What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Leviathan
Melville’s Moby Dick unfolds in a world of dragon hunters in Black Leviathan, an epic revenge fantasy from German award-winning author Bernd Perplies.
Beware! A shadow will cover you, larger than that cast by any other dragon of this world. Black as the lightless chasm from whence it was born at the beginning of time.
In the coastal city Skargakar, residents make a living from hunting dragons and use them for everything from clothing to food, while airborne ships hunt them in the white expanse of a cloud sea, the Cloudmere.
Lian does his part carving the kyrillian crystals that power the ships through the Cloudmere, but when he makes an enemy of a dangerous man, Lian ships out on the next vessel available as a drachenjager, or dragon hunter.
He chooses the wrong ship. A fanatic captain, hunts more than just any dragon. His goal is the Firstborn Gargantuan—and Adaron is prepared to sacrifice everything for revenge.
Beware! A shadow will cover you, larger than that cast by any other dragon of this world. Black as the lightless chasm from whence it was born at the beginning of time.
In the coastal city Skargakar, residents make a living from hunting dragons and use them for everything from clothing to food, while airborne ships hunt them in the white expanse of a cloud sea, the Cloudmere.
Lian does his part carving the kyrillian crystals that power the ships through the Cloudmere, but when he makes an enemy of a dangerous man, Lian ships out on the next vessel available as a drachenjager, or dragon hunter.
He chooses the wrong ship. A fanatic captain, hunts more than just any dragon. His goal is the Firstborn Gargantuan—and Adaron is prepared to sacrifice everything for revenge.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2017
27 people are currently reading
2131 people want to read
About the author
Bernd Perplies
128 books69 followersBernd Perplies, geboren 1977 in Wiesbaden, studierte Filmwissenschaft und Germanistik in Mainz. Parallel zu einer Anstellung beim Deutschen Filminstitut (DIF) in Frankfurt am Main, wandte er sich nach dem Studium dem professionellen Schreiben zu. Heute ist er in Vollzeit als Schriftsteller und Übersetzer tätig. Seine Werke - darunter die "Magierdämmerung"- und die "Carya"-Trilogie - sind mehrfach preisgekrönt. Zuletzt ist von ihm "Nachtmeisters Erben" erschienen, ein Dark-Future-Roman im "Shadowrun"-Rollenspiel-Setting, der von einer gefährlichen Überlandtour zweier abgebrühter Transportfahrer handelt. Außerdem verfasste er unter dem Pseudonym Wes Andrews die Space-Western-Reihe "Frontiersmen". Bernd Perplies lebt mit seiner Familie in der Nähe von Stuttgart.
+++
Bernd Perplies was born in Wiesbaden/Germany in 1977. After graduating in Movie Sciences and German Literature he started working at the Film Museum in Frankfurt am Main. At the same time he became a freelance journalist and translator, writing for movie magazines as well as science fiction and fantasy publishers. His first novel was published in 2008. Since then he has penned more than 30 science fiction, fantasy and steampunk novels, earning him about a dozen nominations for prestigious German genre awards. He won the RPC Fantasy Jury Award in 2010 and was awarded the Deutsche Phantastik Preis twice (2013 and 2015). Bernd Perplies lives with his family near Stuttgart.
+++
Bernd Perplies was born in Wiesbaden/Germany in 1977. After graduating in Movie Sciences and German Literature he started working at the Film Museum in Frankfurt am Main. At the same time he became a freelance journalist and translator, writing for movie magazines as well as science fiction and fantasy publishers. His first novel was published in 2008. Since then he has penned more than 30 science fiction, fantasy and steampunk novels, earning him about a dozen nominations for prestigious German genre awards. He won the RPC Fantasy Jury Award in 2010 and was awarded the Deutsche Phantastik Preis twice (2013 and 2015). Bernd Perplies lives with his family near Stuttgart.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 21, 2019
A retelling of Moby Dick where instead of whales, it's dragons, and instead of endless chapters on whaling techniques...more dragons. A wonderful and updated look at the different ways revenge can affect your life in a beautifully detailed fantasy world (full of dragons. Did I mention the dragons? Because you guys, it's Moby Dick, but with DRAGONS).
February 29, 2020
Synopsis
In Skargakar, dragons are a way of life. Their uses are endless: food, clothing, weapons, pets, etc. They are so essential to the community that people called drachenjagers build giant airships to hunt them in the Cloudmere – a vast area above the clouds where dragons preside. It is a dangerous job, but the successful dragon hunters are awarded with fame and fortune.
Lian is the son of a well-known (and now retired) drachenjager, though his father never really talks about his exploits. He has never really considered getting into the business himself, as he maintains a decent life carving kyrillian crystals which are used to power the airships. One day Lian finds himself in a bit of trouble and has to leave town immediately. His life depends on it. So, he boards the next airship headed for the Cloudmere and decides to try his hand at dragon hunting. It is better than staying and being hunted himself.
It does not take long for Lian to regret his decision, as it turns out the captain of the ship is an extremist. He has one goal in mind: revenge. He has been searching the depths of the Cloudmere to find the ancient Gargantuan, a Black Leviathan that destroyed his crew (one of which was his wife) decades ago.
Lian finds himself caught on a wild ride through the Cloudmere. In the adventure of a lifetime he visits other worlds, meets new peoples, and hunts dragons. Will they find the Black Leviathan and live to tell the tale? Lian’s fate depends on it.
Review
If you like dragons, Black Leviathan is the book for you. It is the most atmospheric story about the giant beasts I have ever encountered (though The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood has something to say about that), and it starts with the cover. It features a giant, indigo-colored dragon enormously looming over a pint-sized person (by comparison), who I think it is safe to assume is Lian (the main character). The dragon’s menacing demeanor in this scene foreshadowing a confrontation drew me in immediately, and it really set the mood for the rest of the book. If you know me, you know how important covers are to me. When I begin reading a book the depiction on the cover sticks with me throughout, and it can mean the difference between merely enjoying the story and being engrossed in it. Black Leviathan‘s cover effectively accomplishes this task.
The encompassing ambiance does not stop there. Dragons are present throughout every part of the story. Dragon meat is sold in the market, dragon scales are used as armor and to protect ships, bones are used in building, skin for clothes, teeth and claw as weapons. Even commerce is dragon-based. The best dragon hunters are idolized and have the opportunity to return from their hunts with rare and valuable items that have the potential to make them rich. Lian works in a shop grinding kyrillian crystals, which contain magic that allow the airships to float. Dragons literally permeate the pores of society until they are dripping in dragon sweat. And I am so here for it.
The author is incredibly descriptive, as well. From Skargakar to the other stops the dragon hunters make, I could picture every building and stone on the street. I envision myself on an airship, the clouds below me, sky above, overcome with tension and fear and excitement at the prospect of running into a dragon. I was immersed in this world, and, honestly, I never wanted to leave.
The character set was really great, too, if a little trope-y. That is not a negative thing, as sometimes authors use the familiar to give the reader something to hold on to when venturing into new and distinctive places. Lian plays the role of the green rookie, learning on the job, running from his problems. There is a cranky, singularly-focused captain with a commander who has to talk him off the ledge constantly. The has an old friend on the ship who he has known most of his life, and they survived the last Gargantuan attack together. It is a recognizable crew, one you might find in any story about a ship – air, water, or otherwise.
I would have liked to see a little more story development in certain areas. For instance, en route to the Cloudmere the ship makes a stop in another city. This would have been a great opportunity for a fun, character building side adventure; instead, the author hints at an exploit, but then Lian and his friend have kind of a boring night and ship back out first thing in the morning. The other aspect of the story I would have loved to have had more of was history. As a reader, I could tell there is so much more to the past than we see in this book. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I wish the author would have jumped a little further into the deep end.
Overall, I absolutely loved Black Leviathan. It is immersive, unique, and incredibly satisfying. I would compare it to The Bone Ships meets How to Train Your Dragon (though not in a Young Adult way). Highly recommended for all fantasy readers, and even more highly recommend for dragon lovers.
In Skargakar, dragons are a way of life. Their uses are endless: food, clothing, weapons, pets, etc. They are so essential to the community that people called drachenjagers build giant airships to hunt them in the Cloudmere – a vast area above the clouds where dragons preside. It is a dangerous job, but the successful dragon hunters are awarded with fame and fortune.
Lian is the son of a well-known (and now retired) drachenjager, though his father never really talks about his exploits. He has never really considered getting into the business himself, as he maintains a decent life carving kyrillian crystals which are used to power the airships. One day Lian finds himself in a bit of trouble and has to leave town immediately. His life depends on it. So, he boards the next airship headed for the Cloudmere and decides to try his hand at dragon hunting. It is better than staying and being hunted himself.
It does not take long for Lian to regret his decision, as it turns out the captain of the ship is an extremist. He has one goal in mind: revenge. He has been searching the depths of the Cloudmere to find the ancient Gargantuan, a Black Leviathan that destroyed his crew (one of which was his wife) decades ago.
