I agree with calypte – the book was pretty good, but not Miéville’s best, or most engaging.
Actually, I found the book had a kind of split personality – most of the time when we’re following Judah, Cutter, and that crew, I was engaged. I found the writing was better (except for the very first scenes with Cutter’s gang) and the story had better flow and more interest. I was particularly captivated by the “Judah’s backstory” sections (and especially the stiltspear bits.
Most of the portions of the story that took place in the city left me flat – I found I just didn’t care, although Ori’s early meetings with Spiral Jacobs were not bad. I was totally turned off by the “previous uprising” background.

Nevertheless, the whole thing hangs together better than I’d expected, and Miéville’s prose is, as always, a joy. Recommended, if less so than [b:Perdido Street Station|68494|Perdido Street Station|China Miéville|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255612085s/68494.jpg|3221410] (and especially [b:The Scar|68497|The Scar|China Miéville|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170692699s/68497.jpg|731674]).