Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

I bought Mortal Engines as soon as I saw that cover. 

A Darkling Plain had just been released and there was a display table for its launch, with its three predecessors surrounding it. 

I didn’t hesitate, but I only bought the first book just in case. I went back for the rest the following Saturday. 

The opening chapter is a fantastic introduction to the world.  The roving city of London chasing and catching the smaller town of Salthook. Its exciting, visual and fun. The movie version extends this sequence significantly chucking in lots of physically doubtful CGI. In the book its all about Tom Natsworthy wanting to see the action and works so much better.

The characters are real immediately. Tom is an orphan of the big tilt (A level of the city collapsed on the family home killing his parents) and has to deal with dust in the museum, bullies and his superior Chudleigh Pomeroy. Tom quickly finds himself embroiled in the machinations of Thaddeus Valentine, the city’s official pirate, Valentine’s daughter Katharine and the mysterious Hester Shaw. Hester is the centre of the story. Her actions impact Tom, and the two of them set of on an adventure that will change London forever.

The tone of the book is carefully balanced between classic British humour, and some quite dark material. This is a post apocalyptic world, Earth as we know it having been destroyed in an event called the Sixty minute war, and yet the museum of London contains statues to the old gods, Mickey and Minnie (Minions in the film) and many of the characters of London feel drawn from the wealth of character actors Britain produces. 

Hester drives the plot forward and in many ways Tom is there for the ride, simply wanting to get home and discover why he was betrayed. Hester wants revenge, and their discovery of a much larger plot leads them on a quest. They encounter many obstacles all richly drawn from science fiction tropes from across the world which always feel original. I have a particular soft spot for Anna Fang and her airship. She walks onto the page impressive and engaging.  

Chudleigh and Pomeroy are both villages near the home of the author Philip Reeve, and as a former resident in the area myself its fun to spot many other names throughout the series.

Phillip Reeve is a rare author where I will buy instantly any new book published. 

This shelf is one of my absolute pleasures, and I can re-read these books time and again. You may have to look for them in the Children’s section. Thats how good they are.