In
Golden Son, Darrow continues his mission of infiltrating the highest of the Gold ranks, with the end goal of gaining enough power to use the very resources of the Golds against them. After his triumph at the Institute and gaining the title of ArchPrimus of the House Mars, Darrow is now a lancer for the House Augustus, despite the fact that the Mars ArchGovernor
Nero Au Augustus was the main focus of his original plans of revenge. But being recognized for his exploits come with its share of baggage, with competitors aiming to unseat him from the pinnacle he claimed for himself. The
House Bellona compounds things further in their own quest for revenge against Darrow, using their influence with the Sovereign
Octavia Au Lune to get their hands on him. And the
Sons of Ares aren't helping, with their public activities turning to violence, causing Darrow to question his plan to destroy society in their name.
Red Rising was a confection of
adventure and
drama, and featured a strong running start for what could be a great
trilogy. I worried that author
Pierce Brown would suffer from a sophomore slump, as many book and film series do. In the end, my fears were unfounded, because he worked on giving readers an even more exciting volume in Darrow's quest to change society, primarily the oppression experienced by the Reds and other lesser colors in the hands of the Golds.
With Darrow already achieving much recognition for his exploits in
Red Rising, he could only go on to accept bigger challenges that could possibly reap bigger rewards or equally spectacular failures. But the Golds are a competitive lot, and Darrow feels pressure from all sides, including from those he calls his allies. The threats are more menacing and stakes are even higher. It doesn't help that his most trusted allies among the Golds, love interest
Virginia Au Augustus or
Mustang and the always eccentric
Sevro Au Barca, aren't by his side.
Darrow has always been exceptionally gifted, even without the Gold attributes he earned in his transformation, so there are high expectations on how he would fare with the new challenges. Say what you will about how Darrow might just be too gifted or too lucky, he still makes for a fascinating lead character. Despite his innate confidence, which never borders on arrogance, he is still capable of doubting his actions and his instincts. For most of
Golden Son, Darrow inwardly assesses the merits of his decisions, but chooses to keep them to himself not just because he is keeping his identity as a Red a secret from those who count him a peer or brethren, but also because he is constantly second guessing who he can trust and what he can actually trust others with.
Golden Son also features Darrow's now prolonged isolation because of that very secret. The emotional toll is more keen in this installment, especially since the challenges and the stakes involved have increased in their difficulty. And with Sons of Ares seemingly turning to more terrorist acts, Darrow feels himself more alone than ever. With everything that has happened since
Red Rising, it's easy enough to forget that Darrow is still young. At the age of 20 in
Golden Son, Darrow experiences many epiphanies, enough to realize that his initial plan of simply acting to avenge his wife's death is no longer enough. The book now gives more focus to the roles of the other Colors, since Darrow is no longer just interacting with the Golds. And in his interactions with other Colors, Darrow gets to enact more change than he already has.
Despite Darrow's constant care to keep his secret, he is still an instrument of change, thus he can never fully evade the scrutiny of others. With his world expanding to include the other lesser colors, he chooses to defy all that is expected of him as a Gold, inviting recommendations from crew members and yielding to those recommendations if he feel that they have actual merit. He is still a leader, and one who others could believe in because he in turn returns their services with respect and consideration equal to what he would offer the other Golds. It is because of these actions that Darrow has earned loyalty among his crew members and even gained an unusual ally in the rather fearsome
Obsidian Ragnar, probably my next favorite companion for Darrow after Sevro, who remains unyielding in his eccentricities.
Golden Son proves to be even more ambitious than author Pierce Brown's freshman outing, multiplying the drama and
action in large doses. His narrative continues to be well-paced and I am still hooked, fears for a sophomore slump long forgotten in the wake of my reading the second book of the the
Red Rising trilogy.
And that conclusion? Let's just say that whatever I'm reading, however fascinating, will be put on hold when
Morning Star, the trilogy's concluding title, comes out next year. I (and every other reader who read those final chapters of
Golden Son) deserve to find out what happens to Darrow.
Or I'm starting my own uprising.
Happy reading!!
