A review by weird_but_fucking_beautiful
Golden Son by Pierce Brown

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Would you save the man who killed your wife in order to help topple the social hierarchy structure of your world? 

 

Pierce Brown’s Golden Son, sequel to Red Rising, furthers Red born turned Gold protagonist Darrow Au Andromedus’s quest for social order destruction. Darrow leads a rebellion to overturn the Sovereign and in turn it causes him to question his friends, his past, and most of all his integrity. 

 

When I first read Red Rising I thought the writing to lean more on the young adult spectrum, but Golden Son manages to darken it up to slide , a tiny bit more towards adult. 

Darrow is long gone from the Institute and is initiating the next phase of his plan to topple the hierarchy. Darrow is this tortured soul who revels in his pain. At this point in the series I don’t feel he could ever allow himself to be truly happy. Granted he is harboring a major secret that could result in his death if revealed, and has to play it safe. I just found it difficult to engage with his character. I felt indifference to his cause and whether he lives or dies. His character did not have an effect onme as being the leader of a revolution. The Sovereign felt like a cookie cutter cartoon character that laughs maniacally as she gets away. Jackal is the most intriguing character to me. Every scene he is in hints at a “stay tuned to see what happens next” cliffhanger.  I am drawn to his brand of madness. 

The plot as a whole was fine though the storyline felt rushed as events took place quickly at times, but dragged with tedious pacing at other times. I will continue on with Morning Star if only for Jackal’s sake. 

 

Since the beauty of all of this is that because everyone is different we all have different opinions. Bearing this in mind, if you loved Red Rising, you won’t find disappointment in Golden Son. Three stars for me.