemed like history meets Star Wars meets Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. I have to admit, I really haven’t read many...moreLeviathan
Summary: Set in World War I, a battle rages between the German Clankers and the British Darwinists. In the middle of this fight are Aleksander and Deryn, who at first are enemies, but find themselves together in Switzerland. The Leviathan, a giant flying ship developed by the Darwinists, represents the scientific future to come.
Personal Reaction: This story seemed like history meets Star Wars meets Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. I have to admit, I really haven’t read many works that are considered steampunk. And, although I’m not a fan of science fiction, the historical aspect of this work really appealed to me. I do think the teen reader would need a bit of background on World War I before reading this book. The lack of knowledge about history in many, many students worries me. Any literature based in history to the extent of this work should be given to students with the encouragement to research and learn about the past, even if it comes from a quick overview found on Google. The illustrations enhance the work in that they are not so numerous for this work to be considered a graphic novel, but there are just enough illustrations to help stimulate (and correct?) the reader’s imagination. What I imagined Leviathan to look like was nothing like the illustration. I probably wouldn’t have picked up this novel on my own, but now that I have read it, I’d like to continue reading the series with Behemoth.
Classroom Extension: Students could compare this work to earlier works considered to be steampunk forerunners, such as H.G. Wells The Time Machine or Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. By comparing works of an earlier period, students will come to understand that science fiction is a genre that has long been established. Using Leviathan and one of the other listed works, students would search the text for objects and events that are described and/or predicted. Then students would complete a graphic organizer in which they take each of the objects or events on their list and find a corresponding invention or innovation that we have today, or a predicted event that has come true.
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Nov 30, 2011

Emma Thompson rated it

I did enjoy this book. It's a good, solid young adult book with steampunk themes. An alternate reality set around world war 1 with our two sides, the axis being replaced by the clankers who drive machines and the alies replaced by the Darwinists who use aircraft and such manufactured out of living organisms. And I do get sick of the way sci-fi in general warps biology but that's just my inner biologist speaking. So we suspend disbeliefe and on with the story.

We have two characters, one...more

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Nov 16, 2011

Phillip rated it

'Clanker" engineers mobilize gigantic striding war machines across the lands of central Europe preparing for the onset of an alternate World War I. In England, "Darwinists" have escalated the creation of their biologically engineered hybrid animals towards the defense of their nation. Scott Westerfield’s introductory novel to this series follows the adventures of an aristocratic boy from Austria and a midshipman from England as their missions, lifestyles, and philosophies collid...more

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Jul 27, 2011

Ubalstecha added it · review of another edition

A solid outing into the world of steampunk from the author of the Uglies series. Set in WWI Westerfield's vision pits the traditional machines of steampunk against the invented life forms of gene manipulation. The former are used by the Clankers, the Central Powers of WWI, the later are those of the Entente.

In this world we meet Alex, the sole heir to Franz Ferdinan, yes, that Franz Ferdinan, who is suddenly thrust into the world of politics when his parents are murdered. He flees to Switzer...more

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May 08, 2011

Debora rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: letto_in_prestito, fisicamente_posseduto, ◈ebook◈

Leviathan è il primo libro della trilogia “Leviathan Series” di Scott Westerfeld. È un libro steampunk (info) ed essendo un genere relativamente nuovo in Italia, ha ancora molto, moltissimo, da dire. Possiamo che ancora un volta Westerfeld ha giocato benissimo le sue carte, anticipando i tempi e dimostrando una fantasia davvero impressionante.

Di base questo libro ci ripropone una rivisitazione della seconda guerra mondiale svoltasi, però, in un mondo che si affaccia molto più verso il futuro che...moreLeviathan è il primo libro della trilogia “Leviathan Series” di Scott Westerfeld. È un libro steampunk (info) ed essendo un genere relativamente nuovo in Italia, ha ancora molto, moltissimo, da dire. Possiamo che ancora un volta Westerfeld ha giocato benissimo le sue carte, anticipando i tempi e dimostrando una fantasia davvero impressionante.

