The Leviathan arrives in Constantinople, a city where Clanker culture and Darwinst principles intersect in the most intriguing ways. Dr Barlow and Deryn deliver their precious cargo to the Sultan, but their peace-keeping mission goes unexpectedly - and disastrously - awry. Now the only way to save themselves in this hostile, politically-charged city is for Dr Barlow to offer up the thing that matters most: the air ship. Alek escapes from his prison camp and goes on the run with his men and the loris while Count Volger stays behind to fend-off the pursuit, forcing Alek to take on new responsibilities. Meanwhile a secret mission lands Deryn in serious danger...and leads both teens to re-evaluate their precarious situations in the world.
This book was utterly fantastic. The prequel, Leviathan, moved a bit slowly; it felt more like a very long set-up for Behemoth. In all fairness, it would probably have been annoying if Westerfeld had tried to gloss over the entire events of the first book by cramming it all into a couple of chapters at the beginning of Behemoth... but I digress.
Behemoth delves even deeper into the war between the Darwinists and the Clankers, and shows us Westerfeld's skill at blending fact and fiction. The creatures and machines he creates are absolutely amazing (what I wouldn't give to get my hands on a perspicacious loris of my own). I cannot wait for the next installment, and I'm sad that this is only a trilogy.
My only complaint is that the main characters, Deryn and Alek, are supposed to be about 16, but they read as though they're about 12 or 13. Their thoughts, words, and behavior just don't have the complexity of a teenager. This is a pretty minor quibble, though; I would still recommend this series to anyone.
