Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.My Thoughts: This book was fabulous. I can't believe that I let it sit unread on my shelf for as long as I did. The worldbuilding, the Darwinists, the idea of using a great whale to fly in... outstanding and imaginative.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, 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 World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.
One thing that always fascinated me about well-written steampunk is its ability to take history and turn it on its ear. Seriously, if I could have read about flying beasties and mechanical walkers woven in with assassinations and diabolical plotting in school I think I would have been a much more attentive student.
That said, this book does a fabulous job of creating an alternative history that's engrossing and well-written. Alek and Deryn are wonderful characters. Alek has to hide who he is and Deryn has to hide what she is. Together they just might manage to change the world. How can you not love that?
I've read a big chunk of Scott Westerfeld's books and this one ranks right up there with his Uglies series as far as how engrossing it was. I was literally batting people away toward the end so I wouldn't have to put the book down.
Guess what? Behemoth is already sitting here waiting for me to start it.
More books by Scott Westerfeld
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