Leviathan (novel)
Encyclopedia
Leviathan is a steampunk
novel written by Scott Westerfeld
and illustrated by Keith Thompson. It was released on October 6, 2009. The book won the 2009 Aurealis Award
for Best Young Adult Novel.
It is the first in a young adult fiction trilogy set in an alternate version of World War I
, wherein the Central Powers
(Clankers) are characterized by their use of mechanized war machines, while the Entente Powers (Darwinists) are characterized by their use of living creatures evolved specifically for war. The main characters are the teenage son of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and a Scottish girl with dreams of joining the Air Force.
The first two chapters of this book were released with Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies.
) and have Alek practice piloting it. However, when Alek becomes suspicious of where they are going, Volger reveals that Alek’s parents (Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Princess Sophie) have been murdered and they must flee Austria or he too risks being murdered. The archduke’s death has already sparked a war between several nations
, and it would be all too easy for them to make Alek simply “disappear”. In Austria, Alek and his companions make their way through the countryside, hiding in barns and gathering what meager supplies they can from local villages until they reach an old fortress hidden high in the Swiss Alps
which has been prepared by Volger and the Archduke for this situation.
Meanwhile, a young girl, Deryn Sharp, is staying with her brother Jaspert in London. Her father died in a ballooning accident and her mother and aunts want her to grow up a proper lady. Deryn dreams of being part of the British Air Service and to serve on one of the great airbeasts like the Leviathan. In order to do so, she must pretend to be a boy ("Dylan Sharp"). To pass the starting exam, she is forced to take a ride in a Huxley (a combo of a jellyfish and hot-air-balloon) to prove her air-worthiness. However, while in the air a storm hits, severely tossing Deryn and the Huxley about, and they narrowly survive. After she is left stranded over the North Sea
, she is thrilled when she and the Huxley are rescued and inducted into the Leviathan, a massive and the most famous air-beast, which is mainly made after a whale, but is actually a massive ecosystem. She comes to enjoy being part of the crew, and makes friends with the Monkey Luddite Newkirk. The Leviathans mission is to transport a top British scientist (“boffin
”) and a secret package to Constantinople. Deryn (known as the boy "Dylan" by the crew) is surprised to learn the boffin is a woman, Dr. Nora Barlow
, and is afraid she will discover her secret.
In the air over Europe, the Leviathan comes under attack from German airplanes. The crew fights back and manages to defeat the planes, but not before the great whale’s hydrogen bladder is severely punctured. The airship crash-lands in Switzerland on the very glacier where Alek’s group is hiding. Alek and Volger witness the crash, but Volger insists they do nothing to interfere, as they will risk giving away their position to the Germans or being captured by the British.
Alek is unable to stomach letting the crew of the Leviathan suffer out on the ice, and secretly leaves the fortress to bring medicine to the crew of the fallen ship. The first person he finds is an unconscious Deryn, who had fallen from the rigging during the crash. Alek revives her and claims unconvincingly to be a Swiss villager. Deryn is suspicious of him and sounds the alarm, resulting in Alek’s capture. Alek continues to insist he is just a bystander trying help, but the captain refuses to release him and instead leaves him under Deryn’s charge. The secret cargo brought by Dr. Barlow is revealed to be eggs of some kind, though most were destroyed in the crash.
Alek's "family" comes to his rescue, and battle would have erupted between the two if Deryn's quick thinking in bringing Alek to the front and holding him as a hostage hadn't brought everyone to the table to talk under a flag of truce. Realizing their differences are outweighed by their similarities, Alek offers a sizable chunk from their food storage so the ship can replenish its hydrogen supply and take off again. However, as they travel back to the Leviathan, two German zeppelins appear and send out commandos to capture them. Unfortunately, one of the zeppelins escapes, and the Stormwalker is severely damaged by an aerial bomb, making it impossible to stand up and repair.
Thanks to the diplomacy of Dr. Barlow and a bright idea from Alek, the two groups decide to combine their technologies and leave together as one group. Alek also admits his true origins to Deryn/Dylan and Dr. Barlow when he realizes he let a few too many things slip. The Austrians dismantle the Stormwalker and use its engines to replace those lost by the Leviathan. The Austrian engines prove to be much more powerful than its previous ones, propelling them quickly away from danger and the deadly Herkules (Clanker Ship).
