Behemoth (Levithan #2) by Scott Westerfeld

Goodreads:
The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

I loved this book as I have loved everything that Scott Westerfeld has written that I have read.  The action started right away with none of the "warm-up" needed like the first book since the characters are already known.  I enjoy the time that Deryn and Alek spend together and I like their relationship.  Sure it's built on secrets and lies but other than that, it's great.  They are a dynamic team and have a good rapport.  I can't wait to see what happens in the next book between the two of them. 

I love the alternative history that is going on and I'm glad that Westerfeld includes a "fact or fiction" at the end of the story because I really haven't brushed up on my World War I history in a while.  The science of both the Clankers and the Darwinists is impressive and it's fascinating to see how societies can focus on one thing and how it can effected their way of life.  I feel like Leviathan had a lot of the Darwinist way of life and Behemoth had more of the Clanker way so that was cool. 

And, as always, the illustrations are gorgeous.  I love the artwork so much and wish it was reflected more in the cover art.  The propaganda poster on the inside of the book is amazing, just like the map was on the inside of Leviathan.  This is one series worth physically owning (as opposed to e-book) because the illustrations are so great.

Illustrated by Keith Thompson

I just want to add this.  I don't love the cover.  It doesn't really match the first one that I have and I like it when covers match.  And I'm not fond of the picture of Deryn, mostly because I am not a fan of people on covers in general.  I like the old covers.

German cover that I also like

Hogwarts: Fight or Flight mini-challenge
Off the Shelf

Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

Tessa discovers the world of magic when she is kidnapped by two warlocks. Rescued by the beautiful but aloof Will, she is soon immersed in the world of the Shadowhunters who are trying to figure out why Tessa is so important.

 "One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."  p.87 ARC

I haven't read the Mortal Instruments series so when I started Clockwork Angel I had no clue about the world that Clare has built.  I liked the steampunk aspect and the Victorian England setting and the whole Shadowhunters thing.  It was fine.  I never really connected with the story or the characters but that might have been more me than anything.  I did a 2 star reading of what should be a 4 star book.  Normally I think I would have liked this more, but it followed up truly great book and sometimes a truly great book will ruin the next book by overshadowing it.  So it's partly my fault that I can't muster up some real enthusiasm for Clockwork Angel.  That being said, there wasn't anything so wonderful in this book to make me forget about the last one and that, in a way, is the mark of a mediocre book.  If it had been great, then it would have lived up to the last book I read.

While it isn't a showstopper, it does have many solid elements.  Like I said the steampunk and time setting are really good and Clare is definitely ensconced in the world that she created for the Mortal Instruments series.  She knows it well and that flows out of the book.  The main characters were all very distinct, mostly likeable, though a bit too mysterious for my liking.  A little too much mystery doesn't make me what to read further, it makes me want to not read anymore.  A few more answers would have been okay at the end.  I'm sure that fans of Mortal Instruments series will enjoy this and the rest of the Infernal Devices series though.

Provided by Traveling ARC Tours
Publish Date: August 31, 2010
Hogwarts: Transfiguration

     "Remember that time you tried to convince to feed a poultry pie to the mallards in the park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?"
     "They ate it too, " Will reminisced.  "Blood thirsty little beasts.  Never trust a duck."
p.199 ARC

Leviathan

I did try to write a summary of my own, but all the words I wanted to use were all ready in the summary on Goodreads so there ya go.
Goodreads:
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.

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.

They were afraid of fabricated species, and worshipped their mechanical engines.  Did they think their mob of walking contraptions and buzzing aeroplanes could stand against the Darwinist might of Russia, France, and Britain?  p.115

I bought this book when it first came out and then never got around to reading it.  Finally I decided I really needed to otherwise it would be a waste.  Man, I wish I'd read it sooner.  It was so good!  I like steampunk in general but don't read a lot of it and I love the alternate history world Westerfeld created.  The idea of machines versus engineered animals was so interesting and a little horrifying, honestly.

Told in alternating voices between Alek and Deryn, Leviathan shows both sides of the beginning of the war.  I like how he took the historical events of WWI and changed them to suit the story's need.  Brilliantly done!  I liked both Aleck and Deryn and thought they were great, strong characters.

And, of course, the illustrations are freaking amazing.  This book was worth reading for them alone.  The map on the inside cover and all the drawings were so beautiful.  Keith Thompson is a wonderful illustrator.  I really can't wait for Behemoth.  And I will really and truly read it right away.



And if you've never seen the trailer, it is one of the best I have ever seen.

Hogwarts: Defence Against the Dark Arts
Twentyten
Another Chance
YA