Mortal Engine

A steampunk-esque fantasy tale that follows loosely in the path Rowling trod with Harry Potter, but presents the reader with a completely different setting. Fans of Harry Potter, Artemis Foul, and Westerfield’s Leviathan will find a lot to love in this series. I had the vague sense that I was reading something inspired by a Jules Verne novel, with the characters and setting a marriage between the Victorian setting and sensibilities with modern values. This series is dark – there are often frequent descriptions of death and violence and there are no bumbling sidekicks, ridiculous villains, or any other comedic shenanigans to lighten up the mood. But what there is is a strong tale that shows the growth of the characters through a time of trial and troubles. There’s love, bravery, and heroism enough to make up for the darkness.