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cepbreed's review against another edition
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
5.0
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: Grief, Death, Gore, War, Classism, Murder, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Medical content and Rape
clara_groeni's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Violence, Genocide, Grief, and Death
Wargandalf_a's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Vomit, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Cannibalism, Genocide, Sexual content, Alcohol, Excrement, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Child death, Trafficking, Death of parent, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Rape
linneak's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Slavery, Gore, Blood, Death, Grief, Torture, Classism, War, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Murder, and Toxic friendship
erikajosephison's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I found this instalment a little more complex and difficult to follow than Red Rising - a little too much detailed world-building and in-world slang/terminology for my personal liking (though this might appeal to many). I also found the book seemed to use the same plot twist over and over again throughout which started to make it predictable. However, the pacing was good and I liked the relationship-building between the characters and the character growth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Grief
tiana_king's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
There was so much treachery in this book. Despite not being in a hunger games situation, it still had plenty of action. We finally find out who Ares is! The revolution is in full swing and I’m apprehensive of where it will go from here because that ending was a dozy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Grief, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical content, and War
Moderate: Genocide and Slavery
Minor: Colonisation
lua_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a VERY fun book to read, but you can tell this author has never suffered any kind of structural discrimination in his life.
I'll say the bad stuff first because I only see people talking about the positives in this book, but keep in mind that I did like it and I'd rate it around 3.9 / 4.0
First, more then in the first book, Golden son makes some very superficial and surface level type of commentary and criticism on the subjects it tries to discuss. Pierce Brown creates some extreme situations and then have his characters fight against its injustices, but he really doesn't recognize or address some of the more subtle violence that structural discrimination creates, which is why I say it's pretty clear Pierce Brown has never actually experienced discrimination. This book gives some strong vibes of white guy talking about what if racism was against white people.
My other criticism is that Pierce doesn't know how to write women to save his life. This DOESN'T mean I dont like some of his female characters, like Mustang and Victra, it just means he writes them pretty badly overall. Most if not all of his female characters are just plot devices to push his male characters further (could Ares backstory be more predictable? Let me guess, a woman you loved died and now you know people deserve rights?). Even though Golds are supposed to be the physica pinnacle of society every female character that isn't a love interest gets the "she's so petite, weak and delicate" treatment and either dies to make a Male character sad, or falls into the role of "traitorous bitch". The main character of this book (and most of his Male characters) is so fun to read about, and clearly meant to have several "badass" moments, it's pretty disappointing to see how disposable and surface level Pierce Brown makes his female characters be. (Also Darrow is weirdly forgiving towards a sex trafficker?? Wich to me just once again proves how distant Pierce B is from actual structural violence)
Now the good stuff, this book is one of those books you read when you want a easy "badass action movie" type of book. It's very fun, has some surprising and satisfying scenes, and honestly a very cool and likable main character. Darrow escapes a little from the traditional format of grey character by having some surprisingly "sweet" depth, showing remorse and sadness towards death that most "cool and calculist" characters tend to ignore. His love for people and speacially his friends is emphasized several times, and in ways you'd typically not see with "badass" action male characters like him, wich makes it a lot more fun to read about him (though he could back off with his internal monologues a little).
Overall it's a fun book with space battles and satisfying twists and fights (Pierce didn't right this book to be realistic, he wrote it to be the fun type of power fantasy). But you do have to keep in mind (and trust me, Pierce does not let you forget) that it is a book about structural (sci-fi) racism, written by a white male author in 2012, so it does a few points you have to ignore to read.
I'll say the bad stuff first because I only see people talking about the positives in this book, but keep in mind that I did like it and I'd rate it around 3.9 / 4.0
First, more then in the first book, Golden son makes some very superficial and surface level type of commentary and criticism on the subjects it tries to discuss. Pierce Brown creates some extreme situations and then have his characters fight against its injustices, but he really doesn't recognize or address some of the more subtle violence that structural discrimination creates, which is why I say it's pretty clear Pierce Brown has never actually experienced discrimination. This book gives some strong vibes of white guy talking about what if racism was against white people.
My other criticism is that Pierce doesn't know how to write women to save his life. This DOESN'T mean I dont like some of his female characters, like Mustang and Victra, it just means he writes them pretty badly overall. Most if not all of his female characters are just plot devices to push his male characters further (could Ares backstory be more predictable? Let me guess, a woman you loved died and now you know people deserve rights?). Even though Golds are supposed to be the physica pinnacle of society every female character that isn't a love interest gets the "she's so petite, weak and delicate" treatment and either dies to make a Male character sad, or falls into the role of "traitorous bitch". The main character of this book (and most of his Male characters) is so fun to read about, and clearly meant to have several "badass" moments, it's pretty disappointing to see how disposable and surface level Pierce Brown makes his female characters be. (Also Darrow is weirdly forgiving towards a sex trafficker?? Wich to me just once again proves how distant Pierce B is from actual structural violence)
Now the good stuff, this book is one of those books you read when you want a easy "badass action movie" type of book. It's very fun, has some surprising and satisfying scenes, and honestly a very cool and likable main character. Darrow escapes a little from the traditional format of grey character by having some surprisingly "sweet" depth, showing remorse and sadness towards death that most "cool and calculist" characters tend to ignore. His love for people and speacially his friends is emphasized several times, and in ways you'd typically not see with "badass" action male characters like him, wich makes it a lot more fun to read about him (though he could back off with his internal monologues a little).
Overall it's a fun book with space battles and satisfying twists and fights (Pierce didn't right this book to be realistic, he wrote it to be the fun type of power fantasy). But you do have to keep in mind (and trust me, Pierce does not let you forget) that it is a book about structural (sci-fi) racism, written by a white male author in 2012, so it does a few points you have to ignore to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexism, Death, Grief, Child death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Trafficking, Slavery, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual violence and Adult/minor relationship
murrayscottferguson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Kidnapping
ohyeah_karyn's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Murder, Suicide, Slavery, Classism, Death of parent, Body horror, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and War
praaliine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
where do i even start? golden son was really something, only one other book (series) has ever put me through an emotional wringer like this. every little detail in this book was worth paying attention to because pierce brown leaves no stone unturned. this was in no way a senseless science fiction, it really explored the tragedy of human nature and the relationships developed in this book were the most profound and complex i’ve ever read. there’s a big cast of characters and not one was irrelevant, pierce brown breathed so much life into the supporting characters that i cried at their pain. i really love how Darrow, as hot headed as he was (rightfully so), remained self aware through it all, he’s broken, confused, (stupid)ly brave and gets ahead of himself way too much, yet he realizes this and isn’t afraid to say so. I could go on all day about every single character, but i’ll stop here. it took me longer than i would have liked to finish the book, but that’s on me because i’m pushing through a slump. golden son was epic, i’ll always recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Medical trauma, and Vomit
Minor: Alcohol