The Scar (Bas-Lag Book 2)

Brilliant! Fascinating story telling. A blend of fantasy, sci fi, horror, and realism combined to create a seafaring adventure...set in Bas-Lag! Do not miss the opportunity to read!

Similarly to the previous book in the series, Pardido street station, the meaningful plot of this book can probably be summarized in less than one page, and yet China Mieville’s writing makes it interesting, mostly. The audio does a very good job 99.9% of the time and is annoying only in 0.01%, at which it can be turned off.

An excellent book on its own and as a follow-up to Perdido Street Station, which avoids the usual Sequel traps of the genre. Many of the previous reviewers have done a great job itemizing why this is such a great novel. Id just like to add that, maybe due to my personality,but my enjoyment of the book would have been doubled by the inclusion of maps of the Bas-Lag oceans that the Armada/Trident sails, as well as a map of the Armada itself. Given the detail of the story, Miéville MUST have maps of these locations to keep them all straight, and hes said as much in a interview on Science Fiction Weekly. God knows if he or his publishers read these reviews by us proles but thats my fervent recommendation. Maps maps maps maps!

The high point of the book is the evocative and beautiful prose and interesting world building but ultimately I was not invested in the characters and my suspension of disbelief waned making the mounting unlikely coincidences and unconvincing plot developments harder and harder to bear. China Miéville is an excellent writer and I will read more of his stories but this one just did not catch my imagination.

Plot in a very small nutshell: Travellers, prisoners, and slaves (many of whom have been biologically modified against their wills) are on board a sea vessel bound for the New Crobuzon colony. Pirates seize the ship and take the survivors to their floating city Armada to become a part of that rather unorthodox society. The characters and the society and culture of Armada are very detailed and well thought out. There are bizarre characters, monsters, magic, secrets, and intrigue. The language and descriptions are effective and beautiful. I have not yet read PERDIDO STREET STATION (though I plan to remedy that very soon), but that did not hamper my reading of THE SCAR in any way that I was aware of. THE SCAR is one of the most unusual books that I have read in a long time and it is one I will read again.

China Mievilles third book, The Scar, is cursed to be overshadowed by his first, Perdido Street Station. The Scar, however, is a classic in its own right. A entertaining, absorbing and complex book, The Scarshould serve to further seal Mievilles name amongst the greats of this (and any) genre. Although The Scar takes place in the same world as Perdido Street Station (and has a few oblique references to some of the events of that book), it leaves New Crubozon behind and explores a vastly different city, Armada. Mieville is a practiced tease - rather than succumb to overtly masturbatory world-building, he gracefully dances around his exotic locations, leaving the reader desperately praying for another scene in the library. Or under the ocean. Or by the rift in the world... Mieville has created one of the most compelling worlds in fantasy, and hes such a great writer that he knows not to give in to wallowing in it. The primary protagonist of The Scar is Bellis Coldwine. A talented linguist, Coldwine is fleeing New Crubozon for mysterious reasons that dont become clear until late in the book. Although an ostensibly chilly and unapproachable character, Mieville gives us access to her thoughts (and her diary). Empathy is unavoidable, as Coldwines past - and her present loneliness and homesickness - quickly become apparent. Without getting too far over my head, the main theme seems to be one of authorship. Coldwines dismal world-view is exacerbated by her sense that her fate is completely out of her control. Her life is out of her hands, and, more importantly, she struggles with the awareness that even her own choices may have been prompted or influenced by others. Throughout The Scar, Coldwine is little more than a pawn - generally self-aware and only occasionally sanguine. Bellis Coldwine is also surrounded by a cast of unusual characters - a well-meaning academic, a Remade engineer striving to find a new home and many more - including mosquito-people scholars, a displaced vampire-lord and one of the nastiest swordsmen in modern fantasy. As The Scar journeys forward, the reader discovers that these characters are struggling with the same problem - how can they take control of their own lives and destinies? Even the city itself struggles with this issue - drifting (metaphorically and literally) under the control of outside powers, and eagerly trying to achieve the ownership of its own actions. The most valuable lesson is simply that China Mieville does not start and end with Perdido Street Station. If anything, The Scar is slightly more conventional fantasy, making it more immediately accessible (not to knock Perdido, which is probably the best fantasy published in the past twenty years). Whereas Perdido Street Station is more thoughtful (and Iron Council more openly political), The Scar is still an absorbing and complex take on the traditional fantasy novel. -- PORNOKITSCH

The biggest question surrounding China Mievelles The Scar, is not whether or not its good, the question is whether or not its better than its awesome predecessor, Perdido Street Station. For me the answer is no but for many the answer is yes. Regardless there are a couple of truths that need to be stated. 1) Dont read this until after you read Perdido Street Station and 2) Fans of PSS will not be disappointed!! There is so much going on in this book and a synopsis is unnecessary since it advantageous to know nothing going in. The book does take place in Mievelles Bas Lag universe and most or the races and imagery we experienced in Perdido Street Station reappears. This book further establishes Mievelle as a master of the fantastical but he is so much than that. One aspect of the Scar is the legendary cast of characters Mievelle creates. Uther Doul will transgress the physical constraints of the page and permanently take residence on the BAD ASS pedestal of your mind. Just like Perdido Street Station, the book never takes the easy way out. Also like PSS, The Scar will send goose bumps down your spine as it your travel through it narcissistic and dirty world. The experience is violent, visceral and memorable. The plot is well thought out and the ending will stay with you long after you have lent this book to everyone who hasnt read it... Bottom Line: Another must read for fans of sci fi, fantasy and lovers of imagination and creativity. Mievelle is my favorite author of this decade hands down.

