leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is a science-fiction book that takes place at the beginning World War I, and starting with the assassination of Prince Aleksander's parents. The story unfolds to tell of how two assassinations leads to a world war between the Clankers (the force that fights with mechanics) and the Darwinists (the force that fights with "fabricated beasts.") Prince Aleksander along with a couple trusty servants go into hiding in a castle high in the mountains of Sweden. However, Prince Aleksander can't help himself from coming to the aid of a stranded airship of Darwinists that has been shot down by German aeroplains

Scott Westerfeld takes many of the real events and characters of World War 1, and puts them into a science-fiction scenario. Taking the two factions and morphing them into completely different forms of military; The Darwinist with various fabricated beasts from the crashed airship (a combination of whale and multiple other strands of DNA) to a Huxley (which is a combination of jellyfish, medusae, and other venomous sea creatures), and The Clankers who use highly advanced steam powered machines, consisting of creations from the storm walker, a form of mech, to the S.M.S. Beowulf, similar to a battleship with legs, to a highly mobile scout unit.

The two main characters are Prince Aleksander, heir to the throne of Austria, and Deryn, a girl disguised as a boy so she could join the airforce. The book depicts the emotional growth that gos on in both characters and how they adapt to the situation they get put into. Such as prince Aleksander who has to learn to act as a commoner along as cope with the death of his parents, and Deryn who in the first week of air training survives a fight on an airship and crash-lands in the icy mountains of Sweden.

This is one of Scott Westerfeld's most engrossing books, pulling the reader into a world of flying whales and walking battleships. Read the book and enjoy the ride!