Behemoth

This is the second instalment of Scott Westerfeld’s extraordinary series (following on from Leviathan), set in a half recognisable Europe at the onset of World War One. While the historical figures remain the same, the warring nations are now split between the German Clankers, who put their faith in ever more ingenious war machines, and their Darwinist opponents, who fight back using man-made monsters as their chief weapon. At the centre of all this are young Alek, the anti-war heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, holed up in Istanbul and hunted by his German enemies, and Deryn, a feisty British girl posing as a male midshipman. Battles galore ensue, mesmerisingly illustrated by Keith Thompson in full gothic black and white gloom. Westerfeld keeps the tension going right to the end, and with more instalments still to come this impressive series continues to enthrall and occasionally astound.