linbee83's review against another edition
4.0
Finally finished the book! Well worth it, and I'm ready to dive into the next and last of the Trilogy.
tacanderson's review against another edition
4.0
I love this book and the whole series. It's a great introduction to steam punk for youth and adult readers alike.
chanman's review against another edition
4.0
Let me start off by saying that any problems that I had with the first book are almost totally resolved in this one. Westerfeld has taken the world of 'Leviathan' and made a sequel that is action packed and very enjoyable. I love every minute of this book and how it worked to show not only more of the action, but also more about the side characters and the romance between Deryn and Alek as well. I could totally see these two as a couple because of the way they have relied off of each other in their adventure this time around. Westerfeld also has a way of constantly ratcheting up the tension so that I never knew what was going to happen next in the story.
There were some things that made me not like this book as much though. One would be that the Leviathan doesn't show up as the main setting, and, after a while, I think some of the description of the world took the backseat to the ation, which was a shame, considering the setting is new for the book. Also, the whole plot of the next book seems to be that Deryn and Alek can stop WWI almost single-handedly. I personally find this hard to believe, and II wonder how this is going to be handled in the next book. The plot also got very confusing towards the end. So much so that I had to stop and think about different plot lines and who knew what secret and whatnot. It was kind of distracting. Also, I still think that the drawings make the characters look like they are ten instead of 15 or 16. These are all minor gripes though, and didn't really distract me from the story overall.
Needless to say, I think that this story is fascinating and I am eagerly waiting for the chance to read the next installment. If you had any reservations about reading the 2nd book in this series, I'd say, don't wait, it is worth the read. I give it a four, out of five.
There were some things that made me not like this book as much though. One would be that the Leviathan doesn't show up as the main setting, and, after a while, I think some of the description of the world took the backseat to the ation, which was a shame, considering the setting is new for the book. Also, the whole plot of the next book seems to be that Deryn and Alek can stop WWI almost single-handedly. I personally find this hard to believe, and II wonder how this is going to be handled in the next book. The plot also got very confusing towards the end. So much so that I had to stop and think about different plot lines and who knew what secret and whatnot. It was kind of distracting. Also, I still think that the drawings make the characters look like they are ten instead of 15 or 16. These are all minor gripes though, and didn't really distract me from the story overall.
Needless to say, I think that this story is fascinating and I am eagerly waiting for the chance to read the next installment. If you had any reservations about reading the 2nd book in this series, I'd say, don't wait, it is worth the read. I give it a four, out of five.
rosekk's review against another edition
5.0
Was even better than the first book in the series, and has made me desperate to go and buy the rest and read it. The whole idea of the series is amazing, and the settings quite spectacular. Tension continues through to the next book, with a secret unrevealed. Am greatly curious to knpow what happens next.
foreverday's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The steampunk element was brilliant and the hopelessly romantic side of me loved the cliche romance. SW has also managed to create a really well rounded world with little details that I appreciated and the illustrations fitted it perfectly (and were beautiful).
I do have the feeling that in a couple of years time I'll read the book and not enjoy it half as much (it's very definitely a YA book) but as it was I really connected with it and found SW's writing style far more engaging than I did the Uglies series (and a little more to my taste.)
Here's to hoping Goliath lives up to it.
I do have the feeling that in a couple of years time I'll read the book and not enjoy it half as much (it's very definitely a YA book) but as it was I really connected with it and found SW's writing style far more engaging than I did the Uglies series (and a little more to my taste.)
Here's to hoping Goliath lives up to it.
marimoose's review against another edition
5.0
This is where Westerfeld has been reserving all the goodness of steampunk! Talk about a fantastic imagination of Clanker machinery!
It's rare for me to like the sequels of books much better than the first. And with Leviathan, my expectations could hardly have gone any higher. But lordydee, Behemoth went even further, and I have to say, I liked it more! I think it's mostly out of the fact that the setting was in good ole' Constantinople (pardon me, Istanbul), a subject of my fascination for what might be months now. Constantinople, Clankers, and the most amazing showcase of animals and cultural symbols all created with the minds of steampunk engineers. Need I say how much I can gush over this? My head's still reeling from it!
