Mortal Engines

By Philip Reeve

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Reviewed by Noelle

This is the first book in the Hungry City Chronicles. In the future, there are traction cities and towns--literally on the move with wheels and engines. Larger cities hunt and "eat" smaller ones when they can get them--it is the law of Municipal Darwinism. In the great traction city of London, an evil and secret plan has been hatched by the head historian, Valentine, to rebuild an ancient weapon and give London a leg up over the larger cities that would eat her. Then one day, while in the Gut of London, a girl with a scarred face attempts to assasinate Valentine. He is saved by Tom Natsworthy, a boy with aspirations to be a historian himself. But instead of basking in glory for saving his hero, Tom is pushed out of London by Valentine because the girl, Hester Shaw, claims Valentine is the one who mutilated her...and Valentine can have no witnesses to his past deeds. Hester and Tom both survive their tumble from the city, and find themselves unlikely allies when they discover the plan to unleash the weapon MEDUSA upon the world--and they are the only ones who can stop it. With great, layered characters and a deep, dark plot, readers will be riveted to this book and will eagerly read the equally good sequels: Predator's Gold, Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain.