Infernal Devices (Mortal Engines, #3)

by Philip Reeve

The brilliant sequel to Mortal Engines and Predator's Gold. Anchorage has become a static settlement on the shores of the Dead Continent, and its inhabitants have been living peacefully for sixteen years. But now trouble is approaching - in a limpet sub, and fast. The Lost Boys are back, and they'll do anything to get what they want. Tom and Hester's daughter Wren is their eager dupe, bored and desperate for adventure. When the theft of the mysterious Tin Book of Anchorage goes wrong, Wren is snatched away in the limpet, who knows where. Tom and Hester set off to rescue her, but this is the end of their quiet life on Anchorage. The journey will stir up old needs, old secrets - and send them into perilous waters...

• ISBN13: 9780439963923
• Publish Date: 1 June 2005
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 25 February 2010
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Imprint: Scholastic Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[rakesandrogues]

It is always interesting to read when we meet a new character in WoME. At first, I have to admit I was not a huge fan of Wren, but the more I read, the more she matured as a character and the more I came to like her. It's still a bit hard to believe that so much time has passed between books two and three of this series. Many of the characters I had come to love in the previous books are all grown up!

Speaking of characters, Hester really bothered me in this book. I can see that she is going through some character development, but the further the book progressed the less I liked her. On the other hand, I was very happy to hear that Shrike is back in the series. He remains to be my favorite character in the book, and I was so glad that he is back in action!

In terms of the plot and storyline, INFERNAL DEVICES does not disappoint. I would have loved to read this book in one go, but time constraints prevented me from otherwise. At some points I would forget why I loved Philip Reeve and WoME so much, but I only had to read an action sequence to remember. INFERNAL DEVICES is action-packed - full of explosions, warfare, and fights. There are so many plot twists that kept me on my toes until the very end. It is such an exciting read!

I felt like there was a slight shift in the target audience for the book. While for the most part, I think it is still considered young adult, there is a lot of focus on Tom and Hester, who are nearing - if not already in - their forties. I personally had no problems with this because I do want to know how these characters are faring, but it definitely was a huge leap in terms of character age between PREDATOR'S GOLD and INFERNAL DEVICES.

Overall, the ending did nothing to satiate my hunger for the World of Mortal Engines. More than anything, I would love to devour A DARKLING PLAIN right this instant, but I promised that I would get through another book before I tackle the massive tome. I can't wait to find out what happens to Tom, Wren, Shrike, and - sigh - Hester.