The Scar is a science fiction – fantasy novel set on Bas -Lag, a world of many alien creatures.     The first book in the series, Perdido Street Station takes place in the principal city New Crobuzon.    It is a mesmerizing story, strange and unsettling, but is also the winner of several awards.    The Scar starts in the city, but the main character Bellis Coldwine is fleeing from some danger and heading to a colony across the ocean.    They are waylaid by a pirate fleet and taken to a floating city made of thousands of ships linked together, called Armada.

Armada has a unique society populated by sentient people and other species –  vampirs, cray (aquatic), cactaci (woody beings), khepri (scarab like), scabmettlers (armoured from dried blood), and remade humans.    The floating city is on a quest to capture and use the largest creature on the planet, the Ivanc.     On their journeys they encounter Anophelii (mosquito creatures) and the deadly mysterious grindylow.    The 800 page book is rich in the wonderful beings, cultures, language, and ecosytems of the planet.

The author uses a high level of literary storytelling, with rich vocabulary, liberal use of metaphoric language, and detailed character development.    The plot is a sprawling tale of adventure, unpredictable events, strong thematic strands, and eerie, unsettling moods.    Best of all are a cast of unforgettable characters – Uther Doul,  Tanner Sack. the Lovers, the Brucolac, Silas Fennec, Hedregall, and Bellis Coldwine.

I have read China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station and The City and the City and will read Embassytown in the near future.   When we start his books we can sense a  feeling of being startled, unsettled, and bewildered.     Some patience is required.     His books are other-worldly in every sense, but are also richly rewarding.

Recommended – 4.7 out of 5.0 stars4.7