When I first read China Mievilles Perdido Street Station, I proclaimed it a five-star novel, the landmark arrival of a new genius. Within weeks, though, my assessment came down a bit as I looked back on what I had read. These days, its a 3.5. Oh, its wonderful, make no mistake, but it has flaws many are too willing to overlook. In Perdido Street Station, Mieville creates an amazingly rich, detailed and compelling world built on Victorian horror, steampunk stylings, Lovecraftian terror, and fantasy. Highly engaging ... however, the books awful deus ex machina, Mievilles propensity to use big words for their own sake, and a lot of pages wasted on atmosphere building after the atmosphere had already been built tempered what was otherwise a breath of fresh air for fantasy. But when you have talent like this, such flaws are minor roadblocks to great work. And so we have The Scar, the fantastic follow-up to Perdido Street Station. Were taken to a floating city, an urban landscape made from the shells and carcases of stolen boats and vessels, and are pulled along as the strange leadership of the city seek out powers almost too great to comprehend. Along the way we meet a vast array of engaging and interesting characters, and experience otherworldy sights and sounds that will remain etched in your brain for days to come. With The Scar, Mieville addresses most of the problems I saw with the previous book, and in turn crafts a much better reading experience. A great story that keeps the pages turning, a fuller look into his amazing world, characters that are richer and painted with more depth, and far less overly descriptive filler. Mievilles prose remains a joy to read, full of texture and description. While The Scar meanders from time to time, the story was much tighter than Perdido Street Station, remaining largely focused and coming off as better for it. I loved the constant turns of the narrative, was very taken by the further glimpses into this world, and found the prose to be largely (though not always) quite lovely indeed. The ending may be slightly anti-climactic, but it also rings true - not to mention that it doesnt hinge on a clumsy deus ex machina. The Scar is a finely-honed work that pretty much seals the deal: Mieville is darn near a visionary. This guy is the real deal. Get it, read it, and love it.

Mievilles world of Bas-Lag is a wonderful fantasy setting. Its a rich mix of steampunk and Lovecraftian horrors with plenty of other fun ideas tossed in for good measure. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for The Scars flat and dull cast of characters. The novels least interesting character is also unfortunately its main protagonist, Bellis Coldwine. Taken against her will to the floating city of Armada, shes a cold, resentful bitch who spends the entire novel pining for her beloved city of New Crobuzon. Shes unpleasant to just about everyone she meets, and converses only begrudgingly with characters who come across as perfectly kind and interesting. Viewing the bustling, imaginative city of Armada through her disinterested eyes is a perpetually frustrating experience; its like getting to visit Paris, but being stuck with a friend who spends the trip sitting in her hotel room whining about how much she misses America. There are plenty of other characters, but few make an impression. The freed prisoner Tanner Sack is at least more pleasant company than Bellis, but he mostly just does what hes told and has little agency or insight into his world and actions. The Brucolac and Uther Doul are two strong characters with interesting histories and motivations, but unfortunately their story plays out in the margins, the reader kept far from their thoughts and perspectives. At the end of the story, nobody has learned anything personal or undergone any significant character growth; everyone has just about the same thoughts and opinions they started out with. This isnt to say that the novel is without value. If you can look past the flat characters, the plot is engaging and the world is full of fascinating details to immerse yourself in. But if youre looking first and foremost for an engaging cast and satisfying character arcs, you should look elsewhere.

I had picked up this novel because I wanted to read a fantasy novel that was not the normal sword & sorcery or save the magic kingdom stuff we often see. I had seen Miévilles name about and picked the up book while browsing though a used bookstore. Once I began to read the novel, I found the setting to be rather intricate. It is definitely a fantasy setting, ripe with new races and other aberrations like the cray-people or the cactus men. The number of races is rather overwhelming to begin with, and the names keep on flashing by. However, by the time those races are important to the story, you know what they are. The magic in the setting is definitely akin to our modern specialization of scientic studies. It makes the magic more grounded and subdued. It does not stand out as much, though it is important to the setting. It is by far NOT insignificant. The main character is Bella Coldwine, a linguist on the run from New Crobuzon. She is rather flat on the surface, but it allows the reader to receive mostly unbiased perceptions of what is going on around. Do not get let her name mislead you though, she does have her biases and ambitions that fuel her through the entire book. The plotting of the novel is rather intricate. You are bounced around from perceptions of what is going on and who is manipulating whom. It keeps you on your toes and is rather well done. I would definitely advise reading The Scar if you want something different in the fantasy genre. Do not worry about reading Perido Street Station first. There is no necessary plotting between novels, though I head it is a cool read as well.