Iron Council Board Game - Strategic Fantasy Tabletop Game for Adults & Teens | Perfect for Game Nights, Parties & Family Gatherings

Describing a book that is only about 550 pages as epic is a bit hyperbolic. However, it fits here because of the time period and subject matter that is covered. LIke all Mieville books, this one is packed with a combination of the ordinary and the mind-bending fantastical. However, this book is set apart from his previous Bas-Lag books (Perdido Street Station and The Scar) through its coverage of social issues and increased scope.Mieville is a member of the Socialist Party and has written extensively on the subject through his essays and the English Press. These leanings come through in a most blatant and naked way in Iron Council. Worker rights, racism, and anti-capitalistic opinions are mixed in throughout the pages of this book. I can see how this may bother others who think this is a thinly disguised manifesto for his opinions. However, they will miss out on a simply marvelous book. Though anyone who is attentive will have no problem identifying his party affiliation, it in no way detracts from the book. His strength has always been his seemingly endless creativity which is present on each and every page. With this book, he adds depth of characters and events that make the narrative absolutely sparkle.The characters here are alternately multi-layered and simplistic. The Judah Low and Ann Hari characters are well constructed, deep, and unpredictable. The Cutter character has a singlemindedness that borders on the obsessive. Mieville hits the pause button in the middle of the book for about 150 pages and covers about 25 years of backstory in pretty minute detail. This differs from the other Bas Lag novels that cover a relatively short period and makes this novel feel unique and not like it is a mere extension of the other two. This series is an almost Anti-Trilogy.I read dozens of books but only write about ones that I really like or really dislike. I absolutely recommend Iron Council. You can get away without reading The Scar beforehand, but Perdido Street Station should be required reading before you pick this up. I am a big fan of Mieville's and this book only makes me want to read his other stuff even more.