Leviathan Rising (Pax Britannia, #2) by Jonathan Green

Leviathan Rising (Pax Britannia, #2) Reviews

• 
  edifanob

  This is the third book of the PAX BRITTANIA series
  and it is the second adventure of Ulysses Quicksilver.
  
  This is the blurb:
  "Around the world in eighty days ­ in style!"
  
  This proud claim, made by the Carcharodon Shipping Company, is about to be put to the test as its newest and most magnificent submersible cruise liner, the Neptune, sets sail on its maiden voyage around the world. Among the great and the good who have been invited to join this historic cruise is Ulysses Quicksilver, dandy adventurer and hero of Magna Britannia, enjoying a well-deserved sojourn after the traumatic events of Queen Victoria¹s 160th jubilee celebrations.
  
  But only days out from the undersea city of Pacifica disaster strikes. First a brutal murder is committed and then an act of sabotage sends the Neptune plunging into the abyssal depths. Trapped at the bottom of the sea, teetering on the edge of the unfathomable Marianas trench, the few who survive the tragedy discover that their problems are only just beginning.
  For far below, in the cold ocean depths, a decades old secret awaits them. Lurking in the oppressive stygian darkness is the legacy of a protracted cold war waged between Magna Britannia and the Chinese empire. The Kraken has awoken. Rising from the abyss, like the Biblical leviathan of legend, it hungers and when it hunts none shall escape its primeval fury.
  END OF THE BLURB
  
  I liked the story which is a mix of steampunk, The Abyss, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, secret research and a whodunnit murder mystery.
  
  
  The book also contains an additional short story
  VANISHING POINT by Jonathan Green
  We meet again our hero Ulyses Quicksilver.
  This time he has to deal with ghosts and mysteriously machines.
  
  
  All in all you get book ideal for rainy days. It is a fun and entertaining read without thoughtfulness.
  
• 
  Jana

  The first book I bought in this series was the seventh, which is out of character for me because I like to read series in order but the blurb and the cover and everything about it just told me that this was something special. I was not let down. Jonathan Green is an amazing author and his skill of crafting words with such fluency and inspiration is a rare one. I am now gradually acquiring the whole series.
  
  I was given the first two last Christmas and I know it's quite a while ago now but I can still remember their plots because all his works stay with me a long time after I've read them. The first book was a classic and I thoroughly enjoyed it, soon moving onto number two. I love Ulysses and think he is a worthy hero but this book didn't quite hit the spot for me. Maybe it was because he set this book underwater which is quite a difference to the usual haunt and takes more to pull off because everything is so different. The plot was good and so were the murders and the beginning when he was describing the subliner was so rich with detail that I could feel myself slipping on to that very ship but still something was missing. I think it was missing the usual action of scooting around with Nimrod in their car and running to save the world with his super-cane just in the nick of time. Also, I think the love interest was not as... good. I can't describe it, I just thought she wasn't as attractive or appealing or in any way good enough for Ulysses. Maybe you disagree but she didn't make the part for me.
  
  The underwater setting was another thing that set me off. I appreciate that he was trying something different and seeing what he could do with a twist on the norm and to be honest, he didn't write a bit of crap and pass it off as a book. The storyline had depth (as always) and the characters were intriguing in their own way but everything just struck me as cold. The more I think about it, that was probably the point of it all and I'm just rambling on here but this was the one thing that made me think twice about this book.
  
  However, at the end of the day, it is a Jonathan Green book and I'm not complaining because it wasn't a direct fault that I'm pointing out. It was just the overall atmosphere that left me a little chilled. But maybe that was the death of the Miss Birkin... eughhh!
  
  I love all the books of his that I've read so far and this wasn't by any means a bad book so thumbs up anyway for the storyline and characters! (apart from Glenda. mwah ha ha!)
• 
  Alexandra Peel

  Thrilling adventure. Steampunk(ish), Horror(esque).
  Ulysses Quicksilver is a cracking hero. All the expected cliches of the Victorian style dandy, bon-vivant, but written in a manner that makes him feel so very real and original.
  Jonathan green has a way of writing that is reminiscent of good old fashioned writing styles, his world, though utterly fantastical, is utterly believable.
  
