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Golden Son is the second book of the Red Rising series. After a short prologue picking up the moment Red Rising ended, the story continues three years later. It is written by Pierce Brown, and published by Del Rey Books. The Novel was released less than a year after the first installation. Golden Son is followed by Morning Star.

The first edition cover was designed by Caroline Cunningham. Charts on pages viii and ix were by Joel Daniel Phillips. Once again, the font in print was Sabon.

Synopsis[]

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within. 

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people. 

He must live for more.

Plot Summary[]

*warning* This is a spoiler-filled section. It is meant to be used more as a reference for those who have already read the book and need the information for possible projects or a refresher on the story line. By no means is this meant to be an alternative to reading the book. The book is excellent. Go read it.

Part One: Bow[]

Darrow is now 20 years old. It has been over two years since he graduated from the Institute and took a position as lancer for House Augustus. The Reaper of House Mars now trains in the Academy, a prestigious school not unlike the Institute, that focuses on space based warfare and planetary tactics.

Darrow commands his fleet with two of his old friends and lieutenants from the Institute, Roque and Tactus. The rest of his old retinue has been scattered across the solar system, notably Sevro and the Howlers who have been sent to far orbit, and Mustang who has taken up politics on Luna. Darrow has also welcomed into his circle Victra au Julii, the half-sister of the brutal woman who betrayed him in the Institute, Antonia au Julii.

Already well into the game, it looks as though it will be an easy victory for Darrow. His last opponent, Karnus au Bellona- brother to Julian and Cassius from Darrow's days at the Institute-is left with only one ship. Confident with his odds, Darrow moves in for the kill, but is surprised when a second ship slips through his lines and rams his, devastating Darrow's flagship. After being left to die by Tactus, Darrow narrowly makes it to his personal escape pod. In a last-ditch effort, Darrow attempts to use the pod's Mech Suit, traditionally used for planetary invasions known as Iron Rains, to launch himself into his enemies bridge. However, Darrow's controls are overridden by the proctors saying it would be a suicide mission. Their interference gives Karnus the win. 833 of Darrow's men died in the collision, a figure that seems to bother only Darrow.

Soon after returning, Darrow is jumped by seven Bellonas lead by Karnus. After beating him badly, Karnus tells him that his actions against house Bellona will not go unanswered - his Mother wants Darrow's heart. To add insult to injury, Darrow is then informed by Nero au Augustus and his chief politico Pliny that due to the embarrassment of losing to a Bellona, they will be removing him from his position as lancer. Given only a few days notice rather than the traditional months, the move both destroys any power and clout Darrow may have held and removes all the protections afforded to him by House Augustus. It is a death sentence.

Out of desperation, he and Victra secretly meet with Adrius au Augustus, commonly known as "The Jackal," in the Lost City on Luna. Victra leaves Darrow and the Jackal to discuss an uneasy alliance. The Jackal has been expanding his power since the Institute and is now in control of a sizeable percentage of the Core's media networks. With this power, he plans to unseat the Sovereign and destroy the Sons of Ares, using the immensely popular Darrow as a sort of figurehead TV-hero to gather support. In return, Adrius will use his now considerable fortune to purchase Darrow's contract. Darrow agrees, seeing no other way to make it into next month.

Evey appears, posing as a Pink lure for the Jackal. Surprised to see her old friend, she takes this chance to remove Darrow from the area, revealing that bombs have been planted in the area, targeting the Jackal. Saving his new alliance, Darrow rushes back to save the Jackal’s life.

Evey finds Darrow after the explosion and takes him to see Harmony, who seems to be in charge now. They tell him that Dancer was killed in a raid on a Sons compound. Mickey is there as well, however, he is now treated as a slave and forced to do anything Harmony commands. They constantly beat and humiliate him. It is clear Harmony has lost any humanity she may have once had and is pulling Evey in the same direction. They admit to being responsible for all the bombings that have been happening lately, claiming it's the only way to get the Gold's attention. Harmony offers Darrow a chance to help them. The plan is for him to detonate a radium bomb at an upcoming gala at which all the Gold leaders across the Society will be, killing nearly every Gold of note. He refuses to have anything to do with it until Harmony shows him the video of Eo’s hanging with enhanced audio and he finally hears Eo's last words to her sister Dio. Eo was pregnant. In his pain and rage, Darrow agrees to the plan.