In the aftermath, Dr. Barlow reveals information about a fabricated ship in England that was sold to the Ottoman Empire but then taken back (even though it was paid in full) by Winston Churchill, thus creating rivalry among the British and the Ottomans. The novel closes with the Leviathan continuing its flight towards Constantinople with Alek watching the mysterious eggs that will hatch into some unknown fabricated species.
Prince Aleksander of Hohenberg: As a boy who is in line for the throne of Hapsburg, Alek is in serious danger when his parents are killed. He spends the better part of this book on the run. He is intelligent, and capable of operating a Stormwalker. He is also fluent in various tongues, such as English, French, Latin, and German. His hubris tends to get the better of him at times, and puts them in danger many times in the book. Note: This character is fictional. Archduke Ferdinand did not have a son named Aleksander.
Wildcount Volger: A rather stingy man, Volger has done an excellent job of pretending to disdain Alek and his common birth, though in fact he knows that his father has altered his previously left-handed marriage to Alek's mother (a marriage where any children born cannot inherit) to a full marriage, making Alek heir to his uncle's throne. Volger is a schemer, and had prepared for such an event as the death of Alek's father and nearly always has a plan. He is quite shrewd and trains Alek in fencing and politics, never allowing the young Prince to better him.
Dr. Nora Darwin Barlow: A female boffin
is rare according to Deryn's reaction upon meeting Dr. Barlow, proving just how exceptional the doctor is in her field as well as her family: she is the granddaughter of Charles Darwin, whom the Darwinists are named after. She is also quite clever in general, figuring out various secrets with her observational skills and abilities in speaking languages. She is the creator and caretaker of a number of mysterious eggs that will hatch into a creature of her making and a weapon to bear against the Clankers.
Otto Klopp: Aleksander's "master of mechaniks." He is sometimes referred to as Alek's tutor. He is a commoner who uses a more aristocratic accent when talking to Alek and his family and can pilot the Stormwalker and other mechanical beasts with ease.
and Austria-Hungary
, the Central Powers. Though officially neutral, the Ottoman Empire
is considered a Clanker nation as they believe Darwinist creations are against God. Characters who are part of this faction include Alek, Otto Klopp, and Wildcount Volger
Darwinist: The Darwinist countries currently consist of Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Algeria (a colony of France), Serbia, and Japan(Note: has Clanker technology as well. These factions employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. An example is the Leviathan, a whale airship of the British fleet. Characters who are part of this faction include Deryn Sharp and Dr. Nora Barlow.
Neutral: The Ottoman Empire, despite being a society with a Clanker-oriented economy, has yet to enter the war.
Switzerland can be considered politically neutral as it is mentioned in the book several times that it is the last place for fugitives and that just by being there, the British are breaking the terms of its neutrality. Their economy seems to be Clanker-based.
America is mentioned as neutral in Behemoth, with a fusion of Clanker and Darwinist technologies. The country is split between the two, Clankers in the North, Darwinist in the south. The country joins the war by the end of Goliath on the Darwinist side.
Portugal, Spain and Italy appear to be Darwinist nations that have yet to join in the war.
, and was compared to works by Hayao Miyazaki
, Kenneth Oppel
and Naomi Novik
, but promised that the novel could "stand—or fly—on its own." It also gained a starred review from School Library Journal
, who said it was "Full of nonstop action" and that "This steampunk adventure is sure to become a classic." The ALSC
selected it as a 2010 Notable Children's Book and the YALSA listed it on their 2010 Best Books for Young Adults. In addition, Leviathan won the 2009 Aurealis Award
for Best Young Adult Novel.
. The author closes the book with an explanation of what events were real and which were fictional.
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
novel written by Scott Westerfeld
Scott Westerfeld
Scott Westerfeld is an American author of science fiction. He was born in Texas and now divides his time between Sydney, Australia and New York City, USA.-Books:...
and illustrated by Keith Thompson. It was released on October 6, 2009. The book won the 2009 Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
for Best Young Adult Novel.
