- Golden Son (Red Rising Series)

"Golden Son" is a breathtaking rollercoaster of political intrigue, betrayal, and epic battles that leaves readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Pierce Brown masterfully continues the saga he began in "Red Rising," delivering a sequel that surpasses its predecessor in every aspect. From the very first page, Brown plunges readers back into the dangerous world of Darrow, the Red-turned-Gold rebel determined to dismantle the oppressive Society from within. The stakes are higher, the risks greater, and the consequences more dire than ever before. As Darrow navigates the treacherous waters of Gold society, he is forced to confront his own morality, making impossible choices that blur the lines between hero and villain. One of the most captivating aspects of "Golden Son" is its richly developed cast of characters. Brown expertly crafts a diverse array of personalities, each with their own motivations, flaws, and secrets. From the cunning schemer Victra to the conflicted nobleman Cassius, every character feels multi-dimensional and utterly compelling. And at the center of it all is Darrow himself, a flawed but fiercely determined protagonist whose journey of self-discovery is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. But "Golden Son" is more than just a character-driven narrative; it's also a masterclass in world-building. Brown's vision of a future society divided by color-coded castes is as fascinating as it is horrifying, with each new detail adding depth and complexity to the world he has created. Whether it's the opulent halls of the Golds or the desolate mines of the Reds, every corner of Brown's universe feels vividly real, immersing readers in a world that is as beautiful as it is brutal. Of course, no discussion of "Golden Son" would be complete without mentioning its pulse-pounding action sequences. Brown has a knack for writing heart-stopping battles that are as intense as they are cinematic. Whether it's a harrowing space battle or a desperate fight for survival on the surface of Mars, each action scene is meticulously choreographed and expertly paced, keeping readers glued to the page until the very end. But perhaps what sets "Golden Son" apart from other sci-fi epics is its exploration of timeless themes such as power, loyalty, and sacrifice. At its core, the novel is a meditation on the nature of revolution and the price of freedom. As Darrow struggles to balance his desire for revenge with his duty to his cause, readers are forced to confront their own beliefs about right and wrong, good and evil. In conclusion, "Golden Son" is a tour de force of science fiction storytelling that deserves every bit of its five-star rating. With its unforgettable characters, immersive world-building, and pulse-pounding action, it's a sequel that not only lives up to the hype but surpasses it in every way. Whether you're a fan of the genre or simply looking for a gripping read that will keep you up long past your bedtime, "Golden Son" is not to be missed.