Before the gala, Darrow visits Roque in his room to apologize for his behavior of late. Roque of course thinks nothing of it and says that he will bid on Darrow at the auction so he need not worry. He confesses that Darrow is his closest friend and truly a brother. Knowing he will die tonight, Darrow says his final goodbye and sedates Roque, ensuring his friend's safety.

At the gala, with the bomb strapped to his chest, Darrow sees many familiar faces, including Antonia and Karnus. Darrow also sees Cassius, who has been made the Morning Knight - one of the Soveriegns' Olympic Knights. Also, confirming rumors that were plaguing Darrow, Cassius has Mustang at his side. Seeing his ex-lover with his self-proclaimed mortal enemy, Darrow's composure and plan go out the window. He leaves the Gala to catch his breath and gather his thoughts, eventually deciding not to set off the bomb.

Part Two: Break[]

Returning to the Gala, Darrow marches straight to the Bellona table, jumps on top and walks through dinner plates to where Cassius sits. Trying to make the biggest scene he possibly can, Darrow yells about the wrongs done onto him and the justice he deserves, stirring Cassius to his feet. The Sovereign decides that on this special occasion, she will allow a duel on the otherwise sacred ground. Darrow makes a plea to Nero, begging for his favor in the duel and the blessing to fight not only for his own honor but also that of House Augustus itself. He reminds his liege of Claudius’s death at the hands of Karnus and the growing boldness of Bellona children. Nero agrees and the duel begins. For the first few clashes of the duel, it seems obvious that Cassius, who almost killed Darrow at the Institute, is still the better swordsman. Smiles stick to Bellona faces and even the Sovereign herself seems pleased with her new Olympic Knight. Darrow then drops his facade and reveals that during the time between the Institute and the Academy, he had been training in the art of Kravat with the former Rage Knight, Lorn au Arcos. As they duel, Darrow bests Cassius easily, severing his arm, which forces the Sovereign’s hand to try and stop Darrow from killing her newest Olympic Knight. Darrow, planning on all of this, notes to all how the Sovereign is trying to overrule the sacred laws of the Compact. Duels are to the death he says, and nothing can change that. He moves to finish off his opponent, but Mustang steps in and stops him.

Cassius is spared but it is too late to stop what Darrow began. As Cassius's mother screams for the Reaper's head, a Bellona is killed while trying to attack Darrow. Bellona and Augustus forces clash, bringing to a head the bitter rivalry of the two houses. In the melee, Nero's lead Lancer and likely heir, Leto, is killed by Karnus. Only Darrow sees the dart fired by the Jackal into Leto's leg, paralyzing him before he reaches Karnus.

As House Augustus tries to make their escape, they come across the former Mars proctor from the Institute, Fitchner au Barca, who is now holds Arcos' old position, the Rage Knight. He (and his army of heavily armored Obsidians) convinces House Mars to return to their estate. In the meantime, he brings Darrow to meet with the Sovereign, who is with her grandson Lysander and one of her Furies, Aja au Grimmus. She offers a position by her side, but Darrow rejects. She then challenges him to a game of truths, which if he wins, allows him a chance to get whatever he wishes from her. The game involves sculpted pit vipers, named Oracles, that inject an immensely painful venom when they sense lies. They question each other for information, each confessing many truths, namely the Sovereign who gives information perhaps more freely than is necessary, not believing there is any chance she will lose. Among other confessions, she admits to giving Karnus his extra mystery ship during at the Acadamy. Mustang enters, revealing just how close she has gotten with House Lune. Having now pieced together The Sovereigns plan, Darrow takes the opportunity to ask if Octavia had planned for House Bellona to kill the ArchGovernor Augustus and everyone at his table during the Sixth Course of dinner, she denies it, but the Oracle bites, revealing her lie. Mustang is enraged with the Sovereign for planning the murder of her family right under her nose. After some back and forth, Mustang agrees that the death of her father is the best thing for the society.

