I like this shift towards a more politically oriented novel. Not that I didn't like the big science fictional ideas of Perdido Street Station, nor that there are none of them here, but I'm always interested in political maneuverings and this really foregrounds those.

The plot hinges on what you think of Uther Doul, and I'm still parsing that through in my head. I think if I can come up with a clear and satisfying understanding of his motivation, I'll like this more, and if I can't I'll like it a little less. But even with that aside, I definitely had fun all the way through.