It is the first in a young adult fiction trilogy set in an alternate version of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, wherein the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
(Clankers) are characterized by their use of mechanized war machines, while the Entente Powers (Darwinists) are characterized by their use of living creatures evolved specifically for war. The main characters are the teenage son of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and a Scottish girl with dreams of joining the Air Force.
The first two chapters of this book were released with Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies.
Plot
The story begins in 1914, with Alek being awoken in the middle of the night at the royal palace by his fencing instructor, Count Volger, and his Master of Mechanics, Otto Klopp. Claiming a training exercise, they take him with them on board a Stormwalker (a bipedal, diesel-powered walking war machineMecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
) and have Alek practice piloting it. However, when Alek becomes suspicious of where they are going, Volger reveals that Alek’s parents (Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Princess Sophie) have been murdered and they must flee Austria or he too risks being murdered. The archduke’s death has already sparked a war between several nations
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and it would be all too easy for them to make Alek simply “disappear”. In Austria, Alek and his companions make their way through the countryside, hiding in barns and gathering what meager supplies they can from local villages until they reach an old fortress hidden high in the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
which has been prepared by Volger and the Archduke for this situation.
Meanwhile, a young girl, Deryn Sharp, is staying with her brother Jaspert in London. Her father died in a ballooning accident and her mother and aunts want her to grow up a proper lady. Deryn dreams of being part of the British Air Service and to serve on one of the great airbeasts like the Leviathan. In order to do so, she must pretend to be a boy ("Dylan Sharp"). To pass the starting exam, she is forced to take a ride in a Huxley (a combo of a jellyfish and hot-air-balloon) to prove her air-worthiness. However, while in the air a storm hits, severely tossing Deryn and the Huxley about, and they narrowly survive. After she is left stranded over the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, she is thrilled when she and the Huxley are rescued and inducted into the Leviathan, a massive and the most famous air-beast, which is mainly made after a whale, but is actually a massive ecosystem. She comes to enjoy being part of the crew, and makes friends with the Monkey Luddite Newkirk. The Leviathans mission is to transport a top British scientist (“boffin
Boffin
In the slang of the United Kingdom, boffins are scientists, medical doctors, engineers, and other people engaged in technical or scientific research.-Origin:...
”) and a secret package to Constantinople. Deryn (known as the boy "Dylan" by the crew) is surprised to learn the boffin is a woman, Dr. Nora Barlow
Nora Barlow
Emma Nora Barlow was the granddaughter of the British naturalist Charles Darwin, who edited and published previously unseen examples of her grandfather's work.- Biography :...
, and is afraid she will discover her secret.
In the air over Europe, the Leviathan comes under attack from German airplanes. The crew fights back and manages to defeat the planes, but not before the great whale’s hydrogen bladder is severely punctured. The airship crash-lands in Switzerland on the very glacier where Alek’s group is hiding. Alek and Volger witness the crash, but Volger insists they do nothing to interfere, as they will risk giving away their position to the Germans or being captured by the British.
Alek is unable to stomach letting the crew of the Leviathan suffer out on the ice, and secretly leaves the fortress to bring medicine to the crew of the fallen ship. The first person he finds is an unconscious Deryn, who had fallen from the rigging during the crash. Alek revives her and claims unconvincingly to be a Swiss villager. Deryn is suspicious of him and sounds the alarm, resulting in Alek’s capture. Alek continues to insist he is just a bystander trying help, but the captain refuses to release him and instead leaves him under Deryn’s charge. The secret cargo brought by Dr. Barlow is revealed to be eggs of some kind, though most were destroyed in the crash.
Alek's "family" comes to his rescue, and battle would have erupted between the two if Deryn's quick thinking in bringing Alek to the front and holding him as a hostage hadn't brought everyone to the table to talk under a flag of truce. Realizing their differences are outweighed by their similarities, Alek offers a sizable chunk from their food storage so the ship can replenish its hydrogen supply and take off again. However, as they travel back to the Leviathan, two German zeppelins appear and send out commandos to capture them. Unfortunately, one of the zeppelins escapes, and the Stormwalker is severely damaged by an aerial bomb, making it impossible to stand up and repair.