Darrow is locked in a bedroom, but quickly rescued by Sevro, his Howlers, and Quinn. Carrying a wriggling bag, Sevro says Mustang gathered them all on Luna weeks ago. Rushing to save the rest of House Augustus, the group finds many Pinks, Browns, and Violets have already been killed by the Praetorians and Bellona, but find no Golds. They track the House Golds, including Nero, Roque and The Jackal, to a swamp where they are rapidly running out of air. Realizing they have no chance of fighting their way out, Darrow decides to use the ace Sevro brought. Darrow reveals to Aja that they have Lysander. The Sovereign has no choice but to let them go. Mustang arrives with a ship and all are evacuated. However, at the last second, Aja attacks Quinn, mercilessly beating her head.

During their flight into space, while the Jackal operates on Quinn to try to save her, Tactus escapes the ship with Lysander. With their only protection now gone, and time running out for everyone, Darrow again his failed stunt from he Acadamy. With no proctors around to stop him this time, Darrow and Sevro launch themselves directly at the bridge of the flagship of the Ash Lord's fleet.

Darrow and Sevro are able to overtake the bridge. Renaming the ship Pax, Darrow tells the Blues on the bridge he will need a new commander for the ship and wants one of them to fill the opening, a position historically held by golds. Darrow settles on a sarcastic and outcast Blue, Orion xe Aquarii. He then announces to the rest of the ship that rather than venting everyone into space, they should join him. He issues orders for the non-Golds onboard the ship to overtake their Gold commanders, which most do. They meet an Obsidian, a Stained, who introduces himself to them as Ragnar Volarus after he kills four Golds and six Obsidians by himself. The stained considers Darrow a godchild for taking the prize of the Ash Lord's armada with only two men. He offers himself to Darrow and Darrow accepts the stains.

With Ragnar cleaning up the last of on-board resistance and Mustang & Co. safely on board, they are able to use the immense power of their new starship to fight off the rest of the Sovereigns fleet before escaping past the Rubicon Beacons. Unfortunately, Quinn dies, leaving Roque completely broken and Sevro rethinking the glory of war. Darrow knows Roque blames him for Quinn’s death.

Knowing he must repair his decaying friendships to avoid another Tactus, Darrow goes after Sevro to try to comfort him. Sevro reveals that Ares contacted him three months prior to arriving in Luna. Darrow a whisperGem to watch on his own, revealing a message from a still masked Ares, saying that he was betrayed by Harmony, and that Darrow was right not to use the radium bomb at the gala, and is proud of him and urges him to carry on. Dancer is alive and his face appears and the old Red assures Darrow that his family is safe.

Sevro then gives Darrow the opportunity to admit who he is. Sevro says knows a truth about him, and if Darrow doesn't admit it to him, he will leave and never come back. Darrow admits he is a red and Sevro says that he was shown the carving when he met with Dancer. Finally having someone know the secret that he's kept for so long, Darrow finally feels the immense weight he's been carrying slightly relieve. Sevro says he of course is still loyal to Darrow, but admits not everyone will be.

Victra tells Darrow that the State Room is his since it was he who captured the ship. Darrow can tell Victra loves him and can feel the sexual tension she's creating. He makes it clear he doesn't feel the same way, but also says he wants to actually get to know her, not the facade she puts up. He decides to reintroduce himself as a way of starting over. She plays along.

Unable to sleep, Darrow finds Mustang in the mess hall. They spend hours talking about what she learned in Luna, how she never lost loyalty to her family, about the Board of Quality Control, and about the unproductive rigidity of society laws. She tells a story about a Gold that fell in love with an Obsidian, and about how the Board of Quality Control killed the both of them and removed any traces of them from all records. She knows the Society will eventually break somehow. The conversation turns bitter as Mustang tells of her choice to lure Cassius into falling in love with her as a way to protect her family. She also says that Darrow shouldn't trust her twin, the Jackal, telling him they can win the war without him, Darrow listens, but doesn't heed her advice.

Part Three: Conquer[]

A month later, the ArchGovernor of Mars rallies those still loyal. All in attendance seem to just be waiting for Darrow to lay out the next step. Despite Pliny’s warning of escalating the war, Darrow's plan of capturing Ganymede's ships and kidnapping the students of the institute is agreed upon by the council. However, Augustus decides that while he will attack Ganymede himself, and his Children will attack the institute, Darrow will try to rally the old Rage Knight Lorn au Arcos to their cause.

