2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"I Know the Secrets of the Tin Book...", March 25, 2010
It has been sixteen years since the events of
Predators Gold, and the Traction City of Anchorage has been peacefully settled on the Dead Continent for years, undisturbed by the war that rages throughout the rest of the world between the adherents of Municipal Darwinism and a terrorist faction of the Anti-Tractionist League.
Okay, if you haven't read the previous two books in
The Hungry City Chronicles, then you probably didn't understand a word of that sentence. To recap, Philip Reeve has created one of the most vivid and exciting fantasy worlds in recent fiction, a post-apocalyptic world where massive itinerant cities roam the wastelands, preying on smaller cities and static communities. Those that want to put a stop to this dog-eat-dog world, as well as protect their homelands from the predator cities and "bring back the green" are known as Anti-Tractionists. Though their goals may be noble, they have long since resorted to questionable tactics in order to see win the war, including resurrecting dead bodies as mindlessly obedient soldiers known as Stalkers.
With its multi-tiered traction cities, deep underwater complexes, floating aerial cities, and plethora of submarines and airships that travel between all three, it's only a matter of time before someone makes this series into a visually splendid film. But Reeve does more than create a fictional world that is right up there with (and perhaps even surpassing) the likes of Philip Pullman's
His Dark Materials Trilogy and Garth Nix's
The Abhorsen Chronicles. This is a gritty, realistic, steam-punk world where difficult decisions have to be made, where there are no clear cut "goodies and baddies," where life and relationships are precious and difficult, where characters fight for a dystopian world that may or may not be worth the effort, and where our protagonists Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw have no real commitment to either side, but are just trying to keep themselves and their family intact. The greater conflict of the world around them is microcosmically recreated in their own relationship, as each comes to terms with how far they are willing to go in order to survive.
Since the last novel, Tom and Hester have married and had a daughter, Wren. But like most teenagers, Wren is restless and bored with life upon Anchorage-inVineland, and longs for adventures like the ones she's read about in Professor Pennyroyal's memoirs. A very strained relationship with her mother doesn't help matters either, and so it is like a gift from the heavens when Wren sees a mysterious submarine landing on the shores by night. A charming and handsome pirate is willing to whisk her away from her mundane life, if only she does him a little favour: bring him an object from Anchorage's library.
To say anymore would be to give away one too many of the plot twists and turns that course throughout "Infernal Devices". As always, Reeve delivers a story that is chocka-block full of action, danger, excitement, mystery and suspense; fairly generic words when used to describe a story, but in this case, entirely accurate. Reeve can keep a story racing along like no one else can; the biggest problem is finding an appropriate place to try and stop.
The McGuffin of the story is an artifact known as the Tin Book. Nobody knows quite what it is or why it's significant, save for the person who wants it so badly: the Stalker Fang, leader of the Green Storm. From the shores of Anchorage to the submerged realm of the Lost Boys, to the floating resort paradise of Brighton, the Tin Book and its pursuers eventually converge in an action-pack climax that sets everything up for the forth and final book in the series:
A Darkling Plain. Up until then though, Reeve masterfully weaves several plot-strands that involve Tom and Hester's search for their daughter, Wren's attempts to escape from slavery, and the resurrection of the Stalker Strike by a doctor with her own agenda; all against the backdrop of an escalating war.
Also noteworthy is Reeve's careful character development and sense of humor. There are moments of levity throughout the book, including several comic characters and even a sly reference to
Pride And Prejudice, all of which helps to offset the darker aspects in both the world and in the characters' souls. Struggling with greed, fear, hate and difficult moral decisions, Reeve certainly doesn't make it easy for his protagonists and often he makes the brave decision to make his protagonists downright unsympathetic at times. Just as many villainous characters can have misguided or understandable motivation, Hester Shaw has a rather callous nature, as well as a very dark side to her that even comes to resent her own daughter's existence. Likewise, Wren herself is annoyingly stupid at the inception of the book, though naturally she grows leaps and bounds throughout, after realizing that she's not half so clever as she thought she was. Be that as it may, Reeve's characters are always fascinating, but sometimes difficult to easily *like*.
