55 pages • 1 hour read
Mortal Engines
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
326
Novel • Fiction
London, Great Hunting Ground • Distant Future
2001
YA
12-18 years
Super Short Summary
In Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines, 15-year-old Tom Natsworthy, an apprentice historian in the traction city of London, is thrust into an adventure after a chance encounter with Hester Shaw, a scarred girl seeking revenge. As they uncover dark secrets about London's leaders and their plans to use a deadly weapon, Tom and Hester must navigate a treacherous dystopian Europe to prevent a catastrophic war.
Adventurous
Fantastical
Suspenseful
Dark
Mysterious
Reviews & Readership
75,212 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Reviews for Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines highlight its imaginative world-building and fast-paced narrative as major strengths. Readers appreciate the unique concept of mobile cities, vivid descriptions, and engaging characters. However, some criticize predictable plot elements and a reliance on familiar genre tropes. Overall, it’s noted as an inventive and thrilling read.
Who Should Read Mortal Engines?
Fans of dystopian and steampunk genres will enjoy Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines. Readers who appreciate the adventurous spirit of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials or the imaginative world-building of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games will find themselves captivated by the novel's intricate landscapes and dynamic characters.
75,212 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
326
Novel • Fiction
London, Great Hunting Ground • Distant Future
2001
YA
12-18 years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.