By Philip Reeve (author)
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Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award
In a nutshell: dazzling journeys into other worlds | Philip Reeve continues to turn us all into railheads in his glorious new sci-fi adventure. The follow up to Railhead , this is set in a gleaming future world where trains, great, beautiful sentient machines, travel from one world to the next.
It’s a thrilling adventure and political thriller too, with a cast of young exiles, outsiders and rebels – petty thief Zen Starling, his friend the android Nova, ousted empress Threnody and the tough, disillusioned Chandni. Romance is never far away either, not least the romance of travelling on beyond the sunset.
Full of scenes and images that bring you up short, and driven by an unstoppable plotline, this is epic, dazzling stuff.
You could point readers who enjoy this towards H G Wells or Ray Bradbury . ~ Andrea Reece
There was nothing, and then there was a train. A train with two passengers: a petty thief from a dead-end town, and an android girl who could be more human than the rest of us. Join Zen and Nova as they find out what really lies beyond the end of the universe ...
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Take a ride in Philip Reeve's incredible imagination as he returns with this stellar follow-up to Railhead.
Full of extraordinary beings and utterly real, complex characters, of thrills and thoughtful moments, this is a stunning step beyond the universe which will appeal to both sci-fi fans and foes alike.
A pleasing mix of the retro and futuristic, with an off-kilter love story at it's heart Financial Times
The quality of his writing will even charm readers reluctant to get n board with a sci-fi fantasy book Booktrust.org
For sheer power of imaginative world building Philip Reeve is hard to beat magicfictionsincepotter.co.uk
equally brilliant sequel Teach Reading and Writing
Thrilling, melancholic and philosophical all at the same time Financial Times
A colossal flight of imagination and an epic piece of story-telling Teaching English
Philip Reeve was our Guest Editor for June 2012. Click here to see his books and some that inspired him.
Philip Reeve was born and raised in Brighton, where he worked in a bookshop for years while also producing and directing a number of no-budget theatre projects. Philip then began illustrating and has since provided cartoons and jokes for around forty books, including the best-selling Scholastic series Horrible Histories , as well as Murderous Maths and Dead Famous . He's been writing stories since he was five, but Mortal Engines was the first to be published.
Mortal Engines defies easy categorisation. It is a gripping adventure story set in an inspired fantasy world, where moving cities trawl the globe. A magical and unique read, it immediately caught the attention of readers and reviewers and won several major awards. Three more Predator Cities novels followed, and Philip's latest project are the Fever Crumb books, prequels set centuries before the events of Mortal Engines . Philip has also written Buster Bayliss , a series for younger readers, and stand alone novels including Here Lies Arthur , which won the Carnegie Medal. Philip lives in Devon with his wife and son and his interests are walking, drawing, writing and reading. You can keep up with Philip here on Instagram @thesolitarybee
Click here to see a Philip talking about his new adventure book, Oliver and the Seawigs, a collaboration with Sarah McIntyre .
Philip Reeve's fiction publisher, Marion Lloyd, describes his Predator Cities series:
“..inspiring adventure stories, in whose futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting, moving cities trawl the Earth. They attack and consume each other in wastelands where natural resources are scarce, and Ancient technology is fought for. Fast-paced, sometimes violent, always surprising and original, Reeve’s epic sequence of love, war and adventure are richly rewarding for both adults and children.”
Praise for Philip Reeve: ‘Conveys big truths while being witty and playful...clever and moving’ - The Sunday Times on Fever Crumb ‘Intelligent, funny and wise’ - Literary Review on Fever Crumb ‘I felt as if the pages themselves were charged with electricity... Fever Crumb is a terrific read, a sci-fi Dickens, full of orphans, villains, chases and mysteries’ - Frank Cottrell Boyce in The Guardian on Fever Crumb ‘Reeve drives his juggernaut of a talent through the streets of a mob-crazed futuristic London with Cecil B DeMille grandeur. Resent being suckered into sequels? Fever Crumb is a complete story – but it may prove addictive’ - Geraldine McCaughrean, Daily Telegraph on Fever Crumb ‘A bold, brightly honed narrative that grabs and holds the attention from the start’ - Interzone on Fever Crumb ‘A masterpiece’ - Sunday Telegraph ‘Big, brave, brilliant’ - Guardian ‘A majestic achievement’ - Sunday Times ‘Mind bogglingly well-imagined’ - Independent ‘Marvellous… utterly captivating in its imaginative scope and energy’ - Daily Telegraph ‘Brilliant… an absorbing and emotionally engaging work’ - Amanda Craig, The Times
UKLA Book Awards - 2018
the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
There was nothing, and then there was a train. A train with two passengers: a petty thief from a dead-end town, and an android girl who could be more human than the rest of us.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Black Light Express and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
Black Light Express features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Recommended Children's eBooks, Science Fiction, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Paperback, Hardback, Ebook. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Black Light Express was written by Philip Reeve and published by Oxford University Press
Black Light Express has 312 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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