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Hester Shaw

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Hester Shaw
Hester Natsworthy
First appearanceMortal Engines
Last appearanceA Darkling Plain
Created byPhilip Reeve
Portrayed by
In-universe information
GenderFemale
Family
  • David Shaw (adoptive father)
  • Pandora Shaw (mother)
  • Thaddeus Valentine (father)
  • Katherine Valentine (half sister)
  • Wren Natsworthy (daughter)
Significant otherTom Natsworthy
OriginOak Island
Age

Hester Shaw, later known as Hester Natsworthy, is the lead heroine of Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines Quartet.

Background and life

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Hester Shaw, aged around fifteen at the beginning of the Quartet, is the daughter of Thaddeus Valentine and Pandora Shaw. She was raised by Shrike.

Hester is portrayed as having copper hair and a gray eye. She has a scar which cut her face from forehead to jaw, a wrenched mouth, a stump nose, and a single eye.

The character's surname comes from Shaugh Prior.[2]

Role

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In the first novel of the Mortal Engines Quartet (known in the US as The Hungry City Chronicles), Mortal Engines, her botched assassination attempt on Thaddeus Valentine led to her meeting Tom Natsworthy and set off a chain of events that would change the course of history. She is a key character in each book in the Quartet, often in the center of conflicts that occur. She is the mother of Wren Natsworthy.

In other media

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In the Mortal Engines student short film made in 2009, Alyssa Burnett plays Hester. One of her photos in the role has been mistakenly identified as a cosplay.[3][4][5]

There is a 28mm figure based on Hester Shaw.[6]

In Mortal Engines, the film adaptation of the first book, Hester is portrayed by Icelandic actress Hera Hilmar as an adult, while the young Hester is played by New Zealand child actress Poppy Macleod.[1] Her scar is heavily toned down, and she is aged to her twenties.[7] Hilmar described her character as challenging to play.[8][9] Christian Rivers, the director of the film, addressed the fan criticism over Hester's scar, stating that audiences would be "put off the film" if it were more true to the books.[10] The author acknowledged the difference.[11][12] Reviewers from FilmBook, Screen Rant, and USA Today remarked that this rendition of Hester lacks character development.[13][14][15] Other changes include: she lost her mother when she was eight and she fought Valentine aboard his airship.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (7 February 2017). "Peter Jackson's 'Mortal Engines' Sets Hera Hilmar As Female Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 15 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Philip Reeve discusses the influences on the Mortal Engines books". www.mortalenginesmovie.com. July 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  3. ^ Reeves, Philip (27 February 2011). "It's alive". Philip-Reeve.com (Blog). Archived from the original on 6 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Alyssa Burnett photos". StarNow.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010.
  5. ^ "I was curious and I actually found a hester shaw cosplay??? oh wow!". Archived from the original on 6 November 2019.
  6. ^ Reeves, Philip (24 February 2014). "Wargaming the Traction Era". Philip-Reeve.com (Blog). Archived from the original on 6 November 2019.
  7. ^ Leadbeater, Alex (5 June 2018). "The 7 Biggest Changes Mortal Engines Makes To The Book". Screen Rant. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  8. ^ Bryan White (12 December 2018). "'Mortal Engines' Star Hera Hilmar Says Filming Was Like "Being in an Amusement Park"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  9. ^ Christina Radish (13 December 2018). "Hera Hilmar on 'Mortal Engines' and the Challenge of Bringing Hester Shaw to Life". Collider.com. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  10. ^ Romano, Nick (11 October 2018). "Peter Jackson, Mortal Engines director discuss fan pushback over Hester's scar". Entertainment Weekly. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  11. ^ Truitt, Brian (10 December 2018). "'Mortal Engines' star Hera Hilmar wears her heroine's controversial scar proudly". USA Today. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  12. ^ Philip Reeve (6 June 2018). "Mortal Engines: Trailer 2". Philip-Reeve.com (Blog). Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Why Audiences & Fans of MORTAL ENGINES Decided to Skip the Film In-theater". FilmBook. 30 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  14. ^ Schaefer, Sandy (14 December 2018). "Mortal Engines Review: Peter Jackson's Mad Max is Surprisingly Bland". Screen Rant. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  15. ^ Truitt, Brian (5 December 2018). "Review: Peter Jackson's 'Mortal Engines' dazzles with spectacle, falls flat with character". USA Today. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
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