Scrivener's Moon

Scrivener's Moon continues the story of Fever Crumb, the principal character who links all the prequels (three, so far) in the Mortal Engines series (known by the descriptive but not very poetic title of Hungry Cities Chronicles in North America, where any reference to the Othello quote is lost). It contains all the usual telltale signs of Reeve's Mortal Engines books: a rattling good storyline; the creation of empathy with some protagonists as well as sympathy for some rather less attractive characters; the positing of underlying moral and ethical questions without being preachy; and the comic use of culture-specific names and images, the ignorance of which doesn't preclude enjoyment of the whole). We also, for the first time I show more believe, get a helpful sketch map of the area, northwestern Europe as it may be a few millennia hence, which allows us to place all the action in its geographical context.

In these pages we get to hear of the actual 'launch' of the original Hungry City, London, the planning of and subsequent production and commissioning of which sets in motion much of the action of the tale. Against the backdrop of the creation of this monstrous engine, the very epitome of steampunk, the lives of Fever Crumb, her family and acquaintances are all played out with some farce but also, it has to be said, with some not unexpected tragedy. And reminding us of the Wandering Jew of medieval legend, the enigmatic figure of the Stalker Shrike is never far away from our attention.

There have been odd critical rumblings about how the Fever Crumb series lacked the immediacy of the Mortal Engines Quartet but, if it has been slow building, the excitement of reading of Tom and Hester's adventures in the Quartet has now been equalled by this reader's engagement in the third of the prequels. It seems very likely, from the inconclusive conclusion of Scrivener's Moon, that we may probably be referring to the Fever Crumb Quartet in the future; I certainly hope I shall be. show less

Grim and exciting, and a lot more like the first book than the second. Loses half a star for preferring mayhem to believable plot at some crucial points. Charlie Shallow is all too real, and he's on his way up. The epilogue is too facile. Its very presence makes me fear that Reeve has finished with Fever Crumb for good. He may be all written out, but I can't say I'm all read out.

Philip Reeve is probably a bit critical about the current version of London. Fever Crumb's London is grim, in a Dickensian way, but it also has a Dickensian appeal. She lives in the aftermath of a great war, which set technology back and depopulated the world, but it is possible that a depopulated, technologically poor world has some aesthetic advantages over show more the populated, technologically crass and self-destructive one that we live in today.

Reread in 2020, and noticed the wierd echos of "The Dragonrider's of Pern"; the rediscovery of old tech. But here, it just goes up in flames, after very little speech. show less

My thoughts on the series in general are attached to my review for Book 1. The moving cities are built with balsa wood/paper framing above the engineering systems? Really? Not exactly the impression given in the Mortal Engines series. Why try to make them more believable? Who was annoyed about the realism of giant predatory cities roaming the world eating each other?

Honestly, that's my true take-away from this series closer. Couldn't find much motivation to care about the essential struggle portrayed. The edges of the story seemed more interesting (a vampire race that worships ancient pyramids full of tech? That's a book right there!)

I didn't enjoy this one quite as much at the previous book, but it's still pretty good YA fiction...good story, good characters, an interesting plot, and an imaginative setting.

In this last book of the Fever Crumb trilogy, Fever returns to her family, only to be separated from her father again and face dangers and war in the North Lands as London becomes a moving city.

Really thought this was the third book in a trilogy. That's what I get for not doing my homework. Loved it, and *don't* want to wait who knows how long for the finale.

Side note... it's cool to be able to put this on my lgbtq shelf, too.

not standalone. recommend to readers of _Fever Crumb_.