The City & The City

"I’m not a big mystery or crime reader, but the concept of this one really intrigued me. For what it is I think the author did a great job. Really interesting concept, the ins and outs you wanted were all there, just a really well thought out little anomaly universe. "

"Liked conceptually, but not as much my aesthetic. It is cleverly a mix of noir, sf, and really an unfantasy in a way."

"How much does perception shape reality? Inspector Tyador Borlu of the Extreme Crime Squad finds a deadly conspiracy beneath a routine murder, and joins Detective Qussim Dhatt of his sister city Ul Quoma in trying to untangle the sordid web of nationalism and unificationism in twin cities that just happen to occupy the same space. <br/><br/>This was an incredibly China Mieville novel, if that makes sense -- and its concept, while interesting, was incredibly confusing for a good long while. It was both fascinating and overwhelming, and it absolutely overshadowed the story in a lot of ways."

"A simple murder mystery taking place in the mythical city of Besz. Which just happens to share the same geographic coordinates as the city of Ul Qora"