Author Scott Westerfeld, illustrated Keith Thompson
I am not a big fan of “alternative history” novels, but the energy and imagination behind this teen “steam punk” novel won me at least half over. We are taken back to the days just prior to World War One... but to an Austria that has developed giant fighting machines a little like the “walkers” in Star Wars, and a Britain that has learnt how to genetically alter creatures to turn them into huge transporters or attack weapons.
The fun is in the imagined technologies, but the focus is on the adventures of two young people each caught up in the fighting: two young people destined to meet in strange circumstances. The story rolls out at a cracking pace, and it is moodily and ably illustrated every second or third page.
This is not a delicately crafted tale... it is told as an adventure story and you simply have to be prepared to suspend belief that quite so many wild adventures (and escapes) would happen to any one (or two) individuals. There are mysteries, and a bit of background story to each of the young people featured. Not all the mysteries are fully explained by the end of the book, as there are two more books to go in the series.
This is a fun read for younger teens who like adventure, and a reasonable introduction to the steam punk genre. It does raise some interesting questions about genetic engineering as well.
Andrew Lack
The fun is in the imagined technologies, but the focus is on the adventures of two young people each caught up in the fighting: two young people destined to meet in strange circumstances. The story rolls out at a cracking pace, and it is moodily and ably illustrated every second or third page.
This is not a delicately crafted tale... it is told as an adventure story and you simply have to be prepared to suspend belief that quite so many wild adventures (and escapes) would happen to any one (or two) individuals. There are mysteries, and a bit of background story to each of the young people featured. Not all the mysteries are fully explained by the end of the book, as there are two more books to go in the series.
This is a fun read for younger teens who like adventure, and a reasonable introduction to the steam punk genre. It does raise some interesting questions about genetic engineering as well.
Andrew Lack
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