ARE YOU BARKING DAFT?! GET INTO THIS TRILOGY! Behemoth is a smashing sequel to 'Leviathan'. I loved this so much more than the first book, as you get a whole new layer piled onto the world you know of in Leviathan. Mostly set in the Ottoman Empire (Istanbul / Constantinople to be precise), it involves the protection of the 'Leviathan'. 
 Once again Deryn and Alek inspire me to keep fighting for what I believe in and what I want, and even if a war breaks out that can turmoil everything I have achieved, it will not stop me from going beyond what is expected of me. And a rebellion begins! EVEN BETTER with this dystopian twist added into it. OH HOW I BARKING LOVE the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westefeld! 
 I especially enjoyed seeing Deryn growing up with new responsibilities, challenged loyalties, and well...a blossoming love. It is finally great to see Deryn's femininity crawling out of her boyish disguise, giving us the reader so many 'Awk!' and 'crossing fingers' moments. Providing the story with another strong female character named Lilit, Scott Westerfeld creates a strange, convoluted and yet innocent love triangle between Deryn, Alek and Lilit. It is very strange, as Alek still doesn't know about Deryn's secret, and although she knows about Alek's 'Archduke' title now, Lilit suspects there's something more to Deryn than meets the eye. It's such an awesome twist to the story. 
 Alek's decision to start taking an active role in events happening around him made him into less of a lost little princeling whose actions are dictated by his father's last wishes or Wildcount Volger. It was a nice little bit of character growth. I liked him more for it. I would even go so far as to say that Alek is changing from a lost and frightened kid into someone who could be a leader. 
 After reading Behemoth I cannot wait for the last installment of this outstanding trilogy titled, Goliath. According to the title, it just seems to be HUGE! My mind is constantly thinking about what would be achieved and how all these events come together in a mindblowing climactic finale. to Behemoth for what it is, and forever will be.