| Title : Leviathan Author : Scott Westerfeld Reading Dates : 5 Apr - 7 Apr 2011 |   |
| Leviathan | |
| The books in the series | |
| From Amazon : | |
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. | |
Book Review of Leviathan.
I loved Leviathan and have added the rest of the books in the series to my wish list. My only regret at reading this now is the long wait until the next books are available to me.
Leviathan starts off alternating between the 2 viewpoints of the main characters, Alek and Deryn. If I have any complaints at all about the way the story is told, it’s that Deryn’s story doesn’t seem really exciting when contrasted against Alek’s in the beginning. It is only when the Leviathan is attacked that Deryn’s story really takes off. So, for the earlier stages, it was the intrigue and danger surrounding Alek as he and his guardians go on the run that had me clamoring for more. At that point, whenever the tale switched to Deryn’s viewpoint, the pace of the storytelling dropped and left me very impatient to skip it altogether.
What I did love about it was the world that Alek and Deryn lives in. In this case, it is Deryn or the Darwinist side that leaves me fascinated. The idea of living machines had me wondering if maybe this was something we had to look forward to in our own futures. The possibilities there seemed endless, whether the arguments for or against but imagine a living, breathing ecosystem serving as a means of transportation … perhaps this would be the way to go to save our planet ? Compared to this, the Clankers weren’t as extraordinary though.
The other reason to love the book is Alek. Deryn hasn’t quite come into her own yet, but I have high hopes yet. She does seem to be changing as the book progresses whereas Alek had to grow up very early on in the tale. Alek is no spoiled child but he has lived a very insulated life. Watching him make difficult decisions and weighing his responsibilities certainly has me rooting for him to triumph in the end.
This is definitely a series I’m looking forward to reading.
I loved Leviathan and have added the rest of the books in the series to my wish list. My only regret at reading this now is the long wait until the next books are available to me.
Leviathan starts off alternating between the 2 viewpoints of the main characters, Alek and Deryn. If I have any complaints at all about the way the story is told, it’s that Deryn’s story doesn’t seem really exciting when contrasted against Alek’s in the beginning. It is only when the Leviathan is attacked that Deryn’s story really takes off. So, for the earlier stages, it was the intrigue and danger surrounding Alek as he and his guardians go on the run that had me clamoring for more. At that point, whenever the tale switched to Deryn’s viewpoint, the pace of the storytelling dropped and left me very impatient to skip it altogether.
What I did love about it was the world that Alek and Deryn lives in. In this case, it is Deryn or the Darwinist side that leaves me fascinated. The idea of living machines had me wondering if maybe this was something we had to look forward to in our own futures. The possibilities there seemed endless, whether the arguments for or against but imagine a living, breathing ecosystem serving as a means of transportation … perhaps this would be the way to go to save our planet ? Compared to this, the Clankers weren’t as extraordinary though.
The other reason to love the book is Alek. Deryn hasn’t quite come into her own yet, but I have high hopes yet. She does seem to be changing as the book progresses whereas Alek had to grow up very early on in the tale. Alek is no spoiled child but he has lived a very insulated life. Watching him make difficult decisions and weighing his responsibilities certainly has me rooting for him to triumph in the end.
This is definitely a series I’m looking forward to reading.
My conclusions :
- Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
- Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.
- Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
- Who would I recommend this too? Steampunk, fantasy or adventure fans.
- For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? I'm reserving judgement for now. But if the rest of the series is as good, then this one is definitely a keeper.
One of the best things about the book is that the world seems soooo out there and fantastical at first, but when you think about it...really advanced machines and DNA splicing? Not that crazy. I love the way he pushed the boundaries!
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