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|---|---|---|
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | CD YA Fic Westerfeld, S. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"The request line for the sequel can start forming now."*
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.
"...Westerfeld's brilliantly constructed imaginary world will capture readers from the first page. Full of nonstop action, this steampunk adventure is sure to become a classic."
-School Library Journal , starred review of Leviathan
*BCCB
Author Notes
Scott Westerfeld was born in Dallas, Texas on May 5, 1963. He received a degree in philosophy from Vassar College in 1985. Before becoming a full time writer, he held several jobs including factory worker, software designer, editor, and substitute teacher. His works for young adults include the Uglies series, the Midnighters series, and The Last Days. He is the co-author of the Zeroes series written with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti. He also writes science fiction novels for adults. He has won numerous awards including a Special Citation for the 2000 Philip K. Dick Award for Evolution's Darling, a Victorian Premier's Award for So Yesterday, and an Aurealis Award for The Secret Hour.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-The team of Scott Westerfeld and Alan Cumming keep the action literally flying along in this spellbinding sequel (2010) to Leviathan (2009, both Simon Pulse). As the story opens, Deryn (an English Darwinist) is still posing as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service and still dealing with her feelings for fugitive Prince Alek (an Austrian Clanker). The Leviathan is headed for Istanbul, and both Deryn and Alek hope they can end a bloody battle that has been brewing throughout Europe. Of course nothing goes as planned, and the two face great danger in order to save those they care about. Westerfeld's ingenious juxtaposition of factual events of World War II with the fantastic (steampunk) is brought to life with Alan Cumming's spot-on vocalization. He rivals the superb veteran narrator Jim Dale in his ability to take on all types of characters both human and inhuman. Though his German/Austrian accent is a bit on the theatrical side, it still works perfectly, and his ability to change his inflection for each character is incredible-from the sly and cunning Count Vulgar to the confused yet determined Alek. His Scottish brogue for Deryn, posing as Dylan, is also pitch perfect as he imbues the character with just the right amount of innocence and street smarts. Listeners are sure to be captivated and will be left clamoring for more.-Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The action is nonstop in Westerfeld's thrilling sequel to last year's Leviathan-fans of that book won't be disappointed. It's 1914 in the author's alternate world, the great powers are moving toward full-scale war, and Deryn, still posing as a boy, has found a place as a midshipman aboard the gigantic, living British airship Leviathan as it sails east on its secret mission to Istanbul. When Austria-Hungary enters the conflict, her friend Alek, the runaway heir to that empire, realizes that he must escape from the airship to avoid imprisonment, giving Deryn "a chance not just to help Alek but to change the course of the whole barking war." Battles abound between eccentric fighting machines and even stranger fabricated "beasties" as Deryn and Alek prove their courage and ingenuity while putting themselves in harm's way. This exciting and inventive tale of military conflict and wildly reimagined history should captivate a wide range of readers. Thompson's evocative and detailed spot art (as well as the luridly gorgeous endpapers) only sweetens the deal. Ages 12-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
When Leviathan (rev. 11/09) ended, unlikely friends Alek and Deryn were aboard the eponymous airship headed to Constantinople, hoping to rally support from the neutral Ottoman Empire for the Darwinist cause before their enemies, the Clankers, could sway the sultan's allegiance. In this second entry in the trilogy, the negotiations are not going well. Deryn, posing as a boy in the Darwinist British Air Service, and Alek, a secret prince and heir to the Clanker Austrian-Hungarian throne, must join forces with a revolutionary group attempting to overthrow the Ottoman sultan to "change the course of the whole barking war" -- and hopefully save the Leviathan from destruction so it can introduce a new Darwinist weapon: the behemoth. Along the way, Deryn and Alek discover answers to questions from the first book (such as the identity of Dr. Barlow's secret eggs, although the creatures' purpose remains a mystery), but the ending appropriately leaves much unanswered leading into the final book. Westerfeld is a master of steampunk, and this second book flows more smoothly than the first, providing plenty of action, humor, and intrigue while also building on his alternate history of World War I. Thompson's illustrations once again clarify the appearance of Westerfeld's new machines and fabricated creatures, continuing a collaboration that makes this blending of past and present technologies an entertaining, and even somewhat educational, read. cynthia k. ritter (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this sequel to Leviathan (2009), Deryn and Alek foment revolution at the onset of the Great War. They both have secrets: Deryn, a girl in disguise, serves on a living airship; Alek is secretly heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Alek ends up in Istanbul after a cinematic escape from the airship, while Deryn is stranded there after a top-secret mission. The two discover a city caught between Clanker and Darwinist powers, a city using machines and engines as the Germans do but tremulously allied to the beastie-manufacturing British. Alek and Deryn join the intrigues of a multi-ethnic secret society seeking to overthrow the Sultan. It's a racketing adventure, packed with genetically engineered beasties, human-looking machines and nosy American reporters. Though subject to all the weaknesses of steampunk--an exotic East that owes more to Orientalism than to accuracy; a romantic and exciting interpretation of exceedingly dark historical periods--it also showcases the genre's strengths: gleeful battles, well-appointed airships, wee clockwork library helpers and sea monsters. Keith Thompson's lively black-and-white illustrations suit perfectly. (Steampunk. 12-15)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Things slow down just a wee bit in this sequel to the WWI alt-history Leviathan (2009). Here, the focus shifts more onto wartime politicking than smash-dash battling, but Westerfeld maintains a steady influx of the series' real strength the superbly imagined mechanical contraptions and genetically crafted creatures. The bulk of the story takes place in Istanbul, as both the Clankers (Austria-Hungary and Germany) and Darwinists (England and Russia) are intent on swaying the Ottoman Empire in their favor. British midshipman Deryn (still disguised as a boy) and Prince Alek (heir-in-hiding to the throne of Austria-Hungary) continue to find themselves squarely in the thick of things en route to a nicely tied-together climax featuring the title beastie. Anyone needing a good visual for what makes steampunk so alluring should look no further than Thompson's intricate illustrations black, white, and gray rarely look so vivid. Although there are messages about the futility of war and a burgeoning love story, this is first and foremost a high-concept action series, and Westerfeld knows how to pound a pulse while tickling the imagination.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist