The Grand Dark is a grim dark narrative set in a city that’s barely hanging on after war. It’s a military state that keeps people in just as much as it keeps others out. To escape from the reality of their situation, many turn to drugs and sexual frivolity or the arts. People do what they can to get by, taking any job that they can and walking on eggshells around law enforcement.

Largo is a bike messenger that has no real aspirations. His girlfriend is perfect and he flies under the radar. He’s comfortable in his life, but life doesn’t just stagnate no matter what you do; Especially in a city such as Proszawa. Kadrey takes time realizing the city and with the pacing of the story, you’d be forgiven for not seeing a clear plotline until over halfway through. This slow build allows the reality of Proszawa to settle into the reader, though the anticipation for an inciting act to get Largo going is stretched a bit too thin. Learning about the Iron Dandies (disfigured veterans that wear masks) and the Nachtvogel (secret government police) really sold the dark, desperate world that the characters live in. Largo and Remy’s relationship is the light that keeps that darkness from being too oppressive, though the lack of a drive for their light to push back said darkness is too prolonged for my liking. Once it does get going, it does at a somewhat faster pace than expected.

As we learn more about the city, we grow accustomed to the way things are. The oppressive government, the mistreatment of citizens and Largo’s lifestyle become familiar ground. When he’s offered a promotion as long as he doesn’t ask questions, he complies so he can make a better life for him and Remy. You can’t fault him, but the intrigue of what types of packages garner his higher paycheck is immediately intriguing. His coworkers, some he may even call friends, ask about his new duties and he deftly evades them. It feels like he’s isolating himself because he knows there’s something off about what he’s doing. The wait to figure out what’s going on is agonizing, but Remy’s life is also expanded upon during this time.

Remy is an actress at a theatre that uses realistic puppets that the actors control. It’s complicated, and sometimes the actors themselves are puppeteered, somewhat emulating the government’s control over the city. The plays themselves showcase depravity in the form of violence and the sexual deviancy I mentioned before. It’s symbolic of rebellion against the government itself and how they treat their citizens. Her side of the story is immediately more intriguing than Largo’s and it leaves me wondering how it would have progressed if everything had been from her point of view. She and her fellow actors have parties that feature much of the same sexual content as the plays themselves, while also sharing drugs like it’s commonplace, which it is. Her story interweaves with Largo’s seamlessly, but her perspective would be much more interesting as the main viewpoint. He’s content with the way things are, while she has aspirations of becoming a famous actress. While I said their relationship is the light of the story, it’s more Remy is the light to Largo and keeps him from sinking into despair.

There’s another aspect to this setting that’s somewhat on the fringes, but becomes more important as the story goes. There’s industries for Maras (robotic beings built for specific purposes) and chimaera (pet creatures of biological fusions). Maras walk the streets, seamlessly integrated into society as cab drivers, delivery drones and even the police. Not many chimaera are seen throughout the novel as they’re pets for the rich, making me question their inclusion. It’s mostly just another way to show wealth, though they aren’t used enough to justify their presence. Maras help showcase the authoritative hold over the citizens through the government’s control of all industries and taking jobs from low wage individuals. It just makes me wish the chimaera were integrated much more.

The Grand Dark, despite a long introduction, was a story I enjoyed. Largo and Remy were immediately a couple I rooted for. Their coping mechanisms were harmful to them, but I was sympathetic to their desire for escape. The world they live in is unkind and their love story is what kept me going through it. It’s surprising to say that as the story is not necessarily a romance, but it’s definitely the aspect that gripped me the most. Proszawa is a sordid place; torn apart by war and an oppressive government, but still they persevere. At the end of the day, it’s about finding hope and holding onto it, being willing to fight every day for a better tomorrow. If you like stories of perseverance in an unforgiving world, you’ll appreciate The Grand Dark.