Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

    I learned something when I read this book.  Steampunk is apparently a new genre of writing.  According to the author, steampunk blends actual historic events with new technology to create an alternate reality filled with unique technologies.  I would consider it an interesting blend of science fiction and history.  Which, if you know anything about me, sounds right up my figurative alley.

     This particular novel centers around the real events which we know as WW1 and the imaginative battle between "Darwinists" and "Clunkers".  The confusion, for me, centered around Westerfeld's use of the created events as accepted facts.  The reader is expected to quickly understand and accept the Darwinist creations, be able to mentally picture them, when in fact I'm not sure I'm capable of mentally picturing a large whale which could be hollowed out and floated in space while housing thousands of people.  I felt myself re-reading passages and pages in a frustrated attempt to understand what was happening.

      That being said, I feel as though I should tell you that it gets better.  By the half-way point of the book you feel comfortable with the world because you've quit trying to imagine the size or the creatures or machines and have just accepted that they are "huge".  You begin to focus on the characters and the story, which are both actually pretty well done.  I found myself interested in Deryn and Alek, they were relatable and reliable characters.

      All in all, I am hoping to find another "steampunk" novel and give the genre another shot despite this first attempt falling a bit short.

       1 smile for a too long book that fell short for me in many ways.