How Does The Leviathan Author Develop Characters In Their Leviathan Series?

Question

Eva · Answer

I think they develop characters through juxtaposition and partnership. Deryn is all pragmatism and daring, Alek is tradition and hidden nobility. Throwing them together forces each to adapt and absorb traits from the other. Deryn learns about diplomacy and the weight of legacy, even if she scoffs at it. Alek learns improvisation and to question the rigid structures he was born into. Their growth is relational, seen in how they talk to and rely on each other over time, rather than in solitary introspection. The beasties and walkers around them often mirror or highlight these traits, like the perspicacious lorises reflecting loyalty or the Huxley ascenders representing vulnerability. It’s efficient, visual storytelling.

Olivia · Answer

Honestly, the character development in the Leviathan series is a mixed bag for me. The worldbuilding with the Clanker and Darwinist factions is the real star—the living airships and walking tanks are incredibly vivid. But the human characters sometimes feel like they’re serving the plot first. Deryn Sharp is a standout, sure. Her struggle to maintain her disguise as a boy in the British Air Service has genuine tension and heart; her growth feels earned because it’s tied so closely to survival and identity.

Where it gets shakier is with Alek. He starts off as this spoiled prince, and his arc is about shedding that privilege and learning responsibility. It’s a classic journey, but at times his shifts in perspective can feel a bit abrupt, dictated more by the needs of the adventure than by a slow, organic change. The secondary characters are often delightful sketches but don’t always get room to deepen.

Still, the author’s strength is in how they use the setting itself as a character-developer. Being on the Leviathan, this living ecosystem, forces specific behaviors, alliances, and conflicts. You see characters revealed through how they interact with the beasties and machines. It’s not deep psychological realism, but it’s effective adventure storytelling where personality is demonstrated through action and ingenuity.

Amelia · Answer

A lot of it hinges on competency and problem-solving. You learn who these characters are by watching them do things under pressure. Deryn isn’t just ‘brave’—we see her calculate wind currents, rig a Huxley in a storm, and think on her feet to keep her secret. Alek isn’t just ‘learning’—we see him figure out the Stormwalker’s mechanics, navigate political traps, and make hard calls about his people. Their development is demonstrated through increasing mastery and more complex challenges. They start as talented but inexperienced, and by the end, they’re coordinating in crises. Even the supporting cast, like Dr. Barlow or Count Volger, are defined by their specialized knowledge and how they apply it. This approach makes the characters incredibly engaging for a certain type of reader (like me) who loves seeing cleverness in action. The emotional beats land because they’re built on a foundation of earned respect between characters who’ve seen each other’s capabilities firsthand, not just on forced sentiment.

Nora · Answer

It’s functional for the adventure but rarely profound. The characters serve their roles well—Deryn as the bold, disguised commoner, Alek as the evolving noble. Their bond develops nicely, and the dual perspective lets us see their internal doubts. But after the initial setup, their personal struggles can feel repetitive, and major shifts sometimes happen off-page between books. The creatures and machines remain the most consistently developed ‘characters’ throughout the trilogy.

Dylan · Answer

The development is so tightly woven into the alternate-history premise that it’s easy to miss how clever it is. Take Deryn. Her entire character arc is a direct product of the world’s rules—a girl can’t serve openly, so her disguise creates constant internal and external conflict. Every close call, every moment of fear of discovery, builds her resilience and ingenuity. Alek’s growth from a sheltered heir to a leader isn’t just about maturing; it’s about his worldview physically expanding as he travels from a hidden castle across a war-torn Europe, forced to rely on people and creatures his upbringing taught him to see as inferior or enemy. Their development isn’t delivered in big monologues but in small, consistent choices: Deryn deciding to trust, Alek learning to listen. Even the Leviathan itself, as a living ship, has a kind of character arc through its trials and the crew’s treatment of it. It’s all very organic, feeling less like ‘character development’ as a separate element and more like the natural consequence of these people being thrown into this impossible, wonderfully weird situation.

How Does The Leviathan Author Develop Characters In Their Leviathan Series?

5 Answers

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