Review: Golden Son

Golden Son by Pierce Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was absolutely enthralled by the second installment of the Red Rising Trilogy. I read Red Rising in December and absolutely loved it, but I didn't pick up the rest of the series until very recently. I never used to be a huge fan of sci-fi, but Pierce Brown's novels have begun expanding my reading universe.

Golden Sun picks up a few years after Red Rising. No longer are Darrow, Sevro, Roque, Mustang, and the rest of the gang fighting each other in the Academy. Now they are using those skills in the real world. I feel like I can't really disclose much more of the plot here because if you haven't read Red Rising, this might spoil some major parts of that book. Just know that there are coups, terrorist plots, betrayals, deaths, and lots and lots of laughs.

This is a very interesting series to read in light of current events. At its most basic understanding, this kind of follows the rags to riches, American Dream plot. But it is so much more. It doesn't have to be read this way, but (because I am a college student I am going there) I think this story is a commentary on the failings of American Politics. We have an older generation unwilling to see the blows they dealt to society, we have a young generation yearning for change, we have corrupt politicians. In a way it is very similar to The Hunger Games, but I think the two series should not be compared. The society in the Red Rising trilogy has existed for centuries, it is not new like in a lot of recent dystopian future novels. Brown uses a lot of Roman imagery in this series, and I see that as a foreshadowing device. Like the Roman Empire, this society rose to incredible heights, but it's is crumbling because it is not evolving fast enough. I won't go into more depth because this is not a paper for class, but if you like thinking analyzing your books, this is a good one to pick up.

I would recommend this book to anyone that read Red Rising. If you haven't read Red Rising, get on that. It's definitely a fresh take on the 'humans colonizing space' theme. All of the characters are incredibly detailed. No one is perfect, especially the narrator. I just love that everyone has flaws, that doesn't often happen in sci-fi/fantasy literature. The "savior" character is perhaps the most flawed, but that just makes him more relatable and interesting to read. Action packed, emotional, hilarious, and strangely real, I think this series is for everyone, sci-fi pros and amateurs alike.

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