Book Review: Goliath

Following the adventures recorded in Leviathan and Behemoth, Goliath takes readers on a round-the-world adventure heavy with giant bears, dangerous inventors, and romantic tension.  For fans of the first two books, Goliath is a satisfying conclusion to a unique steam-punk trilogy.
Westerfeld takes loose ends and ties them up nicely in this 500+ page book.  Although I'll attempt to not give too much away, Goliath is heavy on the romance and relationships.  (When one of the love interests has been dressed as a boy for the last two books, there's a bit of catching up to do.)  Westerfeld mixes sweet moments in with plenty of political intrigue.  Fictional characters are mixed with alternate interpretations of historical facts; through these pages we meet William Randolph Hearst and watch The Perils of Pauline.  Keith Thompson's drawings add to the mood of the book and catch the characters perfectly.
Neither I nor Westerfeld have to convince past fans to read Goliath, but I would recommend that new persons interested in the series start with Leviathan, as most of Goliath's power comes from relational and political tension built up in the first two books.  The ending is bitter-sweet and satisfying, gently closing the door on the series.  Fans with withdraws can look forward to an upcoming guide to the universe, set to be published in August 2012.


Pros:
All the pros from the earlier books, plus...
*More historical characters/happenings!  Yay!
*A trip to America
*Incredibly sweet scenes
*Clean prose
*All the back knowledge you need without copious info-dumps
*Heroics
*Very perspicacious lorises

Cons:
*A little mild swearing
*Some violence
*Some creepy pictures (although if you're young enough to be scared of the pictures, you probably shouldn't be reading this book anyway)
*Dialogue occasionally sounds stilted/unrealistic

Guest Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones

"Chapter 6, In Which Howl Expresses Himself with Green Slime": This was one of the most interesting chapter titles that I ran across while lying in bed deeply engrossed in the novel Howl's Moving Castle. Earlier that night, my sister had slapped a book in front of me and said, "Read this." Having nothing else to do, I decided to give it a try. This book is now one of my favorites ever, and Dianna Wynne Jones is one of my favorite authors. Moving Castle is written so that it draws you in and keeps you reading. Some books do this through action, but Howl's Moving Castle does it through insane characters, plot twists, and humor. In no other book have I encountered an old lady who is actually a young lady living in the same house as an evil wizard who actually isn’t evil and, well, I had probably stop there. Overall, "Howl's Moving Castle Was" was a delightfully fantastic read that has earned a place in my heart.~Ethan Reeves

Pros:

*Engaging writing style

*Madcap plot

*Humor

*Unforgettable characters

Cons:

*Occasional mild swearing

*Ending feels slightly rushed (but you don't really care, because...oh, just read it!)

Editor's Note: Howl's Moving Castle is one of three books that form a loose trilogy.  The other books are Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways.  Jones has written many, many other books though, and they come highly recommended.  Howl's Moving Castle was made into a (very different but also quite wonderful) movie by Hayao Miyazaki.

Review written by Ethan Reeves, with supplementary material and editing by Renee Reeves