This book starts very slowly. In fact, it took me 2 attempts to get through the first third. From then on, it is brilliantly engaging and kept me hooked right until the end. The City is such a cool setting. Its scale is almost uncomprehendable and it is developed so well throughout the book. The worldbuilding is really strong and expansive, yet it really only scratches the surface of the City. I could almost recommend this book for the cool setting alone. (The plot is great as well, though!) However, the ending is really abrupt and I didn't feel like it wrapped things up completely. The plot just concludes with no post-action or exploration of the consequences of the conclusion. This does make me long for more, which I guess is good, but it's annoying when there's no direct sequel (only a number of short stories set in the City). Still, the book from about the 1 third mark until the end is excellent.