Goliath

by Scott Westerfeld
audio book narrated by Alan Cumming
Book 3 (final) of Leviathan

I found this last book of the trilogy immensely more riveting than the previous book, as the story kind of comes to a head.  From the very beginning of the book, I got caught up in all the events, from the rescuing of Tesla to the revelation of Deryn's true identity to Alek and others.

But I can't help noticing that after some thought, I had a few quibbles with a lot of the latter part of the book.  I suppose I felt like Deryn's actions and behavior after her disguise was revealed to Alek felt a bit out of character.  I don't mean the part where they're fighting and angry at each other--Alek because Deryn kept such a big secret from him; Deryn because she feels like Alek should be more understanding of her circumstances.  But after the two sort of reconcile, their relationship was just so stunted and awkward, and Deryn's behavior felt kind of contradictory to how her character had been since the first book.

I get that they probably can't carry on the same way afterwards, but it still felt more awkward than I think it needed to.

Meanwhile, I DID continue to find Alek's "provenance" declaration extremely exhausting, much like Deryn did.  But I suppose that was the best way to continue propelling the story forward.

However, in the end, I really just kind of kicked back and enjoyed the rest of the book, though I confess, I'm a bit conflicted about how everything ended.

Leviathan was a really entertaining and enjoyable story, with a well-crafted alternate universe with loads of potential.  I don't know if I can truly determine whether or not that potential was reached, as I DID have my complaints.  But in the end, the adventure that took place following Deryn and Alek kept me hooked.

And what made my day was the awesome narration by Alan Cumming throughout!

Captain Nicholas Borodin and his crew embark upon their first voyage at the helm of the new, revolutionary and very massive oil tanker called the Bennkah, which means Goliath. The Russian tanker is a ship to end all ships, the largest one ever built. The Bennkah will hold so much oil that it’s predicted to influence the price of oil around the world. But early into its voyage on the Bering Sea a fire erupts onboard and Captain Borodin is forced to call for help.

Aboard his salvage boat, Captain Sonny Wade hears the Mayday and rallies his crew to head out and save what they can. Sonny is not the only one headed towards the ship. He has some stiff competition from his old boss, the very ambitious Dan Sharpe, who owns the largest and most successful salvage company around. Dan is also the one who fired Sonny after a disastrous incident that left his reputation and marriage in ruins. The race is on to see which salvage team can reach the Bennkah first, but both teams are heading into danger. For as the Bennkah begins to succumb to the fire, the tanker’s captain is the only person aware that there is much more at risk than the oil spilling into the sea.

The characters and storyline are a bit “cookie-cutter” here but if that sounds like a bad thing, it’s not! I like to read these kinds of adventure thrillers as fluff, meaning that I fly through them without a care in the world and I don’t have to think too much. That’s good right? I think so or I wouldn’t continue to read them. I am also rather fond of stories at sea. I can’t think of anything more horrifying than being out there with nowhere to go but down! Always a bit chilling! Kudos to the authors for what struck me as exceptional descriptions throughout the book. Clive Cussler and Lincoln & Child fans come to mind when recommending this book.

I want to thank the publisher (Oceanview Publishing) for providing me with the ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Goliath by Shawn Corridan, Gary Waid is a suspense-filled book about a giant Russian oil tanker. It was on a secret mission when a fire occurred and consumed the massive ship. Bennkah, Bravo-Echo-November-November-Kilo-Alpha-Hotel sent a Mayday call, when it ran aground on its maiden voyage. There were no survivors.

Because it kept my attention, I gave it four stars.

Sonny Wade, a salvager hanging on by the skin of his teeth and his motley crew heard the call and head for the Bennkah. Dan Sharp, Sonny's former employer and now perpetual enemy also heard the call and the race is on.

Bennkah means Goliath. There's also a 'Goliath-like' battle between Sonny and Dan. Sharpe-Shooters have the monetary and equipment advantage. Sonny with his Skeleton and Bones boats have the heart.

Who will be able to salvage this massive ship?

I received a complimentary copy from Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.

Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Goliath-Thriller-Oceanview-Publishing-ebook/dp/B01CPZ83WO