London (Hungry City Chronicles)
Encyclopedia
London, as well as being a real city, is a Traction City
in the Mortal Engines Quartet. It appears in "Mortal Engines
", "A Darkling Plain
" and the prequel "Fever Crumb
".
, the only building from pre-traction times which is known to have survived.
Mortal Engines
At this time, the Mayor of London was Magnus Crome
, who was also the head of the Guild of Engineers. The book began with London devouring the mining town of Salthook. However, little known to the citizens of London as yet that the Engineers and the Guild are gathering the ancient super weapon MEDUSA from the Sixty Minute War
for several years. They finally finish the weapon and also create Stalker
s by studying how Shrike
was made. They use MEDUSA to destroy a city which is chasing them. Magnus Crome then turns London towards the Anti-Tractionist shield wall Batmunkh Gompa, to feast upon the static towns and if any town doesn't willingly let itself be eaten by London then MEDUSA would destroy it and the remains would be eaten anyway, then when all the cities are eaten they would turn the entire Earth into a planet which eats other planets. The Anti-Tractionists are unfazed by the threat as they believe they could destroy London with their fleet of airships. However after Thaddeus Valentine
destroys the airfleet, the Anti-Tractionists are left defenceless. Tom and Hester
return to London. Meanwhile the Guild of Engineers and the Guild of Historians declare war in the London museum. After a battle in St Pauls Cathedral to stop them firing the weapon, MEDUSA is left charging too long and the blast seemingly destroys all of London while Tom and Hester only just escape.
. When they arrive they soon discover that it had not entirely been destroyed and that around two hundred people still lived in London. Some parts of London are full of left over energy from MEDUSA called ‘sprites’. Wren thinks they are just a trick until she sees a stalker birds get vapourised by one.
New London escapes. Wren Natsworthy
and Theo Ngoni
become citizens of New London. Wren says they will visit Zagwa often as well as returning to Anchorage-in-Vineland
to visit their old friends occasionally.
Traction City
In Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet, Traction Cities are vast metropolises built on tiers that are capable of moving on gigantic wheels and caterpillar tracks. These cities hunt smaller cities which in turn hunt towns which in turn hunt villages and static settlements...
in the Mortal Engines Quartet. It appears in "Mortal Engines
Mortal Engines
Mortal Engines is the first of four novels in Philip Reeve's quartet of the same name, which is also known as the Hungry City Chronicles in the United States...
", "A Darkling Plain
A Darkling Plain
A Darkling Plain is the fourth and final novel in the Mortal Engines Quartet series written by author Philip Reeve.The novel won the 2006 Guardian Award and the 2007 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction.-Setting:...
" and the prequel "Fever Crumb
Fever Crumb
Fever Crumb is the prequel to the Mortal Engines Quartet by Philip Reeve, released in 2009. A sequel called A Web of Air was released in April 2010.-Plot synopsis:...
".
Appearance
London is divided into seven tiers. This encourages the system of social classes, with the higher classes living at the top of the city and the lower classes living further down, closer to the noise and pollution of the city's massive engines. Above all of London sits St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, the only building from pre-traction times which is known to have survived.
Mortal EnginesMortal EnginesMortal Engines is the first of four novels in Philip Reeve's quartet of the same name, which is also known as the Hungry City Chronicles in the United States...
At this time, the Mayor of London was Magnus CromeMagnus Crome
Magnus Crome is the Lord Mayor of London in Phillip Reeve's book Mortal Engines. He has been mayor of the city for 20 years and he is also head of the Guild of Engineers. Many Londoners believe that this is unfair and that he may put the priorities of his guild before those of London's three other...
