murrayscottferguson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: War, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Kidnapping
haley49's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, War, Sexual violence, Death, Murder, Child death, Cursing, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery, Colonisation, Trafficking, Blood, Body horror, Vomit, Child abuse, Genocide, Torture, Classism, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Minor: Cannibalism and Rape
ohyeah_karyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Murder, Suicide, Slavery, Classism, Death of parent, Body horror, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and War
praaliine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spoiler
i really love how Darrow, as hot headed as he was (rightfully so), remained self aware through it all, he’s broken, confused, (stupid)ly brave and gets ahead of himself way too much, yet he realizes this and isn’t afraid to say so.Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Medical trauma, and Vomit
Minor: Alcohol
luxxltyd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, War, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Grief, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Child death and Sexual content
theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Cursing, Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Torture, Child death, Classism, Grief, Medical content, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Abandonment, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Trafficking, War, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Rape, Hate crime, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Colonisation, Excrement, and Genocide
rubyroses's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Unlike the first novel in the series (Red Rising) which focused on a Hunger Games inspired battle arena this novel expands into a galactic civil war. If you enjoyed Enders Game but would have liked more violence this is for you. Not to mention the amount of twist and turns you will never see coming is chefs kiss.
Pierce Brown does well to make even the characters who are evil seem compassionate. In return he also makes the characters you believe to be good grotesquely dark and twisted. In this book you’ll never know who is going to stab Darrow in the back or be his saviour.
Spoiler
But… at least you can always put your faith in Darrow & Servo. Darrow is a man born Red & made Gold but Servo… Servo is a man of two colours. If anything bad happens to Servo in this series I will throw a fit.Graphic: Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic friendship, War, Blood, Kidnapping, Racism, and Child death
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Cannibalism
joshoonet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- I had a bit if a hard time getting into this book, mostly because the feeling of having to read another ~1200 pages to finish the series was kind of daunting
- But then I ended up finishing the majority of the book in one day, so it was absolutely captivating!
- Almost as good as the first one, but of course higher stakes and more complicated politics
- Lost focus a bit during the big fighting bits
- Love how nothing is ever quite how it seems, everyone is scheming all the time
- Starting the third book immediately!
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, War, Gun violence, Classism, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Cursing, Murder, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse, Genocide, Torture, and Excrement
War and pretty much all the violent and gory stuff:Spoiler
well, there's war breaking out. A shit ton of people die in quick or gruesome ways, sometimes it's described in detail, sometimes not.Spoiler
a couple of times someone has to vomit after experiencing a lot of physical turbulence aka being jiggled around. It's gross, but not overly graphic.Spoiler
a child is getting kidnapped by the main characters for a short amount of time. It doesn't get harmed and doesn't seem terribly disturbed by the while thing.bibliorama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ah the part where shit hits the fan. My favorite!
Also I'd like to preface this by saying the terror that these Golds cause, while entertaining to me in book form, does not mean I want real life politics to emulate it in the slightest (even though I think sometimes it does to our detriment).
Start - 4.5
Once the book gets going, it doesn't stop. It's full steam ahead.
Characters - 5
Faves are still my faves (Sevro and Virginia looking straight at you). Though some new dynamics were introduced that by the end caused some major heartbreak and backstabbyness.
These are some of the most chaotic characters I have ever read, like every intrusive thought wins out. The theatrics of this book are also top tier and its politics are such a show. This book has one of my all-time favorite scenes being where Darrow challenges Cassius to a duel in the most dramatic fashion. It serves a political purpose while also being satisfying to see a character not half ass anything, he just takes it there.
Best quote: “My honour has been pissed upon. And I demand satisfaction.”
Atmosphere - 5
We get a lot more of the world in this book and more of the Sci Fi elements which were fun.
Plot - 4
Again, is it plot or is it vibes? It's very much just characters doing the absolute most and then having to deal with the consequences of their own actions. This creates a fascinating journey to watch go down, and man that ending was . . . the worst in the best way.
Ending - 5
Everything culminates to that ending and I'm not entirely sure how Darrow gets himself out of this one. There are betrayals where some I could see coming, but they still hurt. The characters are the stars of the show being complex, messy, and endearing.
Spoiler
and dammit I second guessed Virginia again. She's my literal fave and yet there's the feeling that her and Darrow are going to have a tragic end.Style - 3
Writing is good, it has to be for me to connect as much as I did to the characters.
Overall - 4.5
After finishing this review, I want to go pick up the third one now. I've waited long enough.
Graphic: Gore, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Classism