Yes, definitely agree re: the language and how it doesn't have to do with the themes or the plot. Or if it did, it went over my head...

I had actually forgotten about the opera in Basilisk! I was comparing the snippets to the book in Alphabet of Thorn, which I had the same problems with stylistically (i.e. I wanted it to be in a slightly different style from the rest of the prose) but was absolutely engrossing in terms of plot and relevance.