Leviathan

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

So, everyone was pretty excited to read this book. I was glad when I got my hands on it, but I must say I didn't find it as amazing as I thought I would.

This book has two points of views. Alek's and Deryn's. First good point is that you see very well the differences between the world of Clankers and Darwinists. The dialogues and the mannerism is well adapted, and so when you have interactions between Alek and Deryn you see Deryn's strong tendency to curse and use slang-talk, and Alek's polite and fine way of speaking. I personally preferred Alek's point view, maybe because I have a liking for nobles and their fanciness and I liked Alek's royalty drama better than Deryn's i'm-a-boy-not-a-girl acting. The one thing I disliked in the character crew is that both Deryn and Alek look like children. They also act like ones, look like ones on the illustrations, and the things they say make you imagine them as 12-year-olds. I don't mind younger protagonists that much, but in this context it was a bit queer, and not what I had expected from Westerfield.

Even if finely described and furnished with at least two illustrations per chapter, the story didn't pick up until half the book. Well, I can't say it didn't 'pick up', because from the beginning of the story to the end action is rolling on. I just mean that the story didn't hook me until about the 250th page, which is when Deryn and Alek finally meet.

I found the concept of the story very interesting, and I love this war between Darwinists and Clankers, but I didn't find much alternation between the real World War I and Leviathan. Except the main concept and the characters, there are no new governmental systems, no new countries, nor a new 'world' that acts differently from ours but that still relates to it. All those beasties and the way they work are fantastic though.

In the end, I enjoyed this book, but it didn't send me over-the-heels. I didn't mind putting it away to finish some other books. I'll gladly purchase the second book, or simply borrow it as I think I won't feel the need to re-read the first or the second. The cover illustration was really nice, though, and I loved the caricature map.

-Beryl

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Rating: 8,3/10

Midnighters - Blue Noon

Read the review of the other books in this serie.

The darklings will hunt once again

The secret hour when time freezes arrives every night at midnight in Bixby, Oklahoma. It's a dangerous time, when five teenagers are the only humans awake and dark creatures crawl out of the shadows, but at least the midnight hour is regular and predictable.

Until suddenly, the blue time comes . . . in the middle of the day.

The noise of school stops. Cheerleaders are frozen in midair, teachers brought to a standstill. Everything is the haunted blue color of the midnight hour.

The Midnighters can't understand what's happening, but as they scramble for answers, they discover that the walls between the secret hour and real time are crumbling. Soon the dark creatures will have a chance to feed after centuries of waiting, unless these five teenagers can find a way to stop them.

I guess that this book's biggest flaw is that its just a replay from the two others. By that I mean that the Midnighters search, go out and investigate, live their normal life, fight the Darklings until they realize they need to stop the big problem blocking their way. Surprise, this time they really need to save the world.

I honestly wanted to be done with this book. It dragged too long and because the story played out always in the same place, as in Bixby and its surroundings (well, in this book the Midnighters actually go to another town, but it's still near Bixby), most of the things were predictable.

Jessica and Johnathan were uninteresting. Their relationship didn't have any spice, it was just too plain. Rex, on the other side, became my favorite character. I like how he is one of the only Midnighters that actually evolved through out the book. Melissa, too, became less of a prick, and Dess got over her brooding.

The plot was well developed, interesting, very connected to our present society and humanity's sins and clearly sending out its message but not laid out well enough as I mentioned before. If only Westerfield could have gone a bit out of the box, just a little bit, given a fresher taste, than I might have enjoyed this final book. Even if the description, fights and action are well written, it dragged too much.

The ending could have had such a bigger impact if it had also been handled properly. Many disliked the ending, which I fear I will not reveal, because it really shut things up. I liked it. It was dramatic, cruel, at my taste, but I it didn't affect me as much as such endings usually do. When you read the book, and if you've already read it, maybe you'll understand me.

In conclusion, a somewhat poorly executed serie final, in my opinion. Repetitive and dragging. It is worth reading if you want to know how the serie ends, though, and if you want to see a badass Rex.

-Beryl

The Blue Noon by Scott Westerfield
Rating: 7,4/10

Midnighters - Touching Darkness

Read the review of the other books in this serie.

The Midnighters of Bixby, Oklahoma, know that their town is full of secrets. These five teenagers are the only ones who know about the mysterious hour at midnight when the world freezes, except for them and the creatures that inhabit the darkness.

But they do not know why earlier generations of Midnighters all disappeared, or why they are now the only Midnighters in town. As they learn more about the secret hour's twists and turns, they uncover terrifying mysteries woven into the very fabric of Bixby's history, and a conspiracy that touches both the midnight hour and the world of daylight.

At the same time, the Midnighters' own secrets start to emerge, including some that were never meant to come to light, changing the fragile dynamics among the five.

This time Jessica Day is not the only Midnighter in mortal danger, and if the group can't find a way to come together, they could lose one of their own — forever.

I've read this book about a year ago, so my memory is a bit flawed, and the review might be short.

This book was probably better than the first one, seeing as it covers most of the mystery concerning the past and was sprinkled with drama. Wanting to find out why their were only five midnighters kept your reading, and I praise Westerfield once again for his swift handling of society's issues that he always denounces in his books.

The relations between the characters tightened, and new characters were introduced too. Jessica was as uninteresting as ever while Rex and Dess bloomed. I really enjoyed the way Dess' polymaths skilled were described, and how you knew exactly how everything was working. Now that all of the five midnighters put their differences behind, they finally started working together. It's nice to see how they invest themselves into researching the past and understanding their powers together.

The ending was excellent, tied everything up, and left you wanting for me. Just the right touch of supernatural and drama. Fans of the first book will love this one.

-Beryl

Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfield
Rating: 8,4/10

Midnighters - The Secret Hour

Read the review of the other books in this serie.

Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma. Time freezes. Nobody moves.

For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour -- only they are free to move about the midnight time.

These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School.

Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.

Here's a fast pace and original new story by Scott Westerfield, acclaimed author of the Uglies serie.

Westerfield seems to never be short on neat plots and ideas. I really loved the whole setting of the story; the 25th hour, all the things related to the number thirteen, the power of metal against the Darklings... The book has a very errie and supernatural feel to it.

This book's characters are very interesting and intriguing. They are very likable with their different personalities and attitudes. Only Jessica seemed a bit flat to me. Contrary to the others, she's very plain. There isn't anything about her that bugged me to a wide extant, though. She's not mary-sueish or annoying, but there isn't anything standing out about her either. She also holds the status of 'the one that every antagonist fears', but she doesn't even live up to this status with her plainness. In my opinion, she could have been more developed. It's a good thing the point of view changes from character to character, because I would have gotten enough of her after an entire book.

I liked how the story centers on a new generation of teens with special aptitudes, and how they are digging for knowledge in the past, around the mid of the 20th century, and how the plot is linked to the beginning of industrialization and how it affected the way of people. Westerfield always uses subjects that directly impact and make the readers reflect.

On another note, the writing is as enthralling as always. Descriptive, engaging, smooth. The Secret Hour is a book you read fast and that lets you asking for me. I can't say it's better than Uglies and its continuation, but it's another good work by Westerfield.

-Beryl

The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfield
Rating: 8,2 /10