Leviathan

When I spotted this book on the shelf of a local bookstore a few years ago, I thought it was one of the most beautiful covers I had ever seen. I know that the old adage goes that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but when it is meant in the literal sense of judging an actual book by its cover, I think a lot of readers will freely admit to judging some of their books based on cover alone only to discover that the contents do not quite match the loveliness of the outside, or - if they are lucky - that the contents exceed the packaging.

Leviathan was definitely a case of the latter. I had read the blurb on the back and on the inside flap of the dust jacket (I bought it in hardcover - I really couldn't resist), and thought it was interesting enough, I will admit to picking it up just because I liked the cover. Fortunately, the content was more than enough to justify spending extra for the hardcover copy.

Leviathan is a steampunk YA novel, set at the very beginning of World War I. In this particular iteration of history, the European powers are divided into two: the Clankers and the Darwinists. There is a map on the inside cover of the book that shows this division clearly, but in essence: the Clankers are represented by Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire, while the Darwinists are represented by England, France, and Russia. The terms “Clanker” and “Darwinist” represent the sort of technology each nation uses. The Clankers specialize in iron and steel machinery - basically the kind we would automatically recognize when one uses the term “machinery” - with their skill culminating in the creation of “walkers:” giant robotic machines that can range in size from “big enough for one person” to “big enough for an entire platoon,” and with purposes ranging from pleasure and entertainment to machines of war.

The Darwinists, on the other hand, use a different kind of technology altogether. To understand why they are called “Darwinists,” one must go several years back to Charles Darwin, and begin with his theory of evolution and how he reached it. However, instead of just stopping at evolution, Darwin also discovered the concept of - and more importantly, the manipulation and combination of - so-called “life threads:” what anyone with a working knowledge of science will immediately recognize as DNA. Thanks to Darwin, the Darwinists are capable of manipulating animals and plants to their own purposes, creating the biological machinery that is the basis for their culture. And just as the walker is the culmination of Clanker technology, the high point of Darwinist technology is the living airship - a large creature based on a whale, but whose interior is actually a combination of many different animals, all taking care of itself with minimal human interference, in the same way a natural ecosystem is able to balance and take care of itself. The Darwinists believe in an “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” philosophy, so if Mother Nature has already come up with a solution to a particular problem, they only need to appropriate it for their own purposes, not change it.

Such different viewpoints mean that conflict is inevitable. The Clankers view the Darwinists as godless folk, twisting creation to suit their purposes, whereas the Darwinists view the Clankers as soulless machines working against Nature. So when the storm of World War I approaches, and explodes with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo, the two sides clash in a titanic conflict of forged metal versus fabricated flesh.

In the middle of all this are the novel's two protagonists: Prince Aleksandar, only child and thus heir of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (his factual children do not exist); and Deryn Sharp, a girl who pretends to be a boy named Dylan Sharp so she can serve in Britain's Royal Air Navy. Aleksandar (or Alek) is a Clanker, and heir to the throne of one of the most powerful Clanker nations. Deryn (or Dylan) is a Scottish girl pretending to be a boy in order to serve in the Darwinist nations' most powerful airforce. The first half of the book concerns their actions apart, but the moment they meet, everything changes, and the friendship they develop becomes the lynchpin upon which the rest of the story stands.

When so much rests almost entirely on two characters, said characters ought to be interesting, engaging ones, and they are. Aleksandar is difficult to like at first, though this slowly fades away as he develops as a character, becoming less a whiny princeling and more a proper leader of men. His progress from the former into the latter is fascinating and enjoyable to watch, and will please those who enjoy a good coming-of-age story.

Deryn, on the other hand, is almost immediately likable. She has spunk, courage, intelligence, and a great deal of common sense - all of which are characteristics I absolutely love in female characters. When she is in trouble, she is capable of taking care of herself, and moreover, taking care of whoever else gets into trouble with her (though to be fair, she doesn't go looking for trouble; it just happens).

But, interesting as Alek and Deryn are on their own, it's when they meet and become friends that they become even more interesting. Alek's development progresses along at a faster clip when he becomes friends with Deryn, and Deryn finally runs into something that is more trouble than she thinks it's worth. Although there is some mistrust initially, that evaporates quickly enough as they learn to trust each other, especially in the climax when Alek (and the aforementioned loyal retainers) help Deryn (and the titular Leviathan) get out of a whole mountain of trouble. Thus bonded by fire and conflict, they become almost inseparable - something which will prove crucial as they head towards Istanbul/Constantinople, the story of which is told in the second book, Behemoth.

Interesting as all of this is, I don't think Leviathan would have deserved the five stars I gave it if it were not for the beautiful illustrations created by Keith Thompson. The map I mentioned earlier appears in gorgeous full-color in the hardcover editions, which is why I encourage readers to buy the hardcover if only for that. The interior black-and-white illustrations are just as gorgeous, and give the reader an excellent idea of what the Darwinist beasties and Clanker walkers must look like. I find that the steampunk genre in general could greatly benefit from the use of illustrations in novels - they add that extra punch when trying to visualize the world being described in the story.

Leviathan is only the promising first part in a fantastic trilogy. The characters are engaging and fun, and the world (especially as presented by Thompson's beautiful illustrations) is easy to get lost in. This is steampunk at some of its finest and most accessible, and is a series that should not be missed.