I almost DNFed The Scar because “puissant” was being dropped so often that it was breaking my immersion. I did end up finishing it, and it’s easily the best novel of the trilogy, but Mieville’s tendency to repeatedly abuse very specific archaic words rather than using them in moderation really diminishes their effect in the long run.

Queequeg is described as dark purplish yellow with black tattoos all over his face (he is pretty clearly Polynesian or Maori right from the get go).

There IS a West African Harpooneer in the book as well (Daggoo) who is clearly described as such.

Toronto and Hamilton (as you would appear to be in Brampton, so both are a shortish drive or go-bus/train trip away) both have a number of absolutely excellent used bookstores, who tend to sell at half the msrp of a book, and often even less.