**Will contain spoilers in my review. I need to get as much down so when the last book comes out next year I remember enough of the pertinent details, not that I actually think I could forget anything about this book but just in case :)** I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SERIES TO EVERY SINGLE READER I KNOW! As a matter of fact I'm going on Amazon to buy these two books in hardcover so I can have them on my shelves... so very exciting! Very rarely do I come across a book (or book series) that seriously keeps me up at night. Rarely do I come across a book that give me continuous dreams. Rarely do I wake up thinking of characters and plots several days after finishing the book. Rarely do I take so long to think of exactly WHAT I want to put in my review because every little thing is super important. But when I do? I know I've struck literary Gold (no pun intended). There was really only one thing I didn't absolutely love about this book. One thing, but yet I found myself coming up with excuses / reasons why it was totally acceptable. The book is first person, Darrow's point of view, so therefore it is acceptable for us to believe that we will see and know all Darrow see's and knows. There are a few instances of us finding something out with the rest of the characters instead of knowing ahead of time. One I could almost excuse, the training, it happens between the books, in the time that is only remembered but not shown. There is a lot that happens between the Institute and the Academy and we are only briefly told of what happened in that down time. So, I can almost excuse the MASSIVE item of the training by Lorn (Rage Knight)... almost. But thing that are happening as we're reading? Tracking Aja, etc, those are things we should know with him, not as it happens to others around us. Now, with that being said. Holy Moly, what a book. To compare this to other existing dystopian books is to compare a cat to a dog, sure they're both living, sure they both do most of the same things but they are totally different species. Golden Son continues Darrow's journey from a Red or slave of society to one of the elite Golds and boy does he become an elite Gold. The total loyalty or utter contempt he draws from everyone around him exceeds anything else I've ever read. The web's he's weaving to break the Society from the inside are masterful and so well thought out they almost seem reckless when put into action. But Fate favors the bold and if nothing else Darrow is Bold. Darrow is slowly going crazy with a. his guilt about loving Mustang, who is CLEARLY the exact opposite of EO b. betraying his friends, which ultimately he's going to have to do c. lying to so many people to maintain his facade d. not knowing what's going on with The Sons of Aries since it's been years since anyone has contacted him e. the thought that he'd have to betray the Sons if he wants to continue on HIS mission, which now seems far away from the group as run by Harmony and so many others. When the story comes back Darrow is in league to win at the Academy, which is yet again another testing ground for these Golds to prove themselves to the Society. Darrow is once again plotted against by people in power and continues to shine but in the end loses because he is beaten, both in the game and physically after the game by the Bellonas. They win by means of cheating which is something that is acceptable to the Golds as a Society but not to Darrow. He wins favor back by quite literally starting a Civil War when he exposes a plot by the Sovereign to exterminate the ArchGovernon and his entire staff at a Gala. AFter foiling that plan and starting a war with the Bellona's AND the Sovereign he finds new ally's in his friends and their extended families. In doing this he further alienates some key friends from the Institute which will ultimately be his demise. Darrow FINALLY declares his love for Mustang and he trusts her to show her his true past and humble beginnings. We're still not sure how Mustang reacts as she walks away from Darrow in the end and we don't see her. We're left wondering if she is the one who betrays him to her brother the Jackal or if it's someone else. I'm honestly hoping and praying it's someone else because Virginia truly seems like a worthy Gold to rule with her sense of kindness and loyalty. Although, I think now we're seeing how far that kindness and loyalty will go now that she knows Darrow was/is a lowly Red only disguised as a Gold. Fitchner / Sevro / Aries. Can we say goryhell, what was THAT!?!? I LOVE that Fitchner was Aries. His story