ARC Review: Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy, #2) by Pierce Brown

Allow me to borrow that swear word often used in the book and use it in a sentence that will somehow express my feelings for this sequel, which I loved more than I ever did with Red Rising. That was bloodydamn amazing and traumatically painful.

I just suffered full emotional carnage of the worst kind at the hands of this book, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And when I say carnage, it was like I opened a box that held all my emotions and Pierce Brown took everything, the joy, laughter, sadness, pain, surprise and ripped every single one of them into shreds.

Title: Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy #2) by Pierce Brown
Release Date: January 6th 2015
Published by: Del Rey
Source: Publisher (Thank you, Penguin Random House!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

I started reading the book partially clueless because I had no idea what has happened in the story. It felt like I was immediately immersed in Darrow's life as a Gold, and I had no idea how to piece the story back together. I abruptly noticed the time skip, and my brain was left questioning what the heck happened in the years that followed that got Darrow to where he was. As soon as I did, I knew I shouldn't have asked that question. Darrow has integrated well in the Gold culture, and if in Red Rising he's on the outside looking in, now he's smack in the middle of court politics, power struggle and a never ending fight for power as a Gold. And boy, was it cut throat, dirty and vicious.

Oh how he almost reached the peak of power, only to fall from grace so low you wouldn't think it was possible for him to rise up again. And rise up he did, but not without incurring losses, betrayals and facing heartbreak countless of times. Reading Golden Son and looking back at Red Rising's story made me feel like the first book was just a very long prequel, and then Pierce Brown threw everything in the reader's way in Golden Son.

Ah, Darrow. What else can I say about this boy? I liked how unconventional he is. In the eyes of everyone he's a hero, but you see more than a handful of moments when he's just like everyone else: a scared boy, unsure, confused, torn between the paths he had to take and burdened by a mission he was having doubts he can fulfill. Rash. Bold. Proud. He makes mistakes and suffers the consequences greatly. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions and relationship with Mustang. He couldn't balance being the leader of a war, still keep friendships intact and look over the people he cared for. Despite all the cruelty he has seen and has suffered in the hands of the people he now fights with, he's still capable of being kind. And no matter how powerful they think he is, he still can't save everyone worth saving. He's perfectly flawed, his journey as well, and I like it that way.

As if the suffering isn't enough with what Darrow has to go through for his vengeance, for war, for freedom, he has finally learned to deal with his feelings. For Victra, for Cassius, for Eo and for Mustang. Mustang. Ah, Mustang. I am starting to think that his story with Virginia is one that will never, ever get a happy ending. It's like one moment they're at the cusp of attaining happiness, only to be separated by circumstances that were bigger than the both of them. And I desperately want Darrow to be happy, and not only because there's a shortage of that particular emotion in this book. Pierce Brown's writing isn't only solid and strong in describing such a rich world, but he's also managed to scratch hearts and illicit raw emotions from his characters, beloved (like Sevro, Quinn and Roque) or not, with all the deaths, losses and goodbyes.

Just like how it was when Red Rising was released early last year, Golden Son has raised the bar very high for sci-fi novels this early in the new year. It will be hard to rival this book in terms of writing style, world building and story telling. Pierce Brown's superb writing has once again been made obvious by crafting another masterpiece that readers will devour in a flash. Golden Son revealed yet another facet in the life of Darrow, a tale of success and ruin amidst betrayals and lies with alliances made and broken, set in a grisly futuristic universe of warfare and politics. Unpredictable, exhilarating and stunning, Golden Son has wonderfully set the stage for the third book in the series by presenting to the readers one hell of a story, leaving them guessing what else is there in store for the third and last book, Morning Star.

It's impossible not to be affected by this book. It's intense, suspenseful, tragic, twisted. I literally broke down in tears from all the tension and stress thrown my way while I was reading this and after I finished. I couldn't take it. I was taken in for such a wonderful but heart wrenching, tiring ride. Bravo, Pearce Brown, you've done it again. And in a grander fashion this time around. Now can you please tell me how do I survive with an obliterated heart, waiting for the next book?

