Book Review: Goliath

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: Leviathan #3
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Pages: 543
Read it in: 3 days
Source: The library

Summary: Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies.

The tension thickens as the Leviathan steams toward New York City with a homicidal lunatic on board: secrets suddenly unravel, characters reappear, and nothing is at it seems in this thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s brilliant trilogy.

LC's Take:

What else can I really say about this series that I haven't said already? It is absolutely-- incredible. It's one of those series that you just can't put into words how good it is, so all you can really say to your fellow readers is: "PLEASE!! Go out and get these books, you will love them!!

In this last installment, Deryn and Alek are sailing on the Leviathan towards Siberia, where they meet the famous inventor, Nicola Tesla. In this alternate history, Tesla turns out to be a maniacal genius who has created a weapon of mass destruction called "Goliath," which he plans on using-- hopefully only as a scare tactic-- to stop the war. But in the meantime, the Leviathan has to bring Mr. Tesla back to New York City in order to end once and for all the Great War, begun by Alec's own noble family. And so the last piece of the Leviathan's whirlwind adventure begins...

Deryn is probably one of the most endearing characters I have ever read about. You just can't help but love her. Disguised as a boy so that she can join the Air Service and go off to fight in the war, Deryn is all spirit, strength and heart, with a quick-witted tongue and dare-devilish attitude. A girl who was born to be an airman and a soldier, Deryn has overcome all odds to save lives and stop revolutions, while secretly falling in love with her comrade on Leviathan, Alek, heir to the Astro-Hungarian throne.

The world -building of Goliath, like the other two books before it, is both flawless and effortless. I mean it is just so well-done that you start thinking the world must be real, because there is nothing fake or forced about it. Everything is wonderfully imaginative and complete, down to the last detail.

Another thing I love about this series, and that I noticed especially in this book, is that the airship itself has become a character-- this is truly a testament to what an amazing author Scott Westerfeld is, that he can take inanimate objects and create them into characters, that you actually know you are going to miss when you leave them behind. Think about how J.K. Rowling created Hogwarts to be like a character, and you'll get the idea.

This is one of those series that I fell in love with in the first few chapters, and never wanted it to end. I know that I will look forward to reading them again one day, and am positive that I will love them just as much!

~Cover Talk~

I absolutely LOVE the cover for Goliath. I mean, I've liked pretty much all the covers in this series, but I really love being able to see Alek and Deryn's characters in real-life-- and when I look at this cover, I think to myself, yeah that probably is how they look! The artwork in this series is incredible, and I can't say enough good things about Kent Thomas and his illustrations. This cover, like the one for Leviathan and Behemoth before it, really do the story justice in my opinion!

LC's Rating:

I could only give this final book in an amazing series 5 stars, and it totally deserves it! I would absolutely recommend these books to pretty much anyone who loves to read-- they will take you away to another world and not let you go until the very last page, only to leave you wanting more!

Book Review: Dearly, Departed

Author: Lia Habel
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Series: Dearly #1
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Pages: 470
Read it in: 2 weeks
Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Summary: Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, steampunk meets romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

LC's Take:

Want to know why this book was awesome? Two words: Victorian zombies. Oh yes, you heard me right.

Victorian.

Zombies.

I think that we can all agree that that alone makes this book a must-read, but there's plenty more to love about Dearly, Departed-- starting with the amazing, multi-dimensional characters. Nora Dearly is the heroine of the story, a proper New-Victorian girl living in the year 2194. The perfect mix of spirited stubbornness and genuine loyalty to her friends, Nora's character was definitely able to stand on its own without leaning on the love-interest. (Although Bram was also amazing, and we'll get to him in just a minute!) I loved that Nora wasn't afraid to speak her mind or fight for those she cares about-- and she had a sense of humor too, which made it a lot of fun to read from her perspective!