was heartbreaking and truly touching. The fact that Sevro is TRULY a Son of Aries and a mixbreed? I wonder how many others there are! How exciting! I was left with all kinds of questions in relation to this though. I'm wondering how the colors came about and such. It is mentioned that when humans went to the Moon and Mars they were genetically motified to create the color scheme. I'm assuming some pretty strong ass genetic modifying would be involved to turn someone Pink or Violet, etc and also to modify the reproductive systems so there could be no breeding between colors. This is a leap of faith for me, that whole sci-fi thing I struggle with because it's outside my realm of reality, but I'm working on it. So... in order for the colors to breed you have to go to a carver and have them modify the reproductive systems to they woman can handle the mixed breeding... very interesting... also very interesting that this is apparently happening all over the planets but the Society is killing anyone who does it, the modification, or the actually trying. The fact that Sevro is a TRUE mixed breed is what is most awesome. My only fear is that people (higher levels) look down on Sevro because he is not a high bred Gold, so that part of society will never respect him enough to follow him. The lowColors will look to him as if he's a hero, the perfect example of the strength of Gold and the mix of a lowColor. It's quite the web we have going on here. Quite interesting. Now, very end... I'm wondering like crazy if Jackal KNEW Fitchner was Ares... I'm hoping he doesn't. I'm hoping that he just killed him because he was a traitor to the Sovereign and he's trying to gain the Sovereign's trust and the ArchGovernor-ship of Mars. But the now knowing is KILLING ME! The Jakal... what a well written villain. Convincing, malicious, intent, spoiled, psychotic, the list goes on and on... I'm wondering if he has Mustang somewhere... I'm wondering if Mustang went to him about Darrow, I'm wondering how the hell he found out about Darrow. I have to go back and re-read the last few pages after the betrayal and capture but he says Darrow someone led to his own demise or something of the sort... I know Rogue has suspected him from the beginning, that part has been obvious since the Institute AND Serve told Darrow he couldn't never tell Rogue or Thistle because they were to entrenched in their own importance and Society... turns out he was exactly right because both of them showed their loyalty to status quo, smart Serve... love him. Lorn... aw Lorn, what a sad damn story. I admired the old man, even if he was entrenched in the Gold way of thinking. I admired his gumption and thought his death unworthy of his life. And Lilith killing him... so not good. She wasn't' worthy of that death. Victra also, I really enjoyed her, and her crawling to Darrow in the end seriously just about broke my damn heart. But Rogue, oh Rogue, there is a special place in hell for people like him, Jackal, you expect betrayal, Rogue was terrible. Ragnar! God I loved that character. He utmost FEAR of freedom was truly heartbreaking. I'm waiting for so much more to come from him. I hope he's safe somewhere and gets together with Sevro and Mustang to rescue Darrow from the Sovereigns nasty grips. When Darrow went home to his mother, wow... so so significant. His mother knowing him right away warmed my heart. Her conditions turned right around and broke it. But her explanation of women and how Darrow needs that, how Women are the ones who create objects, etc is going to be key in the next book I hope because seriously... Mustang has to come back and save him... she has to. It's her who's meant to rule, I just know it. I'm quite literally going to be sitting here waiting for the next book and stalking Pierce on every piece of social media he has to try and figure out just that for the next year... I'm so not kidding... I was ever do worried by the fact that Cassius said the Sovereign wanted Darrow alive so they could dissect him... oh so worried by that. Someone please come in and save Darrow from this... I don't want to watch him be tortured, so not what I want book three to start out as. I'm thinking of rereading this series again, slower and for more detail now that I THINK I have the jest of it. It will most definitely be re-read prior to the third book coming out in January. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SERIES TO EVERY SINGLE READER I KNOW! As a matter of fact I'm going on Amazon to buy these two books in hardcover so I can have them on my shelves... so very exciting!

