Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

34 reviews

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.

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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.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and War

jillysmith's review

adventurous hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A great second act to the Red Rising series. Frenetic battles, mind games, and a gilded world. The world building steps up and the characters expand, making the impending civil war feel fraught with danger.. Fun twists and shocks throughout

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and War

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Violence, Genocide, Grief, and Death

War

malreadsthebooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Incredible book, fantastically narrated. Even better than the first. I’m hooked

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Violence, Murder, Gore, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and War

Moderate: Child death, Slavery, Kidnapping, Racism, and Physical abuse

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

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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

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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

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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

4ny's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, War, Xenophobia, Violence, and Torture

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?

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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