Bram was Nora's zombie love interest, and seriously the cutest thing ever. For being a dead guy, he totally beats a lot of other living guys I've read about lately in YA, no joke. His sweet, innocent attachment to Nora and his thoughts about how he can impress her were so freaking adorable, and I also loved his loyalty and bravery as he fights to save his friends, who are dead but still human. And speaking of, Bram's friends and the rest of the Z-Camp zombie crew were all fun, quirky, and a little creepy-- definitely a great mix of characters to read about!

I've heard some other people say this too, but I'm going to repeat it because it was a refreshing change of pace: the romance was not overdone. I feel like in a lot of YA books, the romance overwhelms the rest of the story and even the characters get lost because the only thing you know about them is that they are so head-over-heels in love. But Dearly, Departed had much more of a story behind it-- with politics, war, rebellions, social upheaval-- all of which created plot conflict without depending solely on an unbelievable or angsty teen love story. Oh! And also-- there are NO love triangles!! Woohoo, that alone earns this book big ratings in my book!

The world building was fascinatingly dark and beautiful, if a bit overwhelming at times. Lia Habel created a completely new type of setting that was both futuristic and old-fashioned at the same time. I loved reading about New Victoria and the camp where the undead lived, and all the politics surrounding the New Victorians and the Punks really made things seem complete. I felt like there was so much detail that I could really picture the world that the story took place in.

The only major problem that I had with this book was that the narrative was somewhat choppy, due to the fact that it's told through 5 different perspectives:  Nora, Bram, Nora's friend Pamela, Nora's father Victor, and evil Captain Wolfe. I liked reading from Nora, Pamela and Bram's perspectives, but I didn't care enough about Victor and Wolfe to even remember what was going on with them, so that made following the entire story kind of tricky. My recommendation, if you do decide to read this book, is to not read it on and off like I did-- there's just too much to keep track of, and if you stop and try picking it up again a bunch of times, you might have to backtrack a lot to figure out where you were. I found that when I was able to sit down for longer periods of time, I was able to get much more out of the story.

Dearly, Departed was a really fun and unique book that crossed over into several different genres. The story itself was dark and creepy, but had light-hearted humor and a cute love story to balance what would otherwise had been a bit of a grim and depressing read. The action and adventure added to the memorable characters and intricate world building. Even though this book took me forever to read, I thought it was worth it, and I know that many YA readers out there are going to really love this one!

~Cover Talk~

This is such a gorgeous cover! I love the monochrome colors, and the graveyard in the background gives the whole book a creepy, eerie feel. Also, how much do you love the outfit Nora's character is wearing?? **I want!** Finally, I think the font type for the title fits in perfectly with the Victorian theme. Altogether, this cover definitely captures the dark, Gothic mood of the book.

LC's Rating:

An awesome Neo-Victorian, Steampunk adventure with lots of action and zombies and proper young ladies kicking undead butt! While a bit of a lengthy read, Dearly Departed was totally worth it thanks to the awesome characters and amazing world-building.

Book Review: Behemoth

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: September 25, 2010
Pages: 496
Read it in: 3 days

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.

LC's Take: 

What can I say? Scott Westerfeld has me totally hooked. I LOVE this series! The first book, Leviathan, was amazing, and Behemoth, its sequel, does not disappoint. In fact, if anything, I liked Behemoth even more, since I already knew the characters and the back-story to the plot. Sometimes it's difficult to get into the first book of a series because there's so much explanation and things to remember, but with Behemoth, I could easily get right into the action-packed story.

The year is 1914 and WWI has begun: British and Russian "Darwinists" against German and Austro-Hungarian "Clankers." The Darwinists have their fabricated creatures while the Clankers fight with their iron machinery. In the midst of the Great War, two friends from opposite sides are brought together by fate: Deryn, a girl disguised as a boy to fight for the British Air Service, and Alek, son of the murdered Archduke Franz Ferdinand and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire...

OK, so first of all, I love Deryn and Alek, the two main characters. They're both great by themselves, but put them together and their personalities compliment and play off of one another perfectly. Deryn is sharp-witted, and fearless with a tough exterior, while Alek is slightly haughty and sheltered but compassionate and always ready to take on his new role as future-emperor. You could really see their friendship grow  in this book, with Alek becoming more of an active leader in the war, and Deryn having to struggle with whether or not to tell Alek that she's actually a girl-- that was very interesting to follow!

