This is really 3.5 stars for me, rounding up to 4. It's the third book in this series that I've read, and it sort of sits in the middle, with Shriek still being the high point of the bunch. And before I say anything else, I should point out that the cover of the edition I read is stunning. Seriously, best book cover I've seen in ages.

More than anything, though, reading this book reminded me of The City and the City by China Miéville. Not so much for the subject matter - although both books deal with doubled cities and crime that spans the pair of them, they take a very different approach. It's more because of my reaction to them, which in both cases was entirely unemotional. I just couldn't connect with either of them in that way. But what makes VanderMeer's book more interesting to me than Miéville's is the imagery. The sheer grotesque, fungal, deeply weird imagery. It's fantastic, and it's why Finch gets more stars from me than City. There's something so very visual about Finch, certainly more so than most fantasies, and I appreciate that so much that it sort of counteracts the fact that I don't give the tiniest damn about the plot or any of the characters... except maybe the cat, and with the best will in the world Feral is a very bit part.