Lian finds himself caught on a wild ride through the Cloudmere. In the adventure of a lifetime he visits other worlds, meets new peoples, and hunts dragons. Will they find the Black Leviathan and live to tell the tale? Lian’s fate depends on it.
Review
If you like dragons, Black Leviathan is the book for you. It is the most atmospheric story about the giant beasts I have ever encountered (though The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood has something to say about that), and it starts with the cover. It features a giant, indigo-colored dragon enormously looming over a pint-sized person (by comparison), who I think it is safe to assume is Lian (the main character). The dragon’s menacing demeanor in this scene foreshadowing a confrontation drew me in immediately, and it really set the mood for the rest of the book. If you know me, you know how important covers are to me. When I begin reading a book the depiction on the cover sticks with me throughout, and it can mean the difference between merely enjoying the story and being engrossed in it. Black Leviathan‘s cover effectively accomplishes this task.
The encompassing ambiance does not stop there. Dragons are present throughout every part of the story. Dragon meat is sold in the market, dragon scales are used as armor and to protect ships, bones are used in building, skin for clothes, teeth and claw as weapons. Even commerce is dragon-based. The best dragon hunters are idolized and have the opportunity to return from their hunts with rare and valuable items that have the potential to make them rich. Lian works in a shop grinding kyrillian crystals, which contain magic that allow the airships to float. Dragons literally permeate the pores of society until they are dripping in dragon sweat. And I am so here for it.
The author is incredibly descriptive, as well. From Skargakar to the other stops the dragon hunters make, I could picture every building and stone on the street. I envision myself on an airship, the clouds below me, sky above, overcome with tension and fear and excitement at the prospect of running into a dragon. I was immersed in this world, and, honestly, I never wanted to leave.
The character set was really great, too, if a little trope-y. That is not a negative thing, as sometimes authors use the familiar to give the reader something to hold on to when venturing into new and distinctive places. Lian plays the role of the green rookie, learning on the job, running from his problems. There is a cranky, singularly-focused captain with a commander who has to talk him off the ledge constantly. The has an old friend on the ship who he has known most of his life, and they survived the last Gargantuan attack together. It is a recognizable crew, one you might find in any story about a ship – air, water, or otherwise.
I would have liked to see a little more story development in certain areas. For instance, en route to the Cloudmere the ship makes a stop in another city. This would have been a great opportunity for a fun, character building side adventure; instead, the author hints at an exploit, but then Lian and his friend have kind of a boring night and ship back out first thing in the morning. The other aspect of the story I would have loved to have had more of was history. As a reader, I could tell there is so much more to the past than we see in this book. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and I wish the author would have jumped a little further into the deep end.
Overall, I absolutely loved Black Leviathan. It is immersive, unique, and incredibly satisfying. I would compare it to The Bone Ships meets How to Train Your Dragon (though not in a Young Adult way). Highly recommended for all fantasy readers, and even more highly recommend for dragon lovers.
April 15, 2020
Some mild spoilers below (although none that majorly spoil the plot), so proceed with caution.
Black Leviathan is a novel with a very straightforward premise: "What if Moby Dick was a dragon?" That's one hell of a premise, and it convinced me to give this a go. After all, who doesn't like the idea of hunting dragons and epic battles lit by sprays of dragonfire?
A premise however, does not make a novel. And unfortunately, Black Leviathan's English release (it was originally released in German as Der Drachenjäger - Die erste Reise ins Wolkenmeer) turned out to be a rather poor execution of an interesting concept.
Let's start with the good. What Black Leviathan does well is in terms of creating a memorable setting. Here, instead of an ocean, we have a vast sky of impermeable fog called the Cloudmere. Instead of a whaling ship, we have airships, buoyed by crystals called kyrillian, which possess the ability to float large, solid masses many times their size. Instead of just humans, we have winged humanoids like the Taijirin, and canine beings, like the Nondurier. Here, port cities float in the sky, and of course, we have dragons in the place of whales. And just like whales, they come in all sizes and varieties. Some are kept as pets, some are basically treated as bushmeat, and others are high-value targets whose body parts fetch a princely sum (even if it means facing down dragons with the ability to spew flame, or slice people apart with a bladed tail). All of this comes together to create a genuinely wonderful setting with its own quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Sadly, that's the only thing I really enjoyed about this novel. Everything else, the characters, the plot... it was horribly done. For example, the Ahab of this novel, Captain Adaron, gets something of a 'prequel chapter' at the start, showing when he was still a fresh and naive captain of a ship with no real experience or expertise to captain anything in the Cloudmere; he's just in it for the adventure and riches. Oh, and he's deeply in love with a Sexy Redhead With Two Swords called Enora. It's all a bit eye-rolling, but sure, let's go with that.
Of course, Adaron ends up being an idiot in addition to being naive, and explores too deep into the Cloudmere, rousing the ire of a legendary black dragon called Gargantuan. Excrement impacts the air circulator, and almost everyone dies. Including Enora, which means the entire point of her character is simply to serve as a plot device to drive Adaron into swearing vengeance against the titular Black Leviathan. Not only is Enora cliché, she is also a classic example of fridging -- a trope where women are killed, maimed, or have bad things done to them in order to drive a male character's plot forward.
But okay, fridging aside, this is only the first couple of chapters. Maybe it gets better? We're then introduced to the true main character, a fresh-faced young boy called Lian living in the floating city of Skargakar, who carves kyrillian crystals for a living. Shenanigans ensue, and he eventually ends up on a ship captained by none other than Captain Adaron, now tempered by the loss of his love and his desire for vengeance. They journey to the clouds, Lian begins to learn life as a sailor in the Cloudmere, all is well.
Midway through the novel, , and goes through a series of events where he ends up in captivity. Enter Kris, who he escapes with, and who immediately becomes Lian's sidekick character. But wait! Kris ! So all those mushy feelings Lian has for Kris isn't some sort of comradeship, he's just horny on main. No, really. Here's a quote, and again, spoilers:
Beyond the initial awkwardness of that statement (how do you go from friends to being horny the moment you find out???), it's pretty problematic as well. Put yourself in Kris's shoes. You're a woman in disguise, living in fear of being outed as a woman on a male-dominated ship where you might well end up being sexually assaulted or hazed even more due to your gender. Then a guy, who you're indebted to for saving your life, who you thought was a solid friend, ends up showing interest in getting into your pants. How is that romance? Although Kris responds more positively in the book, when seen from this perspective, it's hard not to think 'maybe she's just trying to keep Lian from outing her'. After all, how many of us have known women who've had to fake interest to keep from pissing off a guy in front of them?
Those issues (death as plot motivation, skewed power dynamics in a relationship, wooden characters)-- along with poor, awkward prose* -- contributed to make the rest of the novel really unappealing to me, and while I finished it (whatever faults the book has, it does flow quickly enough that reading it isn't a chore), it's not something I'll be interested in revisiting, despite the sequel hook at the end. There's the bones of a great story in here, alas, it remains swathed in fog, much like the Cloudmere itself.
*Prose-wise, I'm not entirely sure how much was lost in translation, as it was originally published in German. It could be poor translation, it could be the inevitable loss of meaning that comes from translation. Sometimes, things just sound better in one language, so I find it hard to judge on this front. Suffice to say, it did not work for me.
Black Leviathan is a novel with a very straightforward premise: "What if Moby Dick was a dragon?" That's one hell of a premise, and it convinced me to give this a go. After all, who doesn't like the idea of hunting dragons and epic battles lit by sprays of dragonfire?
A premise however, does not make a novel. And unfortunately, Black Leviathan's English release (it was originally released in German as Der Drachenjäger - Die erste Reise ins Wolkenmeer) turned out to be a rather poor execution of an interesting concept.
Let's start with the good. What Black Leviathan does well is in terms of creating a memorable setting. Here, instead of an ocean, we have a vast sky of impermeable fog called the Cloudmere. Instead of a whaling ship, we have airships, buoyed by crystals called kyrillian, which possess the ability to float large, solid masses many times their size. Instead of just humans, we have winged humanoids like the Taijirin, and canine beings, like the Nondurier. Here, port cities float in the sky, and of course, we have dragons in the place of whales. And just like whales, they come in all sizes and varieties. Some are kept as pets, some are basically treated as bushmeat, and others are high-value targets whose body parts fetch a princely sum (even if it means facing down dragons with the ability to spew flame, or slice people apart with a bladed tail). All of this comes together to create a genuinely wonderful setting with its own quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Sadly, that's the only thing I really enjoyed about this novel. Everything else, the characters, the plot... it was horribly done. For example, the Ahab of this novel, Captain Adaron, gets something of a 'prequel chapter' at the start, showing when he was still a fresh and naive captain of a ship with no real experience or expertise to captain anything in the Cloudmere; he's just in it for the adventure and riches. Oh, and he's deeply in love with a Sexy Redhead With Two Swords called Enora. It's all a bit eye-rolling, but sure, let's go with that.
