The Marquis' coat is not any ordinary coat. Although quick, it was a rich and detailed story that gives the reader a glimpse further into the world of London Below. This story, like the title suggests, tells us how the Marquis got his coat back.

When Richard's story finished and I wasn't done hearing about the fantastical world of London Below, I immediately dove in. How the Marquis Got His Coat Back was included in the Audible edition of Neverwhere that I recently listened to. “Did you know,” said the Elephant, “that everything you say sounds sarcastic?” It befits you, mighty Elephant, as lord of your own demesne, to be merciful to one who is not even fit to wipe the dust from your excellent toes …”

“I beg! I plead! Show me mercy-the finest of all gifts. How the Marquis got his Coat Back is a quite fantastic Neverwhere short story, wonderfully written and filled with a charming prose that is simply enchanting. It's a joy to revisit London below, a dangerous journey indeed for the Marquis where he encounters a grievance that has festered for a long long time, the terrifying Shepherd's of Shepherd's Bush and even more fascinating, a member of his family. 'The paths of London Below are not the paths of London Above: they rely to no little extent on things like belief and opinion and tradition as much as they rely upon the realities of maps.' The world building is phenomenally good, it's one of the many ingredients that go into making Neverwhere a place that feels just too real for words, a definite, dark imagery, full of magical things, slightly warped people and intrigue, lots of intrigue. 'The Marquis de Carabas liked being who he was, and when he took risks he liked them to be calculated risks, and he was someone who double-and triple-checked his calculations.'

More importantly than all that, it had style and it made him the man he was, the Marquis de Carabas. The Marquis de Carabas is recovering rather nicely from a terminally bad case of death and the one thing he really, really wants? Is his beautiful coat back.Īnd it was truly beautiful, remarkable and completely unique, unusual pockets, some of which even he couldn't find every time he looked, magnificent sleeves, an imposing collar and made of leather the colour of a wet street at midnight.