This is very hard to evaluate. It has the vibes of Gormengast without any of that profoundly disagreeable mockery of everyone and everything that made Gormengast so unpleasant. There was a certain amount of wit in the construction of the dramatis personae and the glossary, and a real sureness of touch in doing what it was doing. The author did know what he was about. But at the same time, I'm left a bit cold. For all the lip service given to sympathizing with the plight of the slum-dwellers, Pheby sure seems to rack up an enormous body count in pursuit of his vibes (although the bit about pigs and pig-men in the glossary would not have resonated as well as it did if he hadn't been quite so ruthless). Yet on the level of the individual character, the people seem more archetypes than people. They are grotesqueries, as in Gormengast, and although they are not presented as pathetic objects to gawk at in their grotesqueries--not quite--yet they still don't feel quite like people. Nathan's rampage with Dashini doesn't really feel set up properly: he's angry at the Master, yes, but why is he not also angry at Dashini after he learns the secret of the Book? He's angry at Gam and Prissy sure, but does he have to destroy the entire city? That bit of the book never really worked for me; it felt like Pheby was trying to invent reasons to motivate Nathan's eventual destruction, but the reasons didn't feel organic. They felt forced, and I didn't really believe it.

Also, I could have really done without Bellows's repeated descriptions of how female oestrus smells so disgusting. I get that it was the Master--who is a baddy--behind it all, but I shouldn't have to wait until pg 350 to find a woman who is not presented as an object of disgust or sexual attraction (or both), and I really shouldn't have to go digging into the glossary to learn why the Master pretends that oestrus disrupts his magic. We can have retro-feeling vibes without the misogyny, Pheby! Jeez, you're a creative fellow; please don't be lazy here.

The glossary is very interesting. It adds an enormous amount to the world-building, and some of the entries are quite funny--e.g., carrots, pigs--but it is over 100 pages of detail that is not fully necessary to understand the book. I read the book before reading the glossary, there were definite moments where I came across details which clarified certain confusing bits in the narrative, I also appreciated how the glossary expanded the world-building beyond the cities of Mordew, Malarkoi, and Waterblack. I suspect if I were to read the book again, knowing now what I know about the Atheistic Crusades, I would probably catch all sorts of references that went past me the first time through. But there's also an enormous amount of theology about how magic and gods and Spark and material and immaterial realms and angels and demons which would be an awful slog to have to wade through before getting to the story. I repeat--it's over 100 pages! I think that if you really, really enjoyed the book, then the glossary is a terrific addition. It has all of the narrative personality that characterizes Pheby's prose, and there are offhand comments and remarks there that line up beautifully with the main text. 

Hmph. Don't know how to end this. I'm glad I read this. I'm not fully sure I'll read the next.