I'm not sure if The Scar is actually a lot better than Perdido Street Station, or if I just enjoyed it a lot more because I now know better what to expect from Mieville. Either way, I'm very impressed by The Scar. Mieville has created a well-balanced fantasy/sci-fi novel with an ambitious story arc, a handful of well-drawn characters, and a sustained set of climaxes that build on each other until they arrive at a very satisfying conclusion.

On a side note, I'm particularly intrigued by the Uther Doul character; I'd be very interested in reading about his life leading up to his time on Armada. On the down side, I would have liked to see the Brucolac character developed a bit more.

I recommend Mieville's work heartily. It's not a timeless masterpiece, but it is an outstanding work of fiction.