Of course, Adaron ends up being an idiot in addition to being naive, and explores too deep into the Cloudmere, rousing the ire of a legendary black dragon called Gargantuan. Excrement impacts the air circulator, and almost everyone dies. Including Enora, which means the entire point of her character is simply to serve as a plot device to drive Adaron into swearing vengeance against the titular Black Leviathan. Not only is Enora cliché, she is also a classic example of fridging -- a trope where women are killed, maimed, or have bad things done to them in order to drive a male character's plot forward.
But okay, fridging aside, this is only the first couple of chapters. Maybe it gets better? We're then introduced to the true main character, a fresh-faced young boy called Lian living in the floating city of Skargakar, who carves kyrillian crystals for a living. Shenanigans ensue, and he eventually ends up on a ship captained by none other than Captain Adaron, now tempered by the loss of his love and his desire for vengeance. They journey to the clouds, Lian begins to learn life as a sailor in the Cloudmere, all is well.
Midway through the novel, , and goes through a series of events where he ends up in captivity. Enter Kris, who he escapes with, and who immediately becomes Lian's sidekick character. But wait! Kris ! So all those mushy feelings Lian has for Kris isn't some sort of comradeship, he's just horny on main. No, really. Here's a quote, and again, spoilers:
Beyond the initial awkwardness of that statement (how do you go from friends to being horny the moment you find out???), it's pretty problematic as well. Put yourself in Kris's shoes. You're a woman in disguise, living in fear of being outed as a woman on a male-dominated ship where you might well end up being sexually assaulted or hazed even more due to your gender. Then a guy, who you're indebted to for saving your life, who you thought was a solid friend, ends up showing interest in getting into your pants. How is that romance? Although Kris responds more positively in the book, when seen from this perspective, it's hard not to think 'maybe she's just trying to keep Lian from outing her'. After all, how many of us have known women who've had to fake interest to keep from pissing off a guy in front of them?
Those issues (death as plot motivation, skewed power dynamics in a relationship, wooden characters)-- along with poor, awkward prose* -- contributed to make the rest of the novel really unappealing to me, and while I finished it (whatever faults the book has, it does flow quickly enough that reading it isn't a chore), it's not something I'll be interested in revisiting, despite the sequel hook at the end. There's the bones of a great story in here, alas, it remains swathed in fog, much like the Cloudmere itself.
*Prose-wise, I'm not entirely sure how much was lost in translation, as it was originally published in German. It could be poor translation, it could be the inevitable loss of meaning that comes from translation. Sometimes, things just sound better in one language, so I find it hard to judge on this front. Suffice to say, it did not work for me.
February 11, 2020
German award winning author Bernd Perplies writes a fantasy-version of Moby Dick. I really like his writing here, the story is straight and thrilling. I expecially love those Dogpeople with the strange names and the scene, when the young hero kills his first - Spoiler Spoiler - dragon :).
January 25, 2020
4.5*, rounded up.
Its packaging describes it as "MOBY-DICK...in a world of dragon hunters," and that's technically accurate. Eccentric, mysterious captain of a hunting ship goes on lifelong, obsessive quest for revenge on a massive monster, and all that.
I've never read Moby Dick, and I don't think I ever will. I read the Spark Notes summary, and based on that I don't agree with a direct comparison between that story and this. I'd be interested to read a review from someone who's recently finished both, but this story deserves to be read without the weight of that baggage.
The main character in Black Leviathan, Lian, is sympathetic and believable. He's our lens through which we experience everyone and everything else in this epic high fantasy, though the story is told in third person perspective. He's an everyman, but he's not empty or lacking in background. It's not a given that he'll succeed -- in fact, his realistic hesitancy at key crisis points is significant to the story.
The dragons are everywhere in this book's universe. They are integral to the economy of every society described, as a source of meat, armor, weaponry, material, decor, and so on. They are wildlife, they are pets, they are mythology, they are predators and they are prey. There are as many varieties of dragons in the Cloudmere (the cloud ocean) as there are birds in the Amazon. It's wonderfully and originally told.
The landscapes are well-detailed and convincingly laid out. The concept of a cloud ocean lying between continents, containing islands, unknown legends and unexplored frontiers, is incredibly intriguing. It adds an additional dimension (what's at the BOTTOM of such a cloud ocean?) of mystery and danger to any endeavor.
While Black Leviathan didn't end in a cliffhanger at all, it most certainly has room to become a series. And I'll eagerly anticipate the next book. I want to learn more about the dragons and the other races I read about, as well as the background of Lian's father and his powerful spear, find out what becomes of Lian and if he has any further involvement in magic, and learn what happens with him and Kris.
I'm giving this 4.5 rather than 5 stars (although I rounded up) because there were quite a few "extras" -- incidental characters with challenging fantasy-style names. You know the sort if you've read much fantasy. There is a glossary of characters at the back of the book, but I usually prefer not to use those because it takes me out of the moment. It's a bit exhausting to try and learn who's who and then learn that these characters don't further the story arc.
Thanks so much to the publisher for providing me an advance reader copy at no cost. I look forward to the next book in this universe (may it come out soon!).
Its packaging describes it as "MOBY-DICK...in a world of dragon hunters," and that's technically accurate. Eccentric, mysterious captain of a hunting ship goes on lifelong, obsessive quest for revenge on a massive monster, and all that.
I've never read Moby Dick, and I don't think I ever will. I read the Spark Notes summary, and based on that I don't agree with a direct comparison between that story and this. I'd be interested to read a review from someone who's recently finished both, but this story deserves to be read without the weight of that baggage.
The main character in Black Leviathan, Lian, is sympathetic and believable. He's our lens through which we experience everyone and everything else in this epic high fantasy, though the story is told in third person perspective. He's an everyman, but he's not empty or lacking in background. It's not a given that he'll succeed -- in fact, his realistic hesitancy at key crisis points is significant to the story.
The dragons are everywhere in this book's universe. They are integral to the economy of every society described, as a source of meat, armor, weaponry, material, decor, and so on. They are wildlife, they are pets, they are mythology, they are predators and they are prey. There are as many varieties of dragons in the Cloudmere (the cloud ocean) as there are birds in the Amazon. It's wonderfully and originally told.
The landscapes are well-detailed and convincingly laid out. The concept of a cloud ocean lying between continents, containing islands, unknown legends and unexplored frontiers, is incredibly intriguing. It adds an additional dimension (what's at the BOTTOM of such a cloud ocean?) of mystery and danger to any endeavor.
While Black Leviathan didn't end in a cliffhanger at all, it most certainly has room to become a series. And I'll eagerly anticipate the next book. I want to learn more about the dragons and the other races I read about, as well as the background of Lian's father and his powerful spear, find out what becomes of Lian and if he has any further involvement in magic, and learn what happens with him and Kris.
I'm giving this 4.5 rather than 5 stars (although I rounded up) because there were quite a few "extras" -- incidental characters with challenging fantasy-style names. You know the sort if you've read much fantasy. There is a glossary of characters at the back of the book, but I usually prefer not to use those because it takes me out of the moment. It's a bit exhausting to try and learn who's who and then learn that these characters don't further the story arc.
Thanks so much to the publisher for providing me an advance reader copy at no cost. I look forward to the next book in this universe (may it come out soon!).
August 19, 2020
Re read this for a bookclub gathering. Wasnt overly obsessed with it the first time. Coming of age fantasy with as the blurb says a Moby Dick vibe. Replace the whales with dragons and the ocean for flying ships. Magic, action, romance, it has all the elements of an old school fantasy. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt. I actually didnt mind the world building here, it was kinda fun. The characters were a little one dimensional and the plot a little too simple for my liking. Just a standard fantasy novel which didnt really set the genre on fire for me
February 29, 2020
You can read my full review on my blog, The Writerly Way, here.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Tor Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Okay, look, y’all had to know I was going to read this, because not only is it about dragons, but it’s got a giant, intimidating looking dragon on the cover.
Black Leviathan is an adventure-packed, edge-of-your-seat retelling of Moby Dick … but with dragons! And a lush, expansive world that I refuse to leave, and you can’t make me. That’s it. This is me now. I belong here.
I had a few misgivings going in, because this is a translated work, and that can really be hit or miss. I had absolutely no problems with this one. Everything flowed beautifully, and mostly, I forgot entirely that it was translated, since it was so well done.
I don’t believe this is a series, and I doubt there will be more books surrounding this, but there should be. For so many reasons, and not just because I live here now and think you all should know the history of my new world. But also that, too.
My Thoughts:
- This is an expansive, intriguing world, with obvious Germanic influences, that includes a little of everything and was so easy to fall into and want to explore. Our first great glimpse of the world is in Skargakar, a coastal city whose lifeblood is the processing of dragons brought back from jägers hunting them in the Cloudmere. BUT WAIT! The world is so much freaking bigger. There are a variety of different races, all of which we get to see in action, and they have different abilities and cultures, from magic to wings, etc. Perplies did a marvelous job of simply bringing this world to life and allowing us to journey through it, all the beautiful and terrifying and curious parts of it. There’s not even any way I could really go into detail about this. You just have to see it for yourself. Talk about a book hangover, man.
