The first thing that struck me about this book, as I slipped a bookmark between the pages after reading the first few chapters, was how thoroughly it had enfolded me. Like a thick fog, it muffled, dimmed and slowed the world I sat reading in, and replaced it with something new, something strangely warm and comfortable, yet which I struggled to comprehend.

The second thing I was struck by was how vast and strange Miéville's imagination is. The beings, the places, the magics with which he so densely packs this book are truly fantastic. Yet, they virtually never feel in any way forced. They fit in this world—are necessary to this world.

The third, most striking thing, is how much generosity and love Miéville pours into nearly every character in this book. Characters who in another author's book would be mere caricatures are here fleshed out and made real. Scenes and events that might have been played just to shock, amuse or frighten are given such care that they teach us about the characters experiencing them, and reveal their hidden depths. I cannot find a true villain here. Yes, there are some who do appalling things, unforgivable things, but they are portrayed with such grace that it would be difficult indeed to feel no sympathy at all for them.

For these reasons and more, The Scar is a mightily impressive book, and a worthy successor to Perdido Street Station.