  * Took me longer to read than necessary as the print is quite small in my edition, plus, I have multiple books on the go!
• 
  ᴥ Irena ᴥ

  Even though the beginning of the first act is pretty slow (the appearance of VIP passengers on board of the Neptune was one of those boring things), the second and the third act saved the day.
  
  It is Hercule Poirot meets tons of films where people get stuck on ships or inside some underwater facility and they have to get away while being chased by monsters and unknown murderers. Not really a spoiler.
  
• 
  Donna

  Jonathan Green will take you on a wild ride with a crescendo that lasts the whole last half of the books. I was eagerly gobbling up every piece of his story, but the only reason I didn't land it a 5 star is because I figured out his mystery long before dear Mr. Quicksilver did.
• 
  Jānis

  Great sci-fi opera with an oldschool feel. Story before tech. Hope the rest of the trilogy are as good.
• 
  Joe Longstaff

  Some more brilliant writing from the impressive Jonathan Green. No more needs to be said.
• 
  Teo

  "Leviathan Rising" is the 2nd book in the Pax Britannia series, kickstarted by Jonathan Green with "Unnatural History" and tuned-up with the sequel. This one's takes the win over the first novel, in every way imaginable.
  
  It starts only a short time after the grand and explosive finale of "Unnatural History". Ulysses Quicksilver, dandy adventurer and secret agent of the throne, is invited to a luxury cruise, the maiden voyage of the world's most advanced submersible cruiser, the Neptune. Joining him are a slew of VIP guests, each with their own secrets. That something shady is afoot becomes clear when there is a murder on board. As if this wasn't enough, the Neptune suddenly starts to sink to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which - contrary to everyone's beliefs - is anything but unpopulated. Ulysses' much needed respite turns into a bitter fight for dear life, his own as well the ones of his fellow passengers.
  
  So, what we have here is a steampunk (sci-fi) murder mystery mixed with horror and adventure. Jonathan Green turned into next gear with this sequel, which really does leave its predecessor in the dust in all aspects. Everything is better, and dare I say, bigger?
  
  The writing and plotting is improved, and the various sub-genres blend seamlessly to create a very fun thrill-ride. But be warned - this is NOT a murder mystery. Do not expect anything even remotely on the level of Agatha Christie. The murder is simply one of many plot devices used to add to the tension, while the focus of the plot shifts in other - frankly, more interesting - directions. So, don't hold too much of a grudge if you guess whodunnit within the first 100 pages or so.
  
  I devoured this novel in a matter of days. It's really more of the same pulpy steampunk, only executed in a more skillful manner. It's got its fair bit of cliches, true; but again - that is kind of the point with these books, right? It's what you do with familiar elements that matters, and what Jonathan Green did is create another fun entry in the diary of Ulysses Quicksilver's life. Absolutely recommended!
• 
  Devon Gambrell

  It took me a while to get through this book
  
  I am not a technical reader so this story was a little harder for me to get through but it was entertaining and the mystery kept me intrigued.
• 
  Teddi

  1/3 read. I enjoyed the first book in series but this one just isn't for me. It started out good but once I realized the direction it was taking, I quit. I think old movies about marine disasters ruined me for this theme.
• 
  Paul

  With his Ulysses Quicksilver character, Jonathan Green appears to want to have some sort of steampunk James Bond, with superpowers, in mind. Unfortunately the idea has gone very stale very quickly.
  
  The characterisation is flat and, although I ploughed through until the end of the book, I really didn't find myself caring about what was going to happen. The identity of the villain was so apparent from so early on that I'm not sure whether the final reveal was supposed to be a surprise or not.
• 
  John Montagne

  Another dreadful attempt to write steampunk by Green. Author has the main character (the lame hero named Ulysses Quicksilver), pretty much lead the reader by the hand in regard to other characters/events. No new ideas really... this leviathan is amongst the flotsam of steampunk. The writing itself is dull and the characters even more so.
• 
  Tim

  Very predictable....figured it out in the first 100 pages...will try one more to see if they are more satisfying.
• 
  Philip Chaston

  Those who gasp at the theatrical unmasking of the "villain" here need psychiatric help. Never was insanity so implausible!