Book Review: Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Summary

After their success in assisting the people of Istanbul I overthrowing their sultan and forming a republic, Alek and Deryn ind their position aboard the Leviathan to be shaky. The world knows who Alek is now, and being a Clanker prince aboard a Darwinist ship has put him in a precarious position. What will the British do with him? Keep him prisoner? Make a puppet of an emperor out of him? And how much longer can Deryn keep up her charade of being a boy? Someone other than Count Volger is bound to find out eventually?

The Leviathan’s trip is detoured to pick up a stranded inventor by the name of Nikola Tesla, the man who has supposedly tamed lightning. Tesla’s new weapon, Goliath, could end the war, or so he claims. All it is going to take is a single firing…

That's my summary. Here's the one I pulled from amazon.com

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.

Context

World War I is warming up, but our characters seem to be constantly on the fringes of things, manipulating (or trying to manipulate) the outcome of the war from the outside. Alek and Deryn don’t see serious ground combat, but being in an airship doesn’t really allow itself to getting involved in ground combat. We do see air and even marine battles, exploring Clanker technology and Darwinist fabricated beasts in combat. Just seeing how the different perspective— how technology could have been— puts the war in a completely different light. Even seeing how different countries’ cultures effect how the same technologies are used is amazing. Different Darwinist countries create different beasts, for example.

What we’re seeing in Goliath is how sides are fighting to bring America into a war that is already raging in Europe. It is a wonderful take on war without involving serious, gory battles.

Style

As the final installment of the trilogy, there isn’t a whole lot I can say about Goliath that wasn’t already said in my review of Leviathan and Behemoth. Westerfeld’s writing style is consistent and strong, with very clear action and characterization techniques that are easy to read yet fully pull the reader into the world. Even with little knowledge of history (I am just NOT a fan of history) I recognized at least names and the basic events. You don’t need to be a WWI buff to get what’s going on here. Casual name dropping, like a single mention of Thomas Edison, was a little chocolate chunk in the cookie that is this novel. There are so many little tidbits that are enjoyable that it’s like getting peppered with inside jokes while reading. It makes for some very pleasant little moments.

My Thoughts

Goliath was a perfect close to an amazing trilogy. The plot specific to the novel itself is complete and individual, while the overarcing plot of the whole trilogy is moved forward at the same comfortable pace established in the first two books. It’s a satisfying mesh of trilogy plot and book plot keeps the reader from getting bored at any moment, and the introduction of how things are in America just added to the fun— at least for me, as an American reader. It was like coming home. I couldn’t wait to see how America developed under its mixing of Darwinist and Clanker influences. Mention of there still being lines drawn from the Civil War— a war that was mentioned as still going on, at least in some ways, for over 50 years now— was so intriguing to me that I could hardly contain myself. I would be ecstatic if Westerfeld wrote a book or two about the American Civil War in this alternate history world. Westerfeld has completely earned my respect and awe in his writing of this trilogy, and I am sad to be finished with it.

Would I Recommend This Book? As with the previous two novels of the trilogy, absolutely! You can’t leave the trilogy unfinished! This will give you amazing closure on the characters, a fitting end to an amazing journey. I would say I can’t pick a favorite book out of the trilogy, but I think that would be a lie. If I had to rate them, it would be Leviathan, Goliath, Behemoth. But know that the spread between them is slim. They are perfect compliments to one another and are worth a read for anyone. I give Goliath a secret-revealing 4 out of 5 stars.

For the trilogy as a whole, I give a hydrogen-breathing 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on the author, visit http://scottwesterfeld.com/

Book Review: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Summary

Alek and Deryn are finally about to reach Istanbul aboard the Leviathan, one of Britain's largest and most recognizable living airships. The Ottoman Empire is quite possibly the most valuable tactical position in the war, and it's currently holding out from declaring which side it's on.

Alek's position is still precarious. Among enemies, he's afraid his identity will be revealed. When one of the mysterious Darwinist eggs hatches at the worst possible time, he has no choice but to take the newborn creature with him while he escapes from the Leviathan. In the meantime, Deryn is assigned a mission that could turn the tide of the war.

Circumstances turn against both as they are separated from their people and end up alone in Istanbul. Can the revolutionaries there help them turn the war in their favor? And what are they going to do if they learn Alek's secret?

That's my summary. Here's the one I pulled from amazon.com

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.

Context

Like Leviathan, Behemoth is set right smack in WW(I?), with an alternate history that has spawned two schools of technology: Darwinists and Clankers. This is a wonderful alternative history, a big WHAT IF in Europe at wartime. The effects of these changes on the real events of the war (which aren't particularly gone into) make a lot of sense, how the world powers interact and gripe at one another. The fullness of culture and how it's built around the technological systems is amazing, creating a real, functioning world not too different from ours... until you look up and see a fabricated beast or Clanker machine.

Style

I'm still very new to YA, but I've heard a lot of stigma around adults reading YA. I see nothing wrong with my being 30 and reading fiction intended for a younger crowd. It's always a point of pride for children to be reading above their "grade level" so why should't I read "below" mine, especially if there's a story I'm interested in?

Westerfeld writes some amazing YA. Sure, if we boil it down, the language may be a little simplified to my 30-year-old mind. I don't care. It makes for a quick read, and I'll tell you it's an enjoyable one. Westerfeld has a clear grasp of what it means to be a teenager of Darwinist or Clanker upbringing, and just the dialogue alone points out his true understanding of the world around him. he makes action scenes pop and move quickly, and his sense of place is exemplary. It's almost impossible to get truly lost in this world with such a brilliant author taking you through.

My Thoughts

I'm still enthralled with this alternate world Westerfeld has built. It is quite possibly one of my favorite adaptations of the world that is clearly different from the norm, and I have a feeling it will remain in my top favorite alternate worlds... period. If you pull in the scope of all fictional worlds I've read... it's in the top ten, at least. It's so easy to just fall into the setting that I could probably be hapy reading stories of everyday people just going about their business in a place like this. It's so intriguing and wonderful that I can't imagine anyone not liking it.

As for the characters and plot, both are great. The events in this book are logical and fulfilling, their progression makes sense, and I can't help but want to rave about it more. The characters, as I mentioned in my review of Leviathan, are all people. That should say enough about them. They are real people, as far as I'm concerned. Westerfeld clearly has a strong understanding and relationship with each character in his crew, and it shows in their actions and his writing. This is simply some exemplary wordcraft.

Would I Recommend This Book? To speak directly to Alek and the Clankers, Ja! I would! This is a continuation of the previous book that very much lives up to its predecessor. I don't know that I would say I like it better than Leviathan, but it is definitely a worthy follow-up. I give Behemoth a rebellious 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information on the author, visit http://scottwesterfeld.com/