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dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Rape, Cannibalism
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My spoiler free review is this: just wait til the end. Don’t make any final judgements until the end of the book.
The spoiler review: I really have to admit I was thrown. The entirety of the book I kept having this feeling that each step was a bit predictable knowing what we know. I now see why: the rug was completely pulled out from under us.
The twists revealed in Golden Son really make me want to go back and read the first book and re-analyze the characters there, and I think that’s an achievement in itself. Fitchner as Ares I think is one of my favorite parts of this series, and Sevro foreshadowing Roque so early on in the book I think is a perfect example of hiding in plain sight.
That being said, I do have some small concerns. Throughout the whole book I can’t help but think everything is too easy for Darrow. Maybe that’s the point given the final twist, but still, I feel like there’s basically nothing he can’t do throughout the whole story. I’m curious to see how much of this is due to the Jackal’s influence in the next book. Hopefully it means Darrow was being played the entire time, to give some limitation to his endless achievements. Otherwise, Darrow feels a little too much like he’s trying to be Katniss but is falling more to the shallow profile of Triss in Divergent. By this I mean, even though the author establishes a few other players that should be better than the MC in certain ways (Lorn, Ares, etc.) they’re all dead by the end, so the MC kinda HAS to play the hero instead of developing into it further. I’m optimistic about the next book though and looking forward to reading it.
The spoiler review: I really have to admit I was thrown. The entirety of the book I kept having this feeling that each step was a bit predictable knowing what we know. I now see why: the rug was completely pulled out from under us.
The twists revealed in Golden Son really make me want to go back and read the first book and re-analyze the characters there, and I think that’s an achievement in itself. Fitchner as Ares I think is one of my favorite parts of this series, and Sevro foreshadowing Roque so early on in the book I think is a perfect example of hiding in plain sight.
That being said, I do have some small concerns. Throughout the whole book I can’t help but think everything is too easy for Darrow. Maybe that’s the point given the final twist, but still, I feel like there’s basically nothing he can’t do throughout the whole story. I’m curious to see how much of this is due to the Jackal’s influence in the next book. Hopefully it means Darrow was being played the entire time, to give some limitation to his endless achievements. Otherwise, Darrow feels a little too much like he’s trying to be Katniss but is falling more to the shallow profile of Triss in Divergent. By this I mean, even though the author establishes a few other players that should be better than the MC in certain ways (Lorn, Ares, etc.) they’re all dead by the end, so the MC kinda HAS to play the hero instead of developing into it further. I’m optimistic about the next book though and looking forward to reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, War
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ok first of all, the ending - holy shit. Did not expect that. Need time to process. This book, like it’s first, has left me with more questions that I need answered immediately, so hopefully I will be reading the next book asap. Although better than the first, I still find that this book moved a little too fast. I would have loved a few more moments where there wasn’t constant action, this is probably the only thing that’s stopping me from giving it more stars, because once again - the plot was absolutely fantastic. No faults there. I love Pierce Brown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Classism
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
I was so wrong in saying this series isn’t as original as everyone makes it out to be. Every. Fucking. Time. I’m SAT HERE thinking “how is Darrow going to get out of this” and with that ending…lord help me. I actually want to like stomp around out of pure shock and frustration but I’m at a hotel sharing a room with my brother. I literally can’t compute. Pierce Brown when I catch you! This man has mastered the genre I swear. Never have I read a series where all the book are perfect but now Brown is two for two. Especially in Golden Son I noticed how perfectly he incorporates dialogue. This man will spin a flawless speech that could even make me charge into battle, but also encapsulate the effortless dialogue that occurs between friends. When Darrow’s allies are all interacting (Sevro, Roque, Mustang, Victra etc) a part of me is warmed. That same part forgets that half of them will probably be dead before the series ends. Who am I kidding, before the book ends. They’re literally my age, or just slightly older. My heart is broken. Speaking of friendships: Sevro you have bewitched me body and soul. Somehow this man rose so quickly up my favorite characters list it’s not even funny. His relationship with Darrow is one of the best parts of this series and it obviously has so many good parts. I love that little freak and all of his loyalty. His daddy however…I love the Fitchner as Ares falling for a Red a storyline but I lowkey wish Sevro wasn’t half red, his loyalty to Darrow should be separate from color entirely (even if he didn’t know when he allied himself with Darrow it’s about the principle of the thing. It’d be like Tyrion not being Tywin’s son in A Song of Ice and Fire). Also, that ending makes a part of me think Fitchner isn’t actually Ares. To introduce that tidbit only to execute him with so little ceremony makes no sense. I guess I’ll see as soon as I get my hands on Morning Star. As for Sevro’s mother, the whole thing about her having to get an ovary transplant(?) actually inspired a lot of questions about the verse in me. I had just assumed every human was still genetically one species (produce viable offspring at least) but is that not true? Has it gone to the point that colors are species? Or is that bit emphasizing how brainwashed society is, how everyone believes different colors to be so incompatible?
Okay my last couple of throwaway comments. Lorn deserved so much more page time I’m PISSED. IDGAF about the ending Roque is so underrated. Mustang please be true like you’ve always been!!! Guys she’s just processing the news I swear. I swear I have so much more to say I just literally don’t have enough neurons to fire up those thoughts right now. My whole brain is consumed by whatever the fuck just happened.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Classism
Minor: Rape, Medical content
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Rape, Excrement
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Cultural appropriation, War, Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
The political worldbuilding of this series is honestly stunning. I'm so glad that the second book distanced itself from the educational Hunger Games-ness of the first book because at times that was stagnant. But this was so much easier to read. So much happened in these 450ish pages that I don't even know where to begin.
Falling out of touch with friends, betrayal, plot twists which I didn't see coming but thought worked for the characters. It was all so perfectly chaotic I loved it. That ending was a stroke of genius.
Two gripes:
1. The first 6 chapters could have been a prologue just to catch us up on Darrow's life since book 1 since a couple of years have passed. It also felt a bit clunky at the start.
2. I have literally no idea what any of the things are which confuses me sometimes - like what is a ripWing, or a HC, or an anything?
Falling out of touch with friends, betrayal, plot twists which I didn't see coming but thought worked for the characters. It was all so perfectly chaotic I loved it. That ending was a stroke of genius.
Two gripes:
1. The first 6 chapters could have been a prologue just to catch us up on Darrow's life since book 1 since a couple of years have passed. It also felt a bit clunky at the start.
2. I have literally no idea what any of the things are which confuses me sometimes - like what is a ripWing, or a HC, or an anything?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Suicide, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
…I’m traumatized with that ending. What
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, War
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Rape, Cannibalism