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Behemoth: Leviathan Trilogy, Book 2
- By Scott Westerfeld
- Genre: Science Fiction
Common Sense Media says
Sci-fi stand-out with high adventure, great characters.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this second book in the Leviathan Trilogy contains the same style of action as the first book with violence apparent (ships' crews are lost, main characters are shot at in nail-biting chase scenes) but never gory or excessive; It's actually rather mild for a young adult sci-fi adventure. Main characters are heroic and admirable and readers will learn a bit about the start of World War I -- to separate fact from science fiction see the author's Afterward.
What's the story?
On the Leviathan air ship's approach to Istanbul, Count Volger and Prince Alek know that they need to make their escape in case anyone ever figures out Alek's secret. They're caught in the act and Volger fends off their pursuers, leaving Alek to lead his men (and a furry Darwinist stowaway) out of the Ottoman Empire and into hiding. But Alek has other ideas. He wants to help stop the Ottomans from entering World War I and joins up with a band of revolutionaries. Meanwhile, Deryn heads to the Sultan's palace with the lady boffin on a diplomatic mission that goes horribly wrong. The Germans already nearly control Istanbul, and the Leviathan will be lucky to leave the city in one hydrogen-breathing piece.
Is it any good?
Definitely read the first book first -- almost goes without saying in a trilogy, but just in case. That sets up the Leviathan's Middle Eastern stopover full of escapes, near-misses, giant weapons, Clanker machine chases, and even a stowaway ride on the Orient Express.
The pace occasionally slows for alliances to be made and broken and secret messages to be delivered, but those moments have touches of whimsy, like when the Darwinist creature Alek adopts keeps repeating "Mr. Sharp" and laughing. That also makes the wait for Deryn to finally tell Alek she's really a girl a little less tiresome.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the blend of fact and fiction here. Were you ever confused about what was real and what wasn't? Why do you think the author decided to write the book this way?
This is the second book in a series (the first book was Leviathan). What is fun about reading a series? What do you think is fun about writing one? Why would a publisher be interested in printing a series?
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AGE
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love it a lot. Historically based and all. It's not SCI-FI! It is something much better called STEAMPUNK.
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AGE
Great for Middle School kids
Make sure and read the first book "Leviathan" before this book. It's great!
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Kid, 12 years old
February 8, 2011
AGE
Great Sequel!!!
I loved this! An awesome sequel to Leviathan, Behemoth is funny, fast-paced, and cleverly, if not well, written. The characters are all very brave and strong. Deryn continues her masquerade as a boy, but is found out by at least two people. I found it disappointing, however that she still won't tell Alek because she doesn't trust him enough. This was, to me, a serious character flaw of hers. Besides this Deryn is brave, strong, loyal, and clever, doing everything in her power to help her friends and country. Alek is bright and loyal and works hard to save his companions. Behemoth is set in an alternate WWI and has many fats buried into the story. The overall message is of loyalty and friendship, and seems to imply that between friends there should be trust- definitely more than Deryn has for Alek. The story is intended so that both boys and girls will enjoy it, but seems to be written in a style aimed at boys.
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AGE
Interesting sequel to award-winning Leviathan....
Behemoth is much better than Leviathan, but the pace is sometimes so slow, its hard to continue reading. The highlights of the story would be the wonderfully well planned sequel, and the stunning illustrations that accompany the often times annoying voice of Scott Westerfeild. I hate to say this, but the action wasn't even close to being great, and I warn readers, re-read Leviathan to fully understand the plot and the characters. That being said, the violence is still there, and gruesome, but not gory, or gross, which I enjoyed about that part. The story is very educational, including landmarks, and important people in the textbooks. There is one girl- on- girl kiss played for laughs, which I did find a little humor in. The writing is not perfect, but still enjoyable for the most part. The violence includes spices thrown in eyes, lightning striking ships, beast hitting people and ships, kids are shot at, and the death of many animals, not described, just obviously there. The language includes slang words, dang, d***, su**, hell, and thats it. I recommend the book for fans of Leviathan, or new comers that love war- driven- books. Enjoy!
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| Author: | Scott Westerfeld |
| Illustrator: | Keith Thompson |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Publisher: | Simon Pulse |
| Publication date: | October 5, 2010 |
| Number of pages: | 496 |
| Hardcover price: | $18.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 12 |
| Read alone: | 12 |
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