Despite the obvious love Arcos has for his student, the old warrior refuses to put his family in danger and rejects Darrow's plan. Lorn also confesses that Aja and a Praetorian death squad have been waiting for Darrow's arrival for days. Lorn offers him a massive sculpted Griffin, Icarus, on which to flee, but Darrow does not take the offer. Darrow had predicted the ambush, and while the Sovereign's ships move in for the attack on the expectedly small force of Darrow's escort, they instead meet Roque with a sizable fleet armed and ready. As Aja and the not-so-loyal Tactus walk in from Lorn's estate, they not only meet the Howler's but also see that Darrow obviously knew of the ambush, making it seem like Arcos warned his Student. This forces Lorn's hand, pushing the retired Rage Knight back into war.

Also part of the Reaper's counter-ambush are the small bombs he secretly placed as he first entered the Garden. Darrow triggers his bombs, killing Aja and Tactus' Obsidian squad, but Tactus's reflexes save the two Gold's. Aja escapes into the Ocean, and Tactus' is followed further into Lorn's estate. Lorn and Darrow find Tactus holding Lorn’s family at razor-point. Darrow is able to talk his old enemy turned friend turned enemy again down, promising forgiveness and a spot back at Darrow's side. However, the Rage Knight show's how accurate his name is and slays Tactus as soon as his Family is away. Aja's escape is yet another rift between Darrow and Roque.

Mustang arrives soon after, injured and battered, with news that her father has been captured and Pliny has set a coup. She says her forces were expected on Mars and decimated, Her aunt and her nephews were killed, and the Jackal arrested after sacrificing himself so that she may escape.

When Mustang and Darrow go to see Tactus’ body, Roque is there. Tactus’ death just add to Roque's rough few weeks. He is the coldest either Darrow or Mustang have ever seen, and still obviously wrath with Darrow. Roque tells them that when Tactus had supposedly sold the violin that Darrow had given him, he infact felt so guilty about it that he stopped the sale from being finalized. Tactus had been practicing in private to surprise Darrow with a sonata. Mustang warns Darrow to fix his broken friendship with Roque before it’s too late.

Mustang briefs the remaining loyalists on what happened, that Augustus was taken by the Rage Knight Fitchner and the Morning Knight Cassius, but only after Nero killed the Hearth Knight. Victra’s mother’s forces were also involved in the coup, creating distrust around Victra, but after a short bout and words from Roque about Victra’s loyalty, Darrow reassures everyone that Victra's loyalty is unquestionable. They decide to go to Hildas Station, where the Jackal and Mustang's forces are being kept. Lorn tells Darrow to be careful trusting Ragnar, because he believes that Ragnar is a weapon and nothing more. He believes that given half a chance, Ragnar will betray and kill Darrow. Darrow refuses to believe that, noting the Irony in Lorn's statement, as Lorn himself changed from a Rage filled killing machine to a peaceful old teacher.

Darrow goes to talk to Ragnar, but finds it hard to penetrate the Stained's brainwashing. As far as the Obsidian is concerned, he is to obey Gold and nothing more. But Darrow persists, knowing that Ragnar is much more than he lets on. Ragnar is confused and convinced he is being tricked. In a last ditch effort, Darrow confesses his Red origins, explaining to the large pale man that he does not have to be a slave anymore.

They land on Hildas Station and pretty easily rescue the prisoners, storming the compound with a drill. Pliny is killed by his would be supporters in the process. Darrow announces that the Reaper of Mars is calling for the first Iron Rain in twenty years.

Roque and Victra are to command the battle in the skies, while Lorn and Darrow lead the assault on the surface. Roque questions Darrow's tactics, proposing a city siege rather than an outright attack. But Darrow is set on attacking the Cities first. Upon urging from Victra, Roque gives a farewell kiss on both Darrow’s cheeks. Darrow brings their foreheads together, calling him brother and apologizes for all who’ve been lost and all the slights, telling him he’s been his dearest friend, admitting he was afraid. Roque says they’ll make amends later.

