Whiskey and Water

Whiskey and Water by Elizabeth Bear
Okay, I actually finished this a while ago, but here are a few quick thoughts:
1. Disclaimer: Did not read the first book in the series yet.
2. There is something about the writing that I especially noticed in the early chapters but can't quite explain. It's like it forces you to read and a slow at measured place, but simultaneously you are being pushed forward and you want to move faster. I don't think it's because you [you meaning I, I suppose] want to move on with the plot and are impeded by the language. I think both impulses are rooted in the language itself. It's like when you stand in the ocean and the bottom layer of water is going out to sea and the top is still going in to shore. Or vice-versa. Is there a name for that kind of tide? I can't make up my mind if I like it [the writing, not the tide]. I'm very, very excited about the next book in the series though.

Bonus: Marlowe plays a much larger part in this book than expected. Why are there so many books involving Marlowe and Faerie, I wonder? I mean, with Hell I think there is an obvious connection. This book has both for the price of one.