- Black Leviathan is a retelling of Moby Dick, so there’s a lot one might recognize going in. But boy does this breathe new life into an old classic. Here’s where I put the customary disclaimer that it’s been way too many years since I actually read Moby Dick. Suffice it to say, I remember very little about Moby Dick, so if you’re looking for a comparison of the two, boy have you come to the wrong place. What I will say is that the overarching plot of this book, particularly as far as Captain Adaron is concerned, will be obvious because of this retelling. Did this dim my enjoyment or experience with this book? Not at all. Actually, because I knew what ultimately was in store for the good ship and crew, I was all the more excited, because who doesn’t love a final showdown? Despite turning the book on its head and making it his own, Perplies manages to keep some common themes from Moby Dick that I thought were done particularly well.
- In many ways, this is a coming of age story for Lian, our scrappy protagonist, and it was pretty much impossible not to root for him. Through the book, we get to watch Lian grow from a dutiful son, shackled to the coastal town he was born in, to someone who sets out to make his own future. There’s so much growth in his character, little by little, born by sheer necessity and determination, but it was so much fun to watch. He’s just a kid trying to make the most out of a bad situation, without any of the scars yet that have kept the other characters alive and hardened them.
- There’s a really interesting balance between foreshadowing, death, darkness, and breathtaking beauty. I mean, obviously this was going to be a dark book. You should’ve figured that out going in, but in case you didn’t, there’s widespread death and mayhem right in the first chapter. This ain’t no rose garden. Still, not everything is bleak and hopeless, even when it is. There are so many scenes of breathtaking landscapes, meeting fascinating cultures, and just some wonderful light-hearted moments or exchanges. There’s a very hopeful and uplifting undertone, despite all the cynical darkness, and the balance between the two was so poignant and well done.
- There are so many haunted and scarred people in this, and I really just wanted to know more about all of them. This could almost even be a sticking point, because we don’t actually get to find out more about them, but the fact that I was so curious and attracted to all these characters is a good thing, in my opinion. I do wish that we knew more about why they were haunted, but ultimately, these characters were so interesting that I wanted to sail with them.
- Adaron’s arc is so relatable, yet terrifying, and boy does it work well as a cautionary tale. Lian’s relationship toward the captain was a little confused … and so was mine. There were absolutely things that had me gushing over him and loving his character. The hardest thing about Adaron for me is being able to see exactly what he could have been. For me, that was the most effective thing about his character.
Sticking Points:
- I just wanted MORE … and sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes that’s not. Especially if a book is a standalone, which it appears this is? This book could have easily been another 500 pages, and it wouldn’t have felt too long to me, because there were so many things to explore. Which also meant there were so many things that weren’t explored, just by necessity, and boy did that hurt. All the characters have such a rich backstory that is touched upon and hinted at, but we never actually learn any of that backstory. One might argue that it doesn’t matter because it didn’t pertain to this plot, but I would argue that it does matter, because I want to know, darn it! TL;DR: This needs to be a series with more books. Prequels. Sequels. Spin-offs. I’m not picky. There just needs to be more.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Tor Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Okay, look, y’all had to know I was going to read this, because not only is it about dragons, but it’s got a giant, intimidating looking dragon on the cover.
Black Leviathan is an adventure-packed, edge-of-your-seat retelling of Moby Dick … but with dragons! And a lush, expansive world that I refuse to leave, and you can’t make me. That’s it. This is me now. I belong here.
I had a few misgivings going in, because this is a translated work, and that can really be hit or miss. I had absolutely no problems with this one. Everything flowed beautifully, and mostly, I forgot entirely that it was translated, since it was so well done.
I don’t believe this is a series, and I doubt there will be more books surrounding this, but there should be. For so many reasons, and not just because I live here now and think you all should know the history of my new world. But also that, too.
My Thoughts:
- This is an expansive, intriguing world, with obvious Germanic influences, that includes a little of everything and was so easy to fall into and want to explore. Our first great glimpse of the world is in Skargakar, a coastal city whose lifeblood is the processing of dragons brought back from jägers hunting them in the Cloudmere. BUT WAIT! The world is so much freaking bigger. There are a variety of different races, all of which we get to see in action, and they have different abilities and cultures, from magic to wings, etc. Perplies did a marvelous job of simply bringing this world to life and allowing us to journey through it, all the beautiful and terrifying and curious parts of it. There’s not even any way I could really go into detail about this. You just have to see it for yourself. Talk about a book hangover, man.
- Black Leviathan is a retelling of Moby Dick, so there’s a lot one might recognize going in. But boy does this breathe new life into an old classic. Here’s where I put the customary disclaimer that it’s been way too many years since I actually read Moby Dick. Suffice it to say, I remember very little about Moby Dick, so if you’re looking for a comparison of the two, boy have you come to the wrong place. What I will say is that the overarching plot of this book, particularly as far as Captain Adaron is concerned, will be obvious because of this retelling. Did this dim my enjoyment or experience with this book? Not at all. Actually, because I knew what ultimately was in store for the good ship and crew, I was all the more excited, because who doesn’t love a final showdown? Despite turning the book on its head and making it his own, Perplies manages to keep some common themes from Moby Dick that I thought were done particularly well.
- In many ways, this is a coming of age story for Lian, our scrappy protagonist, and it was pretty much impossible not to root for him. Through the book, we get to watch Lian grow from a dutiful son, shackled to the coastal town he was born in, to someone who sets out to make his own future. There’s so much growth in his character, little by little, born by sheer necessity and determination, but it was so much fun to watch. He’s just a kid trying to make the most out of a bad situation, without any of the scars yet that have kept the other characters alive and hardened them.
- There’s a really interesting balance between foreshadowing, death, darkness, and breathtaking beauty. I mean, obviously this was going to be a dark book. You should’ve figured that out going in, but in case you didn’t, there’s widespread death and mayhem right in the first chapter. This ain’t no rose garden. Still, not everything is bleak and hopeless, even when it is. There are so many scenes of breathtaking landscapes, meeting fascinating cultures, and just some wonderful light-hearted moments or exchanges. There’s a very hopeful and uplifting undertone, despite all the cynical darkness, and the balance between the two was so poignant and well done.
- There are so many haunted and scarred people in this, and I really just wanted to know more about all of them. This could almost even be a sticking point, because we don’t actually get to find out more about them, but the fact that I was so curious and attracted to all these characters is a good thing, in my opinion. I do wish that we knew more about why they were haunted, but ultimately, these characters were so interesting that I wanted to sail with them.
- Adaron’s arc is so relatable, yet terrifying, and boy does it work well as a cautionary tale. Lian’s relationship toward the captain was a little confused … and so was mine. There were absolutely things that had me gushing over him and loving his character. The hardest thing about Adaron for me is being able to see exactly what he could have been. For me, that was the most effective thing about his character.
Sticking Points:
- I just wanted MORE … and sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes that’s not. Especially if a book is a standalone, which it appears this is? This book could have easily been another 500 pages, and it wouldn’t have felt too long to me, because there were so many things to explore. Which also meant there were so many things that weren’t explored, just by necessity, and boy did that hurt. All the characters have such a rich backstory that is touched upon and hinted at, but we never actually learn any of that backstory. One might argue that it doesn’t matter because it didn’t pertain to this plot, but I would argue that it does matter, because I want to know, darn it! TL;DR: This needs to be a series with more books. Prequels. Sequels. Spin-offs. I’m not picky. There just needs to be more.
April 2, 2023
Really cool story, It never feels corny. (Which is impressive for a book about hunting dragons in floating pirate ships.)
March 9, 2023
As part of looking at translated European novels, I came across this German one again and decided to read it. The initial reason was because it reminded me of another work that's about hunting dragons as if they were whales, Drifting Dragons, a manga that I greatly enjoy. It turned out there wasn't as much similarity as I thought there might be. It was put forth that this was a retelling of Moby Dick, which I think goes too far, though the driving narrative force is an obsessed captain who has devoted his life and that of his crew to hunting the Black Leviathan.
There's a lot about this that appealed to me, almost pandered on a personal level really, so I was able to overlook a lot of its flaws, which are numerous. Tropes abound, and there are several questionable narrative choices, but it became more and more fun over time to where I just put that all aside. If you're looking for a serious, mature, and adult fantasy that has literary aspirations, this isn't that at all. I especially liked the setting for this, which is a world covered in clouds, with floating islands all over the place, and airships powered by magical crystals. All of the magic is of the "It's magic, I don't have to explain" variety, which the text explicitly states within the story early on. There are several humanoid races, who coexist to varying degrees.
Aside from the first two chapters, which serve as the prologue, this is about a young man who joins a dragon hunting crew that has a reputation for making its crew fabulously wealthy, those who survive anyway. The entire novel is about the journey to find the Black Leviathan and what happens along the way. It's melodramatic in a way I found pleasing. A lot takes place on the airship, which I didn't mind because I liked the crew and their interactions. The coolness of the characters was the priority over anything else in terms of characterization and it worked for me in this case.
