Book one of Philip Reeve’s The Hungry City Chronicles is an imaginative steampunk adventure that keeps you hooked from page one. In the future, cities are on wheels, roaming across what has become a post-apocalyptic waste and they conquer other “traction cities” as their called to prey on their resources and laborers. This practice is called Municipal Darwinism. Big towns “eat” small towns, cities go after suburbs, and the largest cities are terror to townships and settlements.
The story follows Tom, an apprentice historian in the predator city of London, and Hester, a rogue from the “out country” through murder, vengeance, and regret. A dash of conspiracy, strong wills, and character development stand this romp across Europe above almost any steampunk story of its kind. Adding classic steampunk culture and dystopian undercurrents gives this series a strong start.
