History Literature / TheScar

** [[{{YMMV}} It is debatable]] whether the author did a positive thing by having such a unique and complicated female protagonist, or whether he secretly treated her with contempt. To those who identify with Bellis, the manipulations of her and the consequences she faced may seemed particularly harsh.

** The Grindylow are [[NightmareFuel much less friendly]] mermen shaped like anglerfish with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily and a brand of thaumaturgy (magic) that is completely alien to most humans.

* MagnificentBastard: Arguably Uther Doul and The Brucolac.
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: Uther Doul]] is either this or MagnificentBastard, depending on your interpretation. He knows that the Lovers' plan will [[spoiler: get them all killed]] (if you believe that; arguably, that part could have been a lie too), but he doesn't want to be shown doing anything himself to oppose the Lovers, so he manipulates [[spoiler: Bellis]] by giving just enough information to start a [[spoiler: rebellion of Armada's citizens, even indulging her growing infatuation with him.]] Many readers fell for it hook, line, and sinker, thinking he'd become an AntiVillain in time and end up with [[spoiler: Bellis]], and oh how wrong they were. [[spoiler: The revelation that he never felt anything for Bellis, and was only using her, felt pretty harsh.]]

* ArtifactOfDoom: Silas steals a statue from the grindylow which grants him mysterious powers, yet has the unfortunate side effect of slowly turning him into a fish-person.
* {{Badass}}: Uther Doul in ''The Scar'', perhaps the only outright badass in the trilogy. The Brucolac may also qualify. Uther Doul ''does'' manage to beat up The Brucolac, but getting beat up by Uther Doul is like getting beat up by {{Godzilla}}.
* BadassBookworm: Uther Doul, as well- despite being possibly the most deadly thing alive, he is an archaeologist, THE authority on the history of the Ghosthead Empire, and a master of probability theory.
* BeePeople: The anophelii

* FishPeople: The aqautic races, most notably the Grundylow.

!!''Literatire/TheScar'' provides examples of:

!!The Scar provides examples of:

* PyrrhicVictory: Bellis fails in almost every endeavor she sets out to accomplish, which includes [[spoiler: preventing the avanc from being summoned, saving New Crobuzon from an attack (which actually [[UnwittingPawn didn't exist]]), and preventing a civil war from breaking out between the citizens of Armada.]] She does manage to [[spoiler: get back to New Crobuzon]] by the end, and she has shuffled off a lot of her unconscious, self-interested naivety in the process. As a plus, she's pretty much the only character who interacts with the [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily Grindylow]] and doesn't end up brutally murdered. [[YMMV Arguably]], this is the happiest ending of the three novels.

In the aftermath of [[PerdidoStreetStation The Plague of Nightmares]], [[{{Kuudere}}Bellis]] [[TheStoic Coldwine]], a [[CunningLinguist brilliant linguist]], knows that it will just be a matter of time before New-Crobuzon's terrifying SecretPolice drag her away for a questioning that she will [[ReleasedToElsewhere undoubtedly never return from]]. Bellis negotiates her way on to the ''Terpsichoria'', a ship heading to escape to the colony Nova Esperium, acting as a translator to the captain when liaising with the Salkrikaltor Cray.

** The Grindylow are [[NightmareFuel much less friendly]] mermen shaped like anglerfish with MoreTeethThanTheOsmundFamily and a brand of thaumaturgy (magic) that is completely alien to most humans.

** The Grindylow are [[NightmareFuel much less friendly]] mermen shaped like anglerfish with MoreTeethThanTheOsmanFamily and a brand of thaumaturgy (magic) that is completely alien to most humans.

* [[YourVampireSuck Our Vampires Suck]]: Vampires are described as having a reputation as "junkies" among the other undead, and are considered to be the lowest of the low in High Cromlech, the city of the dead.

* [[YourVampireSuck OurVampiresSuck]]: Vampires are described as having a reputation as "junkies" among the other undead, and are considered to be the lowest of the low in High Cromlech, the city of the dead.

In the aftermath of [[PerdidoStreetStation The Plague of Nightmares]], Bellis Coldwine, a brilliant linguist, knows that it will just be a matter of time before New-Crobuzon's terrifying SecretPolice drag her away for a questioning that she will [[ReleasedToElsewhere undoubtedly never return from]]. Bellis negotiates her way on to the ''Terpsichoria'', a ship heading to escape to the colony Nova Esperium, acting as a translator to the captain when liaising with the Salkrikaltor Cray.

* MagnificentBastard: Uther Doul, The Brucolac

** In ''Iron Council'': [[spoiler: It all goes to hell. Counting all the horrible betrayals, {{Senseless Sacrifice}}s, and {{Face Heel Turn}}s in the novel would take up more room than a spoiler tag could conceivably hold. Suffice it to say that by the end of the novel, the titular Iron Council does not ''technically'' die in their BolivianArmyEnding...but they don't win either. ThisTroper felt that Mieville intentionally destroyed as much as possible to bring closure to the setting.]]

[[{{ptitlen9ir3dhv}} China Miéville's]] second book in the ''[[Literature/Bas-LagCycle Bas-Lag Cycle]]'', first published in 2002. Despite being a stand-alone novel, [[{{Sequel}} it takes place immediately]] after the events of ''PerdidoStreetStation''.

** [[YMMV It is debatable]] whether the author did a positive thing by having such a unique and complicated female protagonist, or whether he secretly treated her with contempt. To those who identify with Bellis, the manipulations of her and the consequences she faced may seemed particularly harsh.