Although Perplies has written around thirty novels, this is the first of his that's been translated. He has translated novels from English to German, though translating your own work is a different matter. This is the first novel that van Cleef translated, and in an interview she said that she learned a lot, which seemed evident to me. I don't know if it was much rougher at the beginning, or if I simply became more used to it, but I feel like the book's translation quality improved as it went along. There's a second book in the same setting, though the author has stated that it's also standalone. If it's ever translated I'd read it, but that seems unlikely. Even less likely is that I'd read a machine translation. I've only read a few SFF novels translated from an European language, mostly Russian, though I plan to read more from various countries.
There's a lot about this that appealed to me, almost pandered on a personal level really, so I was able to overlook a lot of its flaws, which are numerous. Tropes abound, and there are several questionable narrative choices, but it became more and more fun over time to where I just put that all aside. If you're looking for a serious, mature, and adult fantasy that has literary aspirations, this isn't that at all. I especially liked the setting for this, which is a world covered in clouds, with floating islands all over the place, and airships powered by magical crystals. All of the magic is of the "It's magic, I don't have to explain" variety, which the text explicitly states within the story early on. There are several humanoid races, who coexist to varying degrees.
Aside from the first two chapters, which serve as the prologue, this is about a young man who joins a dragon hunting crew that has a reputation for making its crew fabulously wealthy, those who survive anyway. The entire novel is about the journey to find the Black Leviathan and what happens along the way. It's melodramatic in a way I found pleasing. A lot takes place on the airship, which I didn't mind because I liked the crew and their interactions. The coolness of the characters was the priority over anything else in terms of characterization and it worked for me in this case.
Although Perplies has written around thirty novels, this is the first of his that's been translated. He has translated novels from English to German, though translating your own work is a different matter. This is the first novel that van Cleef translated, and in an interview she said that she learned a lot, which seemed evident to me. I don't know if it was much rougher at the beginning, or if I simply became more used to it, but I feel like the book's translation quality improved as it went along. There's a second book in the same setting, though the author has stated that it's also standalone. If it's ever translated I'd read it, but that seems unlikely. Even less likely is that I'd read a machine translation. I've only read a few SFF novels translated from an European language, mostly Russian, though I plan to read more from various countries.
Read
July 13, 2020In 2001, my story "The Slayers" was published in Realms of Fantasy Magazine. Inspired by Moby Dick, it told the story of an airship crew who hunted dragons. The crew used kite-like flyers to corral and kill the beasts. So, I found it interesting to delve into this novel that had all these same elements.
In Black Leviathan, Perplies follows Melville's plot very superficially. A captain loses someone he loves to the most powerful dragon of all and vows revenge. Years later, a hapless youth named Lian signs aboard the captain's ship and gets caught up in the web of the captain's vengeance. Unlike Ishmael, Lian is running from bad people, but like Ishmael, Lian comes of age over the course of the story. During one dragon encounter, Lian falls to what seems like his doom. The arc that leads him to be reunited with the ship did push my willing suspension of disbelief. Despite that, the book wrapped up in a largely satisfying manner.
In Black Leviathan, Perplies follows Melville's plot very superficially. A captain loses someone he loves to the most powerful dragon of all and vows revenge. Years later, a hapless youth named Lian signs aboard the captain's ship and gets caught up in the web of the captain's vengeance. Unlike Ishmael, Lian is running from bad people, but like Ishmael, Lian comes of age over the course of the story. During one dragon encounter, Lian falls to what seems like his doom. The arc that leads him to be reunited with the ship did push my willing suspension of disbelief. Despite that, the book wrapped up in a largely satisfying manner.
February 17, 2020
Gargantuan the Black Leviathan is the biggest, most powerful dragon of them all. Most think he isn’t real, just the stuff of legend. If he did exist though, he would be the ultimate prize in a world where dragons are a treasured commodity.
What an awesome epic fantasy! This is German author Bernd Perplies first novel to be translated into English. Both he and the translator, Lucy Van Cleef, did an amazing job. I love great characters and this story does not disappoint. Lian, our hero, is a complex young man, torn between duty and his better instincts. Captain Adaron reminds one of Melville’s Captain Ahab, they’re both so obsessively driven. Ialrist is a noble man, one of the winged folk, and a drachen slayer. Hanon’ka is Sidhari and can wield magic. He is an honorable man and also Lian’s mentor. These and more make up an incredible cast of characters. The plot is positively gripping. It’s full of action and adventure with a touch of romance. This is a bona fide page-turner! 5 stars
What an awesome epic fantasy! This is German author Bernd Perplies first novel to be translated into English. Both he and the translator, Lucy Van Cleef, did an amazing job. I love great characters and this story does not disappoint. Lian, our hero, is a complex young man, torn between duty and his better instincts. Captain Adaron reminds one of Melville’s Captain Ahab, they’re both so obsessively driven. Ialrist is a noble man, one of the winged folk, and a drachen slayer. Hanon’ka is Sidhari and can wield magic. He is an honorable man and also Lian’s mentor. These and more make up an incredible cast of characters. The plot is positively gripping. It’s full of action and adventure with a touch of romance. This is a bona fide page-turner! 5 stars
January 30, 2023
Why did I force myself to finish this book? I was tempted to put it aside so many times, and I honestly wish I had. I feel like I wasted a lot of time on it. It definitely should NOT have taken me this long to read 326 pages. I was struggling to stay awake for the majority of them. Which is frustrating, because I think the premise of the storyline was excellent…but the execution was lacking. It seems like I’ve made the same complaint concerning several books previous to this - that too much storyline was squashed into too few pages. This world, with its several different nonhuman races, could have easily been developed into an epic series.
April 7, 2020
This book is basically Moby Dick with dragons and without all of the text about whales and whale hunting. I've read Moby Dick (a long time ago). This book seemed to have more action and a much better pace. The captain loses his love to a dragon and vows vengeance. A young man ends up on the ship after encountering problems in his village.
March 8, 2020
Its a fantasy Moby dick but obviosuly with Dragons. Revenge is the key ingredient for this story. The romance link felt a little forced ala YA style. The conclusion a little predictable however its a fun world
Read
October 10, 2025suspenseful, fun, sweet. classic adventurous times. wish there were more. sigh.
March 10, 2020
As someone who struggled through Moby Dick, I picked up this title with a little tribulation. I'm happy to say that although there are plenty of similarities to the great classic, this definitely stands on its own and reads well. There are a few things that I would've liked to see more details on, but there's no reason to dwell on that since I enjoyed my time in these pages.
May 27, 2020
This book was an interesting read with a whole lot of detail put into its work. I really adored this dragon filled and mystical creative world that the author has created to enclose this retelling into it. It felt like a new tale entirely. I will say the pacing of this book is what brought it down from a solid four star read to a three point five. I think there could have been much more action and character building. But the world building itself was very strong. Really did a good job giving its origin tale credit and staying close to what the original storyline was.
March 2, 2020
This book kicked my butt. I was hooked from the very first chapter, because man, that opening catastrophe was practically palpable. Rarely does a book get right into the heart-pumping action so fast, but this novel ratchets up the suspense right from the get-go and doesn’t quit from there.
This is a fantastical retelling of Moby Dick, so I should start with the disclaimer that I haven’t read Moby Dick. I feel that I, and most people, probably know the general story enough to recognize the parallels, but I don’t think you need to know anything about Moby Dick to appreciate this. The story easily stands on its own and is far more accessible.
So as for the story itself, it begins with Captain Adaron, who swears vengeance upon Gargantuan, the Black Leviathan, the father of all dragonkind, and the thief of all of Adaron’s love and joy. For years, he pursues the beast on his fanatical quest to destroy it.
Lian knows a little about revenge, but it only gets him into trouble, because he’s mostly an innocent young man swept up in Adaron’s violent obsession. Instead of the high seas, he sets off into the high clouds to hunt dragons on a flying ship with a crew of magical and ruthless Elven-like folk, a mysterious winged creature, dog people, and reptilian people.
Bernd Perplies is a German award-winning author who well deserves the recognition if for nothing more than the richness of such sharp imagery and the beauty of this enigmatic world set high upon the clouds and floating islands. This world struck me like a dream, both entrancing and terrifying.
Just as impressive as the world was the action. Never has fighting dragons in midair been so visual or seemed so plausible, and these intense nail-biting battle scenes serve as excellent parallels to real whaling techniques. This swashbuckling adventure is nonstop thrills, but it doesn’t sacrifice character development or the joy of finding love and friendship in unexpected places.
Which brings me finally to the characters. This book is 325 pages, so it’s quick and focuses mostly on the plot. I didn’t think this affected the depth of the characters. Lian, Kris, Ialrist, Hanon’ka, Smett, Adaron—they were all remarkable in their own ways even if we didn’t get to spend much time with them. Lian especially was a great and memorable hero.
I sure hope more of Perplies’ books are translated into English someday.
This is a fantastical retelling of Moby Dick, so I should start with the disclaimer that I haven’t read Moby Dick. I feel that I, and most people, probably know the general story enough to recognize the parallels, but I don’t think you need to know anything about Moby Dick to appreciate this. The story easily stands on its own and is far more accessible.
