Miéville has created and peopled a disturbing, horrific, wonderful world. The real problem I have with this particular volume is that the characters are utterly unsympathetic, evoking no pathos for their suffering. While Perdido Street Station presents protagonists who are flawed but lovable - or at least pitiable - the cold, emotionally detached and isolated states of the characters in The Scar prevents any real connection to them.