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

FIVE. BLOODYDAMN BUTTERFLIES. AND ABOUT A BILLION MORE.

Treat your heart as a sacrifice while you read this book. You will feel the absence of one at the end because of all it has to endure throughout the whole reading experience. I am not exaggerating. Pierce Brown has ruthlessly piled one tension-filled scene on top of another, snatched away well-loved characters, introduced ones that you'll like only to disappear, re-introduced hateful ones, and the readers just had to deal with all of it. Amazing.

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:
*caresses cover* Hello there, gorgeous!

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ARC Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

His name is Darrow. Remember his name and remember it well.
He's a hero of sorts. A devastated man who lost everything for a dream.

Through him, the Reds will be rising.

Title: Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy #1) by Pierce Brown
Release Date: January 28th 2014 (US) / February 2014 (UK)
Published by: Del Rey (US) / Hodder & Stoughton (UK)
Source: Publisher (Thanks Hodder!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

The war begins...

Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars. Generations of Helldivers have spent their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that one day people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. Mars is habitable - and indeed has been inhabited for generations by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. The Golds regard Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

With the help of a mysterious group of rebels, Darrow disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield. And Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda...

What was it that was so good about this novel? Every single person I know who've read it has raved about Darrow in some form and way. When I started Red Rising, I immediately knew it was going to be a difficult sort of book to get through. I never really liked Darrow at first and it's one of the reasons why I thought there was no point in reading further. Yes, he was a helldriver, a boy who had never seen the Sun and whose life was all about digging, because he thought he was a pioneer like everyone else, to make Mars a better place to live in and that's good enough for him. He wants a quiet life, peaceful, with his wife Eo and his family and even though life tends to be unfair in Lykos because he's a Red and the lowest kind at that, he bears with it because he doesn't want to end up like his father. I understand that, but I initially thought, is this the boy that will start a change? How? He was weak. I should have known better though, because Pierce Brown, you are one sinister writer. Everything changed when Eo died, but the pain and the hurt did not stop after that. There was more.

And then I came across this quote, and I know Darrow's journey is about to start and that it's going to be the harrowing kind. From then on, I started to look at him in a different perspective.

"Personally, I do not want to make you a man. Men are so very frail. Men break. Men die. No, I've always wished to make a god. So why not carve you to be the god of war?"

Red Rising has that deceptive kind of pace that makes you wonder where the story was going at first. it took me a while to get through the first 20% of the book, but then I see Darrow after his devastating loss and suddenly I find myself gritting my teeth and clutching a pillow as I read on. Reading about Darrow's eventual transformation was also one of the hardest things I had to get through in this book. It's not because it was boring or long, but because you feel every single emotion swirling inside of Darrow as it happens: white hot rage for the lies fed to him and his people, and the enormous pain of losing his love, the injustice in his life. A slave repeatedly dealt with unfair hands by the society's hierarchy that was prevalent in the world he lives in, Darrow's eventual transformation from being a young Helldriver to the Reaper was equally stunning and terrifying. Pierce Brown took his time shaping Darrow's character while building a world, a universe even, filled with unrest, ruled by colors, strength and power. He went through repeated changes, forged by hell and fire. And he was that very foolish boy at first, rash, short tempered, easily ruled by emotions. He's not the clever, calculating sort. He makes mistakes that has devastating consequences. He has moments he was unsure of, bitter, afraid, irrational, torn between his loyalty to his people and the truths he sees as a Gold. I had to remind myself that he's a boy, only just a boy, and yet he goes through test after test of not just his wit, his courage, but also tests of will and emotions until he becomes stronger, smarter, calmer, more powerful, methodical.