So as for the story itself, it begins with Captain Adaron, who swears vengeance upon Gargantuan, the Black Leviathan, the father of all dragonkind, and the thief of all of Adaron’s love and joy. For years, he pursues the beast on his fanatical quest to destroy it.
Lian knows a little about revenge, but it only gets him into trouble, because he’s mostly an innocent young man swept up in Adaron’s violent obsession. Instead of the high seas, he sets off into the high clouds to hunt dragons on a flying ship with a crew of magical and ruthless Elven-like folk, a mysterious winged creature, dog people, and reptilian people.
Bernd Perplies is a German award-winning author who well deserves the recognition if for nothing more than the richness of such sharp imagery and the beauty of this enigmatic world set high upon the clouds and floating islands. This world struck me like a dream, both entrancing and terrifying.
Just as impressive as the world was the action. Never has fighting dragons in midair been so visual or seemed so plausible, and these intense nail-biting battle scenes serve as excellent parallels to real whaling techniques. This swashbuckling adventure is nonstop thrills, but it doesn’t sacrifice character development or the joy of finding love and friendship in unexpected places.
Which brings me finally to the characters. This book is 325 pages, so it’s quick and focuses mostly on the plot. I didn’t think this affected the depth of the characters. Lian, Kris, Ialrist, Hanon’ka, Smett, Adaron—they were all remarkable in their own ways even if we didn’t get to spend much time with them. Lian especially was a great and memorable hero.
I sure hope more of Perplies’ books are translated into English someday.
October 18, 2021
The Black Leviathan, written by Bernd Perplies and translated by Lucy Van Cleef, follows the perspective of a boy who ran away from danger only to find himself in more peril. Perplies takes the audience along for an adventure placed in a fantasy story set above the clouds, where hunters come to test their metal against the creatures of this white expanse, the dragons. The main protagonist, Lian, runs away from home due to dire circumstances, ending up aboard the ship known as the Carryola to escape from certain death. Lian soon learns that the Carryola is commanded by Captain Adaron, a man famous for his hate of dragons and who is hell - bent on killing one in particular: Gargantuan. Lian, pulled along for this journey, encounters many dangers upon the Cloudmere such as dragons, storms, magic, and the darkness that lies beneath the clouds.
“…A spark kindled within his breast that transformed the horror that took hold of him into something new. With every heartbeat, the flame grew into a roaring inferno. As if drawn from a magical amulet, hatred, all consuming and powerful, gave Adaron the strength of ancient forces.
Vengence! A vow surged through him. You, Gargantuan, shall meet my wrath for what you have done. I will hunt you, you beast, to the gateway of the dark realm at the end of the world. Even if it is my very last act, I will find you. Upon my life, I will rip your heart out of your body, just as you have severed mine.
“Do you hear that, Gargantuan?” He cried into the white nothingness. “I, Adaron, will be your downfall!”
This passage is a clear depiction of the mental state of the first character we ever meet, Adaron, having everything taken away from him by Gargantuan, a force of nature reminiscent of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. His ship, crew, and the love of his life were all swallowed and burnt by the great beast known commonly as the first dragon. Adaron expresses the rage that he feels, all other emotions cast aside as he spits poisonous words of revenge at Gargantuan. The importance of this scene lies in the fact that it is the spark that made this book’s villain and that decided the course of events throughout the rest of the story. The simple word, vengeance, that will be what causes such tragedies and adventures to occur as this, spurred Adaron into the dark void that would occupy his heart, nothing but his hatred remaining.
The author’s themes of vengeance and deep seated - hatred, the driving forces to the plot, are what is most prevalent in this work. The main antagonist, Captain Adaron, who is on a quest for vengeance, dooms those around him in his fanatical killing of dragons. So forceful is his devotion towards revenge that Adaron, blinded by his hate of dragons, puts the blame for the deaths of his crew on the beasts rather than looking towards his own actions and reckless behavior. Other people whose actions are driven by greed or hate suffer for the choices they make based on those emotions. Those that cast aside their rage, though, are rewarded with the happy ending. What is so accurate about this novel is that all of the characters are held accountable to the intent of their choices. Some characters are held up as brave heroes while others are brought low as cowards and villains.
“…A spark kindled within his breast that transformed the horror that took hold of him into something new. With every heartbeat, the flame grew into a roaring inferno. As if drawn from a magical amulet, hatred, all consuming and powerful, gave Adaron the strength of ancient forces.
Vengence! A vow surged through him. You, Gargantuan, shall meet my wrath for what you have done. I will hunt you, you beast, to the gateway of the dark realm at the end of the world. Even if it is my very last act, I will find you. Upon my life, I will rip your heart out of your body, just as you have severed mine.
“Do you hear that, Gargantuan?” He cried into the white nothingness. “I, Adaron, will be your downfall!”
This passage is a clear depiction of the mental state of the first character we ever meet, Adaron, having everything taken away from him by Gargantuan, a force of nature reminiscent of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. His ship, crew, and the love of his life were all swallowed and burnt by the great beast known commonly as the first dragon. Adaron expresses the rage that he feels, all other emotions cast aside as he spits poisonous words of revenge at Gargantuan. The importance of this scene lies in the fact that it is the spark that made this book’s villain and that decided the course of events throughout the rest of the story. The simple word, vengeance, that will be what causes such tragedies and adventures to occur as this, spurred Adaron into the dark void that would occupy his heart, nothing but his hatred remaining.
The author’s themes of vengeance and deep seated - hatred, the driving forces to the plot, are what is most prevalent in this work. The main antagonist, Captain Adaron, who is on a quest for vengeance, dooms those around him in his fanatical killing of dragons. So forceful is his devotion towards revenge that Adaron, blinded by his hate of dragons, puts the blame for the deaths of his crew on the beasts rather than looking towards his own actions and reckless behavior. Other people whose actions are driven by greed or hate suffer for the choices they make based on those emotions. Those that cast aside their rage, though, are rewarded with the happy ending. What is so accurate about this novel is that all of the characters are held accountable to the intent of their choices. Some characters are held up as brave heroes while others are brought low as cowards and villains.
March 9, 2020
I received a copy of Black Leviathan from Pan Macmillan Australia to review.
Rating of 4.25.
Get ready for an exciting fantasy adventure from acclaimed German author, Bernd Perplies, with Black Leviathan, an extremely fun and inventive novel that is essentially Moby Dick with dragons.
Welcome to the Cloudmere, a floating expanse of thick cloud, mists, floating islands and mountain tops high above the ground. Thanks to the magical kyrillian crystals, which allow anything holding them to float in the air, airships now also fly through the Cloudmere attempting to harvest the useful resources available in this harsh landscape. The most valuable of resources come from the dragons, the ferocious beasts that soar amongst the clouds and mountains. Various species of dragons exist, each with their own special talents and defences, and each of which are valuable in their own way. However, hunting dragons is a dangerous occupation, and only the bravest, the most skilled or the extremely desperate set out into the Cloudmere as a drachenjäger, a dragon hunter.
Lian is a young man living in the floating city of Skargakar. The city’s entire economy revolves around the hunting and processing of dragons, and Lian himself makes a small earning carving kyrillian crystals. Lian also looks after his father, Lonjar Draksmasher, a famed drachenjäger of yesteryear whose injuries have driven him to drink. But when Lonjar is murdered in front of him, Lian instinctively gets revenge on the criminal who killed him, and now needs to get out of town quickly or face the wrath of his victim’s father, the most dangerous crime lord in the city. Taking up his father’s magical hunting spear and accompanied by his best friend, Canzo, Lian seeks work aboard one of the many drachenjäger ships leaving the city. The only one willing to take them on is the infamous Carryola.
Boarding the Carryola they find themselves working with an eclectic and effective crew of drachenjägers, and Lian believes that he has reached relative safety. However, the captain of the Carryola, Adaron, has an obsession that may prove to be the doom of Lian and the rest of the crew. Adaron is determined to hunt down and kill the Firstborn Gargantuan, a rare Black Leviathan dragon, a creature out of legends and one of the most destructive beings lurking in the Cloudmere. Now caught between a powerful dragon and a crazed captain, Lian must find a way to survive, but he quickly learns that death is always lying just around the corner in the Cloudmere.
To see the full review, click the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2020/03/09/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
Rating of 4.25.
Get ready for an exciting fantasy adventure from acclaimed German author, Bernd Perplies, with Black Leviathan, an extremely fun and inventive novel that is essentially Moby Dick with dragons.
Welcome to the Cloudmere, a floating expanse of thick cloud, mists, floating islands and mountain tops high above the ground. Thanks to the magical kyrillian crystals, which allow anything holding them to float in the air, airships now also fly through the Cloudmere attempting to harvest the useful resources available in this harsh landscape. The most valuable of resources come from the dragons, the ferocious beasts that soar amongst the clouds and mountains. Various species of dragons exist, each with their own special talents and defences, and each of which are valuable in their own way. However, hunting dragons is a dangerous occupation, and only the bravest, the most skilled or the extremely desperate set out into the Cloudmere as a drachenjäger, a dragon hunter.