"Infernal Devices" is not my favorite in the series: two promising characters are killed very early on in the story, and the idea of Brighton as a holiday-resort city doesn't quite seem to mesh with the brutal nature of the rest of the world, plus by the end of the book you realize that most of the last-quarter has been setup for the final installment, but the depth of the story, weightiness of the issues it raises and the sheer creativity at work here means that it can be nothing less than a five-star book. Depressingly though, "The Hungry City Chronicles" seem to be all but unknown among the annals of children's literature. At the time of this review there are only five other recommendations for "Infernal Devices." Seriously...five? You honestly don't know what you're missing.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Story Continues, December 29, 2006
Peace and quiet at last in Anchorage-in-Vineland. Tom and Hester were able to bring up their only daughter, Wren, in relatively safe homeland.
But that only went till Wren's 16th year because, inheriting her parents' blood, she longed for adventure and at that moment, an old friend of Caul came to break the peace...
Meet again with older Tom and Hester, the threatening Stalker Fang, the undead Mr. Shrike, Lost Boys and the famous-charlatan-writer Nimrod B. Pennyroyal, and also new interesting characters like Wren, Theo and Dr. Zero.
Packed with action, tension, twist, love and drama (not like soap opera mind you). Great story!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Third Installment, August 26, 2008
"Mortal Engines" was a triumph, but given the roaring success of that book it would be nearly impossible to produce a sequel that tops it. Philip Reeve managed that anyway in "Predator's Gold". After that dazzling display of literary bravado, Reeve had nowhere to go but down. Yet he decided to go up anyway. "Infernal Devices" is more than just a worthy successor to the first two books of the series. It climbs new heights and plumbs new depths in the universe of the mobile cities. What it finds there is nothing short of amazing.
Tom and Hester have spent fifteen peaceful years in the ruins of Anchorage, which came to rest on the long-abandoned shores of North America. They've raised a daughter, Wren, and carved out a life for themselves among the quirky inhabitants of the city. Now, however, other forces are afoot. The Lost Boys and the mysterious Uncle are still at work in their underwater citadel, and soon Wren will be caught up in their net. Tom and Hester will wind up on a rescue mission that takes them back to the arctic, then to the floating paradise of Brighton in search of their daughter.
Meanwhile, other forces are at play in other parts of the world. The Anti-Traction League has regrouped in the Far East under the leadership of Stalker Fang, and is waging a relentless war against the cities. The battles are many but successes are few for either side. A new character emerges who may change everything.
Reeve deftly juggles the two settings. In Brighton everything looks bright and shiny on the surface. Yet Reeve uses the scalpel of satire with amazing dexterity to expose the flaws in the system. "Infernal Devices" delves into topics that you never expected to see in a nominal children's book: class conflict, exploitation, elitism, and the intersection of political and cultural decay.
In the Far East things are dark and gloomy. Yet when despair hovers, our new heroine finds hope in the most likely place. Yes, in fact, "Infernal Devices" takes religion seriously, and is not afraid to contend with the prejudices of our era. The contrast between the two locations and moods could easily fall apart in the hands of an unskilled author. In Reeve's hands, it carries the book upward to greatness, literally and figuratively.
Yet don't let me suggest that the book is depressing, pedantic, or boring. "Infernal Devices" is first and foremost an adventure story, and what an adventure story it is. Theft, kidnapping, narrow escapes, desperate rescues, trickery, betrayal, double agents, suicide missions, it's all here. Just as in the first two books, perfectly-timed comedy mixes flawlessly with the action. There is literally nothing in this book that disappoints. Reeve's series comes alarmingly close to perfection. The only thing that I can't understand is why his books remain virtually unknown while lesser authors (much lesser authors, in some cases) dominate the children's market. Whatever the reason, you can help rectify the situation right now by buying this book.
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