Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Predator's Gold

Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve

I previously reviewed the first one in this series, Mortal Engines, HERE. It was a sufficient review, although a little short. If you would like Mortal Engines to remain unspoiled, I suggest skipping this review. There will undoubtedly be spoilers about Mortal Engines.

Without further ado, an amazon summary: "The Jenny was drifting across the shoulder of a big volcano. Beyond it there were no more mountains, just an endless blue-white plain stretching to the horizon. They were at the mercy of the wind, and it was carrying them helplessly into the Ice Wastes.


After two years of carefree traveling in the Jenny Haniver, Tom and Hester find themselves back in danger. Fleeing from the grim aviators of the Green Storm, they stumble onto the ice city of Anchorage just in time. But Anchorage is not a safe refuge: Devastated by plague, and haunted by thieves -- or perhaps ghosts -- the city is barely lurching along. The savage Huntsmen of Arkangel are closing in, and the young margravine must make a last desperate bid for survival. She sets a course for the Dead Continent -- America ...
In this breathtaking sequel to the award-winning Mortal Engines, Philip Reeve plunges us into a ruthless and terrifyingly believable world where cities eat each other, betrayal is as common as the blasted land the cities traverse, and loyalty holds the only chance of survival." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

I think I figured out the main reason why I like this series as much as I do. It's one of the rare books that seems to truly let the plot drive the action rather than the action drive the plot. It's refreshing to read the style.

Anyways.

This book begins two years after the events of Mortal Engines; in the beginning it follows Tom and Hester on the adventures aboard the Jenny (Anna Fang's old airship). They've been found out by the Green Storm group who wish to take the Jenny from them and other various things. They manage to wind up on Anchorage; one of the few cities that is more of a scavenger than a city eater.

Anchorage itself is a different place as they have many customs, rituals, and 'ways of doing things' that is very rigid to their culture.

There is also the young leader of Anchorage who is lost at where to direct Anchorage to go. The whole city of Anchorage captures this feeling of being lost but hopeful that they will go somewhere that will help their lives grow more fruitful. When Tom and Hester wind up at Anchorage with the charming Professor Pennyroyal, things get a bit muddled up.

The city of Anchorage was beautiful to read about as the city relies on all of it's people to be in good condition, to do good work, and they treat each other with respect. Unlike the other cities where slavery and 'ladder-climbing' for positions run rampant.

Anchorage is also being plagued by 'Lost Boys'. Boys who were stolen from different cities at a young age and raised under 'Uncle' to be the burglars of cities.

....again, I'm at a loss of what to say because it's a good book but the plot is so interwoven that every 'red-herring' eventually comes back into play later in the book, or in the next book.

I, am going to embark on the next one and will hopefully report back with good news.

Happy reading!

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