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stephanieluxton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is what Dune would be if it was actually exciting (don't hate me for saying that).
I'm not going to write a long review for this because it's the second book in the series and if you likd the first one, you'll like this one. I will say that the first book is better. I loved reading about the institute because it was more of a confined setting whereas this book brings us to Darrow trying to navigate the real world - theres a lot more politics in this book which makes sense.
This would have been a 4 star book for me but THE ENDING IS WILD. I was shocked.
I can appreciate that the author doesn't give Darrow too much plot armour. He struggles and doesn't always succeed which is so rare for a main character these days. I don't normally enjoy reading series because they can lose their lustre but I will keep going with this one and I know it'll likely become one of my favorites.
I'm not going to write a long review for this because it's the second book in the series and if you likd the first one, you'll like this one. I will say that the first book is better. I loved reading about the institute because it was more of a confined setting whereas this book brings us to Darrow trying to navigate the real world - theres a lot more politics in this book which makes sense.
This would have been a 4 star book for me but THE ENDING IS WILD. I was shocked.
I can appreciate that the author doesn't give Darrow too much plot armour. He struggles and doesn't always succeed which is so rare for a main character these days. I don't normally enjoy reading series because they can lose their lustre but I will keep going with this one and I know it'll likely become one of my favorites.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, War, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Slavery
tafeeeeee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.75
I was only half invested in the first book but now I'm fully in it. I literally gasped several times in the last chapter. Now I'm mad I have to wait ~11 weeks for book three to be available at my library.
Darrow is a compelling character and I can't wait to see what he and his friends accomplish next.
Darrow is a compelling character and I can't wait to see what he and his friends accomplish next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and War
cepbreed's review
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
Warthemetalotaku's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, War, Violence, and Murder
followerofselena's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Gaslighting, War, Blood, Cursing, and Slavery
gandalf_a's review
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
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
miorinsa's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War
kiwij96's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
The political worldbuilding of this series is honestly stunning. I'm so glad that the second book distanced itself from the educational Hunger Games-ness of the first book because at times that was stagnant. But this was so much easier to read. So much happened in these 450ish pages that I don't even know where to begin.
Falling out of touch with friends, betrayal, plot twists which I didn't see coming but thought worked for the characters. It was all so perfectly chaotic I loved it. That ending was a stroke of genius.
Two gripes:
1. The first 6 chapters could have been a prologue just to catch us up on Darrow's life since book 1 since a couple of years have passed. It also felt a bit clunky at the start.
2. I have literally no idea what any of the things are which confuses me sometimes - like what is a ripWing, or a HC, or an anything?
Falling out of touch with friends, betrayal, plot twists which I didn't see coming but thought worked for the characters. It was all so perfectly chaotic I loved it. That ending was a stroke of genius.
Two gripes:
1. The first 6 chapters could have been a prologue just to catch us up on Darrow's life since book 1 since a couple of years have passed. It also felt a bit clunky at the start.
2. I have literally no idea what any of the things are which confuses me sometimes - like what is a ripWing, or a HC, or an anything?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Murder, Classism, Sexual assault, Torture, Death, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Suicide and Pregnancy