Mortal Engines

technologies were so behind even though the world was so far in the future. The main protagonist was an apprentice to a Historian Guild, collecting artefacts from the old world.

This is the type of book that needs time to process. The details are so vivid, I'm sure I'll have to read it a few times before I get all the intricacies. Some characters and dialogues can be a bit cliche sometimes, but they don't take away too much from the overall enjoyment. I'm definitely checking out the next book in the series.

PS: the closing sentence is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.
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What a rush of a book! Reeve trims the fat away from the plot and delivers a searingly parsed tome that really moves. At its heart are the characters, none of whom the author favors, but instead allows them to dictate the plot.

The only downside is the character of the city of London. The book would be strengthened by developing this more so that the reader cares more about what it does and what happens to it.
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I reeeeeally wanted to read all of this one, but the shifts in POV got to me too much, coupled with a little too much exposition/explanation as well (albeit necessary, given the need to set up this world). Added to that, Tom himself irritated me a little, dreaming about being a hero rescuing pretty girls, and his comments (in the narration) on the physical appearance of the two girls he meets in these first few chapters. (I assume there's gonna be some character arc in relation to that though.) Having said that, I might well return to it one day.