Golden Son

Golden Son - Pierce Brown

Genre: Sci- Fi/ Thriller

Edition: http://tinyurl.com/nv34xyo

 

Synopsis:

'I'm still playing games. This is just the deadliest yet.' Farrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years, he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind's last hope. Until Farrow discovered that it was all a lie, and that the Reds were nothing more than unwitting slaves to an enlist ruling class, the Golds, who had been living on Mars in luxury for generations.

In Red Rising, Darrow infiltrated Gold society, to fight in secret for a better future for his people. Now fully embedded amongst the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his dangerous work to bring them down from within. It's a journey that will take him further than he's ever been before - but is Farrow truly willing to pay the price that rebellion demands? Hic sunt Leones. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown's continuing status as one of fiction's most exciting new voices.

 

 

Summary:

A rip roaring second half to the trilogy of the new Sci-Fi generation. A heart pumping continuation with an all too painful cliff-hanger.

 

 

My thoughts:

Pierce Brown is on a fast track to becoming one of my favourite authors of all time. Red Rising made my 2014, and it looks like Golden Son is set to do the same this year.

Golden Son continues with Darrow's dangerous infiltration into Gold society, having been firmly at the top of the ladder at the end of Red Rising, Golden Son in many ways encompasses his fall from grace.

"Rise so high, in mud you lie."

We see this fall from many different angles, beginning with his fragile relationships with friends, Darrow still distances himself from those who are essentially his enemies, and bonds become even more strained once Darrow is reminded of the root meaning of everything he has become.

The story begins at the final battle of the Space Academy, a space orientated version of the same we see in Red Rising, focusing exclusively on fleet tactics and battle formations. Darrow is pitted against the Bellona in his final fight, it all seems too easy, a clear victory in sight but Darrow is blinds in more ways than one.
Betrayed by his friend and with the imperators stepping in to prevent him from winning. Darrow's status swiftly becomes nothing but words, and those words echo throughout the houses, crumbling his reputation within hours, forcing Augustus to out with him for fear of having the same befall his house.

This for me was a relief as instead of falling into the trap of repeating the format of the first successful book, Pierce Brown throws caution to the wind and brings us in at the end of the naturally tempting part to start the novel.

This opens the book to a world of possibilities that we just aren't able to predict. Pierce Brown gives us a lot to chew on, throwing everything at us in a true 'shit hits the fan' display.
Never have relations between Houses Augustus and Bellona ever been more strained, with each house effectively putting plans into motion to usurp one another, the spotlight on the Sons of Ares is momentarily shadowed by the stirrings of Civil War.
Bargains and betrayal run deep between the lines of the pages of Golden Son, lies and secrets abundant and in plain sight - there significance becoming increasingly obvious the closer we sprint to the final curtain. And trust me, it is a sprint.
Despite the book's lengthy pages and minute text, it's hard not to devour it in one sitting. Pierce Brown certainly sets the pace, and a heart stopping one at that; a feeling I can only compare to Darrow's tense moments before being fired out into space.
 

It's hard to talk about this book without seriously wrecking it which does make it an incredibly difficult book to review. Golden Son is gushing with non-stop action, adrenaline fuelled combat, mind-whirring discussions and painfully pleasurable twists and turns through this perfectly carved world that Pierce Brown has created.

Prepare to have your heart torn in two and to be left utterly speechless come the turning of the final page. This is the rare middle book that nails it in every way possible - not breaking the pounding momentum of Red Rising and launching us into the depths of what's to come from the final tome.

 

Final Word:

Bloodydamn brilliant. This is certainly set to be the go-to Sci-Fi epic for years to come.

I will be doing a complete series re-read to alleviate the epic feels I'll have to deal with for an entire YEAR. I for one, will be waiting with bated breath for Morning Star.

 

 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Buy: Why don't you own this yet?

Borrow: Skip borrow, go straight to BUY NOW

Further Reading Suggestions: Red Rising, Ender's Game