Leviathan

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan, is the Aurealis award-winning first book in the Leviathan trilogy, an alternate history, dieselpunk adventure. Set at the beginning of World War I, in a world where the battle lines are drawn around the way different countries embrace technology, Leviathan tells the story of two teens, Deryn Sharpe and Prince Aleksander, heir to the Austrian throne. Deryn is a girl who has always dreamt of flying, but since the military is restricted to only males, she disguises herself as a boy and earns herself a post as a midshipman aboard the HMS Leviathan, an actual flying whale. When the Leviathan is in distress, it lands in the Swiss Alps where Deryn encounters Prince Alek and the two men trying to save him from an assassination plot. The two become unlikely friends and their adventures shape the course of World War I. Westerfeld has built an incredibly rich and detailed world in Leviathan. The Allied powers are Darwinists who have used DNA to genetically engineer all manner of weapons and vehicles, like the Leviathan. The Axis powers are Clankers, who rely on technologically advanced machinery. The book comes with some fantastic illustrations of these devices, but don't get stuck on all the pretty scenery because this is an adventure story that doesn't let up. Deryn and Alek go through countless scrapes and near-misses during their time together. There's plenty of high-flying heroics, too, mostly courtesy of Deryn. This book is great for fans of mech, alternate history, and adventure.