THE LEVIATHAN series by Scott Westerfeld

THE LEVIATHAN is an alternative history trilogy written by Scott Westerfeld and powerfully illustrated by Keith Thompson.   Leviathan, the first book in the series, launches the reader into WWI with the assassination of the Archduke of Austria--with a few significant differences.

For one thing, the world is split in two, not just by alliances but also by technology.  There are the Darwinists, countries who support evolutionary science that blends the genetic traits of different lifeforms to create new species--even species that are entire ecosystems unto themselves, like the airship Leviathan.  The airship is based on the body of a whale, but floats in the air with the hydrogen waste of the creatures living aboard, such as bats and bees.  The "whale" steers through the air using cilia along its sides.  The bats also serve as weapons; they eat flechettes, and are prompted in proper Pavlovian style to discharge the weaponry on enemies below.  Like any proper airship, the living Leviathan supports a human crew--from captains to middies.

Then, there are the Clankers--countries who resist Darwinist technology and instead develop giant mechas, powerful steam-driven robots capable of bringing down even an airbeast the size of the Leviathan.

As the assassination of Austria's Archduke rocks the world's nations and heightens the cultural divide between Clanker and Darwinist powers, there are two individuals whose actions--small as they may be--have the power to influence the course of the war.

One is Aleksander, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.  Forced to flee from his own country after his parents are assassinated, Aleksander faces a life hidden from his own people, hoping that soon, he can fulfill his destiny to end the war and claim his rightful lega--that is, until the Leviathan crashes into his life with Dylan Sharp aboard.

Dylan Sharp is actually Deryn--a girl forced to act as a boy in order to achieve her dreams of flying with the British military.  Deryn's wits quickly win her a place aboard the Leviathan. But when the airship crashes into Aleksander's life, she finds an unexpected ally and friend--who, nevertheless, can never know her greatest secret.

Scott Westerfeld creates a masterpiece with this trilogy.  His books contain exciting innovations, intriguing characters, and insightful interpretations of history (and how history might have been impacted IF . . . ).  Plus, the illustrations in these books are incredible.  Keith Thompson really captures the essence of the era and Westerfeld's imagination.  In my estimation, this is a series worth buying, or at least reading in print rather than on an e-reader, if only to enjoy the amazing illustrations at their best quality.

Between boffins and counts, Stormwalkers and "perspicacious" lorises, Westerfeld and Thompson create a truly exceptional world with a powerful story.  I believe that Westerfeld accomplishes two major things with this work: he inspires every person to create their own destiny, and he convinces me that there still is potential for truly innovative authors.  Now, we just need more adult books as good as Leviathan.

On a side note, I am also convinced that Westerfeld plays a mad game of Risk.

You can read more about Westerfeld and his Leviathan series at his website: http://scottwesterfeld.com/books/leviathan/.

If you liked the Leviathan series, I recommend reading:

The Book of Atrus (Myst, Book 1) by Rand Miller
Found (The Missing) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Alanna (The Lioness Quartet) by Tamora Pierce

Or watching

Avatar, the Last Airbender