Westerfeld’s latested series goes steam punk (a blending of future and past). World War I is on the horizon. Clankers (Austrian-Hungarians and Germans) versus the Darwinists (British). The Clankers have machines that walk and zepplins. The Darwinists have genetically altered beasts for every kind of job. Leviathan tells the story of Alek, a young prince, on the run with his men from the Germans, and Deryn Sharp who has disguised herself as Mr. Dylan Sharp to join the British Air Service. In alternating dual chapters, readers follow Alex’s escape and Dylan’s rise to a middie on the Leviathan, an ecosystem airship made of all kinds of “beasties.” Their paths cross unexpectedly, throwing these “boys” from different belief systems into a situation where they will need to trust each other. Leviathan is an interesting mesh of machines and beasts. A great adventure!

This sequel to The Red Pyramid finds Sophie and Carter Kane on another hero’s quest to save the ways of Ancient Egypt.  Apophis, the Chaos snake, threatens to break free of his prison.  The magicians of the House of Life do not trust the Kanes.  Sadie and Carter with the aid of their Uncle Amos,  Bast and Bes (the Egyptain gods), and many newly trained magicians from the Brooklyn House, must find a way to bring the sun god, Ra, out of retirement.  Only Ra can to bring balance to our world. This will not be an easy task since the majority of Egyptian gods and the majority of the magicians in nomes all over the world oppose this action. Needless  to say, Sadie and Carter will have to use every ounce of magic they know to complete this quest.  Narrated by Sadie and Carter, The Throne of Fire, is an adventure not to be missed.