Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Realising I’d done nothing for the site for ages, I stuck this out as “personal filler” last Tuesday. Re-reading it before 10 at night gave me a clearer view of the mistakes I’d made, so I’d like to take another shot. This time, with pictures, with references, with proper spelling and an actual title!
Having read Hagel’s great review of the Young Adult book “I Shall Wear Midnight” and Chris’s review of one my childhood favourites, Redwall, I thought I would contribute a younger person’s book of my own, leant to me by a housemate at University.
The book in question is Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan. And what a book it is! I know that this is rapidly becoming cliché for me but this book is yet another triumph of creativity. The tale is an epic of Alternate History, re-telling the events leading up to World War One and the way it was thought with some excellent characters, action sequences and a mix of reality and fiction which is truly enthralling.
It’s always a good start when a book introduces you to a new genre. For me, this was my first encounter with Dieslpunk- the offspring of Steampunk but taking the internal combustion to its next step in the time frame from 1914-1950, including all the hopes and fears of the era along with some evolution of what was proposed. Representing this side are the Clankers, loosely in line with the Central Powers and formed, initially, of Germany and Austria Hungary. Their world is one of machine and technology, with everything mechanised as far as possible. This includes robotic horses at one end, then goes up zeppelins at the other, as would be expected of an advanced Germanic race. However, it doesn’t stop their. Being a Dieselpunk genre, this takes it to the next stage. Prepare to meet a giant walking tank, then encounter the machines that make it look tiny!
However, as the map below hints, the Dieselpunk world is only half the story.
In the centre, designated by mechanisms, are the Clanker nations. Surrounding them are the Darwinist (England, France and Russia) forces. The Darwinists, as their name hints, don’t believe in machines. Seeing the horror of londons smogs, Charles Darwin ushered in a new era, where gene engineering made living creatures to cater to all needs, from communication to warfare. Bringing us back to the main story is the titular Leviathan, a FLYING WHALE which is armed and maintained by its human crew, alongside a literal ecosystem of engineered animals which, as long as they are kept fed, will regenerate themselves and the ship. The leviathan is tasked with a mission- deliver a mysterious crate to the Ottoman Empire, currently teetering between joining the war or staying out.
On board the Leviathan, after a training accident, is Midshipman Dylan Sharp. Or midshipwoman Deryn Sharp, given her true name. For she is a girl, running away to fight for her nation in the air where she has always felt at home in.
On the ground and on the run is Alex, a hypothetical son of the assassinated archduke of Austria-Hungary and pursued by German forces who want to make sure he can’t take the throne and put Austria-Hungary out of the war.
The book tells the tale of the events leading up to their lives colliding and the events thereafter. The book is laden from end to end with action and creativity. The entire book is beautifully illustrated by Keith Wormwood, bringing life to the machines and “beasties” visually, supporting the excellent words that Scott Westerfeld describes everything with. Theirs plenty of intrigue, plenty of hard choices and plenty of originality, be it creature like the Leviathan or the entire code of “swearing*” that has been invented for the book to run as young adult.
The main characters aren’t quite as strong as the world they are in, but are still fun. Deryn is lively as the Scottish lassie, working her way into the world but Alex can come over slightly flat as the “Posh boy in a new world”, but he warms markedly as the story goes. The start of the book, from his perspective, is also great a sets the stage well. Stealing that stage in places is the eccentric Dr Barlow, the “Boffin” behind the leviathans mission with her pet Tasmanian Tiger, Tazza**.
So, overall, what would I say? Great! The books enjoyable from end to end and rings with adventure, action and intrigue. It also leaves you begging for a sequal, which has (since I initially wrote this in November… oops!) arrived and is also an epic, building on the world of Leviathan and stomping away. It’s almost worth reading the good book to get to its sequal, which has the Best First Chapters Ever award. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Leviathan is clever, funny and a great entry to Alternate History from the author behind the best-selling Uglies quadrilology.
All the best for now.
Kerl
*Think the use of the word “Cuss” in Fantastic Mr Foxes film or “Womps” in Recess.
**Yes, they have used the gene tech to restore endangered or extinct species. War-Mammoths, anyone?
Notes:
• Anyone expecting something like Terry Pratchetts “Monstrous Regiment” will possibly be disappointed, depending on what they thought of that book. Leviathan definitely paces Pratchett for imagination, even if without the depth Pratchett plays to across his series.
