Golden Son (Red Rising #2) by Pierce Brown

I. Just. Can't. With. The. Feelings!!!
Ok, I can. But wow. It is hard to write a review for books you don't want to spoil for anyone but I will do my best.
This is book 2 in a trilogy, and as soon as I am done posting this I am diving into the finale, Morning Star.
Golden Son picks up 2 years after the ending of Red Rising. So much happens here that you would think it is slow moving, but then when it was over I couldn't believe it was done so quickly.
Darrow learns some hard lessons and some weighty questions are raised. What is the real cost of war is a central thread through the story so far. But there is so much more. What makes a family? How much can a relationship bend before it stops holding together and breaks? How does who we are at a given moment shape how we love? Darrow deals with betrayal, forgiveness, growing up, learning it isn't weak to depend on others, facing the timeless question about going home, and death, he faces death head on numerous time.

I'm finding the main theme of the story to be what makes us human, what makes some people lead and others follow, is it better to follow because it is how you are your best self or because you are forced to or trained to? Or does it matter, someone has to lead and someone has to follow and survival of the fittest and all that? It is the commonality in all of these types of stories, someone takes over and oppresses others until someone sparks a rebellion or revolution and a new cycle begins, until hopefully someday an equitable system is built.

There is also the obvious thread of race relations. I don't say that as criticism. It would be wrong to say we live in a post racial world, and so it feels relevant to have the hierarchy be based on a color system, Gold at the top and Red at the bottom.

Darrow is an interesting character because of his duality. Is he who is, how he is wired or is he a product of his environment? Nurture vs Nature. If you could walk a mile in another's skin would it change how you view them? Or yourself?
I know this all sounds so deep, and it is a thought provoking story, but it is also well written and gripping, even entertaining.

Ok, I have rambled on enough. I must go and begin the next book...

(Finished April 6, 2017)



My thoughts on Red Rising