Review of Philip Reeve’s ‘Predator’s Gold’
Philip Reeve’s ‘Predator’s Gold’ is the sequel to ‘Mortal Engines’. It is the second book of the quartet series and a continuation of Tom and Hester’s adventure in this post-apocalyptic world. The story follows the protagonists’ as they journey together on the Jenny Haniver, a flying contraption that they acquired following the death of a friend. Tom and Hester’s bond is tested as they meet new characters, notably Freya, the margravine of Anchorage. During their stay at the traction city of ice, tensions rise between the unlikely couple as Tom becomes enchanted by the familiar lull of city life and the adventure that awaits as they journey to America, the dead continent.
What made me fall in love with Reeve’s work is his writing. A lot of vivid imagery is used to build this steampunk, post-apocalyptic world that I feel as though I am living in the lives of the characters. The names of the places used, the languages mentioned and even the logistics of how the traction cities can move are just a few of the things which indicate thorough planning and fantastic worldbuilding. As a writer, I found some descriptions noteworthy in that they perfectly described a notion which inspired an image to appear in my mind’s eye- it was as if I was watching it happen before me. The balance between action and worldbuilding was also commendable as I did not feel as though there were major info dumps throughout the novel.
The change of perspectives and being the omniscient reader were also things that I enjoyed. At first, I was confused by the disjointed viewpoints but as the story went on, the more coherent the plot became. I was especially pleased when Uncle’s backstory was revealed as his and the Lost Boys’ segment made the least sense to me.
My favourite part of the book was the near-death scene involving an escape and generally, the action-packed scenes towards the end of the novel. This was mainly because there were a lot of descriptions that I found powerful. There was no doubt that I was turning pages as fast as I could when these scenes appeared!
However, what I disliked about this book was Tom and Hester’s relationship. It just seemed forced. As a lover of slow burns, the accelerated progression from acquaintances to friends to lovers was too fast for my taste especially when they have not really had many significant romantic encounters. Granted, this is not a romance novel and it is painfully obvious when the passages for Tom and Hester’s ‘romantic’ scenes come up.
Compared to the magnificent world-building, Reeve just skirts over the emotional side to the story, making the characters flat and unrelatable. This is probably the reason why I did not connect with the protagonists as well as I could have. I found the jealousy plot slightly superficial and hasty. On the emotional level, ‘Predator’s Gold’ really fell short. While Reeve’s writing was vivid and impressive, it lacked the emotional connection needed for readers to care about certain characters’ death or misfortunes.
Regardless, ‘Predator’s Gold’ is a worthwhile read that fans of post-apocalyptic and steampunk novels will enjoy. Fans of Reeve’s work may also enjoy Emily Diamand’s ‘Flood Child’ which bears some similarity.
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