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The group read for December is now open.

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This is so weird. I could have sworn that we had a Leviathan topic already but I couldn't find it.

i read this several years ago - but never went back and read the rest in the series - i liked, but didn't love it...for me, the illustrations made it

I was the exact same way, Dee. I read it and liked it fine but wasn't bowled over. But the pictures were awesome. It's been so long since I've read it, that I am going to try to do a re-read this month and see if I feel differently about the book. There are a lot of people who love the trilogy and count it among their favorites, so I'm curious to see if I view it differently, since our tastes do tend to change a little as the years progress.

i can't imagine reading without the pictures; although lots of people swear by the audiobook

The audiobook of this is good but apparently you miss out on illustrations. I really loved the steampunk feel of these books. The series also made me interested in learning more about World War I.

Stacia, this is another series that could go in a couple different folders. Which might also explain why you can't find it.

I just started the book last night, so I'm not very far in, but I like what I've read so far,,,

I just finished! I quite liked it, but more for the world building than the actual plot. War stories aren't really my thing, but oh my goodness, the animals! I want a messenger lizard! I kept reading them in the Geiko gecko's voice! :D

Re: Geiko gecko - ROFL - me too!!

I'm on page 78 and have just been introduced to the title ship, and it's fun so far. I love Deryn and really appreciate that Alek seems to be reading fairly realistically rather than suddenly turning into SuperPrince who can handle everything perfectly.

I know I am coming late to the party but I started reading this the other day and am at about 38% in. I love how visual and unique the world is. Very interesting the two views of the Darwinist and the Clankers. I have not read much Steam punk so this is very new to me. (view spoiler)[ I find it very disturbing that they use animals in such ways - poor whale is like a tortured slave- but am intrigued by the gene splicing that enables this (hide spoiler)] So far the plot seems a bit weak and it seems to read more middle grade to me. I love Deryn and can anticipate a lot of character development for Alek.

I started read to this book for the group read, but have found my progress getting slower and slower as I go. I'm not sure what, exactly, it is but something just isn't grabbing my attention all that well. I think I've pretty much given up � I got to the section where are heroes first meet and that whole sequence just felt completely flat and forced. I hate giving up on books, but I've got so many others I want to read I don't really want to spend time with one that just isn't yelling at me to pick it up.

I'm on the second book in the series. Behemoth is pretty good, I think arguably better than the first because it's less back and forth between the two parties and reads more cohesively. I agree that it does read a little bit more like middle grade, but I needed something light-hearted and this is definitely doing that for me. I read the first one over a year ago, so I don't recall specific details (nor do I want to spoil anything). I really enjoy seeing the different kinds of creatures that they've invented and what they can actually do. Kind of a neat biology vs tech theme throughout.

Kriselda, no worries. If the book isn't doing it for you, then it's okay to let it go.

I wish I could even comment on the other comments, but since I didn't end up doing the re-read, I don't remember enough to add anything to the discussion. It's been a while since I've read the book.

I'm hoping that January's will be more fun. :)

What I found fun about this one was the unique world building. I think this would make an interesting movie. I know no one book is for everyone but it is still good to try for yourself to see what it does for you. I find it interesting to hear what people didn't like about a book also - it gives a different point of view.

The world was fantastic!! And I loved the story up until they met. It was just weird... But, yea, I really enjoyed the world he'd set up

So I checked out the book to see the illustrations and they are pretty impressive but I don't know that it would have made the book for me.

I didn't know about The Manual of Aeronautics: An Illustrated Guide to the Leviathan Series until the group read and I really liked it. It really delves deeper into the world building. Scott Westerfeld even says in the intro that he was asked all this detailed question by the artist that he never thinks about when he is just writing.

I would never be able to fully explain a world in my head to an artist. It makes me think of the whole "criminal sketch artist" thing. I have no clue how a person can remember enough details about a criminal's face in order to have it relayed well enough to a sketch artist to make into a sketch. I would be all : uh, I think he had a big nose. No, I don't remember how it was shaped. And the sketch artist would draw a clown nose.

Diane wrote: "What I found fun about this one was the unique world building. I think this would make an interesting movie. I know no one book is for everyone but it is still good to try for yourself to see what ..."

It would probably make for a good visual movie.