Lorn approaches Darrow, admitting that he probably should not have killed Tactus, seeing now how Darrow’s men look at him and would do anything for him.

Part Four: Ruin[]

As the Iron Rain begins, war quickly becomes a lot less romantic. Before even reaching the ground, thousands die. The bulk of the forces attack the walls of Agea, but the Reaper leads a few dozen, including the Howlers, through a secret path through the river the Sons of Ares secured the night before. Emerging on the other side of the wall though, they are ambushed. An EMP is detonated rendering the mech suits they all wear completely useless. The group falls from the sky, some on the shore of the river to be executed as they lay catatonic, but many into the river to drown as their suit slowly runs out of air. Darrow manages to escape his suit and after helping Ragnar out of his own, the two clear the remaining Bellona men on the beach. After helping the rest of survivors, the group realizes their team of nearly 3 dozen is reduced to Ragnar, a few obsidian, Darrow, and a handful of Howlers, all without armor.

During the cleanup of the beach, Darrow gave a Razor to Ragnar. Traditionally, the Razor is for Gold hands only, it is death for any other color to even touch it. Seeing this uneases a few Howler's but all come around except forThistle who only agrees to it after peer-pressure. Darrow sends Ragnar and the other Obsidians, all now Razor armed, to attack the back of the wall and open the gates for the outside forces. Darrow and the Howlers make their way towards the Citadel. As they move through the city, Sevro, possessing the only working pair of grav boots, comes back with news that Ragnar managed to open the gates, kill the Wind Knight, and almost killed Cassius. All of the obsidians in the army are going wild he says.

They reach a Citadel wall, but after getting Darrow up, Sevro's grav boots go out. Seeing no alternative, and not wanting to put anyone else in any more danger, Darrow decides to go forward by himself. After attacking a group of Grays, Darrow manages to jump aboard the Sovereign's ship. The former Red finds himself surrounded by Karnus, Aja, Fitchner, and the Sovereign surrounded by her Praetorians. The Sovereign, never one to miss a political opportunity, tells Fitchner to start recording. She then tells Aja to execute the battered and beaten boy in front of them. Fitchner, all the while, is arguing that Darrow would be more valuable as a prisoner or that they should torture him for information. Seeing what he is trying to do, the sovereign commands Fitchner to execute his former student. Greedy for revenge, Karnus tries to attack instead, but Darrow manages to slay the big brute. Now Fitchner's turn, he goes up Darrow, telling him he is a stupid boy, that he had everything under control, "It's me" he says, "It's been me the whole time." The pudgy old proctor drops a grenade, shoots at the Praetorians, and jumps out of the ship with a now unconscious Darrow.

When Darrow is conscious again, a week has passed. Mustang is there and tells him that all of Cassius’s family are dead save he and his mother who are still missing. Roque was able to capture more than eighty percent of the Bellona fleet, making his own larger than Darrow's. The Sovereign is alive and escaped, but badly wounded from the explosion. Darrow finally opens up on a deeper level than he has as of yet. They make love.

Darrow again tries to mend his friendship with Roque, but Sevro calls him away on urgent news that the Jackal has captured Harmony, Evey, and Mickey. Darrow visits the Jackal in Attica, making himself a distraction as Sevro and some others rescue the three.

Later, Darrow and Sevro meet with the Sons of Ares at a secret warehouse location. The Telemanuses are there too. Fitchner tells of how he became Ares after Sevro's mom, a Red, was killed after giving birth to Sevro. She was completely wiped from all records.

Ares' next plan is to have the ArchGovernor adopt Darrow as his heir and rise from there, all the way to eventually becoming Sovereign. Darrow agrees but wants to be in constant communication with Ares from here on out. Ares agrees. Darrow also says he wants to see his family first, his family in Lykos, before they go any further. And Darrow wants to take Mustang with him. Fitchner only agrees after Sevro says he'll kill her if she tries anything.

