
On board the moletrain Medes Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt. The giant mole bursting from the earth the harpoonists targeting their prey the battle resulting in ones death & the others glory are extraordinary. But no matter how spectacular it is travelling the endless rails of the railsea Sham cant shake the sense that there is more to life. Even if his philosophy-seeking captain can think only of the hunt for the ivory-coloured mole shes been chasing -- ever since it took her arm all those years ago. When they come across a wrecked train at first its a welcome distraction. But the impossible salvage Sham finds in the derelict leads to considerably more than hed bargained for. Soon hes hunted on all sides: by pirates trainsfolk monsters & salvage-scrabblers. & it might not be just Shams life thats about to change. It could be the whole of the railsea. Praise for China Mieville: Fiction of the new century Neil Gaiman Mievilles work is thrillingly imaginative.. .immensely witty & utterly unforgettable Scotland on Sunday One of the most imaginative young writers around in any kind of fiction Guardian Mievilles imagined societies may be fantastic but they are utterly coherent... wonderfully infectious Daily Telegraph