Mortal Engines facts for kids
Mortal Engines is an exciting young adult science fiction novel. It was written by Philip Reeve and first published in 2001. The story takes place in a future world. Here, cities are giant machines that move around and "eat" smaller towns to survive.
This book is the first in a four-part series called the Mortal Engines Quartet. The series was published between 2001 and 2006. A major film based on the book was released in 2018.
Mortal Engines has won several awards. These include the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and the 2003 Blue Peter Book Award. It was also nominated for other important literary prizes.
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| Author | Philip Reeve |
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| Cover artist | David Frankland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Mortal Engines Quartet |
| Genre | Young adult, steampunk |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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16 November 2001 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 293 |
| ISBN | 0-439-97943-9 |
| OCLC | 50714166 |
| Followed by | Predator's Gold |
Discovering Mortal Engines: A Thrilling Adventure
The World of Moving Cities
The story is set in a future world that was changed by a huge conflict. This was a global war called the "Sixty Minute War." It caused massive changes to the Earth, like earthquakes and volcanoes. To escape these dangers, a clever leader named Nikola Quercus put giant engines and wheels on London. This turned it into the first "Traction City."
Traction Cities move across the land, hunting and taking resources from smaller towns. This way of life is called "Municipal Darwinism." It spread all over the world. People now value "Old Tech," which is technology from before the war. Scavengers and archaeologists search for these valuable items.
Most of Europe, parts of Asia, North Africa, and South America are home to these moving cities. However, North America is known as "the dead continent" because of the war's destruction. Other parts of the world are controlled by the Anti-Traction League. This group wants to stop cities from moving. They believe it uses up too many of the planet's remaining resources.
London: A City on Wheels
London is the main Traction City in the book. Its society is like a futuristic version of Victorian times. People are divided into different groups called Guilds. The Engineers keep London's machines running. The Historians collect and protect old, valuable objects. Navigators steer the city. Merchants manage London's economy.
The city is led by an elected Mayor. Magnus Crome is the Lord Mayor and also the head of the Engineers. London is built in layers, like a giant cake. The richest people live at the top. The lower classes live closer to the noisy, polluting engines at the bottom. St Paul's Cathedral sits at the very top of London. It is the only building known to have survived the Sixty Minute War.
The Exciting Story Unfolds
The adventure begins as London chases and captures a small mining town called Salthook. Tom Natsworthy, a young Apprentice Historian, is sent to the "Gut" of London. This is where captured towns are taken apart for resources. There, Tom meets Thaddeus Valentine, a famous historian, and his daughter, Katherine.
A teenager from Salthook, Hester Shaw, tries to attack Valentine. Tom gets in the way and chases her. Hester shows him a scar on her face. She claims Valentine caused it before she escapes. When Tom tells Valentine her name, Valentine pushes Tom down a chute. Tom and Hester find themselves outside London. After an argument, they decide to follow London's tracks to get back on board.
Tom and Hester's Dangerous Journey
Tom and Hester soon board a small town called Speedwell. Its owner, Orme Wreyland, tricks them and plans to sell them for forced labor. They manage to escape and meet Anna Fang. She is a friendly airship pilot. Anna takes them in her airship, the Jenny Haniver, to a safe flying city called Airhaven. They hope to find a way back to London from there.
But danger follows them. A powerful cyborg called Shrike attacks them in Airhaven. London's Mayor, Magnus Crome, sent Shrike to capture them. Tom and Hester escape by stealing a hot-air balloon. As they drift, Hester shares her sad past. Valentine harmed her parents to steal an ancient machine. He then injured her and left her for dead. Shrike, a cyborg who developed father-like feelings, found and raised her. Hester left him to get revenge on Valentine. Shrike followed her but was captured by Crome.
Secrets and Superweapons
A London scoutship, with Shrike on board, finds Tom and Hester. Before Shrike can explain his strange mission, two moving towns crush him. Tom and Hester board one of these, a pirate town called Tunbridge Wheels. Its mayor, Chrysler Peavy, knows Hester. He frees Tom and Hester after they convince him. Peavy plans to attack the downed Airhaven. However, Tunbridge Wheels gets stuck and sinks. Shrike, still alive, saves Tom and Hester from the pirates. He tells Hester that Crome promised to turn her into a cyborg like him if he brought her body back. Hester agrees, but Tom stops Shrike, saving Hester's life.