"Golden Son" by Pierce Brown is a phenomenal follow-up to Red Rising and solidifies this trilogy as one of the most intense, emotionally charged sci-fi sagas I’ve read. We return to the brutal world of the Society with Darrow at the helm, navigating politics, war, and the ghosts of his past. His quest to avenge his wife’s death takes him across the solar system, and nothing is ever simple. This book is a rollercoaster of loyalty, betrayal, heartbreak, and shocking twists. Brown doesn’t pull punches, and the emotional stakes are as high as the body count. The ending? Jaw. On. The. Floor. I had to sit in stunned silence for a good minute before I could even process what happened. It’s that kind of cliffhanger. My only critique is that the pacing occasionally drags—mostly during Darrow’s frequent bouts of self-loathing and fear of rejection. It adds depth to his character, but at times it felt repetitive and slowed the momentum. On a brighter note, Sevro continues to be the MVP of this series. Unapologetically savage, hilarious, and loyal to a fault—he steals every scene he's in. I will always be on Team Sevro. If you enjoyed Red Rising, Golden Son raises the stakes in every way. I can’t wait to dive into Morning Star.

I had some misgivings about the first book, Red Rising ... but by the time you reach the end of the second installment, Golden Son, your jaw is on the floor, your fists are clenching in frustration (for the characters, that is, not because of the quality), and you're eagerly and painfully anticipating the final chapter in January of next year (NEXT YEAR?? WHY!!!). First, the bad. As before, the author does not handle elements of hard sci-fi very well. This story expands outward into a wider universe than Red Rising did; the characters visit Europa, for example (that would be Jupiter's ice moon, one of the 4 giants). Now, Europa is quite a distance away from the sun, and is shadowed by, you know, the second largest mass in the solar system. In addition, Europa doesn't have much of an atmosphere, and even if it did, I'm not sure it has an ionosphere. Basically, in this book, Europa is somehow transformed into a water world where people can stand out in the open without freezing to death. Terraforming is one thing ... but you can't make a planet have tectonic activity. And without tectonic activiy, you can't have an ionosphere. And without one of those, oops, you're dead from exotic forms of radiation and x-rays. Same thing happens on Luna (Earth's moon). It's dead! How in the holy hell does it have warmth and an atmosphere?? These are the biggest greivances I have, by the way, along with various other recurring believability problems. Anyway, what the author lacks in hard sci-fi, he makes up for in a superb ability to tell a story. This is a guy who could probably make a fishing expedition in Wisconsin sound like a JRR Tolkien level adventure. I may be exaggerating slightly, but you get the point: you can overlook any short-comings he makes in writing a technically sound novel by getting swept up in one hell of an entertaining story. There are twists and turns, and the ending to this book (NO SPOILERS) is ... well, let's say it will leave you throwing your book to the ground in frustration (unless you're reading this after 01-06-2016, you lucky jerk). The author also managed to create a bizarre hybrid genre that combines elements of medieval-style adventure tales with the grandness of sci-fi, the glory and symbolism of ancient Rome and Greece, and the intrigue and twists and turns of a crime noir. This is not a book I would typically like, but this author manages to tie together a lot of disparate elements into something that, while a bit on the messy side, is nonetheless entirely engrossing. This is the most into a book I've been in a while. Make sure you read Red Rising first, and then this book will leave you desperate for Morning Star. For those wondering how this book is as a follow-up to Red Rising, it's quite good. The beginning to the book is a bit rough and scattered, but ultimately about a half-dozen chapters in, things hit their stride, and you get swept up in the events just as before. The author is excellent at pacing and creating nail-biting intrigue. And we get to see Darrow, our hero, return to the place of his origin and get some closure, but not in the way you expect ... which was oddly satisfying and rather mature.

I purchased the author’s first book and couldn’t put it down. It was like Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars. I couldn’t get his second book delivered quick enough. The Golden Son was even better than Red Rising. The ending was a cliffhanger and you wonder how the main character will come out of all that has happened. If you want a story that keeps you up late at night, trying to keep your eyes open just so you can find out what happens, then these books are for you. It’s been a long time since I found a series of books that I cannot put down. Pierce Brown has created a world and characters that you become a part of. Excellent work!

This reread completely changed my experience. The first time through, I struggled to keep track of the names and political threads, but revisiting it allowed me to fully appreciate the emotional depth Pierce Brown brings to his characters—especially Darrow. He feels everything deeply, and that vulnerability is what makes this story so powerful. At its heart, Golden Son is about love in all its imperfect forms: friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, and the cost of power and pride. The relationships forged here stayed with me long after finishing. While the series is heavy on sci-fi, war, and politics, the human emotion grounding it all makes the story feel raw and meaningful. There is one behind-closed-doors scene, but the reader is not present, and intimacy is never the focus. Any sexual content is minimal, off-page, and serves character development rather than shock value. Readers should note brief crude comments and referenced sexual assault. Emotionally intense, challenging, and deeply rewarding—this installment cemented why this series continues to resonate with me.

