The year is 1914 and Europe, armed with futuristic machines and biotechnology, is on the precipice of war. Prince Aleksandar is fleeing for his life, having discovered that his parents have been assassinated and that he is now a target for the Clanker Powers, a group determined to take over the globe with their mechanical machinery. They will stop at nothing to get what they want, so Alek knows his only choice is to keep on running. When he meets Deryn Sharpe, an orphan girl who has disguised herself as a boy so she can to ...
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The year is 1914 and Europe, armed with futuristic machines and biotechnology, is on the precipice of war. Prince Aleksandar is fleeing for his life, having discovered that his parents have been assassinated and that he is now a target for the Clanker Powers, a group determined to take over the globe with their mechanical machinery. They will stop at nothing to get what they want, so Alek knows his only choice is to keep on running. When he meets Deryn Sharpe, an orphan girl who has disguised herself as a boy so she can to join the British Air Service, they form an uneasy, but necessary, alliance. But the pair will soon discover that their emerging friendship will dramatically change their lives and the entire course of the Great World War...
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in None Issued jacket. 438 pages. Book is in Very good condition throughout. Alick Is A Prince Without A Throne. Deryn Is A Girl Disguised As A Boy, She Must Fight For Her Cause And Protect Her Secret. Yet They Are Thrown Together, Fighting Side By Side. They Are Enemies, yet Somehow Destined To Be Together.
A steampunk novel based in the 1910s and revolving around the viewpoints of the two main characters, Aleksandar Ferdinand and Deryn Sharp. The first book of a trilogy that I have been obsessing about since I first saw the artwork for it on Keith Thompson?s website.
Alek?s story begins in the dead of night, dragged from his bed to learn how to pilot a Walker ? a two-legged machines of war ? while his parents are away, but as he is instructed to move the Walker away from his home he soon becomes suspicious. As the son of the heir of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his father has many enemies, including the Emperor himself. Sure enough, when he tries to escape he is overpowered and drugged.
Deryn?s side of things start with her preparing for the admission test into the British Air Service. The test luckily doesn?t include a physical examination, as women were not permitted to sign up. Unluckily, the test includes going aloft in a hydrogen filled live jellyfish called a Huxley. A storm blows in and Deryn is soon in trouble, the Huxley panicking and going into a steep dive. To save herself and the Huxley, she unties the anchor line and is dragged into the storm, blown towards France.
Their stories continue separately for a good portion of the book, showing how the characters develop with their new responsibilities, showing brilliantly the two factions ? the Clankers who believe in mechanical superiority and the Darwinists who tamper with animal DNA to create fabricated animals (or Fabs). When they come together, each stays true to character and interact wonderfully.
The plot is simplistic yet elegant, the characters interesting yet lacking in depth, the world building sheer brilliance. A very enjoyable and light read.