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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fantastic read. Mieville's writing is excellent, his world building makes the space in which the action takes place feel very real. The characters are well fleshed-out and believable. Towards the end, the sense of dread and impending doom is palpable. Highly recommended!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, War
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit
adventurous
challenging
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
I fell in love with Bellis Coldwine's character. She was flawed, selfish, and manipulated throughout the entire story but I was still invested in her homesick endeavors to escape Armada and find her way back to her home city.
Tanner Sack and Uther Doul were also compelling characters for entirely different reasons. I loved the way the author merged fantasy elements with scientific terms in a way that felt both realistic and magical. I now have a horrible book hangover, but I have no regrets.
Tanner Sack and Uther Doul were also compelling characters for entirely different reasons. I loved the way the author merged fantasy elements with scientific terms in a way that felt both realistic and magical. I now have a horrible book hangover, but I have no regrets.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I want to visit Bas-Lag, New Crobuzon, Perdido St Station and Iron Bay! Miéville swept me into the story so seamlessly, no page felt wasted. Every character was interesting and unique with different motivations. I love the snooping, the plotting and uncovering of secrets and betrayals that came about in this novel. Now very keen to get to Iron Council to complete the Bas-Lag world. Overall I preferred the weirdness of Perdido but this story felt unsettlingly creeky and dark in a very successful way, just not as colourful and hallucinatory as I like my weird books but that is really a me problem and not a reflection of the book. It gets 5 stars 🥳
There's lots of great stuff/cool ideas in this book (the mosquito people, the Possible Sword, the very idea of a floating pirate city!), but unfortunately it just lacks some of the fiery creativity that made PERDIDO STREET STATION such an enjoyable reading experience. I think some of that has to do with Mieville's creativity overreaching its capabilities. As awesome as a floating pirate city is, it's just so "out there" that it was hard for me to visualize at times, and took me out of the story.
One thing it shares with PERDIDO, unfortunately, is a sad, rather anticlimactic ending.
One thing it shares with PERDIDO, unfortunately, is a sad, rather anticlimactic ending.
man doesn't know any adjective to describe the ocean except "briney"
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Self harm, Forced institutionalization
Very enjoyable
China Miéville is a master at creating fantastically bizarre and complex worlds which are at the same time gritty and real. The plot was generally excellent too - though I have to say (slight spoiler?) that the ending was not as satisfying as I'd hoped, seemed rather anti climatic after all the lead up, but maybe that's just me.
China Miéville is a master at creating fantastically bizarre and complex worlds which are at the same time gritty and real. The plot was generally excellent too - though I have to say (slight spoiler?) that the ending was not as satisfying as I'd hoped, seemed rather anti climatic after all the lead up, but maybe that's just me.
Mostly about events surrounding a group of characters, and only about the characters themselves in a superficial way. Nonetheless, Mieville conjures an impressively detailed and compelling world. I can understand why his writing has been so well received even if I still haven't warmed to him after three novels.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes