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A review by cassiealexandra
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Set 10 years after overthrowing the Society on Mars, Luna, and Earth, Darrow and his family/friends are finding that rebuilding a government from scratch and giving agency and dignity to the oppressed Colors is not as simple as it seems. Add to that a continuing war with the Society remnant on Mercury and Venus ruled by the Ash Lord and the fragile peace with the Raa’s of Jupiter and the Rim, and you still get a dystopian sci-fi read, but with very realistic crises and politics.
This one had some differences from the original trilogy that were a hurdle for me at first. To be specific it includes 4 different points of view, Darrow: the voice we know and love, Lyria: a Gamma Red recently moved from the mines of Mars to a refugee camp, Ephraim: a Gray military man turned Son of Ares turned criminal and thief, and Lysander: grandson of the overthrown and killed Sovereign of the Society. These POVs were masterfully written with a different voice, tone, and style. I was fascinated that Ephraim’s world felt so much like urban fantasy meets heists, while Lyria’s starts almost like historical fiction, and Darrow’s and Lysander’s feel very much like a space opera. Once I got used to the new voices and the worldbuilding, I was invested in every character, even the ones with very complex, mostly negative feelings about the new Republic, Darrow, and Mustang.
Highlights: the severity of Victra, Sevro, and their daughter Electra, Darrow’s emotional conflict between responsibility to his fleet and his exhaustion and desire to be home with his wife and son, and the inside look at the Raa family and reflections on the Society through Lysander’s eyes.
What I wanted more of: surprisingly, Cassius screentime and Mustang—she’s my girl crush, in that I want to be her when I grow up, even though she’s technically younger than I am in this book.
Anxieties: the cliffhangers!, the fragility between Darrow and family, and the rise of a new dictator in the Society.
On to Dark Age, which will likely bring no resolve.
This one had some differences from the original trilogy that were a hurdle for me at first. To be specific it includes 4 different points of view, Darrow: the voice we know and love, Lyria: a Gamma Red recently moved from the mines of Mars to a refugee camp, Ephraim: a Gray military man turned Son of Ares turned criminal and thief, and Lysander: grandson of the overthrown and killed Sovereign of the Society. These POVs were masterfully written with a different voice, tone, and style. I was fascinated that Ephraim’s world felt so much like urban fantasy meets heists, while Lyria’s starts almost like historical fiction, and Darrow’s and Lysander’s feel very much like a space opera. Once I got used to the new voices and the worldbuilding, I was invested in every character, even the ones with very complex, mostly negative feelings about the new Republic, Darrow, and Mustang.
Highlights: the severity of Victra, Sevro, and their daughter Electra, Darrow’s emotional conflict between responsibility to his fleet and his exhaustion and desire to be home with his wife and son, and the inside look at the Raa family and reflections on the Society through Lysander’s eyes.
What I wanted more of: surprisingly, Cassius screentime and Mustang—she’s my girl crush, in that I want to be her when I grow up, even though she’s technically younger than I am in this book.
Anxieties: the cliffhangers!, the fragility between Darrow and family, and the rise of a new dictator in the Society.
On to Dark Age, which will likely bring no resolve.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Sexual content