Critique

I could not have imagined that the sequel to such an engaging book could actually be better than the first. Alek and Deryn are just the type of characters that belong in a story of war, espionage and international intrigue and politics. The setting is perfect, the characters are believable and fun, and the story is almost impossible to put down. Westerfeld has accomplished the perfect balance between telling a great, compelling story with lots of action and danger with character and plot development. Hats off!

Critique

Steampunk is on the rise, or shall we say, gathering steam? This recent novel by Westerfeld is a perfect example of the kind of possibilities open to this new fantasy genre, and I, for one, am very excited at the prospects before us. Personally, I’m growing a bit tired of wizards, dragons, fairies/elves and vampires, as it seems that almost all of the recent fantasy novels fall into one of those four categories, the only exception being the novels written by Garth Nix, Kate Constable, Elizabeth Knox, or Kristen Cashore.

Steampunk, and its sister Madcap (which is more like Victorian fantasy/sci-fi in the same way that Steampunk is Industrial and Scientific Revolution fantasy/sci fi) are widespread enough at this point, as a fantasy genre that there are several people picking up their brushes, instruments, tools, and pens to create Steampunk art in their own artistic field.

For the young adult literature discipline, Leviathan is likely to be an early industry standard for others to follow much like Lord of the Rings is for elf/dwarf fantasy, Interview with the Vampire is for vampire mythology (not including of course Dracula), and Pern is for dragons—yes, it’s that good.

What makes Westerfeld such a talented writer in the fantasy genre is that he’s not solely reliant on the fast-paced action and fantasy tropes that so many in this genre have a tendency to fall into. He integrates all of the elements that make up a good story—social commentary regarding politics, nationalism, gender equality, and the general social unrest caused by scientific advancement, specifically as it pertains to biogenetics and cloning, as well as three-dimensional characters and an overall depth to the story because of the many layers of internal and external conflict encountered by the characters. Even as an alternate version of the history, many of the same elements that caused World War I are explored throughout the text.

My only criticism is that I wish it were a self-contained one off rather than a series, but I suppose I may change my tune when I see the second book. I recommend this to all readers 12+.