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The Scar

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The Scar

By: China Miéville
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
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About this listen

Winner of the British Fantasy Award, The Scar by China Miéville is a colossal fantasy of incredible diversity and spellbinding imagination, set in the richly visualized world of Bas-Lag.

A human cargo bound for servitude in exile . . .

A pirate city hauled across the oceans . . .

A hidden miracle about be revealed . . .

These are the ingredients of an astonishing story. It is the story of a prisoner's journey. Of the search for the island of a forgotten people, for the most astonishing beast in the seas, and ultimately for a fabled place - a massive wound in reality, a source of unthinkable power and danger.

 Fantasy Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Steampunk Pirate
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They finally did it, they finally re-recorded this book. The last narrator wasn't great, which stopped me from even bothering with Iron Council. I'm happy to say the new narrator really suits the vibe of the bas-lag trilogy and has been a joy to listen to.

The only way this could be better is if they had got the original narrator for Perdido Street station to narrate, but I'll happily settle for this.

The narrator

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A 5 star read. The Scar is a stunning example of imaginative fiction, with beautifully crafted prose that feels rich, strange, and immersive throughout.

The revelations and surprises carry all the way to the end of the book. Just as the main character is used as a piece in the plans and ambitions of others, we as readers are guided in a similar way, led to believe the story is heading in one direction only to realise the truth is something entirely different. It is cleverly done and deeply satisfying.

The novel explores powerful themes around control, manipulation, and agency. Characters are constantly navigating forces much larger than themselves, raising questions about free will and whether anyone is ever truly in control of their own path. There is also a strong sense of obsession running through the story, particularly in the pursuit of knowledge and ambition, and the cost that comes with it.

Isolation and belonging are also central themes. Armada itself feels like a paradox, a place built from exile and displacement that becomes a kind of home, even as it moves toward something vast and unknowable. The book also touches on transformation, both physical and emotional, and how people adapt or break when pushed beyond their limits.

A beautifully written, thought-provoking novel that rewards patience and stays with you long after the final page.

Incredible!

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