Darrow arrives on Lykos with Ragnar, Mustang, and Sevro. He returns to the garden that Eo had brought him to four years prior. He finds the guard that used to be the biggest problem in his life, Ugly Dan. Ugly Dan, along with the rest of the mine, is not at all how he remembers it. Everything is smaller and less severe. He meets with the mineMagistrate and tells him to bring the food he brought from his ship and allow the people a feast. He watches his people eat and dance, remembering himself in the same place so many years ago. Mustang finds him there.

Mustang asks what they're doing in this random Helium-3 mine, and Darrow responds that he is letting her all the way in. He walks her through his old stomping grounds, stopping outside his old house. He hands her a holo-cube of his carving and tells her to watch it. If she still wants to be with him, she can come inside, otherwise she is welcome to leave.

Darrow finds his mother inside. She recognizes the golden version of her son immediately. She tells him that his Uncle Narol died with Loran down a mineshaft, though they never found the bodies. She believes that Narol left and took Loran with him. The two talk at length until interrupted by one of Darrow's nephews. Mustang's tracker says she left in her shuttle. Sevro follows the shuttle thinking he may have to kill her before she can expose who Darrow is.

However, while Darrow is walking back to the ship, Mustang confronts him in a dark cave, saying she figured she was being tracked. Naturally, she is upset with what she has learned and the manner in which it was presented to her. She feels that her only option is to kill Darrow who will only bring destruction to her house and color. Darrow says to go ahead and kill him, because if she can't change, no gold can. Ragnar appears, claiming Darrow is too important to die and will do anything in his power to make sure he doesn't. Mustang readies for a fight, telling Darrow to pay attention to what he's released into the world. Ragnar however puts the ball in Mustang's court, agreeing with Darrow that if Mustang can't accept the new world, there is no hope. Mustang leaves Darrow in the mine and Darrow tells Sevro to let her go.

At Darrow’s Triumph, where the Iron Rain is to be memorialized, Nero au Augustus tells Darrow he will adopt him and make him Heir to house Augustus, all The Jackals idea he says. The mood quickly turns sour however. As Roque is presenting Darrow with his wreath, He betrays Darrow and injects him with a paralyzing agent. Darrow watches as Lorn au Arcos is murdered and Antonia kills her mother and shoots her half-sister, Victra in the back. The Jackal kills his father, but only after telling him of how he was responsible for both Leto and Claudius's death. The Jackal also reveals to Darrow how he actually killed Quinn and was only pretending to save her life. Cassius is there and accuses Darrow of murdering the Bellona children, but Darrow has no idea what he’s talking about. Roque presents Darrow with the head of Fitchner, the head of Ares. There is a sliver of hope however, as Mustang wasn't at the Triumph, the Telemanuses were in Orbit, and Sevro, the Howlers, and Ragnar were not found. Victra drags herself over to Darrow before the book ends.


End of book two.

Characters[]

Nero au Augustus - ArchGovernor of Mars, head of House Augustus, father to Virginia and Adrius

Virginia au Augustus/Mustang - Daughter of Nero, twin sister to Adrius

Adrius au Augustus/Jackal - Son of the ArchGovernor, twin brother to Virginia

Pliny au Velocitor - Chief Politico of House Augustus

Darrow au Andromedus/Reaper - ArchPrimus of the Institute of Mars, lancer of House Augustus

Tactus au Rath - Lancer of House Augustus

Roque au Fabii - Lancer of House Augustus

Victra au Julii - Lancer of House Augustus, half sister to Antonia, daughter of Agrippina

Kavax au Telemanus - Head of House Telemanus, ally of House Augustus, father to Daxo and Pax

Daxo au Telemanus - Heir and son of Kavax, brother to Pax

Orion xe Aquarii - A blue, captain of the Pax

Ragnar Volarus - A Stained, orignally meant for the Ash Lord, captured by Darrow

Quinn - A friend of Darrow's from the Institute

Tiberius au Bellona - Head of House Bellona

Cassius au Bellona - Heir to House Bellona, son of Tiberius, brother to Julian, lancer of House Bellona

Karnus au Bellona - Son of Tiberius, elder brother of Cassius, lancer of House Bellona

