Ambitious, far-reaching, prophetic and terrifying; but also bloated, rambling and ultimately disappointing.

The four-gated city flirts with several themes but never really decides on one. The main characters are difficult to find any sympathy with: they're supported by myriad crudely sketched extras who come in and out inconsequentially, so that you neither notice nor care that they've been missing for a few hundred pages. Most die - I'm not too concerned.

A lot of the interesting ideas are contained in the appendices - disjointed infodumps contrasting the flowing ramblings of the book itself. I'd have liked to see them developed but really by that point I was more than ready for the end.

This book took uncharacteristic months to read - a real slog through chapters of relentless mundanity. Throughout, it promised much, but it never really delivered.