Storyline: 3/5 
 Characters: 4/5 
 Writing Style: 4/5 
 World: 4/5 
 Like Perdido Street Station before it, The Scar was spectacular (as in a spectacle) where I craved for something awesome (an overwhelming sense of awe), embellished (ornamental) when I wanted it to be encompassing (coming together), and exploratary (a superficial scouting) when I hoped for the ideas to be speculative (a serious philosophical engagement). A spectacular work written in highly embellished prose gently exploring social theory and metaphysics is hardly one to be scoffed at, however. The story is entertaining and the writing is rich. 
 I did read the series in order; I think this can be read without reading Perdido Street Station, but you will always wonder if something incompletely explained in the second was explained in the first. In general, the answer to that question will be no. The book's most pressing need was an editor (or, I suppose, a new or active editor). Mieville took on too many new ideas and creatures without connecting them to or finishing the last ones he conjured. Too often the egregious and numerous grammatical errors left sentences open to multiple interpretations and was nothing less than bad writing. For every positive feature in the book there are two more excessive uses of that same feature. I picture Mieville in his study with charts and maps scattered everywhere. He's got timelines, biographies for every character, and histories for every race. He puts together this highly complex and innovative world and story - but he doesn't look back. Once its penned it is set. Errors, omissions, gaps, plot holes - it doesn't matter - The Scar is finished; take it or leave it. 
 I took it; I enjoyed it; I wish he had spent another three months editing it.