• You could listen to this in the background http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPH1OoTobtk. I’m certainly playing it a lot! It’s not a Rickroll. It’s Abney Park, the mighty SteamPunk band with Airship Pirates. Up, up and away!
Having read Hagel’s great review of the Young Adult book “I Shall Wear Midnight” and Chris’s review of one my childhood favourites, Redwall, I thought I would contribute a younger person’s book of my own, leant to me by a housemate at University.
The book in question is Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan. And what a book it is! I know that this is rapidly becoming cliché for me but this book is yet another triumph of creativity. The tale is an epic of Alternate History, re-telling the events leading up to World War One and the way it was thought with some excellent characters, action sequences and a mix of reality and fiction which is truly enthralling.
It’s always a good start when a book introduces you to a new genre. For me, this was my first encounter with Dieslpunk- the offspring of Steampunk but taking the internal combustion to its next step in the time frame from 1914-1950, including all the hopes and fears of the era along with some evolution of what was proposed. Representing this side are the Clankers, loosely in line with the Central Powers and formed, initially, of Germany and Austria Hungary. Their world is one of machine and technology, with everything mechanised as far as possible. This includes robotic horses at one end, then goes up zeppelins at the other, as would be expected of an advanced Germanic race. However, it doesn’t stop their. Being a Dieselpunk genre, this takes it to the next stage. Prepare to meet a giant walking tank, then encounter the machines that make it look tiny!
However, as the map below hints, the Dieselpunk world is only half the story.
In the centre, designated by mechanisms, are the Clanker nations. Surrounding them are the Darwinist (England, France and Russia) forces. The Darwinists, as their name hints, don’t believe in machines. Seeing the horror of londons smogs, Charles Darwin ushered in a new era, where gene engineering made living creatures to cater to all needs, from communication to warfare. Bringing us back to the main story is the titular Leviathan, a FLYING WHALE which is armed and maintained by its human crew, alongside a literal ecosystem of engineered animals which, as long as they are kept fed, will regenerate themselves and the ship. The leviathan is tasked with a mission- deliver a mysterious crate to the Ottoman Empire, currently teetering between joining the war or staying out.
On board the Leviathan, after a training accident, is Midshipman Dylan Sharp. Or midshipwoman Deryn Sharp, given her true name. For she is a girl, running away to fight for her nation in the air where she has always felt at home in.
On the ground and on the run is Alex, a hypothetical son of the assassinated archduke of Austria-Hungary and pursued by German forces who want to make sure he can’t take the throne and put Austria-Hungary out of the war.
The book tells the tale of the events leading up to their lives colliding and the events thereafter. The book is laden from end to end with action and creativity. The entire book is beautifully illustrated by Keith Wormwood, bringing life to the machines and “beasties” visually, supporting the excellent words that Scott Westerfeld describes everything with. Theirs plenty of intrigue, plenty of hard choices and plenty of originality, be it creature like the Leviathan or the entire code of “swearing*” that has been invented for the book to run as young adult.
The main characters aren’t quite as strong as the world they are in, but are still fun. Deryn is lively as the Scottish lassie, working her way into the world but Alex can come over slightly flat as the “Posh boy in a new world”, but he warms markedly as the story goes. The start of the book, from his perspective, is also great a sets the stage well. Stealing that stage in places is the eccentric Dr Barlow, the “Boffin” behind the leviathans mission with her pet Tasmanian Tiger, Tazza**.
So, overall, what would I say? Great! The books enjoyable from end to end and rings with adventure, action and intrigue. It also leaves you begging for a sequal, which has (since I initially wrote this in November… oops!) arrived and is also an epic, building on the world of Leviathan and stomping away. It’s almost worth reading the good book to get to its sequal, which has the Best First Chapters Ever award. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Leviathan is clever, funny and a great entry to Alternate History from the author behind the best-selling Uglies quadrilology.
All the best for now.
Kerl
*Think the use of the word “Cuss” in Fantastic Mr Foxes film or “Womps” in Recess.
**Yes, they have used the gene tech to restore endangered or extinct species. War-Mammoths, anyone?
Notes:
• Anyone expecting something like Terry Pratchetts “Monstrous Regiment” will possibly be disappointed, depending on what they thought of that book. Leviathan definitely paces Pratchett for imagination, even if without the depth Pratchett plays to across his series.
• You could listen to this in the background http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPH1OoTobtk. I’m certainly playing it a lot! It’s not a Rickroll. It’s Abney Park, the mighty SteamPunk band with Airship Pirates. Up, up and away!
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