Deryn and Alek amuse me to no ends. I have to say even Lilit made me smile from time to time. And, while he played a minor role this time around, my partiality to Count Volger knows no bounds; he's still my absolute favorite character of the bunch.
The artwork, as usual, was sublime. I was already in awe over the Leviathan; my imagination had already pumped up my excitement over the Behemoth, and Keith Thompson's illustrations definitely bolstered my glee over seeing the fabricated kraken in action. And the Tesla cannon! Ugh. So. Much. AWESOMENESS.
Now that I've utterly dissolved into a blubbering poster-child for this book, go read it. And read Leviathan. Because both books SUCK OUT YOUR SOUL.
And did I mention I now have an impatience to read Goliath the minute it comes out?
Curse you, Westerfeld! CURSE YOU!
It's rare for me to like the sequels of books much better than the first. And with Leviathan, my expectations could hardly have gone any higher. But lordydee, Behemoth went even further, and I have to say, I liked it more! I think it's mostly out of the fact that the setting was in good ole' Constantinople (pardon me, Istanbul), a subject of my fascination for what might be months now. Constantinople, Clankers, and the most amazing showcase of animals and cultural symbols all created with the minds of steampunk engineers. Need I say how much I can gush over this? My head's still reeling from it!
Deryn and Alek amuse me to no ends. I have to say even Lilit made me smile from time to time. And, while he played a minor role this time around, my partiality to Count Volger knows no bounds; he's still my absolute favorite character of the bunch.
The artwork, as usual, was sublime. I was already in awe over the Leviathan; my imagination had already pumped up my excitement over the Behemoth, and Keith Thompson's illustrations definitely bolstered my glee over seeing the fabricated kraken in action. And the Tesla cannon! Ugh. So. Much. AWESOMENESS.
Now that I've utterly dissolved into a blubbering poster-child for this book, go read it. And read Leviathan. Because both books SUCK OUT YOUR SOUL.
And did I mention I now have an impatience to read Goliath the minute it comes out?
Curse you, Westerfeld! CURSE YOU!
catpingu's review against another edition
5.0
*sigh* awesomeness has been unleashed. This Leviathan series is definitely one of Westerfield's best.
I love how this series also loosely relates to the events of...what was it..WWI?? Yeah, WWI!
Totally love how this series loosely relates to WWI!!! ^.^
Highly recommended!
I love how this series also loosely relates to the events of...what was it..WWI?? Yeah, WWI!
Totally love how this series loosely relates to WWI!!! ^.^
Highly recommended!
caedocyon's review against another edition
4.0
Not bad, not bad. I could comment on the plot (pretty good, if sometimes slow) or the world-building (great!) or the excessive Holy-Armadillos-Batman! faux British cursing, but I just want to be a fan here for a moment. I have ~*feelings*~ about Dylan and Lilit and their queer/genderqueer subtext. (Surprise! Not.) I wish it could be a bit more text....
- I was really annoyed when it looked like Westerfeld was going to give us a played-for-laughs version of Lilit's crush on Dylan, but I should not have doubted that Lilit would be on top of things! I love that she knows before she kisses Dylan, and I love that Dylan likes it, and aaaaaah baby queers saving the world yesssssss!! It looks like that might be the end of Lilit's involvement in the series, which is very unfortunate. I hope I'm wrong. (And I hope she comes back and sweeps Dylan off her feet, but I'm not holding my breath. This is why fanfic was invented.)
- I desperately want Alek to get a bit more worldly and discover he has a crush on boy!Dylan (yes, even though I don't think Dylan's thing for him holds water), but I don't think he's there yet.
I appreciated the Jewish iron golems! We only got tiny tastes of the mythology/symbology that different cultures applied to walkers in the city, but I bet Westerfeld has a huge essay about this somewhere on his hard drive, and I would love to read it.
