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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Probably one of the best books I've ever read. A fantastically realized world, sculpted with immense detail but never tedious to learn about and never a thing I got lost in. The characters were distinct and interesting, and the plot was a wide web of fascinating ideas that continued to meld together in satisfying ways. The prose is gorgeous, the dialogue and emotion incredibly human, and the horror unfathomable.
Slightest spoilers ahead? My only issue is the ending, which really turned me off philosophically and morally in the last ten or so pages, but I don't think I can fairly fault a 700 page book that I considered one of the best I'd ever read for the last 10, especially when the book leading up to it wasn't particularly hopeful, optimistic, or moral (nor was the rest of the ending). For the story it was, the ending works well. Things stay shades of grey, and there is no set argument for what is right and wrong, but a simple assertion that reality lies somewhere in between.
Would highly recommend.
Slightest spoilers ahead? My only issue is the ending, which really turned me off philosophically and morally in the last ten or so pages, but I don't think I can fairly fault a 700 page book that I considered one of the best I'd ever read for the last 10, especially when the book leading up to it wasn't particularly hopeful, optimistic, or moral (nor was the rest of the ending). For the story it was, the ending works well. Things stay shades of grey, and there is no set argument for what is right and wrong, but a simple assertion that reality lies somewhere in between.
Would highly recommend.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story was well paced and a fascinating blur of various plots. Miéville is absolutely fantastic at conveying emotions and imagery. The mixing of fantasy and science fiction and steampunk was done ingeniously. My only complaint (and it is a mild one at that) is some of his vocabulary seemed a little forced, like he was trying to use as scarcely known words as he could even if they attenuated his descriptive imagery. But, really, I hardly noticed it. This is worth reading by anyone interested in either Science Fiction, Fantasy, or looking for something a little different.
This was a massive dnf. The writing was so detailed as to make reading laborious, the characters were universally unpleasant. Life is too short.