Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

The Iron Guy has just finished a truly terrific book. It's Goliath by Scott Westerfeld and it's the third book in the Leviathan triolgy. I've been a HUGE fan since the first one, Leviathan , came out in 2009. (see my review here) Then came Behemoth last year (see that review here) and that left me waiting impatiently for this third installment. And, boy, was it ever worth waiting for!! All the thrills, excitement, action, battles are here as well as the incredible machinery and strange fabricated animals you saw in the other two books.

In case you're new to the series, here's the background--It's 1914 and the European powers are on the brink of war. Sounds like our own history, right? Well, this is an alternate history and the world is divided into Clankers, those who use walking war machines, and the Darwinists, those who manipulate DNA to fabricate animals. When Prince Aleksandar Ferdinand's parents are assassinated, the world plunges into war and he runs into the mountains to hide form those who don't want him on the throne. In the meantime, a Scottish girl named Deryn Sharp dresses like a boy to join the British Royal Air Service. An unlikely series of events throws them together and the first two books recount their adventures.

As Goliath opens, they are headed across Siberia en route to Japan when they get an urgent message from the Czar. They are to rescue Nikola Tesla, a brilliant and possibly mad scientist. Tesla claims to have invented a weapon (called Goliath) that can destroy whole cities. Prtince Aleksandar becomes obsessed with getting Tesla safely to New York, believing that the threat of such a weapon could stop the war. Deryn isn't so sure, though, but she has enough troubles of her own, trying not to let anyone know she's a girl. Does Tesla ever make it to New York? Will the great European powers just sit idly and let Tesla test his Goliath? Or will they do what they have to in order to stop him? And what will happen if people learn about Deryn's secret? And just what will Alek do if Tesla actually starts up his weapon of hugely-massive destruction?

This is just a brief description of what happens in this terrific book. Along the way, there's a battle off the coast of China, hungry giant Russian war bears, an attempt by Alek and Deryn to run a radio antenna on top of the Leviathan in the middle of storm at sea, and an intense ending that will have you gripping the book so tightly that you knuckles will turn white! Not only is there action and adventure, you also get to meet real people from history, like Pancho Villa and William Randolph Hearst. You science freaks will also get all the stuff about "aeronautics," that is, flying aloft in an enormous flying fabricated beast. So this book has something for everyone!!

Don't miss it, guys!! I had a LOT of fun reading Goliath and so will you. In fact--

Goliath receives the Iron Guy Seal as One Terrific Book!

So, achtung!! Get up and get it macht snell!! Don't waste any barking time!!