Review: ‘Leviathan’ by Scott Westerfeld

This story continues to centre around two factions in an alternate version of World War I: the Clankers and the Darwinists. The Darwinists figured out how to ‘mix’ DNA and life threads to create hybrid creature-machines to breed the weapons and tools that they need to develop their industry and, now, win the war. The Clankers view the Darwinists’ activities, however, as ungodly and prefer to rely on engines and pistons to drive their ambitions forward.

Prince Aleksander is the (fictional) son of Franz and Sophia, forced to go on the run from those that want him out of the way of potential supporters. On the road with his former fencing instructor and an expert pilot, Alek finds himself running around the countryside in a tank-on-legs walker and learning how not to be a royally spoiled teen! There are of course some moments in which he is extremely frustrating but, worry not, he does become kind of loveable!

The alternative history elements of Leviathan are more deeply ingrained and complex than in other books that only have a vague grounding in a historical period. I won’t spoil the book for you by giving you any more details. Suffice it to say, this book is a very clever mix of fact and fiction (with a handy Afterword to tell you which was which, in case you find yourself confused!)

The creature-machine fabrications are fascinating and makes the story full of surprises. Just when you think you know where you are with the whale that’s also a flying machine, you’re hit with bats that eat metal and then expel it onto unsuspecting enemies. It’s unpredictable and just wonderful!

I really enjoyed the moral slant that occasionally creeps in too – genetic engineering and scientific development are hot moral property and frequently discussed in the media. Fortunately, these issues are acknowledged by the characters but are never out of kilter with the book as a whole or its characters. I have read books in the past where the author can’t help but use their characters as thinly-veiled mouthpieces for their political/scientific/moral ruminations and it always sticks out horribly. This book, however, has the perfect balance between allowing its readers to consider the implications of scientific advance without having to stomach an essay on it. I respected Westerfeld a lot for trusting in the intelligence of his readers that way.

And in case you’ve got this far and think that this book is all about science and politics, it isn’t. There are plenty of battles (as you’d expect in a war!) to keep things entertaining. Plus, of course, a whole host of the quirky inventions and action that makes steampunk so much fun. The story was a bit slow at first but after about 100 pages, I was utterly hooked and enjoyed every minute!

From reviews I read that were written by people who had also read Behemoth, this book is a lot about setting up the characters and their world so I’m really looking forward to seeing where they’re all taken. Needless to say, I will definitely be getting hold of the next instalment (to feed the ever-demanding steampunk addiction!). Particularly now that the last book in the trilogy, Goliath, is also hovering around the blogosphere taunting me.

“So Leviathan is as much about possible futures as alternate pasts. It looks ahead to when machines will look like living creatures, and living creatures can be fabricated like machines. And yet the setting also recalls an earlier time in which the world was divided into aristocrats and commoners, and women in most countries couldn’t join the armed forces – or even vote.

That’s the nature of steampunk, blending future and past.”