Lian is a young man living in the floating city of Skargakar. The city’s entire economy revolves around the hunting and processing of dragons, and Lian himself makes a small earning carving kyrillian crystals. Lian also looks after his father, Lonjar Draksmasher, a famed drachenjäger of yesteryear whose injuries have driven him to drink. But when Lonjar is murdered in front of him, Lian instinctively gets revenge on the criminal who killed him, and now needs to get out of town quickly or face the wrath of his victim’s father, the most dangerous crime lord in the city. Taking up his father’s magical hunting spear and accompanied by his best friend, Canzo, Lian seeks work aboard one of the many drachenjäger ships leaving the city. The only one willing to take them on is the infamous Carryola.
Boarding the Carryola they find themselves working with an eclectic and effective crew of drachenjägers, and Lian believes that he has reached relative safety. However, the captain of the Carryola, Adaron, has an obsession that may prove to be the doom of Lian and the rest of the crew. Adaron is determined to hunt down and kill the Firstborn Gargantuan, a rare Black Leviathan dragon, a creature out of legends and one of the most destructive beings lurking in the Cloudmere. Now caught between a powerful dragon and a crazed captain, Lian must find a way to survive, but he quickly learns that death is always lying just around the corner in the Cloudmere.
To see the full review, click the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2020/03/09/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
April 28, 2020
A retelling of Moby Dick set on an endless sea of clouds, featuring dragons, airships, birdmen, and enchanted spears? Sign me up! Black Leviathan is also notable for being my first German book in translation as best I can recollect. I have a couple nits, but overall I love the worldbuilding here and had tremendous fun reading this book.
Black Leviathan opens with a prologue that explains Captain Adaron’s vendetta against the primal, massive, and mythic black dragon Gargantuan (this story’s Ahab and Moby Dick stand-ins). Gargantuan killed his entire crew but one, including the love of his life, almost as soon as he had his own ship. To be honest, I think the book would have been better without this prologue. I didn’t not enjoy it, but this is my biggest nit with the book.
After the prologue (actually two chapters), the story shifts to focus on Lian. The airships in Black Leviathan are held aloft by crystals; Lian is apprenticed to a crystal carver. His father was a great jäger (dragon hunter) in his day but is a drunk and a shell of his former self after losing his legs on a voyage. Circumstances intrude and put Lian on the short track to taking up the mantle of jäger himself. This is a departure from the source material and not strictly necessary, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It is entertaining in its own right, but more importantly it reveals much about Lian’s character, and this is really his book (another departure from Moby Dick).
Like whalers, ships hunting dragons can go many, many months before returning to port (helpful if you have trouble on your heels). Unlike whalers, dragon ships sails not on the seas but instead on the Cloudmere, a massive expanse of cloud dotted with mountains tops that effectively serve as islands and actual islands floating in the air (many populated by a race of birdmen). The worldbuilding is very cool and works. Airships cling close to the Cloudmere so as to not make too easy a target for dragons, but can’t fly within the Cloudmere itself for fear of mountain tops and floating islands. Under the Cloudmere is a deadly mystery (but one we get a peek at in one of the coolest sequences in the book).
I won’t spoil Lian’s adventures. A lot of books today try to filibuster their way to the climax. Perplies packs his book full of very cool worldbuilding and white knuckle set pieces. I loved these. My only other nits are the ending doesn’t quite work for me, and in general the book lacks the thematic heft of Moby Dick itself. Which isn’t in and of itself a necessary criticism, but you set yourself up for it when you set about retelling Moby Dick.
Disclosure: Tor sent me a(n unsolicited) review copy of Black Leviathan.
Black Leviathan opens with a prologue that explains Captain Adaron’s vendetta against the primal, massive, and mythic black dragon Gargantuan (this story’s Ahab and Moby Dick stand-ins). Gargantuan killed his entire crew but one, including the love of his life, almost as soon as he had his own ship. To be honest, I think the book would have been better without this prologue. I didn’t not enjoy it, but this is my biggest nit with the book.
After the prologue (actually two chapters), the story shifts to focus on Lian. The airships in Black Leviathan are held aloft by crystals; Lian is apprenticed to a crystal carver. His father was a great jäger (dragon hunter) in his day but is a drunk and a shell of his former self after losing his legs on a voyage. Circumstances intrude and put Lian on the short track to taking up the mantle of jäger himself. This is a departure from the source material and not strictly necessary, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It is entertaining in its own right, but more importantly it reveals much about Lian’s character, and this is really his book (another departure from Moby Dick).
Like whalers, ships hunting dragons can go many, many months before returning to port (helpful if you have trouble on your heels). Unlike whalers, dragon ships sails not on the seas but instead on the Cloudmere, a massive expanse of cloud dotted with mountains tops that effectively serve as islands and actual islands floating in the air (many populated by a race of birdmen). The worldbuilding is very cool and works. Airships cling close to the Cloudmere so as to not make too easy a target for dragons, but can’t fly within the Cloudmere itself for fear of mountain tops and floating islands. Under the Cloudmere is a deadly mystery (but one we get a peek at in one of the coolest sequences in the book).
I won’t spoil Lian’s adventures. A lot of books today try to filibuster their way to the climax. Perplies packs his book full of very cool worldbuilding and white knuckle set pieces. I loved these. My only other nits are the ending doesn’t quite work for me, and in general the book lacks the thematic heft of Moby Dick itself. Which isn’t in and of itself a necessary criticism, but you set yourself up for it when you set about retelling Moby Dick.
Disclosure: Tor sent me a(n unsolicited) review copy of Black Leviathan.
Read
March 2, 2020This novel ratchets up the suspense right from the very start and doesn’t quit from there. In this fantastical retelling of Moby Dick, Adaron swears vengeance upon Gargantuan, the Black Leviathan, the father of all dragonkind, and the thief of all of Adaron’s love and joy. For years, he pursues the beast on his fanatical quest to destroy it.
Lian knows a little about revenge, but it only gets him into trouble, because he’s mostly an innocent young man swept up in Adaron’s violent obsession. Instead of the high seas, he sets off into the high clouds to hunt dragons on a flying ship with a crew of magical and ruthless Elven-like folk, a mysterious winged creature, dog people, and reptilian people.
Though this is a retelling, no knowledge of Moby Dick is needed, and the story stands well on its own. Bernd Perplies is a German award-winning author who well deserves the recognition if for nothing more than the richness of such sharp imagery and the beauty of this enigmatic world set high upon the clouds and floating islands. Never has fighting dragons in midair been so visual or seemed so plausible, and these intense nail-biting battle scenes serve as excellent parallels to real whaling techniques. This swashbuckling adventure is nonstop thrills, but it doesn’t sacrifice character development or the joy of finding love and friendship in unexpected places. –AD
Click here to place a hold: Black Leviathan .
For another dragon-slaying adventure, try Blood of an Exile by Brian Naslund.
Lian knows a little about revenge, but it only gets him into trouble, because he’s mostly an innocent young man swept up in Adaron’s violent obsession. Instead of the high seas, he sets off into the high clouds to hunt dragons on a flying ship with a crew of magical and ruthless Elven-like folk, a mysterious winged creature, dog people, and reptilian people.
Though this is a retelling, no knowledge of Moby Dick is needed, and the story stands well on its own. Bernd Perplies is a German award-winning author who well deserves the recognition if for nothing more than the richness of such sharp imagery and the beauty of this enigmatic world set high upon the clouds and floating islands. Never has fighting dragons in midair been so visual or seemed so plausible, and these intense nail-biting battle scenes serve as excellent parallels to real whaling techniques. This swashbuckling adventure is nonstop thrills, but it doesn’t sacrifice character development or the joy of finding love and friendship in unexpected places. –AD
Click here to place a hold: Black Leviathan .
For another dragon-slaying adventure, try Blood of an Exile by Brian Naslund.
September 23, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi, dragon version of Moby Dick! But it's better than Moby Dick because it's not as long and doesn't have the crazy chapters on how-to do whaling.
This world we enter is a fictional land of wonder. There are many different people and specifies, including dragons, which have become the dominant support of society. Dragon meat is a dietary staple, scale for armor and protections, claws and teeth for defense and weapons, and more. No part is left unclaimed. In order to successfully hunt dragons you have to be able to travel through the air.
This is made possible by Kyrillian crystals, which is a natural formation that reacts with air and defies gravity. This causes floating islands and opens to door to the Cloudmere. Kyrillian can be polished and secured in iron containers, then affixed to the side of ships (pirate type ships). The opening and closing of the containers exposes the crystal to the air and lifts ships, and makes dragon hunting possible.
Lian has spent is entire life in the coastal city of Skargakar, taking care of his former Jager (dragon hunter) father. When his father's gets into trouble that leads to his death and Lian slaying his father's murderer, he must flee his home. The necessary haste causes him to join the only ship leaving town and Lian finds himself on the ship of a fanatic captain bent on revenge. Even so, traveling through the Cloudmere is a dream come true, even when it involves going overboard, getting captured by slavers, encounters with mysteries magic and mysticism and more.
