Iron Council by China Mieville

My mom recommended this author and I saw the book at the library so I grabbed it.  I didn't realize it was the third in a series, but I guess each book is fairly self-contained so it wasn't an issue.  Perhaps more of the logistics of the world would've made more sense, but it doesn't take long to catch on.

This book is weird fantasy, but I like it.  It's gritty and the characters are well-fleshed out.  There is still some magic, but it's not the hokey stuff of Tolkien.  The world created has a steam punk feel, but it's more like steam punk meets Soviet Russia.

I recommend this book and this author.