A review by bookwisp
Golden Son, by Pierce Brown

adventurous dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is another excellent, bloody and brutal entry into the series. 

Having survived the brutal war games of the Academy, Darrow is launched into Gold society. Here he must survive and negotiate planetary politics, blood feuds and shifting agendas to further his own revolutionary designs. 

I wondered how the scope of the story would change following Red Rising and Brown did not disappoint. Gold politics are integral to Golden Son and it’s impossible for these sections to be dry, on account of all the bloodshed. If you’re not into fictional politics, you might struggle with this book but, to be honest, there’s probably enough action to carry you through even if that’s not your exact cup of tea. This book is packed with combat ranging from one-on-one duels to interstellar warfare. And, if that’s not enough, Ares is unmasked in this book; a reveal I found to be narratively satisfying. 

The cast of characters is, quite literally, colourful: Ragnar, an Obsidian, Orion, a Blue, and Theodora, a Pink, were my favourite additions. As before, friendship, trust, and loyalty stay on as key themes. As an aside, I do wish Mustang had been more developed in this second outing. Her character absolutely has potential, but I thought she was criminally under-used in this novel. 

Epic Fantasy is a recognised sub-genre – with Golden Son, I’d be able to make a pretty strong case for this series being Epic Sci-Fi. This book is very much about building the legend of the Reaper and, after THAT ending, I’m deeply intrigued to see how the legend unfurls. 
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