From the moment you start reading Mortal Engines it pulls you along at a furious pace through a thrilling adventure set in the far future where cities are now mobile and follow the tenets of Municipal Darwinism.

The two main characters Tom meets Hester under dangerous circumstances and they are drawn into one adventure after another meeting some loveable and roguish characters whilst on these adventure.

This is a great example of Steampunk but rather than being set in an alternative past Victorian world, it is set in the far future after humanity has almost wiped itself out in the ‘Sixty Minute War’

Philip Reeve has conjured a place and time that feels so real, mainly because the characters are so well written that they are believable, loveable, despicable, and human. The various set pieces and locations also help to flesh out a believable world that I’m really looking forward to returning to when I get around to reading the others in the series.

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