Love the author, love the book.

decent sequel.

Great sequel to Leviathan. Better than the first.

Where Leviathan had inventive Darwinist creations, Behemoth was mostly about mechanic ones. Still very imaginative with great artwork. Scott Westerfeld must be quite perspicacious (had to try and use that word somewhere, it's in the book). I couldn't help but sing the song from They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople) the whole time I was reading this book since that's where it takes place. Now, the long wait for book 3.

This was a good continuation of the first book, and I don’t have too much new to say about it. The adventure continued, I still like the characters and setting, and the reimagining of WWI is interesting.

I thought the little creature that hatched from the egg was interesting, and though I have a basic idea, I’m intrigued as to what exactly it can do. Lilit was a great new character, and I appreciate that the signs that her relationship with Alek and Deryn was turning into a terrible love triangle were red herrings. It’s mildly frustrating that Deryn hasn’t just TOLD him already, and how quickly she fell in love, but those aren’t dealbreakers by any means.

I also really appreciated how Deryn progressed and changed after she was given command of a small sabotage mission, only to have her compatriots captured. I think the taste of responsibility let her grow, for the better.

I’m looking forward the the end of their adventures in the final book.

The story of Clanker Prince Alex and British midshipman, Deryn/Dylan, continues in this steampunk's version of World War One, with a focus on the competitive infiltration for the Ottoman Empire's alliance. The German side has introduced new weapons--the tesla cannon and the Orient Express--while the British Darwinist side has created new beasts like the behemoth and a strange little creature that takes a liking to Alex. As the characters are forced to hide out in Istanbul, they encounter revolutionaries who are wary of the new Sultan and even more danger is experienced. Really neat concepts and a fast pace makes this second installment a real treat.

This improved upon Leviathan. The plot was more interesting and faster paced and the slang wasn't as grating (or maybe I was just used to it).

The short version: So. Good.