Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Apprentice Tom Natsworthy rescues his mentor Valentine from a gruesomely, scarred girl bent on revenge. When the would-be assassin, Hestor, is thrown from the moving city of London, Tom is pushed after her. Both want to get back to London, so they make an uneasy alliance after Hestor tells her story of Valentine’s dark past. Meanwhile, the officials in London have an ancient, secret weapon that could prove unstoppable against any city in their path.
First in the Predator Cities Quartet (also known as Mortal Engines Quartet), Mortal Engines is set in a future world where most of our knowledge of technology has been lost and cities have been made mobile and hunt each other to grow and survive. Reeve’s dark, cut-throat world includes desperate and eccentric characters that are completely engaging. This highly entertaining steampunk world is written for middle grade, but can be enjoyed by adults as well. Full of adventure, intrigue, and drama – this fast-paced story is impossible to put down.
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Mortal Engines will be re-released in the US by Scholastic Press on June 1, 2012.
Mobile cities that hunt each other? That definitely sounds like something worth a look.