Meanwhile, Katherine Valentine becomes suspicious of her father. With the help of a young Engineer named Bevis Pod, she investigates. They discover that Valentine found a powerful ancient weapon called MEDUSA. The Engineers have rebuilt it inside St Paul's Cathedral. The Cathedral's dome opens, revealing MEDUSA. It then destroys a much larger city that was chasing London.
A Race Against Time
Anna Fang rescues Tom and Hester again. She reveals she is an agent for the Anti-Traction League. She takes them to the Shield Wall, which protects the League's nation. Fang suspects London will use MEDUSA to destroy the Shield Wall. She warns Governor Khan, but he is doubtful. Tom, upset at the idea of attacking his home, discovers Valentine has secretly entered the League's base. Tom raises the alarm, but Valentine manages to damage the League's airship fleet. Valentine fights and defeats Fang before escaping. Tom and Hester take the Jenny Haniver and fly back to London. They hope to stop Valentine and MEDUSA themselves.
MEDUSA is launched, and London heads east to destroy the Anti-Traction League. Katherine learns a shocking secret: Valentine harmed Hester's mother, Pandora, to steal MEDUSA. Horrified, Katherine and Bevis try to plant a bomb to stop the weapon. They are caught, but the Guild of Historians, led by Tom's boss Chudleigh Pomeroy, helps them.
Katherine, with Bevis disguised as her captor, reaches St Paul's Cathedral. Tom and Hester arrive. Hester confronts Valentine. When Valentine tries to harm Hester, Katherine bravely jumps in the way and is badly wounded. She falls onto a control panel, which causes MEDUSA to malfunction. Valentine and Hester try to get Katherine to Tom for help, but she dies.
Hester leaves with Tom in the airship. Valentine chooses to stay in London. MEDUSA misfires, destroying most of the city and Valentine with it. Hester comforts a heartbroken Tom as they fly away in the Jenny Haniver. They are seemingly the only survivors of the disaster, heading towards new adventures.
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in Mortal Engines:
- Tom Natsworthy: A 15-year-old Apprentice Historian. He gets caught up in a huge adventure with Hester.
- Hester Shaw: A 15-year-old with a strong will. Her parents were harmed by Valentine, and she seeks justice.
- Anna Fang: A brave airship pilot and a secret agent for the Anti-Traction League. She helps Tom and Hester.
- Thaddeus Valentine: A charming and famous archaeologist. He is the head of London's Historians and Katherine's father.
- Katherine Valentine: Thaddeus Valentine's daughter. She starts to question her father's actions.
- Bevis Pod: A young Apprentice Engineer who helps Katherine investigate.
- Shrike: An ancient cyborg called a "Stalker." He raised Hester and wants her to become a Stalker like him.
- Magnus Crome: The Lord Mayor of London and head of the Engineers. He wants London to be the most powerful city using MEDUSA.
- Chrysler Peavey: The mayor of a pirate town called Tunbridge Wheels. Hester knew him before.
- Chudleigh Pomeroy: The Deputy Head of the Guild of Historians and Tom's boss. He helps Katherine.
What Does "Mortal Engines" Mean?
The title of the book comes from an old play by William Shakespeare called Othello. In the novel, "Mortal Engines" refers to the moving cities themselves. It suggests that this way of life, where cities consume each other, cannot last forever. The cities, despite their power, are not immortal.
How the Book Was Created
Author Philip Reeve had the idea for a science fiction story in the late 1980s. He originally thought it would be for older readers. However, after some changes, the publisher Scholastic became interested in Mortal Engines as a children's story. Reeve simplified the plot and characters to make it more engaging for younger audiences. He was inspired by classic stories like The War of the Worlds.
From Book to Big Screen
A film adaptation of Mortal Engines was announced in 2009. Peter Jackson, famous for The Lord of the Rings, produced and co-wrote the film. His long-time collaborator, Christian Rivers, directed it. The movie was released in 2018, bringing the moving cities to life on the big screen.
See also
- In Spanish: Máquinas mortales para niños
