The main moving-cities story
Begin with Mortal Engines and continue through the four-book quartet.
Book Series · 4 Books
Mortal Engines Books
In order from Mortal Engines to A Darkling Plain.
A four-book science-fiction adventure set in a future where mobile cities hunt one another and two young fugitives become entangled in a devastating war.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read the Mortal Engines Books
Read the four main novels in publication order, from Mortal Engines through A Darkling Plain. They form one continuing story, with later books depending on earlier relationships and consequences.
The Fever Crumb trilogy takes place centuries earlier, but new readers will usually get more from it after the main quartet. Night Flights is an optional collection of three stories about aviator Anna Fang and can be read after Mortal Engines.
Sources: Scholastic's official Mortal Engines catalog, Scholastic's official Fever Crumb catalog.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
The series depicts war, weapons, explosions, city-wide destruction, deaths of civilians and major characters, and sustained peril for young people. It also explores slavery and oppression, disfigurement and body modification, revenge, grief, and the human cost of treating weaker communities as resources. The violence is often emotionally heavy even when it is not described in graphic detail.
Where to start
Where Should a New Reader Start?
Explore the distant past
After the quartet, read the Fever Crumb trilogy for the world's earlier history.
More about Anna Fang
Read Night Flights after Mortal Engines for three optional companion stories.
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$1248
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2001
Mortal Engines
By Philip Reeve
A city devours another, thrusting two unlikely allies into a race against a deadly weapon.
296 pages· 77,558 words· Est. 7 hour read
$12.99Save 4%
Paperback
Summary: In a world where cities consume each other, London emerges to hunt. Tom Natsworthy, a young apprentice, is cast out with Hester Shaw, a scarred girl with a vendetta. Together, they must navigate the dangerous wastelands and confront a fearsome new weapon that could alter the fate of humanity. As they flee, alliances are tested and secrets unravel, challenging their survival and the future of their world. Will they stop the relentless city before it's too late?
In reading order
Mortal Engines Series
4 books · Published 2001–2006
#1
Sale price
$1248
Mortal Engines
Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2001
A city devours another, thrusting two unlikely allies into a race against a deadly weapon.
#2
Sale price
$1398
Predator's Gold
Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2003
In a world of moving cities, danger lurks as Tom and Hester seek refuge in a haunted ice city.
#3
Sale price
$1398
Infernal Devices
Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2005
A stolen book ignites a conflict that could shatter the world.
#4
Sale price
$1398
A Darkling Plain
Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2006
A hidden secret in a ruined city could end a war, but time is running out.
Companion series
Fever Crumb Trilogy Series
1 book · Published 2009
#1
Sale price
$1248
Fever Crumb
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2009
A girl uncovers hidden memories while working on a secret project in a world where women are anomalies.
Companion stories
More About Anna Fang
1 book · Published 2018
Three optional stories that expand Anna Fang's life beyond the main quartet.
Sale price
$1248
Night Flights
Chapter Book · Ages 12–17 · 2018
In a world of devouring cities, a fearless aviatrix faces her past and deadly foes.
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Mortal Engines series?
There are 4 books in the Mortal Engines series. It began with Mortal Engines in 2001, and the newest book, A Darkling Plain, was published in 2006.
What order should you read the Mortal Engines books in?
Start with Mortal Engines and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #4.
What ages are the Mortal Engines books best for?
The series is best for ages 12–17, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
Which Mortal Engines book is the longest?
A Darkling Plain (Book #4) is the longest book in the series at 138,543 words (544 pages).
Which Mortal Engines book is the shortest?
Mortal Engines (Book #1) is the shortest at 77,558 words (296 pages).
The people
The Creative Behind the Books
The people who bring Mortal Engines to life.
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