Thanks to the diplomacy of Dr. Barlow and a bright idea from Alek, the two groups decide to combine their technologies and leave together as one group. Alek also admits his true origins to Deryn/Dylan and Dr. Barlow when he realizes he let a few too many things slip. The Austrians dismantle the Stormwalker and use its engines to replace those lost by the Leviathan. The Austrian engines prove to be much more powerful than its previous ones, propelling them quickly away from danger and the deadly Herkules (Clanker Ship).
In the aftermath, Dr. Barlow reveals information about a fabricated ship in England that was sold to the Ottoman Empire but then taken back (even though it was paid in full) by Winston Churchill, thus creating rivalry among the British and the Ottomans. The novel closes with the Leviathan continuing its flight towards Constantinople with Alek watching the mysterious eggs that will hatch into some unknown fabricated species.
Main characters
Deryn "Dylan" Sharp: After her father is killed in a ballooning explosion, Deryn longs to be in the sky again with the freedom that came with it as her mother and aunts try to dress her up and force to her be a proper lady. Deryn spends the remainder of her inheritance to come to London and live with her brother, where she studies to take the Midshipman exams to get into the British Air Force like her brother, but the toughest part is acting the role of boy, which she'll have to pull off in order to be accepted. It's her lucky day when her airman test goes awry and she is scooped up by the Leviathan and finishes her tests up there in order to serve aboard as a Middie. She is able to best many of the Middies at learning the ropes because she went up so frequently with her father and because she pays attention during class. She does her best to hide that she is a girl from everyone on board, though the observant eye of Dr. Barlow has noticed the lack of a beard on her chin, though has attributed it to Deryn lying about her age rather than being a girl. As she gets to know Alek, she realizes that she owes him her life and, after he hugs her, that she may even have feelings for him, though she quickly tries to squelch that.Prince Aleksander of Hohenberg: As a boy who is in line for the throne of Hapsburg, Alek is in serious danger when his parents are killed. He spends the better part of this book on the run. He is intelligent, and capable of operating a Stormwalker. He is also fluent in various tongues, such as English, French, Latin, and German. His hubris tends to get the better of him at times, and puts them in danger many times in the book. Note: This character is fictional. Archduke Ferdinand did not have a son named Aleksander.
Wildcount Volger: A rather stingy man, Volger has done an excellent job of pretending to disdain Alek and his common birth, though in fact he knows that his father has altered his previously left-handed marriage to Alek's mother (a marriage where any children born cannot inherit) to a full marriage, making Alek heir to his uncle's throne. Volger is a schemer, and had prepared for such an event as the death of Alek's father and nearly always has a plan. He is quite shrewd and trains Alek in fencing and politics, never allowing the young Prince to better him.
Dr. Nora Darwin Barlow: A female boffin
Boffin
In the slang of the United Kingdom, boffins are scientists, medical doctors, engineers, and other people engaged in technical or scientific research.-Origin:...
is rare according to Deryn's reaction upon meeting Dr. Barlow, proving just how exceptional the doctor is in her field as well as her family: she is the granddaughter of Charles Darwin, whom the Darwinists are named after. She is also quite clever in general, figuring out various secrets with her observational skills and abilities in speaking languages. She is the creator and caretaker of a number of mysterious eggs that will hatch into a creature of her making and a weapon to bear against the Clankers.
Otto Klopp: Aleksander's "master of mechaniks." He is sometimes referred to as Alek's tutor. He is a commoner who uses a more aristocratic accent when talking to Alek and his family and can pilot the Stormwalker and other mechanical beasts with ease.
Factions
Clanker: Countries that use steam-driven iron machines are referred to as Clanker nations. The machines themselves and their users are also referred to as Clankers. The main Clanker nations are GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, the Central Powers. Though officially neutral, the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
is considered a Clanker nation as they believe Darwinist creations are against God. Characters who are part of this faction include Alek, Otto Klopp, and Wildcount Volger
Darwinist: The Darwinist countries currently consist of Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Algeria (a colony of France), Serbia, and Japan(Note: has Clanker technology as well. These factions employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. An example is the Leviathan, a whale airship of the British fleet. Characters who are part of this faction include Deryn Sharp and Dr. Nora Barlow.
