Mortal Engines
Hungry City Chronicles, Book 1
by Philip Reeve
Recommended by Simon Smith and Simon Mayo
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Should I read this?
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Steampunk, Most Recommended Books, and Science Fiction.
"It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the driedout bed of the old North Sea."The great traction city London has been skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great Hunting Ground. But now, the sinister plans of Lord Mayor Mangus Crome can f...
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Why recommended
Recommended by 3 sources and appears in Steampunk, Most Recommended Books, and Science Fiction.
Recommended by notable people
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Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Simon Mayo
“@bennewmark Read the quartet Ben, honestly one of the finest sets of children’s books ever. | Loved Mortal Engines (book) love @philipreeve1, love Peter Jackson. Hoping for a good morning!”
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Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld.
“Behemoth reads like a rollicking steampunk war adventure: airships, a gargantuan naval monster, and two young protagonists hiding high-stakes identities. It's strongest as a plot-driven, movie-ready ride for readers who want inventive alternate-history action and YA-suitable stakes. Its limitation: brisk motion sometimes flattens emotional nuance and long sequences of techno-warfare or battle set pieces can feel repetitive; readers seeking slow character psychology or literary subtlety will find it thin. Best enjoyed when you want fast thrills, not deep introspection.”
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How recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.