At World Fantasy, they give you a ton of books. I had brought one with me (Ken Scholes’ Canticle) which I finished there. I also bought a new book, Ekaterina Sedia’s “The Alchemy of Stone.” Besides an art book (and art) by John Picacio, and a collection by my friend Tobias Buckell, that’s all I bought (Oh, and some jewelry by Willow). I just finished The Alchemy of Stone.
I found it beautifully written, and slightly disturbing in the way that excellent fiction or poetry should be disturbing. The city in the book is haunting and always a bit distant, as if it is seen through the a gauze, an every city of magic caught in a time of wrenching change. Characters include alchemists, gargoyles, men of science, and most importantly, the woman Mattie, a being created of gear and wood and whalebone with a heart that must be wound.
This was not a fast read for me; it took a week. It falls in the category of books I can put down when I need to do something else, but which I look forward to returning to. The feel and the tone are pure fantasy, and I had to let go of a need to understand everything in order to enjoy the book. I did end up very happy with it, and I recommend it highly.  Note that it is often referred to as steampunk, and I suppose that at its core it is steampunk.  But to call it that would be to put it into a bottle, and it feels broader and bigger.
The cover, by the way, is haunting.