Right. SO . . . after finishing Golden Son did I: A. Shriek incomprehensibly. Over and over (and over) again. B. Sit in a semi-comatose state staring at NOTHING for an indefinite period of time. C. Explain (in detail) to my poor mother (whom I was visiting) EXACTLY what my problem was, despite her having never read either book from this series, and thus being unable to understand what I was ranting about. (That was a rhetorical question. Obviously, I did them ALL.) Pierce Brown, (handsome) devil that he is, lured us in a false sense of security in Red Rising. He taught us that, yes, Bad Things would happen---LOTS of Bad Things would happen---but by the end, we'd have found our feet. We'd know that there was more coming---and HOORAY for that---but the individual installment would be resolved.<------LIES. But there is far more to Golden Son then it's epic cliffhanger of DOOM. In fact, if it weren't for a few minor issues, I'd say it was even better than Red Rising, which tied for first place on my Best Books of 2014 list. Golden Son continues to reveal the complexity of Darrow's situation---a Red who is a Gold/a Gold who is a Red. What Darrow originally imagined as a simple infiltration and sabotage has become infinitely more complicated, and where his hard-learned lessons from Red Rising were painful, his mistakes in this newest installment are downright agonizing. He makes those mistakes in both his personal and professional life, while you are forced to watch helplessly. You watch helplessly as Darrow enters into an alliance with Augustus, and visions of "curse your sudden, but inevitable betryal!" dance through your head. You watch helplessly as Darrow continually keeps his friends at a distance, even as he acknowledges the potentially irreparable damage to the relationships. You watch helplessly as the chaos of battle ensues, knowing something . . . something terrible . . . is about to happen. And yet, once again, Brown was able to offset the trepidation and horror he made you carry along like travel companions with both well-placed hilarity, like Kavax au Telemanus, who feeds his pet fox jellybeans, and also with fascinating new details about the caste system Darrow is trying to overthrow, like a branch of Obsidians referred to as Stained. So it was fantastic. Golden Son will probably be my favorite book in 2015. BUT. While Brown's ability to paint truly vivid pictures, and to elicit real emotions remains uncompromised, several details were still unclear to me by the end of book. The Ash Lord. I did a word search in both books and found that, yes, he had been mentioned briefly in Red Rising as having nuked the world of Rhea into oblivion, and as being the minion of Octavia au Lune, the Sovereign Consul. Various mentions are made to his burning and pillaging in Golden Son as well, but always in a seemingly offhand way so that I never really grasped what was supposed to be so terrifying about the man. Yes, cerebrally I can comprehend that destroying an entire planet is a terrible thing, but I need meaningful details for something to matter, and in reference to the Ash Lord, there were none. Then again, watching Alderaan get blown to bits never made much of dent either, so maybe I'm a sociopath. *shrugs* BUT. Yes, I was fascinated by them, but I was never satisfied with introduction of the Stained. As far as we've been told, there are two kinds of Reds---underground slaves like Darrow, and those who live above ground and work as menial laborers. The distinction may or may not be arbitray (I have suspicions, but that's for another time). There are also several types of Golds, but the separations are self-imposed and based on achievement, or lack thereof, and are explained as such. If there are deviations within the other colors, we have yet to learn of them. And yet, the Stained, a subdivision of Obsidians, are tossed at us as elite bodyguards without explanation. Elite bodyguards, who like the Ash Lord, inspire fear with only the mention of their name. In the first half of the book, they are an almost constant background presence . . . in the retinue of some Gold or another . . . making everyone inexplicably nervous . . . and then we find out why: Ragnar Volarus. Ragnar Volarus, "a dread creature stitched from shadow and muscle and armor, " and who is, incidentally, one of my new favorite characters. If there are any Wheel of Time fans out there, Ragnar reminded me a lot of that honkin' myrddraal, Shaidar Haran. For the rest of you, that means he's a Stained to make even other Stained quake with fear, who also seems capable of intelligent and independent thought, unlike other Obsidians and Stained who simply follow orders. But regardless, we never learn the reason for the divide between Obsidian and Stained, and while that may seem a small thing, for an OCD reader (like myself), every, single time I read the word "Stained" on a page, and every, single time Ragnar was present, in the not-so-back of my mind, I was screaming, "Why? Why, why, whyyyyyy?" It was a consistent distraction. And I'm not going to harp on it, b/c nobody else (that I talked to) even picked up on it, but the scenario where we first met Ragnar . . . It (to me) bared a striking similarity to a certain memorable scene in Star Trek Into Darkness. (view spoiler) But all of those are piddly complaints. The only reason they warrant mentioning at all (except the Star Trek thing, b/c that really bugged me), is b/c they are the reason I'm giving Golden Son 4.5 stars instead of 5.0, when I thought the story and writing were even more compelling than in Red Rising, which I did give 5.0 stars. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Bottom line: Read it, read it NOW.

