'YA's hippest author' Scott Westerfeld is the author of the hugely popular Uglies series. As well as the Midnighters series and three stand alone YA novels, he has written five science fiction novels for adults. He and his wife, Justine, divide their time between Sydney and New York.
Alexandar, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, returns to the airship Leviathan, exemplar of Darwinist technology, a living craft 300 metres long. He leaves behind him the Ottoman revolution, but brings with him the perspicacious Loris Bovril, whose English seems to be improving. Alek feels his destiny is to bring peace to the world, and Leviathan’s new mission will introduce him to a potential ally--but can the ultimate weapon really bring peace? Meanwhile, his friend and crewmate Deryn’s secret life seems more precarious than ever: is it only a matter of time until she is found out as a girl, and what will become of her when she is? Mad scientists, media moguls and revolutionaries all enter the mix in this climactic story of a world war in a very different world. This is the final volume of Scott Westerfeld’s steampunk/ biopunk alternate-history action-adventure trilogy, and it maintains the breakneck pace and wild inventiveness of Leviathan and Behemoth. Alek and Deryn are engaging leads, and Westerfeld’s world is a fascinating one, enriched by Keith Thompson’s illustrations. This is a ripping yarn--highly recommended, and compulsory reading for fans of the earlier volumes. Heath Graham is an educator currently working at the State Library of Victoria
Gr 7 Up-The title of this final volume in the trilogy refers to a device created by the mad inventor Nikola Tesla, which he claims can lay waste to entire cities. The story picks up with Alek and Deryn/Dylan traveling in the living hydrogen dirigible known as the Leviathan to Russia under orders to pick up a cargo from the czar, along with Tesla as a passenger. While there are questions about the mysterious cargo and the inventor's wild claims, the real thread of plot here is that Alek finally discovers that Deryn is a girl and has to deal with his conflicted feelings toward her. Deryn, on the other hand, is in love with him, but doesn't believe her love can be returned as she is a commoner. Along with Tesla, a host of other historical figures appear in the plot, including William Randolph Hearst and Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The Leviathan makes an epic journey from Russia to California, and then to New York, via Mexico, where in a fateful last stand, Alex has to make a decision as Tesla prepares to use the Goliath device to destroy Berlin while the city is under attack by German undersea Walkers. At story's end, Westerfeld's alternate steampunk version of World War I is not over, but Alex and Deryn's life together appears to be just beginning. Goliath delivers some action, thrills, and a satisfying love story, despite some muddled plotting in the middle section. Nonetheless, it is a must-read for fans of the series and of the steampunk genre.-Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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