This story is grim and gruesome. Do not expect some laughable, fluffy moments to appear. There are none. Red Rising will overwhelm people with a powerful combination of cruelty, violence, bloody battles. Savagery. Gore. Mutilation. Death. This was all written in great detail, and Pierce Brown never held back. Mars, the Red planet, sets a grisly stage for Darrow. But do not expect the plot to unravel just like that. It's a merciless world Darrow lives in, and he gradually discovered that through the first step of his journey, when he tries to become one of them. The Golds, the best of the best, the ruling class, the one with power, wealth, money and influence. But you know what's fascinating in this set-up? The Golds are not what they seem to be. They lived in a world as brutal as the Reds, relentless, competitive, playing a high level game of politics and tactics, whose aim is to drive home lessons they must not forget. If they wanted to control the world, they should first learn to control themselves. And control comes in a hefty price. Sometimes you make friends, most of the time you need to kill them. Sometimes you're the leader, until you are betrayed in the worst way. It makes you wonder how wrong this world is, how unjust it can be and not just for the under privileged, but also for those who are deemed to be at the top.

I was prepared to see a full scale rebellion, but Red Rising plunged me in an even dizzying world of war, a simulation that was all too real, a game that was a small scale version of what is to happen  if Darrow was to achieve his purpose. There were secrets everywhere, clever exercises, alliances made and broken, tactics established, challenges issued, battles lost and won, unlikely friendships formed and untimely, budding, unexpected romance. Romance was the least bit of my concern in this book, because Darrow's heart will always be with Eo, but seeing Mustang changes things a little bit. Mercifully, Pierce Brown threw a little bit of positivity in the mix, because as you read, you'll start thinking whether Darrow's misery will ever end. And then when all things were said and done, I take a look at Darrow and I feel two things: I marvel at the boy he has become, and I become afraid for the person he was set to be.

Red Rising has set the bar high for a debut dystopia - science fiction book. It feels a little bit weird to think of it as a debut with how well Pierce Brown crafted this story. It was nothing short of brilliant. It was badass. It was gory. It was amazing. It was intense, heartrending, harrowing and agonizing. I have no idea where Pierce Brown got his inspiration and idea for a story like this, but it's such an incredible story. Here's a boy broken and put back together, with nothing but hatred and pain, thrown into the wolves' den in a body that wasn't his to begin with, with the fate of an entire planet in his hands. How does Pierce Brown do this? Red Rising is a kind of book I have never, ever, read of before. One of the best tales of revenge and vengeance ever told, and it's only the beginning.

To those with delicate conditions and are weak hearted, this book is not for you. There are countless moments that will be hard to digest in Red Rising, and you need a formidable resolve to get through most of them. But at the end of the book, you will see that it's all worth it.

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Take all the butterflies in the Galaxy, Pierce. You've earned them.

Pierce Brown is as merciless as his story is. He breaks your heart a lot of times in this book. There's no shortage of killings here, and just when you begin to form a bond with a character, you see him dead. It's a repeating cycle. You hate some, you love some, you'll mourn for some, you cheer for some, you fear some. Let me just say this: Cassius is a character of note, and I am very excited to know more about him. What a potentially destructive character. And of course, I'm looking forward to seeing more of Mustang and her very scary older brother.

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:
You will want to hug the book so hard once you see it in real life. SO BEAUTIFUL.

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[Feature] RED RISING – RELEASE DAY FLASH GIVEAWAY

I am so so excited to participate in this flash giveaway! Red Rising was amazing!

RED RISING by Pierce Brown
Published by Del Rey – Random House
Hardcover: 978-0-345-53978-6
Ebook: 978-0-345-53979-3

See what all the buzz is about on Goodreads

“Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow.”—Scott Sigler

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

BUY LINKS (print and ebook)
Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | Google Play | All other retailers

About Pierce Brown

Pierce Brown spent his childhood building forts and setting traps for cousins in the woods of six states and the deserts of two. Graduating from college in 2010, he fancied the idea of continuing his studies at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a magical bone in his body. So while trying to make it as a writer, he worked as a manager of social media at a startup tech company, toiled as a peon on the Disney lot at ABC Studios, did his time as an NBC page, and gave sleep deprivation a new meaning during his stint as an aide on a U.S. Senate campaign. Now he lives Los Angeles, where he scribbles tales of spaceships, wizards, ghouls, and most things old or bizarre.

Connect with Pierce
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If anyone's interested, here's the playlist for RED RISING:

RED RISING RELEASE DAY FLASH GIVEAWAY!!!

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