I don't think I was entirely clear in my previous posts, so I'll try to clarify.
When writing fiction it is very hard to come up with something entirely original, because there is so much fiction (and non-fiction for that matter) that has been written that the chances of repeating an idea are very high. That's fine. I'm cool with that, because different authors tend to put a new spin on old ideas. Everybody has the opportunity to tell the story the way he or she wants, and that generally includes a unique perspective on an old trope. I love reading a story that is based on an old idea that I have seen in other places and does something totally new and exciting to it.
My problem with this particular story is that it's not reusing an old idea for a new story, it's telling
the exact same story in a slightly different setting. Yes, the setting was pretty cool and I would like to see more stories in that world, but the story itself was nothing to write home about. It's basically a complicated
regex that replaces the setting in an old story. Aside from the great worldbuilding, we see no sign of the author's writing talent. Plot, characters, dialog... all exactly the same.
Don't get me wrong, we rarely get to see such great worldbuilding, and Saladin Ahmed rarely disappoints there, but it just wasn't enough to save an otherwise mediocre story. Mind you, it's only mediocre because it's the exact reproduction of other stories. I fully admit that if this is the first story like this that you've encountered it's great. And if you enjoyed this story, you might want to pick up a copy of
The Alchemist, because I really loved that one.