Book #34: Goliath, by Scott Westerfeld
Sep. 21st, 2011 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grav_ityAlternate history (WW I), steampunk, Girls Are Awesome, Boys Are Awesome Too, semi-real politics, friendship, messed up science, general fabulousness, etc.
Oh, Nikola Tesla! Dude can't even catch a break when he's in a fictional alternate history. (You really don't want to know how how squeeful I got when I saw him in the book jacket. And then again when Dr. Barlow made it clear that we were ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE HIM! If they make this into a movie, I hope Amanda Tapping plays Barlow. Fandom can probably take care of the rest...)
That aside, this was really the book where Alek grows up. And it was kind of awesome. His scenes with Deryn, beginning with his unfortunately typical reaction and then progressing through his understanding and then his appreciation of what she did...it was so realistic it almost hurt.
AND DERYN! I am pretty sure she couldn't be more amazing if she tried. This book was pretty much a cold shower for her, but I liked her conversations with Lilit and Dr. Barlow, realism and optimism combined.
I really, really like them together as well, which was not something I was expecting to do. I love how hard they fought for their friendship, and how it became the base for everything else they have with each other. That makes me ludicrously happy.
I'm also pretty sure there aren't words for how much I love the lorises. I WANT ONE OF THEM. It's possible I love them more than I love Momo, and that is saying a lot. They are just so cool.
Mostly, for me, these books are less about the characters and the story, and more about the world. AND WHAT A WORLD. I love it SO MUCH, from the beginning when it was Clankers and Darwinists, through the next two books where we saw the cultures outside of Europe combine the two technologies and make them work together. I particularly love the idea of an America that really, really never got over the Civil War (though slavery wasn't mentioned, which...I don't know how I feel about that, but there was already about a million things going on, so maybe Westerfeld will write short stories or something? I don't know), and have the country split along Darwinist/Clanker lines. Cleverly incorporated history FTW!
(That said, I am docking this book an entire point because they didn't go to Canada. SO CLOSE! AND YET SO FAR! :p)
I pretty much loved everything except the reporters. That style of journalism is...well, that's a rant for another time, but as much as I wanted to like Adela, I couldn't, because if she'd got her way and her stories, people would have been hurt for no good reason. I am going to track down her autobiography, though. It sounds amazing.
I was SO PLEASED with the ending! I was very afraid that Deryn would be unmasked and it would be all Painful and Stuff, and she would have to Learn A Lesson About Lying and work for Ford or something in the meantime...but none of that happened. I was so relieved. And I loved that Alek's crew got to do something awesome too, and be independent. I like stories that end with everybody able to do things they are good at.
9/10, for being a magnificent ending, and for the amazing, amazing world we got to see.
OH, and the illustrations were GORGEOUS.
Oh, Nikola Tesla! Dude can't even catch a break when he's in a fictional alternate history. (You really don't want to know how how squeeful I got when I saw him in the book jacket. And then again when Dr. Barlow made it clear that we were ACTUALLY GOING TO SEE HIM! If they make this into a movie, I hope Amanda Tapping plays Barlow. Fandom can probably take care of the rest...)
That aside, this was really the book where Alek grows up. And it was kind of awesome. His scenes with Deryn, beginning with his unfortunately typical reaction and then progressing through his understanding and then his appreciation of what she did...it was so realistic it almost hurt.
AND DERYN! I am pretty sure she couldn't be more amazing if she tried. This book was pretty much a cold shower for her, but I liked her conversations with Lilit and Dr. Barlow, realism and optimism combined.
I really, really like them together as well, which was not something I was expecting to do. I love how hard they fought for their friendship, and how it became the base for everything else they have with each other. That makes me ludicrously happy.
I'm also pretty sure there aren't words for how much I love the lorises. I WANT ONE OF THEM. It's possible I love them more than I love Momo, and that is saying a lot. They are just so cool.
Mostly, for me, these books are less about the characters and the story, and more about the world. AND WHAT A WORLD. I love it SO MUCH, from the beginning when it was Clankers and Darwinists, through the next two books where we saw the cultures outside of Europe combine the two technologies and make them work together. I particularly love the idea of an America that really, really never got over the Civil War (though slavery wasn't mentioned, which...I don't know how I feel about that, but there was already about a million things going on, so maybe Westerfeld will write short stories or something? I don't know), and have the country split along Darwinist/Clanker lines. Cleverly incorporated history FTW!
(That said, I am docking this book an entire point because they didn't go to Canada. SO CLOSE! AND YET SO FAR! :p)
I pretty much loved everything except the reporters. That style of journalism is...well, that's a rant for another time, but as much as I wanted to like Adela, I couldn't, because if she'd got her way and her stories, people would have been hurt for no good reason. I am going to track down her autobiography, though. It sounds amazing.
I was SO PLEASED with the ending! I was very afraid that Deryn would be unmasked and it would be all Painful and Stuff, and she would have to Learn A Lesson About Lying and work for Ford or something in the meantime...but none of that happened. I was so relieved. And I loved that Alek's crew got to do something awesome too, and be independent. I like stories that end with everybody able to do things they are good at.
9/10, for being a magnificent ending, and for the amazing, amazing world we got to see.
OH, and the illustrations were GORGEOUS.
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no subject
Date: 2011-09-21 04:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-21 04:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-21 05:47 pm (UTC)Aaaaah the Lorises! THEY ARE SO MUCH TROUBLE. Except I love them. Momo/Bovril OTP?
I can't even think still, this book just slayed me. Alek's slow realization, anger, then acceptance of Deryn's BAMFiness was just awesome. And even though Dr Barlow's response was not what I hoped for, I felt like it was realistic and excellent as well.
I want to know mooooooore! I want to know about their new life and whether Deryn went by Deryn or Dylan once they started working for the Zoological Society! I WANT MORE KISSING and I want a WEDDING. DAMMIT. I want it to be twenty years later and someone discover that the most excellent and awesome Mr Sharp of the British Air Service was, in fact, a lady, and have Deryn CELEBRATED for her daring and nerve. And Alek sitting next to her will be all smug and proud. And then they will hop in their airship and SAIL OFF AROUND THE WORLD and visit Canada, of course.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-21 06:02 pm (UTC)YES! FOR SURE! (And maybe also Australia, because you just KNOW there are some WEIRD fabrications there!)