Leviathan

Leviathan is by Scott Westerfeild, and is about an alternate world war one. In this alternate time line, the world is split into two factions. Darwinest, and Clanker. The Darwinests use geneticly fabricated animals (courtisy of darwin), and the Clankers use large machines bristling with weaponry. The main character is Alek, the prince of Austro- Hungary. One night Alek's teacher takes him on a practice run of a Clanker machine. And reveals to him that his parents have been asassinated. His country turned against him, Alek, his teacher, and a small crew of loyal men escape to the allied west, and are taken aboard the living airship Leviathan. On the other side, a commoner named Darryn Sharp joins the British air force, and joins forces with the exiled prince aboard the Leviathan. Although the plot is at times very generic, the book is very good and rivating, and anyone who likes steampunk and/or Sci-Fi should read it.