ook 2 of the Mortal Engines series, a steampunky little tale about Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw beating about the world in their stolen red airship, of the city of Anchorage grinding about on black northern ice, and of dark science reanimating a character lost in the first book. So, yes, lots going on here.
The mark of a good sequel is when an author gives us something new and Philip Reeve did just that, putting us out in the far northern climes. It’s been two years since Tom and Hester escaped London and they are actually growing into a couple (how much a couple surprised me – I guess YA books have changed since I read them fifty years ago). They come across the town of Anchorage, moving across the bleakness, depopulated from a plague, their ruler rattling around her empty palace, the chief engineer moaning about his dead son. But the city is not just haunted by the ghosts of the dead, no, but by someone else, someone whose mere presence adds further depth to this crazy world.
I’ll keep this review brief because anything beyond this point is a spoiler. I’m enjoying these books – easy reads – and find myself wondering where we’ll go next. Most certainly worth your time, especially if you like easy action and interesting situations. But read Mortal Engines (the first part of the series, reviewed HERE). And then hold onto your rusty handrails – you’re in for a bumpy ride!