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wethefoxen's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
3.0
The prose was good, the plotting was slow, and the ending was trite and tacked on.
issa_her's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kramaknome's review against another edition
4.0
The world building was a highlight, giving the city a strong tone and feel, with some strong characters inside. The latter half of the book felt rushed but came to a satisfying conclusion that left me wanting to follow up with the characters.
squaresofliving's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I don't understand why this doesn't have a higher rating. Maybe the audiobook made it more enjoyable? Maybe it's just the fact that I'm a fan of slow books? I really liked this and will read more by Kadrey for sure.
rpych2's review against another edition
4.0
I honestly didn’t expect to like this as much as I did, because the first half of this book really didn’t have a plot. Sure I liked the characters enough, Largo was an interesting main character and Remy was pretty great too, but the book was more about their life of sex and drugs than anything else for a while. Not that I thought that was a bad thing, I was just expecting more things to happen in terms of an actual story with some sort of stakes. But as things started to ramp up it got really interesting and the ending was great. I enjoyed this one very much.
In terms of the characters, I think I liked Largo and Remy both the best because of their love for each other. It was oddly sweet and innocent, despite the fact that they were taking hard drugs and having sex for a lot of the time they were together. I loved the contrast between those two things but how it definitely worked within the world of the story. And what a world that was.
In terms of the characters, I think I liked Largo and Remy both the best because of their love for each other. It was oddly sweet and innocent, despite the fact that they were taking hard drugs and having sex for a lot of the time they were together. I loved the contrast between those two things but how it definitely worked within the world of the story. And what a world that was.
bunnicula_'s review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bethtabler's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this to me in exchange for my open and honest review.
First off, I want to say that Richard Kadrey is the man and hands down one of my favorite authors. The Sandman Slim saga is a story that has made me cheer for the dark antihero, the fallible Slim. It is dark and twisted, and in my opinion, one of the perfect urban fantasy series out there. It has it all, which is why I did backflips when I got approved. The Grand Dark was my most anticipated release of this year so far. That is why it pains me to DNF this at 50%.
The Grand Dark is not a bad book in any stretch of the word. Kadrey is a master worldbuilder. The world he creates here is rich, lusty, and dark. It has vice and wonder, with just a tinge of steampunk. The pervasive drug use and the bisection of classes add a very interesting visual to an already cool world. What made me stop was the pacing. The pacing is slow, plodding. At times it is so slow that I can't find a plot amidst the rich language and description. The intercuts of the story between chapters would have added a great backstory to a faster-paced book, but in this book, it turns things into a slog. I stopped reading it because I was not the right reader for this type of storytelling, but the correct reader is out there. If you like languid storytelling very much in the vein of Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, this is a good fit for you.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, check out my page on beforewegoblog.com
First off, I want to say that Richard Kadrey is the man and hands down one of my favorite authors. The Sandman Slim saga is a story that has made me cheer for the dark antihero, the fallible Slim. It is dark and twisted, and in my opinion, one of the perfect urban fantasy series out there. It has it all, which is why I did backflips when I got approved. The Grand Dark was my most anticipated release of this year so far. That is why it pains me to DNF this at 50%.
The Grand Dark is not a bad book in any stretch of the word. Kadrey is a master worldbuilder. The world he creates here is rich, lusty, and dark. It has vice and wonder, with just a tinge of steampunk. The pervasive drug use and the bisection of classes add a very interesting visual to an already cool world. What made me stop was the pacing. The pacing is slow, plodding. At times it is so slow that I can't find a plot amidst the rich language and description. The intercuts of the story between chapters would have added a great backstory to a faster-paced book, but in this book, it turns things into a slog. I stopped reading it because I was not the right reader for this type of storytelling, but the correct reader is out there. If you like languid storytelling very much in the vein of Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, this is a good fit for you.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, check out my page on beforewegoblog.com
gabrielsmith's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 30%. The world building is interesting - it sets up a great atmosphere but is let down by bad dialogue and a boring protagonist
everlaerian's review against another edition
2.0
This alternative dystopian German-like world had such a good premise and I had such expectations for it. But the story took so long to start. I kept track of how much I was reading and what detail was being given to formulate the plot and all. Can I say I was disappointed in the plot or more so, how it turned out? It also felt a bit underdeveloped especially with the introduction of certain characters. How they were used or discarded. And the ending was disappointing as well. I dont know... Some open doors are fine but the story itself.. it was not perfect, not enough for me to be happy.