Mar 20, 2014

"Behemoth" by Scott Westerfeld


Title: Behemoth

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Series: Leviathan, #2


My rating: 5 of 5


(Book read from March 9th to March 1oth, 2014.)
  
 

Summary:


 
The Behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker Powers.
 
Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

 Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.
 
 


My Thoughts on the Book:



It was oh so long ago (in 2010), when I started to fall in love with the steampunk genre, and I read the first book in the Leviathan trilogy - Leviathan. And finally, I decided it's time to finish this trilogy. So, of course, this warranted another read of the first book, so I'll get the maximum of the story & its world.
 
Once again, I adored Leviathan. Even though I knew the story, I still couldn't help but get enchanted once again by the wondrous steampunk world the author had created and marvel at it. The whole Darwinists & Clankers technology (especially the Darwinists) is so imaginative, and I loved it! And of course, once again I loved the story & the characters, so the moment I finished rereading Leviathan, I jumped right into the 2nd book Behemoth, and I wasn't disappointed.

I'll try not to get into details, because I don't want to spoil the story to anyone, but I was definitely surprised of the way the story developed, it was unexpected & adventurous, and I loved every second of it.

First, I have to say, I adore the Leviathan. We get to see & learn more about how it operates, and I'm still amazed by it & the imagination of it, so wonderful & unique. I would love to get a ride on a ship like that.

Next, I love that we got to "meet" more of the steampunk world, the way it operates in another country, it was so interesting & fun, and I loved meeting the new characters, which were another delight. 

But, the most wonderful thing in this book was the hatching of the first of the beasties from the mysterious eggs - the perspicacious loris named Bovril. I adored Bovril, he/it was so adorable & made me laugh, especially every time when he said "Mr.Sharp", and chuckled, I did, too :D And of course, once again I loved Alek & Deryn as characters, though if I have to choose, Deryn is definitely my most fav character (after Bovril). She's so brave & smart, and inovative, and loyal, and amazing.

In Behemoth, the story was a mix of adventure, war, politics & scheming, humour & action, set in one world full of genius inventions, that will keep you hooked until its very end, and leave you wanting for more, and I can't recommend enough this book, as well as the Levithan trilogy!
 
 

Challenges:

 

2 comments:

  1. This is a series that I need to read at some point. I'm glad that it stood up to a reread.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AGH - my mother's comment eating computer struck again! Long comment short, my favourite part of this series by far was the way Westerfeld dealt with steampunk by adding in the Darwinism aspect.

    ReplyDelete