Book Awards Reading Challenge

The third book set in and around New Crobuzon, Mieville's created world of humans and various new species living together. It centres around two groups of people. Cutter has left New Crobuzon in search of golem-maker and lover Judah Low with a couple of others. They are searching for him to help lead them to Iron Council. Iron Council has become a mythical figure for those who rebel against the government as they are the only rebels to have continued to elude the government and militia. Judah can help find Iron Council as he claims he was once a part of it.

Back in the city we find Ori. He is a young man dissatisfied with how things are being run and is sick of the Runagate Rampart spending all it's time talking about what is wrong and not taking any action. He meets and befriends the homeless Spiral Jacobs who puts him in touch with a gang led by bull-headed Toro who plan to assassinate the Mayor. In the background New Crobuzon is warring with Tesh, a country filled with magics they can use as deadly weapons.

Both groups are linked in ways that slowly emerge as the book progresses and explains the Iron Council, Judah Low's background and Toro. Is either capable of liberating and saving New Crobuzon from itself as well as Tesh?

I enjoyed this the least of the series, it was somehow different. I know Mieville was worried about having a gay relationship at the centre of the story, but that didn't bother me at all. There was something else I just can't put my finger on. I think mostly it jumped around too much and wasn't quite his usual style although the characters were fairly typical of his work that I have read so far. It took me a very long time to get into it as well which never helps. I will read more of him in the future, but he is not one of my favourite authors by any means.