The Scar (Bas-Lag Book 2)

I never realized I liked science fiction so much until I read The Scar. I just picked it up one day at the book store not knowing what it was, and I am so glad I did. I have seen some reviews here saying the book was depressing. Well, no it is certainly not one of your uplifting love stories, it is dark and disturbing at times, but it is creative and insightful and just plain fantastic. China Mieville is my new favorite author and I now own every one of his books.

Lets pretend thats actually a 3.5. I found many things impressive about this book (the first I have read from this author) such as the rich backdrop, interesting concepts, intriguing plot. However, I had a couple of issues that kept me from enjoying this book as much as I could have. First, while there are some amazing things happening in the book (eg. magic) some of these things were presented rather matter-of-factly and with little sense of awe, which in turn led to my feeling the same way. Magic? Mutated humans? Eh. Although, after a while I got used to the idea that this was a book in which certain unusual things had to be taken for granted, so I eventually just went with it. My second problem, which was a bit more insurmountable, was that some of the main characters, Bellis in particular, was so cold. Yes, I understand that was part of her character. But... its hard to care about a character like that- if I dont care about the characters, then I dont really care about anything else. I did however like some of the other characters a bit more, such as Tanner Sack, but he was a little peripheral. I also felt a bit let down by feeling as though relationships didnt develop as fully as they could have- which would have made things a bit more engrossing. So, while clearly some people really enjoyed this book, I dont think Im likely to read more works by this author, because I guess I need a little more emotion in the characters to pull me in. If you are the kind of reader who doesnt have much of a problem with that and are more interested in the actual story than the characters, then youll probably enjoy it.

Let me start by saying that this novel is beautifully written and it has unique and interesting characters. Before reading it I was concerned that the author would just rehash some of the same weirdness from Perdido Street Station but gratefully, he didnt. He invented new creatures and situations that were just as imaginative as the ones from Perdido Street Station yet still completely original. The descriptions of Armada, the mosquito people, the avanc, and the vampir--all great stuff. However, I had several problems with this novel. Starting with the characters: it seemed like the author took great pains to describe Uther Doul and his mysteriousness but then gave no ultimate explanation for his behavior. As an earlier reviewer said, he is the one who originally motivates the Lovers to seek out the Scar but then at the last minute he indicates that Bellis should stop the mission--why? We really get no insight into his character, yet earlier on in the novel he promises to be complex and interesting. Theres the same problem with the Lovers themselves, theyre built up to be so fascinating when we first meet them but we never really know anything more about them after their original introduction. They just turn out to be regular people with weird ways of expressing their feelings for each other. There was also a huge build up about the grindylow but when they finally appear its for a very brief time and then you find out that their actions are all based on the threat of New Crobuzon building a canal--blah. Finally, the ending was completely anti-climactic. To begin with this novel was impossible to resolve in a satisfactory way because there were too many plot lines going on simultaneously and I felt confused about what was the main issue/goal here. Having one plot and then adding layers and twists to it is one thing (like in Perdido Street Station) but The Scar just seemed messy. The last chapter was like a summing up of everything we still dont know. If the ultimate plot line is about getting to the Scar, then all were left with is Hedrigalls hallucination but no confirmation, is he crazy or is the Scar really nightmarish?--we dont get to find out. I realize that every novel isnt going to be neatly wrapped up but this just seemed particularly unsatisfying. I think Perdido Street Station was a much tighter novel in terms of character, plot and resolution. I know some complained about its deus ex machina ending but Id rather have that than nothing at all.

This is a wonderful book, richly imagined and even more engrossing than Perdido Street Station. The concept is fascinating and the story builds towards a stunning and very satisfying ending. Along the way there are mutinies, naval battles, lost islands, giant sea monsters, vampires, and ... well, you name it, hes got it in here. So why almost perfect? The characters are totally flat, especially the protaganist, Bellis. She seems to exist as little more than a vessel for moving the plot forward, with very little depth or clear motivation. She spends most of the book pining for her home, yet we never really get much of a sense of what her life was like there or why she wants to go back so badly. I kept waiting for there to be some hook, some way for me to really care about her, but it just never came. That said, this is still a brilliant, fascinating story that I would recommend to any fantasy/sci-fi fan.