, who was also the head of the Guild of Engineers. The book began with London devouring the mining town of Salthook. However, little known to the citizens of London as yet that the Engineers and the Guild are gathering the ancient super weapon MEDUSA from the Sixty Minute War
Sixty Minute War
The Sixty Minute War is a fictional event in Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet. It is a cataclysmic conflict which is deliberately left vague, but was evidently fought between the American Empire and Greater China. It is likely that the Middle East was involved, as this region has been reduced...
for several years. They finally finish the weapon and also create Stalker
Stalker (Philip Reeve)
The Stalkers are a type of combatants mentioned in Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines, Predator's Gold, Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain. They are also known as the Resurrected Men. The Stalkers were built by the Nomadic Empires that battled each other across the volcano maze of what was once...
s by studying how Shrike
Shrike (Philip Reeve)
Shrike is a recurring character in Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet and Fever Crumb Series. He appears in all the books except Predator's Gold and A Web of Air....
was made. They use MEDUSA to destroy a city which is chasing them. Magnus Crome then turns London towards the Anti-Tractionist shield wall Batmunkh Gompa, to feast upon the static towns and if any town doesn't willingly let itself be eaten by London then MEDUSA would destroy it and the remains would be eaten anyway, then when all the cities are eaten they would turn the entire Earth into a planet which eats other planets. The Anti-Tractionists are unfazed by the threat as they believe they could destroy London with their fleet of airships. However after Thaddeus Valentine
Thaddeus Valentine
Thaddeus Valentine is a fictitious historian of London in the book Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. Mortal Engines is the first of a four-part series detailing life in an post nuclear war world...
destroys the airfleet, the Anti-Tractionists are left defenceless. Tom and Hester
Hester Shaw
Hester Shaw is a fictional character from Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet who has terrible facial scarring, due to an attack from Thaddeus Valentine when Hester was a child.-Personality:...
return to London. Meanwhile the Guild of Engineers and the Guild of Historians declare war in the London museum. After a battle in St Pauls Cathedral to stop them firing the weapon, MEDUSA is left charging too long and the blast seemingly destroys all of London while Tom and Hester only just escape.
A Darkling Plain
For twenty-one years London had been destroyed. Tom is surprised when he sees who he thinks is Clytie Potts, a historian apprentice when he was in the London Museum. They find out she is collecting little pieces of old tech and flying them off to a mysterious destination. There are rumors that London is haunted. Tom, Wren and Wolf Kobold travel to London on the Jenny HaniverJenny Haniver (airship)
The Jenny Haniver is the name of an airship featured heavily in Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet. She is a small cargo airship with a crimson envelope....
. When they arrive they soon discover that it had not entirely been destroyed and that around two hundred people still lived in London. Some parts of London are full of left over energy from MEDUSA called ‘sprites’. Wren thinks they are just a trick until she sees a stalker birds get vapourised by one.
New London
New London was a small town that was developed inside the wreck of London using spare parts and old-tech. It hovers on magnetic disks and can fly over land and water. It does not need to eat towns as it is supplied by the power of the Earth's gravity. When Wolf sees it he returns to Harrowbarrow which then returns towards London with the intent of eating new London and using the new technology to become a flying predator. However with the help of the Green StormGreen Storm
In Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet, the Green Storm is a fanatical splinter group of the Anti-Traction League, which ends up in control of the League...
New London escapes. Wren Natsworthy
Wren Natsworthy
Wren Natsworthy is a character from Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet, appearing in the last two books.-Family and friends:Her father is Tom Natsworthy and her mother is Hester Shaw and by the end of A Darkling Plain, she has become engaged to Theo Ngoni. Her best friend is Tildy Smew, a girl...
and Theo Ngoni
Theo Ngoni
Theo Ngoni is a fictional character in Phillip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet.He is first introduced in Infernal Devices as a fellow slave of Wren Natsworthy on Cloud Nine. Originally he was a Green Storm suicide bomber, but was captured when his "Tumbler" failed to detonate when it was dropped on...
become citizens of New London. Wren says they will visit Zagwa often as well as returning to Anchorage-in-Vineland
Anchorage-in-Vineland
Anchorage-in-Vineland is a fictional city based on the city of Anchorage, Alaska in the Mortal Engines Quartet by Philip Reeve.It is the static and stable version of the Traction City of Anchorage that had decided to stop wandering the Arctic wastes and settle in the green and unspoilt land of...
to visit their old friends occasionally.