This was a great little story I read right after Neverwhere. I thought the Marquis de Carabas was an interesting character in Neverwhere (but weren't they all), so this was a nice extra to bring me back from that world. But I want more. I may just need to read some other books by this author. ( )

The improvement in writing style is pretty noticeable.
It was lovely to read about Marquis. ( )

How can you not want to know more about the Marquis? ( )

As much as I loved re-entering the fantastic world of London Below, this short story was an absolutely tease. We’re dropped into the middle of a story with the Marquis in trouble and having lost his most important possession, we’re overwhelmed with hints about who the Marquis was in the past, and ultimately we’re left wondering what’s next for the always-in-trouble rogue. I guess that’s the whole point of the story, but I sure hope that Gaiman decides to delve a little further into it with the forthcoming full-length sequel to Neverwhere! ( )

This was an enjoyable story, full of Gaiman’s humour and sensibility. I liked the Marquis’ point of view on things (he’s a Trickster, so obviously), I liked seeing more of London Below than Neverwhere gave us, and I liked the fairy tale feel of it. Everything fit together neatly in the end too, which I’d expect. Gaiman’s good at short fiction, after all.

However, it’s about what it says on the tin. This is about the Marquis retrieving his coat from the person who has it, but there’s no real underlying message or anything. No character development really, though I wouldn’t expect much of that from a Trickster. It’s a satisfying story and a good bookend to Neverwhere, but … other Gaiman stories are deeper, and it felt very geared towards fans of the book too, not new readers. It’s a 7 for entertainment, definitely, but there’s not enough underpinning that to truly give it one.

Warnings: Mind control.

6/10 ( )