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boardslayer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Gore, Racism, and Murder
tblakehudson'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The spoiler review: I really have to admit I was thrown. The entirety of the book I kept having this feeling that each step was a bit predictable knowing what we know. I now see why: the rug was completely pulled out from under us.
The twists revealed in Golden Son really make me want to go back and read the first book and re-analyze the characters there, and I think that’s an achievement in itself. Fitchner as Ares I think is one of my favorite parts of this series, and Sevro foreshadowing Roque so early on in the book I think is a perfect example of hiding in plain sight.
That being said, I do have some small concerns. Throughout the whole book I can’t help but think everything is too easy for Darrow. Maybe that’s the point given the final twist, but still, I feel like there’s basically nothing he can’t do throughout the whole story. I’m curious to see how much of this is due to the Jackal’s influence in the next book. Hopefully it means Darrow was being played the entire time, to give some limitation to his endless achievements. Otherwise, Darrow feels a little too much like he’s trying to be Katniss but is falling more to the shallow profile of Triss in Divergent. By this I mean, even though the author establishes a few other players that should be better than the MC in certain ways (Lorn, Ares, etc.) they’re all dead by the end, so the MC kinda HAS to play the hero instead of developing into it further. I’m optimistic about the next book though and looking forward to reading it.
Graphic: Racism and War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
stephanieluxton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm not going to write a long review for this because it's the second book in the series and if you likd the first one, you'll like this one. I will say that the first book is better. I loved reading about the institute because it was more of a confined setting whereas this book brings us to Darrow trying to navigate the real world - theres a lot more politics in this book which makes sense.
This would have been a 4 star book for me but THE ENDING IS WILD. I was shocked.
I can appreciate that the author doesn't give Darrow too much plot armour. He struggles and doesn't always succeed which is so rare for a main character these days. I don't normally enjoy reading series because they can lose their lustre but I will keep going with this one and I know it'll likely become one of my favorites.
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Slavery
malreadsthebooks's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Kidnapping
rheagoveas'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Blood, and War
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.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
okays1331's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The space battles, the war, the strategy, the politics are all so well written and nail biting. The author does not pull punches. Brown has no problem murdering anyone on the pages making the battles so much more terrifying to read. There are parts where I honestly thought we were going to get a new main character. Still unsure if that might not be the case...
But my favorite part and the part that is so unexpected to me every time is the poignancy of moments where the author takes apart the characters. What is good? What is an acceptable cost? What is redemption? These books are a mirror held up to us to see ourselves and humanity. Some of my favorite moments are moments where Darrow is talking to his friends or his enemies about themselves and the society.
The ending! I am so upset.
Darrow makes a choice in this book to put his trust into the people he cares about gambling that that trust can change people and make them more than they are. It works. It's so beautiful when Sevro embraces him as a Red and as a brother or when Tactus turns back to him in tears when given a second chance or Ragnar chooses his own destiny instead of a life of slavery. Brown sets it up, so I sit in dread every time Darrow chooses to act like a human instead of Gold. But it works again and again and again until I started to truly believe that because of who Darrow is, he can get through to each of them and build a trust so unshakable it can withstand anything. Even when Mustang runs away from his reveal of the truth, I still believed she would come around.
Then Roque betrays him, kills their friends, and tells him they are not brothers because Darrow is a Red. My heart shattered into tiny tiny pieces.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Genocide, Racism, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content and Cannibalism