Editorial Content for Golden Son: Book II of the Red Rising Trilogy
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
GOLDEN SON, book two in Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Trilogy, picks up where RED RISING left off --- and don’t think for a moment you’ll have time to think about that first book. If there’s one thing this series does well, it’s run the reader ragged. That’s one of the many reasons I’m enjoying it so much.
Darrow, once more showing his leadership prowess, this time as the captain of a starship, is forced to make life-and-death decisions that involve friends and loved ones. He does it all for a greater cause, or so he believes. After the death of several friends, he questions not only himself but also his mission. Darrow, born a Red, the lowest class of society, was made a Gold. Introduced into the upper echelon and made to bring about the downfall of society, he is to be part of a new world order and feels very much like the traitor he truly is.
"In my review of RED RISING, I said that readers wouldn’t be able to put the book down. I predict the same for this sequel. If there’s one thing Pierce Brown does well, it’s move the story along. Here we’re on a fast-paced ride that’s so worth the fatigue."
Darrow has made others believe, convincing them over and over, that he is a hero to be worshipped. He is alone in his lie and in the world, as he has gone out of his way to let no one in. By doing so, he has set himself apart, strengthening his mystique. With a war raging and ancient families vying for power, all Darrow can think of is his family --- especially his dead wife and the life he could have had with her.
Politics rule this society. It’s a game Darrow plays well but not quite well enough. He wants to go it alone but knows he needs help, even if it means putting his friends in even more danger. He wants to believe humankind can change and even be accepting of that change, but he’s also been rebuffed too many times. He wants to know that what he’s fighting for will lead to something better.
Darrow was always a quiet person but turns much more introspective as he gets further into the mission. He knows what’s at stake and, even more so, what he’s lost and all he stands to lose. He fights like a man who doesn’t care about his life, and in many ways he doesn’t. He’s afraid to open up to those around him, even those he trusts. He knows things are going to change --- and in ways that will alter the entire world he’s come to understand.
In my review of RED RISING, I said that readers wouldn’t be able to put the book down. I predict the same for this sequel. If there’s one thing Pierce Brown does well, it’s move the story along. Here we’re on a fast-paced ride that’s so worth the fatigue. I’m excited to see how Brown will end the series. GOLDEN SON moves swiftly, dropping you at the end out of breath and craving more. Bring on the finale.
Teaser
Darrow, a leader among the elite and a favorite of the masses, is nothing but a fake. Born into the lowest class of society, physically altered to infiltrate the upper echelon and bring about the fall of society, he’s now having doubts about his mission. It’s the memory of his dead wife that keeps him going, the same memory that might also bring about society’s downfall --- if he can stay alive long enough to see it.
Promo
Darrow, a leader among the elite and a favorite of the masses, is nothing but a fake. Born into the lowest class of society, physically altered to infiltrate the upper echelon and bring about the fall of society, he’s now having doubts about his mission. It’s the memory of his dead wife that keeps him going, the same memory that might also bring about society’s downfall --- if he can stay alive long enough to see it.
About the Book
With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game and "Game of Thrones," debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic RED RISING hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. GOLDEN SON continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom.
As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds --- and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.
A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect and even love --- but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution --- and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.
He must live for more.