After finishing Red Rising, I had high expectations for Golden Son. After finishing it I can safely say it was a good read. However it did drag in the beginning for me and suffered slightly from second book syndrome. It was an absolutely necessary transition book to the epicness of Morning Star, but still a bit slow for the first 30% or so. I will admit I had a hard time jumping back into it! The book picks up with Darrow leading a fleet of ships against Karnus au Bellona, Cassius’ brother. The setting, the terminology, the names- it was a lot to take in at once. Once I got used to it, the story picked up quickly. Darrow is a different character in Golden Son. He hasn’t heard from the Sons of Ares in months, and he loses sight of his mission. How can one person change the fate of an entire world? He also has a hard time letting his friends in which causes him some serious grief later in the book- although you will be relieved to know he does open up to a few! Once I was fully immersed back in Darrow’s world I was happy to see familiar faces- Roque, Tactus, Cassius, Mustang and Sevro. While not all of them were on Darrow’s side (Cassius is still verrrrry angry if you were wondering), they all have their important parts to play. Also, Sevro is my favorite little Howler in the series. He is as crazy as ever. We are also introduced to some new (and some of my favorite!) characters. Victra, Antonia’s sister, has kind of a tough-love attitude but ends up being a very loyal companion to Darrow. We also meet Ragnar, an Obsidian, who is one of my favorite characters in the series! I don’t want to speak too much to the plot, but know that it is incredibly intricate, smart and sets the tone nicely for the third book. It is filled with action-packed scenes and clever battle tactics. Darrow also continues to be the luckiest character in the world and he escapes from some pretty ridiculous situations. However, Darrow does face some challenges throughout the story. He finally learns what Eo told her sister before she died, he deals with the weight of his secret as he learns to love some of the Golds as his own family when they were previously the enemy, and he deals with betrayal that hits a little too close to home. Darrow is an extremely complex character and this book really highlights how much he has changed from a quiet, hard-working Red to a Peerless Scarred that wants to change the structure and political climate of his entire world. The story itself has a very different feel than Red Rising. Darrow now out in the real world and his actions have direct repercussions on the world he lives in. He also finally learns more about the organization that originally recruited him in the first place, the Sons of Ares. While this story literally has nonstop action, a huge part of this book is Darrow reconciling the mission he thought was important with the one he is now realizing- living in a world where Reds, Golds, Pinks, Obsidians ,etc. can all live together. If you loved Red Rising then you will be excited to continue on this incredibly complex and amazing story with Golden Son. Also, THAT ENDING. I immediately picked up Morning Star and started reading. While it was a little slow to get started, this is an incredible series and this book on further displays Pierce Brown’s massive talent. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Golden Son ist ein außergewöhnlich starkes Buch, das die Geschichte aus dem ersten Teil nicht nur fortführt, sondern auf ein ganz neues Level hebt. Für mich war es durchgehend spannend, voller Intrigen, überraschender Wendungen und extrem gut inszenierter Plot-Twists, die einen wirklich immer wieder kalt erwischen. Was die Geschichte zusätzlich so stark macht, ist die enorme Komplexität des Hauptcharakters. Seine Zerrissenheit zwischen seiner Herkunft als Red und seinen Verbindungen zu den Golds ist unglaublich gut ausgearbeitet. Dieses ständige Balancieren zwischen Identitäten gibt der Handlung eine starke Tiefe. Freue mich auf das nächste Buch der Reihe!

Good book

Even better than the first one and the first book is a 10/10.

Great book but came a bit damaged which is bit disappointing. Still highly recommend

This is just like the other books of the series, fast, immersive and epic.