FEVER CRUMB is a stunning, stand-alone prequel to Philip Reeve's brilliant science fantasy quartet. It is set many generations before the events of Mortal Engines, in whose dazzling world huge, predatory cities chase and devour each other. Now, London is a riot-torn, ruinous town, clinging to a devastated landscape and hiding an explosive secret. Is Fever, adopted daughter of Dr Crumb, the strange key that will unlock its dangerous mysteries?

Long before the days of Mortal Engines, London is poised on the brink of apocalypse. Huge armoured fortresses are advancing across the wastelands - a new and terrifying kind of enemy. The city is days away from ruin. Buried in London's past is a secret that may save it. But only one key can unlock it - an odd-looking orphan named Fever Crumb. Set centuries before the events of Mortal Engines, Fever Crumb's paralysing mission will make your heart stop.

The birds are teaching Arlo to fly…In a faraway corner of a ruined world, a mysterious boy is building a flying machine, aided in his research by birds who can talk. Then, into the extraordinary crater city of Mayda, where buildings ascend the cliffs on funicular rails, comes a refugee: a beautiful, brilliant, half-human engineer called Fever Crumb. Fever is just the engineer that Arlo needs to get his invention off the ground. But ruthless enemies stalk them, who will kill to possess their secrets – either to steal their revolutionary machine, or to destroy the secrets of flight forever. In this breathtaking story from the awesome world of Mortal Engines, Philip Reeve creates an extraordinary new landscape of moving buildings, outlandish creatures, sinister villains and groundbreaking scientific discoveries.

In a land once known as Britain, nomadic tribes are preparing to fight a terrifying enemy - the first-ever traction city. Before London can launch itself, young engineer Fever Crumb must journey to the wastelands of the North and seek the ancient birthplace of the Scriven mutants. The seventh awe-inspiring adventure in the MORTAL ENGINES series.

MORTAL ENGINES launched Philip Reeve's brilliantly-imagined creation, the world of the Traction Era, where mobile cities fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic future. Now, in time for the film debut, the critically acclaimed MORTAL ENGINES quartet is repackaged in a boxset with fantastic and eye-catching covers featuring new artwork.

“From the rubble of a broken world, mixing ancient tech with old-fashioned derring-do, comes another splendid adventure” by the author of Mortal Engines (Scott Westerfeld, New York Times–bestselling author). A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Book for Teens An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults An ALA Notable Children’s Book There’s a great secret lurking in Fever’s past. When Fever Crumb begins to assist archeologist Kit Solent on a top-secret project involving a long-dead Scriven overlord, she is plagued by memories that are not her own. And Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are. All Fever knows is what she’s been told: that she is an orphan. Is Fever a Scriven? Whose memories does Fever hold? And why are there people chasing her? Haunting, arresting, and astonishingly original, Fever Crumb will delight readers at every fast-paced, breathless turn. “[An] exciting steampunk adventure . . . Beautifully written, grippingly paced, and filled with eccentric characters and bizarre inventions.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Rejoice! Reeve returns to the vivid, violent, steampunky world of his Hungry Cities Chronicles . . . a finely wrought coming-of-age story.” —Kirkus Reviews “Reeve’s captivating flights of imagination play as vital a role in the story as his endearing heroine, hissworthy villains, and nifty array of supporting characters.” —Booklist (starred review) “Reeve is not just an excellent writer, but a creator with a wildly imaginative mind. The future London setting of this story is well imagined and feels like a place Charles Dickens might have described had he been a science-fiction writer . . . A must for any fantasy collection.” —School Library Journal

It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea. So begins Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines, the first book in his epic post-apocalyptic series of giant motorized cities on wheels. But how did the world end up like this? What led to the downfall of our civilization, and to the rise of the Traction Cities that roam the Great Hunting Ground to attack and devour each other? Now, for the first time, discover the untold future history of Traction. This lavishly illustrated book contains incredible tales of fearsome Zagwan warriors riding war-zebras into battle, daring air-traders flying the Bird-Roads in search of adventure, and the mysterious plague-ridden wasteland of the Dead Continent that was formerly known as 'North America'. This definitive companion guide includes detailed maps, fascinating character profiles, and stunning colour illustrations from incredible artists, including Ian McQue, David Wyatt, Aedel Fakhrie, Maxime Plasse, Rob Turpin, Philip Varbano and Amir Zand. MORTAL ENGINES is soon to be a major motion picture.