BoTW: Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is one of the best young adult books I've read this year. Scott is best known for his Uglies series, but the author clearly has his sights set on something different with Leviathan. How different? Check out a sampling of the steampunk illustrations:




















You might be asking, what the heck is that? The machine is a Cyklop Stormwalker, a land walking war machine that Alek Ferdinand must flee in upon learning that his father, Archduke Ferdinand, has been assassinated. The Stormwalker takes a crew of five to run, including a pilot, engineer, and canon-operator. Check out the machine that's chasing them:




















That's the S.M.S. Beowulf, a German land dreadnought. For their own political reasons, the Germans do not want young Alek to assume the Austro-Hungarian throne to the point of killing him if necessary. But the books doesn't just have steampunk technology. Check out a Darwinist creation:




















That's the Leviathan, the namesake of the book and the flagship of the British navy. It's a genetically conglomeration of hundreds of different animals, including a whale as the foundation. It uses biologically generated hydrogen to float among the clouds, similarly to a hot air balloon.

As unbelievable as these illustrations are, you might be surprised to know that this book is about World War I! Alek's father, Archduke Ferdinand, is assassinated and much of Europe is pulled into a world war through a domino effect of treaties and alliances. Of course, Leviathan is historical fantasy, only loosely based on real events. Still, it's a great backdrop for a book.

And the best news? Scott is set to release the sequel in 2010, entitled Behemoth. I can't wait!