This is the satisfying conclusion to the series Scott Westerfeld began with Leviathan and continued in Behemoth. Goliath starts off a little more slowly than the other two books, but it’s not two chapters before we’re plunged into adventure and intrigue as per usual.
In this volume, Deryn and Prince Alek rescue Nikola Tesla, yes, THE Nikola Tesla, from giant bears in Russia and try to help him end the war with his nightmarishly huge Tesla cannon. Meanwhile, some secrets are uncovered and romance is finally brewing between our beloved narrators.
The mad science continues to be fantastic. In this installment, the reader discovers what’s going on in the North American continent – a bizarre mixture of machinery and genetically engineered animals. We get to watch a moving picture and see reporters wielding cameras and talking frogs. We even get to see New York!
The brilliant illustrations of Keith Thompson return as well, of course. Without these beautiful pieces, this book would be incredibly diminished. I love the art. It brings the wild inventions and bizarre animals to life in a way that words do not. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
I was quite sad when I reached the end. Not that the ending is unfortunate – in fact, quite the opposite. The end is everything one could hope for. I was sad because the series was over.
I give Goliath a solid five gears out of five. The adventure is fantastic. I venture to say that this trilogy may be the perfect young adult series.
Your Correspondent from the Bookstore,
Penny J. Merriweather
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