Mortal Engines

The opening sentence of this novel is "It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea." Philip Reeve writes of far in the future, how, after the sixty-second war townships survive by traveling across barren land and devouring smaller cities in what is known as "Municipal Darwinism". Quite a big change from spaceships shooting lasers at each other in the year 3001 or the other favorite fantasy era, the pseudo-middle ages.

This is a rather bloodthirsty tale, though it is recommended as a YA novel. Many grisly deaths take place, there are the usual good guy vs bad guy scenarios and the teenage protagonists who are naturally a boy and a girl. It has a good bit of humorous references which make the book entertaining. The characters are a little cliched. The villain has killed a hero's parents and is out to kill the hero - familiar territory here. In fact he's already tried to kill the hero and scarred her...no, she doesn't wear glasses.

What makes this book an excellent read (it was an ALA best book for Young Adults) is the world building. The book makes the idea that an entire city can pack itself up and travel around on large wheels sound entirely plausible. It also explains the city's inner workings in no small detail.

Enjoyable and entertaining. This is the first in the Hungry City Chronicles series, so I have three more books to read. I hope the rest of the series is as entertaining as the first book.