Title: Leviathan #2: Behemoth

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Steampunk

Rating:5 out of 5

Blurb:The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's 

Thoughts: I read Leviathon a little while ago and really enjoyed it. I was excited to find the sequel, Behemoth, when I returned Leviathan to the library.

I like the way these books are written, taking real facts and twisting them to fit into this amazing story. I was delighted every time I recognized real facts.

Normally I'm good at guessing what is coming up in a story, but in Behemoth I couldn't. Most of the surprises were well kept, making it a very exciting read.

Have you read Behemoth? What did you think? Are you good at guessing plots?

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Thoughts: I've always been a fan of clunky machines and interesting animals, so Leviathan was right up my ally. The whole concept of this book intrigued me. I've never read a book like this one before.


I loved how this book was written from two different points of view. It was cool how you could see the differences in the way Alek and Deryn saw the world. There was nothing similar about these characters, yet together they told the story perfectly.

Out of all of history, the time periods I've studied the most are the World Wars. I was excited to find out that this book was based on World War 1. It's interesting to see what would have happened it Beasties and Clanker machines existed.

Have you read Leviathan? What did you think of it? Do you have my suggestions as to what I should read next?

Title: A Fairytale Retold 3: Waking Rose

Author: Regina Doman

Stars: 5 out of 5

Genre: Retold Fairytale

Blurb: "I love him more than poetry... I love him more than song."Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own, thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of brothers, and starts an investigation into her family's past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose's new friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a tangle of revenge and corruption that might be threatening Rose's very life. The climax is a crucible of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to reach Rose and conquer his dragons.

Favourite Quotes: “I shall have twenty cats and talk to them all," she said, picking up the volume of poetry. "My cats and I shall have fish every day for dinner." Her imagination taking flight, she finished, dropping the book into the box, "And I shall memorize every line in this book and paint it in calligraphy on my living room walls.”
...

There was a silence. Then Paul looked at Alex.
'She knows Chesterton.'
'She lives,' said Alex.

Title: Heist Society

Author: Ally Carter

Stars: 5 out of 5

Genre: action

Blurb: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie travelled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected.
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Favourite Quotes: “Kat!” Gabrielle hissed. “You’re going to get caught."The smile Kat flashed over her shoulder was almost wicked. “I know.”
...

“Kat had been picking things up since her third birthday, when Hamish and Angus's father took them all to the circus because he needed to "borrow" an elephant.”
...

“It's every little girl's dream," she said. "Interpol surveillance. And kittens.”

Title: Books of Bayern 3: River Secrets

Author: Shannon Hale

Stars: 5 out of 5

Genre: Fantasy

Blurb: Razo has no idea why he was chosen to be a soldier. He can barely swing a sword, and his brothers are forever wrestling him to the ground. Razo is sure it's out of pity that his captain asks him to join an elite mission--escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern's great enemy.

But when the Bayern arrive in the strange southern country, Razo discovers the first dead body. He befriends both the high and low born, people who can perhaps provide them with vital information. And Razo is the one who must embrace his own talents in order to get the Bayern soldiers home again, alive.

Favourite Quotes: “It was a pleasure, Enna, Finn, tree rat."

Title: HIVE 6: Zero Hour

Author: Mark Walden

Stars: 5 out of 5

Genre: sci-fi

Blurb: Overlord is reborn, and has developed the chilling ability to move from body to body, erasing the host`s personality and ultimately killing them, forcing him to hop from victim to victim. He must find Otto, the only host designed to contain him, and for that he needs the location of H.I.V.E. He also plans to take control of a secret US Army facility that is home to the Autonomous Weapon Programme, a computer-controlled system uniquely vulnerable to his control.

Nero is forced to activate Zero Hour, a plan designed to deal with any member of G.L.O.V.E. on the brink of true global domination. Nero also knows that Otto must not be allowed to fall into Overlord`s hands, and a desperate race across the globe begins. The stage is set for a final battle with Overlord. Little do they know that he has a final weapon in his arsenal, on a scale unlike anything they have ever seen before.

Favourite Quote: Shelby: "I don't know if you've noticed, but kung fu doesn't work at long range."

Thoughts: HIVE is one of my favourite series ever. I was really excited when Mum bought us Zero Hour for Christmas. I'd been wanting it for ages, but sadly our library doesn't have it.

One of my favourite things about these books is the characters. The main characters goes to a school for villains, the enemy is a super computer and the side kicks have a mix of interesting abilities. Theses are certainly not the average ingredients for a novel.

Another great thing about the HIVE book is the epic lines! I'm always stopping to read out quotes to Gemma-Rose (who also loves them). All the characters have great senses of humour. The books are really quote-able.

Have you read HIVE? What do you like most about this book series?