I couldnt even finish this book. The main character is overly mopey and the plot is incredibly slow moving. It had potential but didnt work.

So - youve been hearing all these praises about this Mieville guy. Genre-redefining. Enthralling. Mythic. You check out the cover of his books and see a litany of blurbs proclaiming him as the next Tolkien or Bradbury. An author beyond description. You roll you eyes - remembering countless other mammoth novels littered with accolades youve slogged through - only to be underwhelmed. Well - this time - for me, at least - the blurbs were not fluff. This is cool stuff. This is genre-redefining. This is a world you can immerse yourself in and totally believe is real. It lives, breathes, smells, thrills, terrifies, disgusts and even makes you philosophize. I loved this book. It wasnt perfect (whats the deal with the love affair with the word puissant?) but as a reader who has been disappointed with new SF/F lately - Meilville has renewed my faith that great things can still be found in the modern worlds most exciting genre - and that alone is enought to give it five stars.

It took me a while to get into this book. At first I was taken aback by all the new words and references that were just thrown at me, without any explanation. I dont want to give away the plot, since that is one of the things that drew me into this book. Suffice it to say, this is a about a woman captured by pirates, in a world that is very different from ours. Kudos to Mieville for describing this strange world in such detail, so vividly. Now, when I say pirates, dont imagine its a cliched pirate-fantasy story; its much more than that. If I had one quibble, it would be the ending: it left me unsatisfied, and seemed rather anti-climactic. Another slight obstacle is the highly descriptive language (though that is also a strength); it can get a bit much at times, almost as if you could see the author physically straining to paint a picture with words. Overall, though, if you are looking to be immersed in a world that is weirdly different from ours, intricate, frightening and intriguing, this is the book to read.

Refreshingly creative and imaginative. The authors unique world is captivating and wonderfully conceived.

China Mieville, The Scar (Ballantine, 2002) Comparing any fantasy novel to Mievilles mighty Perdido Street Station invites a bad review. But it cant be helped, in the case of The Scar. After all, its the sequel to Perdido Street Station. Its not surprising that it doesnt measure up; what is surprising is how close it comes to doing so. Not long after the events of Perdido Street Station, Grimnebulins sometime-girlfriend, Bellis Coldwine, flees New Crobuzon when she feels the militia closing in. Boarding the Terpsichoria, she heads off for the colonies on the other side of the world, stopping at Salkrikaltor Cray on the way for some negotiations. Not long after they leave Cray, however, they are ambushed by pirates from a nation who are completely unconcerned with New Crobuzons might, and taken prisoner. Things go, to put it mildly, downhill from there. It seemed to me throughout that much of Mievilles impetus for writing The Scar was to explore and flesh out some of the places that were just mentioned in Perdido Street Station. All well and good, as much of what was praised about the former novel was Mievilles ability to build a world with an awe-inspiring amount of descriptive realism. So its no surprise that the same happens here, as Mieville takes us thousands of miles north and west of New Crobuzon, jumping around the map and filling in pieces of it we didnt get to see before. Mievilles descriptive talents are as strong as ever. The plots got a good deal going for it, as well. The pirates are not your normal brand of pirate, and Bellis spends much of her time trying to figure out whats really going on as a possible means of somehow winning her freedom from her captors. She, and her various co-conspirators, are just as expertly drawn as the batch in Perdido Street Station. Where the book sometimes flags is pace. Perdido Street Station is compelling reading, the kind of book for which foregoing food and sleep often seems like a good idea. Not so in parts of The Scar. Only parts, mind you, but there are passages here and there where the pace flags. That Mieville previously achieved a perfectly-paced novel in the midst of the vast amounts of thick description therein is the only reason for criticism here; with most authors, wed be amazed it moves as swiftly as it does. A worthy, if (very slightly) inferior, successor to Perdido Street Station. **** ½

The Scar picks up (kinda) where Perdido Street Station lets off. Brilliant set up, rich characters, amazing creatures. The world created by CHINA MIEVILLE is an immediate Sci-Fi classic, right up there with Dune and The Ring World (only better, IMHO). Run, dont walk, to the nearest book store and indulge.