Predator Cities #1: Mortal Engines

It was an exhilarating ride! :) I can almost say I enjoyed it as much as The Hunting of Alaizabel Cray. The twist of a far away time in the future, when Ancient civilization (us) has destroyed themselves by warfares and ultimate mortal engines, really made the story hard to put down. The stage was created complete with the new religions, new ways of life and new societies. All was well but I can not help if I feel something missing by the end. Perhaps it was the easiness of the author in killing many of the key characters, but I think it was necessary to picture the power of destruction of the resurrected engines or it just the quiet ending after the great climax. In short, I like the unexpected elements and am looking forward for the next book.

First of all ignore the fact that this book is generally found in the Children's section of most bookstores. Ignore any reservations you may have and enjoy it for what it is - a fantastical sci-fi adventure that once you start reading you can't put down. I read it in one sitting. I won't go over the plot as it's been well documented by other reviewers. It's an interesting premise that freely borrows from literary fantasists like Jules Verne, Jack Vance, Phillip Pullman, and a bit of Rogue Trooper from 2000AD, but brings something new to the genre. Movies like Metropolis, Terminator, City of Lost Children and perhaps a bit of Waterworld and Mad Max are all referenced as well as bit of American rock. The characters are believable and they have flaws. He's not brave, she's not beautiful and they probably won't live happily ever after - but you care about them. They deal with real issues like love, death, betrayal, retribution and courage. As has been said before bad things happen to nice people but that's life. It's a shame that US reader can't enjoy the wonderful example of retro Boy's Own adventure art of the UK edition..but that's a minor grouse. If I have a criticism it's that it's over too quickly. I've had a glimpse into this world and I want to know what happens to Tom and Hester - so I'm off to buy the sequel.

With the Harry Potter craze currently in full swing, a lot of people are constantly looking for the "next" Harry Potter series. There are lots of contenders for the title; from the definite rip-off Charlie Bone series to the sly slightly evil Artemis Fowl. Personally, I've read a great deal of these and none really hit me as having the same moral core or elaborate well-constructed world that the Potter books conjure up. Until now, that is. With "Mortal Engines", the first in author Philip Reeve's "Hungry City Chronicles" we have the privilege of finally reading about a world that is just as creative, enjoyable, and exciting as anything J.K. Rowling could ever have imagined.It is the future, and the world is not as it was. After humanity almost destroyed itself entirely in what became known as the Sixty-Minute War, civilizations have taken it upon themselves to become mobile. Cities, townships, and even suburbs now move across the land, eating anything smaller than themselves. This system is referred to as Municipal Darwinism with the strong eating the weak. The city of London is a particularly vicious devourer of smaller villages and it is here that we meet Tom. A young Historian, Tom idolizes the famed Historian and explorer Thaddeus Valentine and his lovely daughter Katherine. When Tom narrowly keeps a severely deformed girl from assassinating Valentine, he finds himself wound up in a series of betrayals and adventures that may well lead to the end of civilization once more.The book is filled to the brim with interesting characters. There Grike, the last survivor of the old world who is more machine than man. Or Anna Fang, the red clad aviatrix that fights against the moving cities as an Anti-Tractionist. Or the pirate Chrystler Peavey that commands a posh pirate suburb and dreams of becoming a proper gentleman someday. You care for these characters, which makes it all the more painful when Reeve decides to kill them off. I've never read an author so ready to end the lives of his heroes with as much aplomb as Mr. Reeve, though I should've caught on when he killed off my favorite character almost exactly halfway through. Much like fellow British author Philip Pullman, Reeve has a knack for juggling multiple points of view and storylines without loosing his narrative thread. And like Pullman his story involves airships and a boy and girl on a quest to (in effect) save the world. Unlike Pullman, Reeve less interested in the how the characters' actions will affect the universe, and instead will affect their world. I was especially taken with the theme of obsession in this book. The evil Mayor Chrome, leader of London, is obsessed with making his town reign supreme over the rest of the world. Hester Shawn, deformed by the blade of Thaddeus Valentine, is obsessed with killing the man who murdered her parents. And Grike, the man machine that was one of the millions of walking dead soldiers participating in the Sixty-Minute War, i

I've read hundreds of books and a majority of them really good. Even though I don't have a favorite book I have three top favorite books and - This one's one of them. This book is great. Its in the far future but its not super hightech. What I really liked about this book is that it's set in the future but the technology in this time is all of its own. Its a comination of old levers and gears and robots-humans called Stalkers. Its great. The book takes place many years after the 60 minute war (how great is that!? A 60 MINUTE WAR). However there's one thing that makes these books better than any others. All the cities and towns and villages are on wheels. THey're called traction cities and the drive around barren Europe in search of prey - other cities to destroy and take their parts and sell the citizens as slaves for labor in other traction cities. If the atmosphere of this book isn't what gets you to love it, it's the characters that will. The characters are so believabple, so in depth, so colorful, so deep - they're just amazing. And the author adds in so many secrets and hidden past about the characters - you'll love it. I highly recomend this book to anyone.