Neutral: The Ottoman Empire, despite being a society with a Clanker-oriented economy, has yet to enter the war.
Switzerland can be considered politically neutral as it is mentioned in the book several times that it is the last place for fugitives and that just by being there, the British are breaking the terms of its neutrality. Their economy seems to be Clanker-based.
America is mentioned as neutral in Behemoth, with a fusion of Clanker and Darwinist technologies. The country is split between the two, Clankers in the North, Darwinist in the south. The country joins the war by the end of Goliath on the Darwinist side.
Portugal, Spain and Italy appear to be Darwinist nations that have yet to join in the war.
Clanker Machines
- Walker- a two footed walking contraption desighned for travel. Alex and his men used one to escape to Austria, and gave it's engines to the Leviathan ship to escape.
Darwinist creations
- Leviathan- A large, fabricated airwhale that Deryn and Alex been travelling on. It is a large ecosystem, having the whale, cilia for flight, bacteria to make hydrogen, bees to make honey, and strafing hawks and fléchette bats for battle.
Reception
It received a starred review from Kirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
, and was compared to works by Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
, Kenneth Oppel
Kenneth Oppel
Kenneth Oppel is a Canadian author. Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, he spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England and Ireland....
and Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik is an American novelist. She is a first-generation American; her father is of Lithuanian Jewish ancestry, and her mother is an ethnic Pole. She studied English Literature at Brown University, and holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from Columbia University...
, but promised that the novel could "stand—or fly—on its own." It also gained a starred review from School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
, who said it was "Full of nonstop action" and that "This steampunk adventure is sure to become a classic." The ALSC
Association for Library Service to Children
The Association for Library Service to Children is a division of the American Library Association. Its members are concerned with the profession of children's Librarianship...
selected it as a 2010 Notable Children's Book and the YALSA listed it on their 2010 Best Books for Young Adults. In addition, Leviathan won the 2009 Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
for Best Young Adult Novel.
Historical liberties
The novel is an alternate history story of events around World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The author closes the book with an explanation of what events were real and which were fictional.
- In reality, the Archduke and the princess were shot while riding in a coach during the day. In the novel, they survive this attempt and a bomb attack, only to be poisoned that night.
- It was once speculated that the Austrian and/or German government arranged for the death of the Archduke either as an excuse for war, or for their distaste for his politics. This theory was discredited much later in the 20th century.
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand actually had three children, not one, and none of them were named Aleksander. However, like Alek, these children did not inherit their father’s land or title due to the nature of their mother’s heritage.
- The Archduke really did petition the Pope to have the conditions of his morganatic marriage adjusted, but in reality he was unsuccessful.
- In the novel, Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
not only made discoveries into evolution and biology, but also DNA and genetics and how to manipulate them, which is what allowed the creation of the fabricated creatures used by the British. Exactly how fabricated creatures are made is never explained. In reality, DNA was not discovered until the 1950s, and even in modern times, only very simple, small organisms have been created. - Dr. Nora BarlowNora BarlowEmma Nora Barlow was the granddaughter of the British naturalist Charles Darwin, who edited and published previously unseen examples of her grandfather's work.- Biography :...
was a real person, the granddaughter of Charles Darwin. However she was not a zoologist, nor a diplomat. - Dr. Barlow’s pet, Tazza, a thylacineThylacineThe thylacine or ,also ;binomial name: Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian wolf...
, is a real animal and would have been alive at the time of the story. They were hunted to extinction by humans, and the last known thylacine died in 1936. - The first armored fighting vehicle did not enter battle until 1916, and used treads like farm tractors instead of legs, a fact that Alek openly mocks in the novel as "ridiculous".
- The fabricated animals called "Huxleys" are named after Thomas Henry Huxley, a renowned biologist known as Darwin's Bulldog for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.