Reviews

I clock in at a mere month older than our beloved Pierce Brown. We are 30 years old. It is a strange and lovely time, full of surprises and growth spurts upon which we never intended.

However, it does not surprise me in the slightest that he continues to improve by leaps and bounds with every single book he writes. Here it is: he's done it again. I sometimes wonder in the middle of the night, sleepless, whether he practices his craft, or if he is simply a virtuoso - a Mozart who knows the notes inherently, ready to improvise at the mildest suggestion, grinning slyly, knowingly, at us Salieris in the corner.

Iron Gold is the best of the series - a title which it will hold until, of course, Dark Age is released. This work is astounding. The writing has reached new transcendence. And all the things we loved from the first trilogy - the politics, the tantalizing reveals within the pacing, the battle scenes that feel as if we're watching an HBO production - are here, and somehow astonishingly improved upon. (Mozart. This dude is Mozart. Has to be, right?!)

I must admit I prefer the four narrators to the one of the Red Rising OG trilogy. I have been aching for a voice like Lyria's; a revolution wouldn't be real without hers. Pytha is my spirit animal. Volga is a precious lil baby angel whom I will protect with my life. Ephraim... buddy. Bro. My man. Could you, like, not? Tho? And hOLY SHIT ELECTRA. Just... guys... watch out for this chick. Sevro's daughter, through and through, and I couldn't possibly love her any more than I already do.

And as for my favorites, my heart... Darrow is our Darrow. Without spoiling anything... well... buckle the fuck up, Howlers. Shit escalates.

Finally: This has nothing to do with the book itself. I just want to say that I am grateful to Pierce for creating this world not only for the books I adore, but for the fandom that follows in their wake. I spent the last week meeting new and old friends solely because of this series; I could not fathom myself luckier than I feel right now. Thank you, PB. For all these Howlers, I owe you THE MOST beers. ALL the beers. EVERY beer. Feel free to cash in that chip whenever, my goodman. AWROO!!!

antiquatedantelope's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

mchevvuri's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Not the best Red Rising book I’ve read so far. I didn’t like the multiple povs, especially the Darrow’s pov. It seemed missing its mark. I still would rate this a 3.75 book just for the story of Lysander. Ephraim story was great but readers kind of knew that it’s a good old redemption story of a battle scarred vagabond. Overall a hood setup I am excited what the story brings forward

qjbrown96's review against another edition

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3.0

I understand why some people hate this book and why some people love it.

I think a Red Rising book set 10 years after the original trilogy is fun but I think it would have been better if the author wrote something else and then came back to this later. That way people can get some nostalgia out of it vs just continuing a series that didn’t really need to be continued.

I did like that it’s multi-POV and I really enjoyed Lysander and Lyria but I couldn’t stand Darrow in this one. I also had a really hard time getting into the story for some reason and all the little side characters weren’t very memorable so I was constantly confused on what’s going on.

elenapages's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

jham19's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

justincholewa's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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