Di base questo libro ci ripropone una rivisitazione della seconda guerra mondiale svoltasi, però, in un mondo che si affaccia molto più verso il futuro che al passato e in cui le due fazioni che si fronteggiano sono i Cingolanti e i Darwinisti. I primi seguaci della tecnologia e, gli altri, forti sostenitori della manipolazione molecolare del DNA e delle leggi di Darwin, creatori di incredibili ibridi viventi da combattimento. Sullo sfondo di tutto ciò, troviamo loro, Deryn e Alek che, attraverso i loro occhi di adolescenti, ci mostrano la guerra in tutte le sue incoerenti sfaccettature.

Questo è un libro per ragazzi e tale va considerato, ma, di fatto, ritengo che sia assolutamente godibile e coinvolgente anche per un adulto. La fantasia di Scott Westerfeld, come dicevo, è assolutamente incredibile. Riuscire a creare dal nulla un mondo che si regge completamente su canoni a sé stanti (e parlo in particolar modo dei Darwinisti) dimostra un creatività senza limiti.

I personaggi sono tutti ben caratterizzati e le descrizioni, sono così ben particolareggiati da rendere “quasi” superflue le illustrazioni. Dico quasi perché, a mio avviso, di fronte soprattutto alle creature Darwiniste hanno fatto benissimo raffigurarle farcendo loro perdere quell’alone di intangibile che avvolgeva l’immagine mentale che ci potevamo essere creati fino a quel momento.

Lo stile è scorrevole, intrigante e molto pulito; assolutamente godibile e mai scontato. Forse dipende dal fatto che non ho letto molti libri steampunk (e quindi non ho molti metri di paragone) ma non sono riuscita a trovare pecche dal punto di vista della trama che scorre tranquilla e avvincente senza cadere mai in pessimi trucchi da “Si era salvato e non sapeva nemmeno lui come aveva fatto…”, per dirne uno. Sarà che da Scott Westerfeld non mi aspettavo assolutamente niente di meno.

Molti hanno asserito che questo non è il vero steampunk, probabile. Come ho già detto non ho molti metri di paragoni anche se so che, nello steampunk si tende ad inserire parti animali e meccaniche anche negli esseri umani (non è strano trovarci di fronte a umani con i tentacoli, per dirne una). Ma, nonostante ciò questo steampunk, diciamo, all’acqua di rose è riuscito a catturare tutta la mia attenzione e attendo con ansia il prossimo libro che uscirà, salvo complicazioni, a ottobre.

Unica nota negativa? Il prezzo direi, anche se ci sono alcune cose da precisare.

Il libro conta 400 pagine (anche se appare più piccolo a primo impatto), è illustrato magnificamente e rilegato meglio. Diciamo che “pesa” da morire e leggerlo a letto, a pancia in su, stanca da morire (con che cosa l’hanno rilegato? Piombo? °-°) ma non stiamo a sottilizzare troppo.

Diciamo che il prezzo, in generale, è assolutamente esoso per un libro. MA, sinceramente, viste le schifezze approssimative che ci propinano a 20,00€ altre case editrici solo perché sono di moda (o disgraziatamente perché sono di un esordiente - non chiedetemi la logica in ciò, vi prego -), posso dire che in questo caso, la cura assoluta di tutto il libro mi permette, non dico di chiudere un occhio, ma almeno di non perderci il sonno. Il prezzo è alto, io infatti l’ho preso scontato, ma di fatto l’avrei preso anche a 20,00€ perché, per un volta, per una cifra assurda ci avrei preso un libro, se non altro, assolutamente presentabile.(less)

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About Scott Westerfeld

Scott Westerfeld is a New York Times bestselling American-born author of YA sci-fi literature. He was born in the Texas and now lives in Sydney and New York City. In 2001, Westerfeld married fellow author Justine Larbalestier.
His book Evolution's Darling was a New York Times Notable Book, and won a Special Citation for the 2000 Philip K. Dick Award. So Yesterday won a Victorian Premier's Awa...more

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“Maybe this was how you stayed sane in wartime: a handful of noble deeds amid the chaos. ” — 85 people liked it

“And a special thanks for not burning up the whole ship. Including yourself, you daft bum-rag.” — 60 people liked it

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