Spoiler
- Though most of the character interactions in Behemoth feel very true, not excepting Alek & Deryn's friendship, I don't buy Dylan's crush on Alek. It's more of a plot point than anything, to give Dylan a reason to struggle about whether to tell Alek she's a girl.- I was really annoyed when it looked like Westerfeld was going to give us a played-for-laughs version of Lilit's crush on Dylan, but I should not have doubted that Lilit would be on top of things! I love that she knows before she kisses Dylan, and I love that Dylan likes it, and aaaaaah baby queers saving the world yesssssss!! It looks like that might be the end of Lilit's involvement in the series, which is very unfortunate. I hope I'm wrong. (And I hope she comes back and sweeps Dylan off her feet, but I'm not holding my breath. This is why fanfic was invented.)
- I desperately want Alek to get a bit more worldly and discover he has a crush on boy!Dylan (yes, even though I don't think Dylan's thing for him holds water), but I don't think he's there yet.
I appreciated the Jewish iron golems! We only got tiny tastes of the mythology/symbology that different cultures applied to walkers in the city, but I bet Westerfeld has a huge essay about this somewhere on his hard drive, and I would love to read it.
scribesprite's review against another edition
5.0
YA steampunk (I finally figured out the name of this genre) is engaging. We see Istanbul get quite a bit of notice here. Even though I can't remember hearing too much about Istanbul in history I think it fit pretty well. Most authors I think pick places like Germany, France, and Great Britain as the setting in their books for the WWI era but Istanbul is a place I've neither seen nor heard much about. I knew it was in Turkey *shrug*. And even if Westerfeld changed some of the history (so to speak) I think he tried to keep the culture of the place intact. I could enjoy the culture without it getting too cumbersome to the story.
Now for the stuff I really read the book for. The Action, Deryn, Alek, the beasties, and machines. Plenty of action for both Deryn and Alek. Some new machines and creatures are presented. I don't think I'm spoiling if I say the eggs hatch. The Behemoth doesn't show up as much as I thought it would-it being the title and all. But we get some real Clanker action in the last part of the book. The climax left no disappointments for me.
Deryn is moving right along with her secret but now she is starting to feel a little guilty about keeping it from Alek when he trusts her so much. Alek is his trusting, (or gullible whichever you prefer, I like trusting) and a bit more humbled self. Where Alek is earnest Deryn is clever. Things are getting a bit more complicated between them though Alek doesn't know it yet.
Love the illustrations. I think there might be more of them in this one than the first but I could be wrong. They help people like me with small imaginations and they are nice to look at.
Now I have some suspicions about the Count and the Dr but I'll keep them to myself and just wait for the next book [b:Goliath|105739|Goliath|Steve Alten|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316635957s/105739.jpg|2057884], which of course is not coming out soon enough. Expect for one small part I think the book is just right.
Now for the stuff I really read the book for. The Action, Deryn, Alek, the beasties, and machines. Plenty of action for both Deryn and Alek. Some new machines and creatures are presented. I don't think I'm spoiling if I say the eggs hatch. The Behemoth doesn't show up as much as I thought it would-it being the title and all. But we get some real Clanker action in the last part of the book. The climax left no disappointments for me.
Deryn is moving right along with her secret but now she is starting to feel a little guilty about keeping it from Alek when he trusts her so much. Alek is his trusting, (or gullible whichever you prefer, I like trusting) and a bit more humbled self. Where Alek is earnest Deryn is clever. Things are getting a bit more complicated between them though Alek doesn't know it yet.
Love the illustrations. I think there might be more of them in this one than the first but I could be wrong. They help people like me with small imaginations and they are nice to look at.
Now I have some suspicions about the Count and the Dr but I'll keep them to myself and just wait for the next book [b:Goliath|105739|Goliath|Steve Alten|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316635957s/105739.jpg|2057884], which of course is not coming out soon enough. Expect for one small part I think the book is just right.