Kellan au Bellona - Praetor, cousin of Cassius, nephew of Tiberius

Octavia au Lune - Reigning Sovereign of the Society

Lysander au Lune - Grandson of Octavia , heir to House Lune

Aja au Grimmus - The Sovereign's chief bodyguard, the Olympic Knight

Moira au Grimmus - the Sovereign's chief Politico

Lorn au Arcos - Former Rage Knight, head of House Arcos

Fitchner au Barca - Former Proctor of house Mars, father of Sevro

Sevro au Barca/Goblin - Lead Howler, son of Fitchner

Agrippina au Julii - Head of House Julii, mother to Victra and Antonia

Antonia au Severus-Julii - Member of House Mars during the Institute, half sister to Victra, daughter of Agrippina. Uses Severus to not be connected to house Julii

Ares - Leader of Sons of Ares, color unknown, named terrorist by many Golds

Dancer - Ares' lieutenant, a Red

Harmony - Dancer's lieutenant, a Red

Mickey - Carver, a Violet

Evey - Former slave of Mickey, a Pink

Narol - Darrow's uncle

Deanna - Darrow's Mother

Loran - Narol's son, Darrow's Cousin

Kieran - Darrow's Older Brother

Chapters[]

  1. Warlords
  2. The Breach
  3. Blood and Piss
  4. Fallen
  5. Abandoned
  6. Icarus
  7. The Afterbirth
  8. Scepter & Sword
  9. The Darkness
  10. Broken
  11. Red

  1. Blood for Blood
  2. Mad Dogs
  3. The Sovereign
  4. Truth
  5. The Game
  6. What the Storm Brings
  7. Bloodstains
  8. Stork
  9. Helldiver
  10. Stains
  11. Fire Blossom
  12. Trust
  13. Bacon and Eggs

  1. Praetors
  2. Puppet Master
  3. Jelly Beans
  4. The Stormsons
  5. Old Man's Wrath
  6. Gathering Storm
  7. Coup
  8. Die Young
  9. A Dance
  10. Blood Brothers
  11. Teatime
  12. Lord of War
  13. War
  14. The Iron Rain
  15. At the Wall

  1. Mud
  2. Achilles
  3. Death of a Gold
  4. The Sea
  5. The Poet
  6. Gifts
  7. Brotherhood
  8. Free
  9. The Magistrate
  10. Why We Sing
  11. The Deep
  12. Golden Son

Book Cover Gallery[]

Reviews[]

Praise for Golden Son

“Gripping . . . Both author and lead character have cranked up the emotional stakes. . . . With Golden Son, Brown avoids the sophomore slump, charging the novel with the kind of dystopia-toppling action you’d expect in a trilogy ender, not a middle volume. On virtually every level, this is a sequel that hates sequels—a perfect fit for a hero who already defies the tropes. [Grade:] A”Entertainment Weekly  

“Stirring . . . Comparisons to The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones series are inevitable, for this tale has elements of both.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Brown writes layered, flawed characters . . . but plot is his most breathtaking strength. . . .  Every action seems to flow into the next.”—NPR

“It’s a far superior sequel, in fact: one of the rare breed of reads that improves upon its predecessor in every conceivable category. . . . In a word, Golden Son is stunning. Never mind how little we’ve seen of 2015: Among science fiction fans, it should be a shoo-in for book of the year.”Tor.com

“Pierce Brown is a prodigy. As great as the first book of the Red Rising Trilogy is, Golden Son is even better. A wild ride full of suspense, intrigue, and serious ass-kicking bravado, it’s expertly written and emotionally engaging, with top-notch universe-building that begs for further exploration. I want more!”—Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Snowblind

“The stakes are even higher than they were in Red Rising, and the twists and turns of the story are every bit as exciting. The jaw-dropper of an ending will leave readers hungry for the conclusion to Brown’s wholly original, completely thrilling saga.”Booklist (starred review)  

“Dramatic . . . the rare middle book that loses almost no momentum as it sets up the final installment.”Publishers Weekly

Errors[]

  • The Cordovan were misspelled as Codovan
  • Callisto was spelled as Calisto
  • In the characters page, Daxo au Telemanus was missing the s
  • MineMagistrate Timony cu Podginus's name with the c replaced by a, implying that he is a Gold

Honours[]

In May 2015, the English audiobook of Golden Son became the E.E. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.

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