Behemoth (Westerfeld novel)
Encyclopedia
Behemoth is a novel written by Scott Westerfeld
.
The book is the second installment in the Leviathan series. It picks up where Leviathan ends. It was published on October 5, 2010.
As with Leviathan, the audiobook is read by Alan Cumming
.
The sequel, Goliath
, was released on September 20, 2011.
, France
, and Russia
are on the brink of world war with the Clanker countries of Germany
and Austria-Hungary
. War has been declared, although the Ottoman Empire has not yet entered. The Darwinists use technology
based on genetically manipulated animals, while the Clankers use machinery.
Plot=
The story starts on the Leviathan when two German Ironclads attack the ship. In the process of the attack Newkirk is almost killed, but is saved by Deryn. Meanwhile, Klopp tried to take over to save the ship, yet Mr. Hirst, the ship's engineer, disagrees. In the process, Alek is shot. After the escape, Deryn and Dr. Barlow visit Alek, and he explains what happened on the ship. When Deryn was delivering a message to Count Volger, he learns that Alek had told her that he is the prince.
After landing in Constantinople, Aleksander plots an escape from the Leviathan. In their escape Volger and Hoffman remain behind in order to allow Alek to flee. The creature from Dr.Barlow's egg hatches, revealing a creature, known as the perspicacious loris, as identified later in the story by Dr. Barlow, that seems to understand and speak English. The creature then latches onto Alek and flees with him. The group manages to head into the city of Constantinople, where they try to remain hidden among the commoners. Alek and Corporal Bauer leave the hotel after laying low for a while with Klopp, one of the masters of mechaniks. Alek discovers a very nosy American reporter by the name of Eddie Malone, in which he discovers some information about the Leviathan that he finds interesting, at that point, a few German soldiers walk in, searching for Bauer. They make a hasty escape only to be caught by Zaven, a leader of one of the resistance against the sultan's rule.
Deryn gets assigned a mission to plant a fabricated barnacle into the Ottoman's Kraken net in order for Britain to attack once the Ottoman empire
joins sides with Germany. The mission was successful, but she was the only one to remain free out of the three men she was assigned to lead. Deryn also enters Ottoman territory, curious to find Alek. Meanwhile, a revolution occurs in the Ottoman Empire led by the Committee of Union and Progress
. Alek then agrees to join the Committee as an ally, wishing to strike a blow at the Germans. He meets Lilith, Zaven's daughter, and Nene, their grandmother, who lies on a mechanical bed. They then stage a revolt, using a gold bar Alek has saved. They buy up parts and lots of spice. They build spice throwing walkers, and successfully pull off a revolt, and the British invade because the barnacles, which have eaten away the the gates have let the behemoth in, destroying the Goben and the Breslau, the two ironclads. Then they all escape aboard the Leviathan, and when they find out Alek is a prince, they treat him with great respect. The third novel, Goliath, is set in motion when they find out they are going to the far east.
Scott Westerfeld
Scott Westerfeld is an American author of science fiction. He was born in Texas and now divides his time between Sydney, Australia and New York City, USA.-Books:...
.
The book is the second installment in the Leviathan series. It picks up where Leviathan ends. It was published on October 5, 2010.
As with Leviathan, the audiobook is read by Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
.
The sequel, Goliath
Goliath (Westerfeld novel)
Goliath is a novel written by Scott Westerfeld. The book is the third installment in the Leviathan series. It picks up where Behemoth ends. It was published in the US on September 20, 2011....
, was released on September 20, 2011.
Summary
Behemoth continues an alternate history story begun in Leviathan. It is 1914, and the Darwinist countries of BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
are on the brink of world war with the Clanker countries of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. War has been declared, although the Ottoman Empire has not yet entered. The Darwinists use technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
based on genetically manipulated animals, while the Clankers use machinery.
Plot=
The story starts on the Leviathan when two German Ironclads attack the ship. In the process of the attack Newkirk is almost killed, but is saved by Deryn. Meanwhile, Klopp tried to take over to save the ship, yet Mr. Hirst, the ship's engineer, disagrees. In the process, Alek is shot. After the escape, Deryn and Dr. Barlow visit Alek, and he explains what happened on the ship. When Deryn was delivering a message to Count Volger, he learns that Alek had told her that he is the prince.
After landing in Constantinople, Aleksander plots an escape from the Leviathan. In their escape Volger and Hoffman remain behind in order to allow Alek to flee. The creature from Dr.Barlow's egg hatches, revealing a creature, known as the perspicacious loris, as identified later in the story by Dr. Barlow, that seems to understand and speak English. The creature then latches onto Alek and flees with him. The group manages to head into the city of Constantinople, where they try to remain hidden among the commoners. Alek and Corporal Bauer leave the hotel after laying low for a while with Klopp, one of the masters of mechaniks. Alek discovers a very nosy American reporter by the name of Eddie Malone, in which he discovers some information about the Leviathan that he finds interesting, at that point, a few German soldiers walk in, searching for Bauer. They make a hasty escape only to be caught by Zaven, a leader of one of the resistance against the sultan's rule.
Deryn gets assigned a mission to plant a fabricated barnacle into the Ottoman's Kraken net in order for Britain to attack once the Ottoman empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
joins sides with Germany. The mission was successful, but she was the only one to remain free out of the three men she was assigned to lead. Deryn also enters Ottoman territory, curious to find Alek. Meanwhile, a revolution occurs in the Ottoman Empire led by the Committee of Union and Progress
Committee of Union and Progress
The Committee of Union and Progress began as a secret society established as the "Committee of Ottoman Union" in 1889 by the medical students İbrahim Temo, Abdullah Cevdet, İshak Sükuti and Ali Hüseyinzade...
. Alek then agrees to join the Committee as an ally, wishing to strike a blow at the Germans. He meets Lilith, Zaven's daughter, and Nene, their grandmother, who lies on a mechanical bed. They then stage a revolt, using a gold bar Alek has saved. They buy up parts and lots of spice. They build spice throwing walkers, and successfully pull off a revolt, and the British invade because the barnacles, which have eaten away the the gates have let the behemoth in, destroying the Goben and the Breslau, the two ironclads. Then they all escape aboard the Leviathan, and when they find out Alek is a prince, they treat him with great respect. The third novel, Goliath, is set in motion when they find out they are going to the far east.
Historical liberties
- The Sultan Osman ISultan Osman ISultan Osman I may refer to:* Sultan Osman I , founder of the Ottoman Empire.* The battleship Sultan Osman I ordered by the Ottoman Empire but seized by the United Kingdom in 1914 and renamed HMS Agincourt....
was a real warship. - The revolution by the Committee of Union and Progress was not successful in 1908 and the Sultan was overthrown, with the characters' help, during the time of this novel. Because the allies helped to overthrow the Sultan, the new Committee democracy would allow British ships to supply food to Russia, allowing the Russians to fight the Clankers effectively.