Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

10 reviews

kiwij96's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.25

This was so unnecessarily long, some parts of chapters felt like filler, even some of the chapters themselves. It took half the book just to get to the plot, by which point I hated ¾ of the characters. It was riddled with typos and grammar mistakes which was entirely distracting and resulted in me having to reread parts just for it to make sense in my head.

I liked the concept though, multiple POVs surrounding a high-stakes heist, set 10 years after Darrow succeeds in ending Octavia's rule and liberating the Colours. This sees Darrow believing his own legend and how things cannot truly change in a broken system. I loved Lyria and I look forward to getting to know her better in Dark Age. Lysander's POV felt out of place in the greater scheme of things. And I definitely need more of Volga and Kavax. I also loved Holiday and Theodora essentially playing the secret service. My favourite ladies.

All in all though, this book was a disappointment compared to the original trilogy. It was over-gory, sexist, and an incredibly uncomfortable read with the amount of times the word "wh*re" was thrown around. I also do not understand Pierce Brown's obsession with breasts and general nakedness in this book it was honestly unnecessary.

Also, if the summary on the back of the book hints at "Obsidian pirates" and there are none, I need to know where they went and what else didn't make the cut in the editing process if THIS is what went to print.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Murder, Racial slurs, Slavery, Addiction, Blood, Torture, Gun violence, Bullying, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Death, Genocide, Death of parent, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Drug use, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

murrayscottferguson's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Medical trauma, Racism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, War, Violence, Emotional abuse, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic friendship, Blood, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Sexism, Slavery, Classism, Grief, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Confinement, and Drug abuse

inhaledmocha's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

tiana_king's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I personally love multiple POVs in a story so it was great to have so many. Maybe it’s because I have no skin in the game but I really don’t understand why everyone was fighting Darrow on just finishing the war once and for all 🤷🏼‍♀️ He does somehow have a God complex without having one though. Lysander is annoying but I have hopes for him and I liked where Lyria and Effrim’s stories are going. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Grief, Abandonment, Blood, Gore, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Confinement, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual content

setsailforthestars's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! I’m always hesitant about authors continuing a beloved series but this felt like a good way to carry forward the story. I enjoyed the POV and introduction of new characters, and the development of old ones. Interested to see where it goes from here.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Cannibalism, War, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Kidnapping, Child death, Addiction, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Slavery, and Torture

katiefronk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, War, Blood, Cursing, Murder, Grief, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Sexual content

luxxltyd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, War, Blood, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse

cody_crumley's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.0

“If you are wise and lucky and live long as me, you will learn that pain is just a drop in the sea”…So feel all of it, boy, before time makes you forget”

It always seems to be a struggle to continue a series after an initial end point, and the fourth book in the Red Rising saga by Pierce Brown is no different. The first half of the book really struggled to get into gear and I think a lot of that is the introduction of having multiple POVs. 

The chapters in the longest book in the series are broken up between four perspectives. Returning from the first three books is Darrow, now 10 years older after the time jump. He is still the most interesting perspective to me. Brown does a great job of showing how 10 years of war have drained this man, turned him into something he never wanted to become. You really get to see him struggle with leaving is family, and the distance that it has created between them. 

The other perspectives lag behind, they include a Red named Lyria, who was brought out of the mines but feels left behind by the new Republic, Ephraim, former Aries member turned thief, and Lysander, former Lune who was next in line for the throne before the events of the first three books. 

The non-Darrow perspectives get better in the second half once the plots start to develop, but the first half really struggled to get me to care about them. By the end they are all left in interesting positions that make good cliffhangers.

Overall I enjoyed coming back to this world and enjoyed the time jump, but I am still in a wait and see approach to see if continuing the series after what was a good ending in Morning Star (Book 3) was the right move.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Gun violence

surbhi_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Gun violence, Addiction, Violence, Genocide, Child abuse, Gore, War, Racism, and Physical abuse

marareading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Yet another brilliant addition to the Red Rising Saga. A decade into the future from the end of the first trilogy of Red Rising. we are revisiting some of our beloved characters, and also meeting a new set of people who expand our view of what this universe has become. 

This could also be called "unintended consequences of war". I love the multiple perspectives of characters in this trilogy. In the first trilogy we were seeing only through Darrow's view. I was honestly very sceptical of this, and I'm blown away by how much I adored it. 

The tension, unintended consequences, love, bitterness, unknown truths, betrayal, twists, and as always the beautiful lyrical writing... Pierce Brown writes in a way that pulls you into this world and story. You see the world and feel the heart of even the darkest character. You can understand and empathize with the most treacherous decisions because you fully understand the heart and soul of a character. 

I will always love this series. Highly recommend above all others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Torture, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Violence, War, and Murder