The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray

this really depends on what you want from the story. if you go into it wanting a really interesting plot, told from an objective point of view with little sentimentality, you'll really like this.

it has been pointed out that the characters are somewhat bland and the love story is boring and pointless. and that is true, but i find most love stories to be boring and pointless so it doesn't seem like a problem to me. and the blandness of the characters is offset by the richness of the language and descriptions of the city.

the author is telling you a scary story, and he manages to do so without tripping over his characters or getting bogged down in anything other than the point.