Westerfeld's inventions and world-building are pure genius, and the illustrations by Keith Thompson, once again, are absolutely stunning and add so much to this book. I really can't believe how talented both the author and the illustrator are, or how closely their imaginations line up to create a completely fantastic yet believable world.

Also-- I said the same thing about Leviathan, but I'll say it again-- if you aren't the type of reader who usually goes for books about wars and guns and machines, don't get scared away by the plot summaries for this series. Honestly, when I started Leviathan I thought I'd either hate it or be bored to tears, because WWI doesn't interest me at all. But Westerfeld is such an incredibly talented writer that I was pretty much dragged into the story before I knew what was happening! Now I'm practically devouring these books.

I really can't say how much I loved this book, and this series. It was just so much fun, and so easy to read-- the characters, the witty dialogue that made me laugh out loud, and the crazy action-packed plot all made Behemoth such an awesome book. If you haven't ever read anything by Scott Westerfeld, I would highly recommend giving him a shot. This series in particular has far exceeded any expectations I had for it, and I can't wait to get into Goliath!

LC's Rating:

Westerfeld's effortless ability to create vivid worlds and unforgettable characters had me hooked from beginning to end. I loved this book!

Book Review: Leviathan

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Pages: 440
Read it in: 4 days

Summary: It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

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

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way... taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change their lives forever.

LC's Take: 

I am really surprised by how much I loved this book. When I first read the summary, I wasn't terribly enthralled-- WWI has never interested me in the slightest and to be honest, it just sounded too much like a "boy's book." But I thought, well, I will give this a shot, and see if it surprises me. In any case, I like challenging myself to read something completely different from what I am used to. In this case, I am really glad I did because this book was totally badass. 

Leviathan was an action-packed adventure from the first chapter-- I'm talking guns, battles, machines, escapes-- the whole bit. Scott Westerfeld is such an awesome writer that I was able to get completely caught up in the story. WWI tactics and diplomacy were mixed in with Steampunk machinery and an awesome range of memorable characters. I loved Alek, the 15-year old heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was in that awkward phase between being a boy and a man, but his courage and heart shone through. And Deryn? OMG she was THE BEST! Finally, here is a strong female heroine where the author shows you her strength, bravery, humor and charisma. Incorrigible and independent, Deryn disguises herself as a boy to enter the British Air Service. She has a spirit and style all her own, and this has made her one of my new favorite characters! Dr. Barlow, the female Darwin scientist who is the crux of the Leviathan's mission was also a great character-- smart though somewhat annoying and bossy, she is another example of amazing characterization.

The world-building in Leviathan was incredible. Whether it was being on board the giant living Darwinist airship made out of a huge living whale and other "beasties," floating thousands of feet in the air, or inside the "Clanker" Stormwalker made of iron-- Westerfeld paints his Steampunk inventions and creations with words. And as an added bonus, this book had illustrations! How cool is that? These were amazing, and they added that much more to the story being told. (The one to the right is a pic of the Leviathan airship!)

Because Leviathan is a Steampunk novel, it is also an alternate history, telling a story based on historical fact but changing things around by asking the question "What if so-and-so had happened?" What if Darwin had discovered DNA and science was advanced enough to fabricate new creatures? What if technology was far enough along to build walking machines? As Scott says in his Afterword, "That is the nature of Steampunk-- blending future and past." I for one, loved it.

If you are looking for a good action-adventure with incredible world-building, unforgettable characters and humor sprinkled throughout, I would totally recommend you read this book! Don't let the synopsis scare you away-- even if it doesn't sound like a plot you would normally be interested in, I would give it a chance anyways-- I am so happy that I did!

LC's Rating:

Leviathan was a smart, fast-paced Steampunk adventure that left me wanting more-- Scott Westerfeld is such an amazing writer, and I can't wait to read the other books in this series!