Friday 27 January 2017

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Book Title: Golden Son (Red Rising #2)
Author: Pierce Brown
Genre: Science Fiction
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Amazon, Kindle 
Goodreads, Amazon UK 
Here's my review for the first book.

This review will have no spoilers for the first book in the series. So, I'm pasting the Goodreads Summary for the first book.

Goodreads Summary: Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.
Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power.

What did I think? 

HDGLJGHJAARGH! 

That was basically my reaction after reading the last sentence of this book. I promptly proceeded to yell at my pillow, then burst into tears.
I don’t even know where to start. I don’t even know what to say.

I haven’t connected with characters like this in a while. Especially not when they’re this young. The first book was marketed as YA, I don’t think the second still deserves that tag. It’s too dark, too gritty, and too violent.

I got attached. I’m a huge sucker for characters with layered flaws. I love Mustang. I love Darrow. I love Sevro. My heart breaks for them.

This is better than Red Rising. Red Rising was a solid set-up. Golden Son is when all the fireworks go off at once, blinding the audience with spark after spark. The writing and plot are noticeably stronger. The prose tighter. The tension higher, the pacing better.

Heads roll within the first few chapters and don’t stop rolling. We find out more about the politics and the world behind the happenings in Red Rising.

Everything in this book came as a surprise. I couldn’t tell any of the twists or turns. And THAT ENDING. SPEECHLESS.

If you like science fiction, do yourself a favour, give this one a chance!

4 comments:

  1. OKAY! I need to get to the rest of the trilogy! I just read Red Rising last year but because of my ever growing TBR couldn't get to the rest! But now I just have to...Amazing review <3

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    1. If you liked Red Rising, this will blow you away :D Thank you!

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  2. Red Rising is THE BEST voice I have ever seen and Darrow my all time favorite hero [Now he has to share the spotlight with my new hero from Hell Divers. I've been procrastinating Golden Son. It's time I get to it! Especially after reading your review :)

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    1. Yes, definitely get to it. Though make sure you've got #3 ready. You'll probably want to read that one immediately afterwards. I know I want to. Though I have so much to read!

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