Rating: 3.5 out of 5 rounded up

Alas I am not the target audience for a short story compilation. I like slow-burn novels with drawn out pacing. Oftentimes I find that I slog through the first 150 pages or so of a novel and then breeze through the next 400, simply because I am invested in the story. With this in mind, it took me ages to read this book from start to finish. I really enjoyed some of the stories, but couldn’t care less about some of the others. Overall, it seems that I liked more stories than I disliked, but I can’t say that I will be reading a short story compilation from start to finish anytime in the near future.

My favorite stories were:
1: Sacken
A chilling and engrossing tale mixed with folklore and the quirks of human relationships and the psyche.

2: In the Slopes
The story of a non-traditional archeological dig.

3: Dreaded Outcome
This would be me if I was a therapist. (Hence why I am not).

4: Polynia
Miéville has mastered the art of making the absurd seem possible.

5: Dowager of Bees
Perhaps my geographical affinity to the hub of American gambling influenced my like of this tale, but I found it humorous and compelling.