kris10_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
dawneelisabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
5.0
smmarshall221's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Child abuse
jamreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mattnauwelaers's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing how addictive these books are every time and how the writing talent of Brown keeps on growing with each instalment
alle_kat97's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
pollyno9's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
sathyadgs95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Fifth novel in the ‘Red Rising’ series of science fiction books. A story of conflict in the solar system of the far future, when it’s all modeled on ancient Rome. This is not a jumping on point. New readers should start with Red Rising. Regular readers, read on. This book runs for seven hundred and fifty two pages. It has four parts and is further divided into ninety six chapters.
It does not end the story. There’s clearly more to come.
There’s copious violence, some adult moments, and a handful of bits of strong language. So it’s just for the grown ups.
There is a cast of characters at the front. And a map of one key location.
Picking up from the end of the last book, Darrow is now an outlaw. And is at the center of conflict on Mercury. Can he win again, or is his time done?
This is a middle book. And then some. Letting things happen. Setting a lot more up. But it serves no more purpose than that.
In addition to Darrow, there are four other viewpoint characters. It will tell you at the start of each chapter who it is in the one you are reading.
Everyone narrates in first person present tense.
I can see what this is trying to do. It’s cool to be epic, which it has to be in showing the sheer scope of the narrative. But you can get a little too epic for your own good. Which this alas is guilty of.
The big problem is the prose. And the print. All the viewpoint characters do talk and think in the same way, so if not for the name at the start of each chapter, you could easily get confused as to whose chapter it is. I actually did on one occasion.
The way it’s all written, the present tense and lots of short descriptive sentences, coupled with small print size, means this becomes a complete slog at points. The prose really didn’t hold me at all, and I had to take it very slowly to try and make it keep my attention. But that was a chore at times, not a pleasure.
When the focus is on Darrow, it’s okay. The first part does actually come very close to clicking towards it’s end.
But then he rather vanishes from the tale in the middle. Far too much time is given over to two other characters, whose stories don’t really go as far as you would hope and seem like diversions from the central story at times, so it’s easy to lose your focus there.
It does slightly come back together in the final part where all plot points do converge and some things develop. But that’s where the middle book problem comes in. Because all this has done is be grim gritty and depressing for hundreds of pages, and leave so much up in the air.
There are a few too many miraculous bits of tech just happening to come into play at key points, as well.
As seems to be a common problem these days, you really wonder how much editing was done on this. If at all.
Just gets two stars because of it’s ambition and occasional moments of clicking, but I am afraid this series has rather lost it’s way for me. I will consider reading any future one, but it needs to be a bit shorter and much less indulgent to make me want to.
It does not end the story. There’s clearly more to come.
There’s copious violence, some adult moments, and a handful of bits of strong language. So it’s just for the grown ups.
There is a cast of characters at the front. And a map of one key location.
Picking up from the end of the last book, Darrow is now an outlaw. And is at the center of conflict on Mercury. Can he win again, or is his time done?
This is a middle book. And then some. Letting things happen. Setting a lot more up. But it serves no more purpose than that.
In addition to Darrow, there are four other viewpoint characters. It will tell you at the start of each chapter who it is in the one you are reading.
Everyone narrates in first person present tense.
I can see what this is trying to do. It’s cool to be epic, which it has to be in showing the sheer scope of the narrative. But you can get a little too epic for your own good. Which this alas is guilty of.
The big problem is the prose. And the print. All the viewpoint characters do talk and think in the same way, so if not for the name at the start of each chapter, you could easily get confused as to whose chapter it is. I actually did on one occasion.
The way it’s all written, the present tense and lots of short descriptive sentences, coupled with small print size, means this becomes a complete slog at points. The prose really didn’t hold me at all, and I had to take it very slowly to try and make it keep my attention. But that was a chore at times, not a pleasure.
When the focus is on Darrow, it’s okay. The first part does actually come very close to clicking towards it’s end.
But then he rather vanishes from the tale in the middle. Far too much time is given over to two other characters, whose stories don’t really go as far as you would hope and seem like diversions from the central story at times, so it’s easy to lose your focus there.
It does slightly come back together in the final part where all plot points do converge and some things develop. But that’s where the middle book problem comes in. Because all this has done is be grim gritty and depressing for hundreds of pages, and leave so much up in the air.
There are a few too many miraculous bits of tech just happening to come into play at key points, as well.
As seems to be a common problem these days, you really wonder how much editing was done on this. If at all.
Just gets two stars because of it’s ambition and occasional moments of clicking, but I am afraid this series has rather lost it’s way for me. I will consider reading any future one, but it needs to be a bit shorter and much less indulgent to make me want to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
onionaitor's review against another edition
4.0
I'M A LIL EMO. Catching up with the series has me feeling so conflicted, I don't want to wait for the last book!!
I'm giving Dark Age the lowest rating personally in the series so far. It had a bit of a lull in the middle sections of the book, but Dark Age was a lot of building up to the finale. A lot of our many characters finally coming together. A huge amount of conflict with hardly any resolution. Also, a million evil forces, how we're meant to juggle all of them, I don't know. At a whopping 700 pages, this was a big ole boy to get through. I am both sad to see it end, and excited to finally see how this story will finish. To future Ashley, remember to make an In memoriam on my last review for all the characters I've loved and lost. Also
I'm giving Dark Age the lowest rating personally in the series so far. It had a bit of a lull in the middle sections of the book, but Dark Age was a lot of building up to the finale. A lot of our many characters finally coming together. A huge amount of conflict with hardly any resolution. Also, a million evil forces, how we're meant to juggle all of them, I don't know. At a whopping 700 pages, this was a big ole boy to get through. I am both sad to see it end, and excited to finally see how this story will finish. To future Ashley, remember to make an In memoriam on my last review for all the characters I've loved and lost. Also
Spoiler
Cassius is ALIVE I KNEW IT.romanrose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0