It was a really entertaining sci-fi, magic infused novel.
This world we enter is a fictional land of wonder. There are many different people and specifies, including dragons, which have become the dominant support of society. Dragon meat is a dietary staple, scale for armor and protections, claws and teeth for defense and weapons, and more. No part is left unclaimed. In order to successfully hunt dragons you have to be able to travel through the air.
This is made possible by Kyrillian crystals, which is a natural formation that reacts with air and defies gravity. This causes floating islands and opens to door to the Cloudmere. Kyrillian can be polished and secured in iron containers, then affixed to the side of ships (pirate type ships). The opening and closing of the containers exposes the crystal to the air and lifts ships, and makes dragon hunting possible.
Lian has spent is entire life in the coastal city of Skargakar, taking care of his former Jager (dragon hunter) father. When his father's gets into trouble that leads to his death and Lian slaying his father's murderer, he must flee his home. The necessary haste causes him to join the only ship leaving town and Lian finds himself on the ship of a fanatic captain bent on revenge. Even so, traveling through the Cloudmere is a dream come true, even when it involves going overboard, getting captured by slavers, encounters with mysteries magic and mysticism and more.
It was a really entertaining sci-fi, magic infused novel.
September 4, 2022
Thank you to Tor and Tor Teen for the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is my absolute least favorite type of review to write, so I'm going to keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
I wanted to love this book so much more than what I did. What I DID love, though, was the idea behind this story and the worldbuilding. I mean, Moby Dick but with dragons is easily one of the most unique fantasy premises that I have read in some time. And I loved how it was done! The world here was seriously SO cool, and the world building was so on point that I had this perfect picture in my mind as I read, which is one of my favorite parts of reading good fantasy.
Honestly, I can't quite pinpoint what it was about this book that didn't do it for me. I didn't feel close to any of the characters, and I wasn't riveted by the plot--but as to why I felt both of those things, I'm not sure. The only thing I can figure is the translation. I thought the translator did a great job, don't get me wrong. I think maybe the story itself just didn't translate well.
This really was a good book, I just didn't love it like I had hoped. If you are looking for a good twist on a classic tale, or if you're looking for a good old rollicking epic adventure story, I would definitely recommend this one. Even though I didn't LOVE it, it was still a solid entertaining addition to the genre.
This is my absolute least favorite type of review to write, so I'm going to keep it short, sweet, and to the point.
I wanted to love this book so much more than what I did. What I DID love, though, was the idea behind this story and the worldbuilding. I mean, Moby Dick but with dragons is easily one of the most unique fantasy premises that I have read in some time. And I loved how it was done! The world here was seriously SO cool, and the world building was so on point that I had this perfect picture in my mind as I read, which is one of my favorite parts of reading good fantasy.
Honestly, I can't quite pinpoint what it was about this book that didn't do it for me. I didn't feel close to any of the characters, and I wasn't riveted by the plot--but as to why I felt both of those things, I'm not sure. The only thing I can figure is the translation. I thought the translator did a great job, don't get me wrong. I think maybe the story itself just didn't translate well.
This really was a good book, I just didn't love it like I had hoped. If you are looking for a good twist on a classic tale, or if you're looking for a good old rollicking epic adventure story, I would definitely recommend this one. Even though I didn't LOVE it, it was still a solid entertaining addition to the genre.
November 15, 2020
Different take on dragons, the world in this novel is unusual. It almost borders on science fiction...almost. The Black Leviathan here is Gargantuan, the son of one of the first dragons. There is animosity between the 'peoples' in this world and the dragons. For one, the dragons are prey, used for almost everything, including food. They don't seem to come near settlements, but they do attack ships out on the Cloudmere. Probably in self-defense. The Cloudmere being like an ocean of air and fog and clouds. There are also floating mountains, and a type of crystal that defies gravity, hence the ability of the ships to sail through the air. This story is kind of a Moby Dick story, in that the captain is obsessed with killing Gargantuan, who killed the love of his life. It has made him a bit crazy. Even so, he has a reputation that's not all bad, and he has no problem finding crew. There are other 'peoples' besides human in this story, and they all seem to work together, at least on this crew. The focus is mostly on a young man, whose father was a jager (dragonkiller). Lots of action, and a bit of the supernatural weaved in, likely to be more in a subsequent book. Good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2020
A great fantasy retelling of Moby Dick.
The world-building is great. The characters are astounding. The very premise is quite a trope wherein a character was forced to join an adventure or expedition due to an unnecessary conflict that this character needs to escape. Nonetheless, it was a great story with dragons.
Who wouldn't love stories about dragons?
It was like a How To Train Your Dragon vibe because of the different dragons they've encountered during the expedition. But it lacks substantial storytelling for Black Leviathan aka Gargantuan. The story portrayed it as the king of these dragons because of its peculiar and massive size and the legend it holds. But the story just explored this main villain or entity in the last part of the story. I hope the story added some addictive fight scenes with Gargantuan. It seems that the story is quite easy with this Black Leviathan.
Great story though!
The world-building is great. The characters are astounding. The very premise is quite a trope wherein a character was forced to join an adventure or expedition due to an unnecessary conflict that this character needs to escape. Nonetheless, it was a great story with dragons.
Who wouldn't love stories about dragons?
It was like a How To Train Your Dragon vibe because of the different dragons they've encountered during the expedition. But it lacks substantial storytelling for Black Leviathan aka Gargantuan. The story portrayed it as the king of these dragons because of its peculiar and massive size and the legend it holds. But the story just explored this main villain or entity in the last part of the story. I hope the story added some addictive fight scenes with Gargantuan. It seems that the story is quite easy with this Black Leviathan.
Great story though!
November 22, 2024
This was exactly to my tastes. It's described on the back of the book as Moby Dick, but instead of whalers, it's about drachenjagers (dragon hunters) traversing the Cloudmere in their magic crystal-levitated ships. Much like whaling, dragon hunting is dangerous business. And much like Moby Dick, here a jager captain's crew was struck with tragedy when a monstrous dragon of myth known as Gargantuan, aka the Black Leviathan, attacks his crew and kills nearly everyone on board. The bulk of the story takes place five years later and follows Lian, a young man studying crystal carving, who suddenly finds himself in a bind and has to flee his home.
This book is exactly what I love about dragons. Powerful, mysterious monsters that aren't fully understood. They're dangerous, they need to be taken seriously, they're not talking ridable pets. (Unless you have the mettle and sheer force of will to tame one. But they're still beasts.) They're not friends, they're not magically bound to humans and telepathic with them. They can be tamed, but it's more akin to taming a tiger.
The pacing is good, there's very little downtime and time wasting fluff. Lots of fun dragon fights and other exciting things happen. Entertaining the whole way through. I haven't read Moby Dick so I don't actually know just how close it is in terms of story beats to that, but as its own story, it's very good. A perfect book for me.
This book is exactly what I love about dragons. Powerful, mysterious monsters that aren't fully understood. They're dangerous, they need to be taken seriously, they're not talking ridable pets. (Unless you have the mettle and sheer force of will to tame one. But they're still beasts.) They're not friends, they're not magically bound to humans and telepathic with them. They can be tamed, but it's more akin to taming a tiger.
The pacing is good, there's very little downtime and time wasting fluff. Lots of fun dragon fights and other exciting things happen. Entertaining the whole way through. I haven't read Moby Dick so I don't actually know just how close it is in terms of story beats to that, but as its own story, it's very good. A perfect book for me.
March 14, 2020
Started 3-12-20; finished 3-14-20. Really liked this one. A fantasy take on the Moby Dick theme, but this is a ship captain obsessed with killing a huge dragon who had killed the love of his life 20 years earlier. The young hero is an 18 year old who must leave his small town in a hurry or risk being killed. He joins the crew and becomes a dragon killer. There are several subplots that are also interesting. I'm hoping there's a sequel because I'm not done liking these characters and these smaller plots need to be resolved. The cover art is awesome and would make a great poster. The story is very visual and would be a good movie.
February 19, 2020
This one is Moby Dick, but with dragons.
There. You just bought a copy.
If you didn't, dude, I don't think I can help you.
The fanatical ship captain hunts The Firstborn Gargantuan, which I have to say is a better name for Moby-Dick than "Moby-Dick." Sorry, Herman Melville.
Besides all that, this is an absolutely thrilling fantasy adventure, with dragons and fighting and more dragons. You know, the good stuff.
There. You just bought a copy.
If you didn't, dude, I don't think I can help you.
The fanatical ship captain hunts The Firstborn Gargantuan, which I have to say is a better name for Moby-Dick than "Moby-Dick." Sorry, Herman Melville.
Besides all that, this is an absolutely thrilling fantasy adventure, with dragons and fighting and more dragons. You know, the good stuff.
January 3, 2022
The translation on this book is wonderful, and it perfectly captured the nautical, episodic style of classics like 20k Leagues and Moby Dick in modern language and with DRAGONS. The world feels delightfully filled with cultures and histories that you get a small glimpse of but know there is more to be discovered. A great short, standalone novel for anyone who reads goes in for something with drakes in it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews