Mortal Engines

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (Scholastic, 2001), the first book in the Hungry City Chronicles series, follows several characters on an emotional and physical journey across a dystopian Europe while exploring how the quest for power ultimately leads to destruction. The novel won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award (2003) and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award (2004), the ALA's Notable Books for Children award (2004), and the Blue Peter Awards 20th anniversary prize (2020). In addition, the novel inspired a feature film (released by Universal Pictures in 2018), to which critical reception was mixed.

Reeve was born in 1966 and is the award-winning author of several books for young readers, most notably the Hungry City Chronicles (also known as the Mortal Engines Quartet in England). Reeve studied illustration at Anglia Ruskin University (earning a bachelor’s degree) and the University of Brighton (earning a master’s degree). Before writing books full-time, he wrote comedy skits, worked in a bookstore, and provided cartoons for books such as the Horrible Histories and Murderous Maths series. He lives in the Dartmoor area of the UK with his family.

This guide follows the 2003 EOS/Harper Collins American Edition of Mortal Engines.

Plot Summary