Iron Gold (Red Rising Series)

*Original review on Goodreads and My Blog* EXCERPT* Silent, she waits for the sky to fall, standing upon an island of volcanic rock amidst a black sea. The long moonless night yawns before her. The only sounds, a flapping banner of war held in her lover's hand and the warm waves that kiss her steel boots. Her heart is heavy. Her spirit is wild. Peerless knights tower behind her. Salt spray beads on their family crests--emerald centaurs, screaming eagles, gold sphinxes, and the crowned skull of her father's grim house. Her Golden eyes look to the heavens. Waiting. The water heaves in. Out. The heartbeat of her silence END EXCERPT* So much of this book was me talking out loud to Darrow. Mainly, "What are you doing?" Obviously, I'm not going to spoil anything with all of that stuff. All of my babies are having babies =) Well, two of them more so than others. I wouldn't expect less of those two =) Some of the main characters that came back took a little bit of a backseat to some new characters. And when I think I might find one I'm going to love, they get killed so what's the point. Although, I really want to see what's going to be up with Tongueless. I'm very intrigued by him. I did fall in love with Lyria. Her story starts out horrible right from the start. I felt really bad for her. And even though she does some dumb things, I think she's learning and going to be a great character. At least she better be! I know some people might be upset over someone's death in the book but for some reason I don't think it really happened. Pierce Brown doesn't usually do it so calmly and by that I mean, sort of push it off to the side and moving on. Nope. It didn't happen. We shall see in Sept!!!! Yes! PB is the man! Who puts out the second book of the trilogy in the same year! THE MAN that's who. Now watch, I just jinxed it! Anyway, we have some other characters come back from the original trilogy and take a front seat. They were good but all I wanted to focus on was Sevro and Darrow. I love Sevro so much and I'm so afraid something is going to happen in the next two books or at the end of the third one. Pierce Brown you better not! I have so many scenario's in my head that I can even think straight. But, it will be what it will be. This book is more of a picking up after the wars sort of book. You have some people that were lied to, you have some people that turned traitor, you have people that keep doing stupid things, you have other people that do more stupid things. You have people being set on fire. That was fun. Evil person gets set on fire. We have underwater stuff that I thought was cool. We have some blood and gore as usual. Not tons but still. I'm not sure Darrow taking on an evil person to help him take another person out was such a good idea, but it worked. Now lets just see what havoc they are going to start in the next book. Or they could just sit on one of the planets and be all nice. Right!! Either way, I loved the book. I loved being with my peeps again. I actually want Sevro and Victra to have their own book with some of the howlers in it with them. They need to have their own planet and just do the crazy things they do =) I really, really, really hope Darrow comes to his senses. What is wrong with you Darrow? I just don't know what to do with that ending. I hope it's going to end well and maybe Darrow knows something we don't know. I feel like I don't know who he is and I felt that way in the very beginning. We shall see... Happy Reading! Mel ♥

This is the first book in the new trilogy and it feels so refreshing and new. This was the start of different POV’s and I was skeptical at first but they were SO well done and tied perfectly together near the end. This was another great read, I feel the pacing was a bit off at times but it’s Pierce Brown so… can’t ever be below 4 stars.. 🤷‍♂️ But as per usual… there is death and it is NOT for the weak. This book feels more of a setup for the next two, and it felt a bit slower than the other ones, more for character development and world building, which shined in this! All in all another BANGER of a book and can’t wait to read the next one! (Even though I’ve heard they are devastating…)

2023-07-18 I remember feeling trepidation when Iron Gold was first announced. Trepidation that, I now believe, Pierce Brown himself felt as well. A continuation of Red Rising... The trilogy felt like such a complete package that I was worried Pierce didn't have more story to tell, or that he was forcing a continuation due to the success of the first three books. Oh, how wrong I was. Iron Gold, especially on a reread, in many ways feels like a necessity. An inevitability, even. Something that the original trilogy was leading toward all along. The book begins with a ten year time jump, and it reinvigorates the series on almost every level. It changes the stakes, the circumstances, and the passage of time is believable, something Pierce has always excelled at. This change to our setting, along with our new POV characters, injects something into the series that I didn't even know it needed until it was there. It's hard to quantify, but it's in the pages. The tragedy of the first trilogy is that after everything that Darrow and his allies did, after all they sacrificed to break the chains of the Society, all it gained them was war. That is what Iron Gold shows us. A Republic that has been at war for ten long years, harried by remnants of the Society at every turn, knowing no peace, even for their victory. And it is how Darrow fits within the Republic he helped build (or rather, how he doesn't fit) that makes the continuation of the series so interesting. As I said, Darrow's path here feels like some tragic inevitability. Just, as I hope, his redemption will be... The character work remains excellent here, and Pierce has expanded the story from one first-person point-of-view to four. Not everyone was on board for this, but I find it brilliant. It felt natural to me, expanding the breadth of Pierce's storytelling and allowing him to showcase how his writing skill has evolved since he began. I think that a full trilogy of just Darrow was actually too much Darrow, in a way. Not because you got sick of him, but because he is so cool, such a great character, that depriving you of him, even if just for a handful of chapters, makes him that much more effective once he returns. Iron Gold is in many ways a herald of the Dark Age to come. Just as, one hopes, Light Bringer will be a tonal reprieve. It's just over the horizon now, and I can't wait to begin. “This is not the end. I loved you before I ever met you. I will love you until the sun dies. And when it does, I will love you in the darkness." 2018-01-27 A few years ago I bought a book called Red Rising by Pierce Brown for 99 cents. I'd heard good things, and what's a dollar for a book? It turned out to be one of the best dollars I ever spent as my fervor for the story led me to buying Golden Son. That book earned the series and its characters a spot among my favorites, and resulted in both my brother and father diving into the series. It led to a brutal wait for Morning Star for all of us, then to excitement over the possibility that Pierce would continue the story later in the timeline, which led to a brutal wait for the fourth book in the saga and thus, Iron Gold. I will not be posting any blatant spoilers for the book below, however if you've not ready any of the other books and would like to remain in the dark about who lives through the initial trilogy, I would skip this review. The Red Rising saga is like coming home for me. Its world and its characters hold a special place and sinking back into the story was easy and comfortable. Pierce Brown changes things up this time in that we no longer have a single narrator in Darrow. Instead he is joined by three other POV characters, making this one of the only first-person books I've ever read that has multiple points of view. I had some initial trepidation about this approach, but it was unwarranted. Pierce handled it extremely well, and each character had their own distinct voice. Seeing Darrow again was like hanging out with an old friend, and my heart breaks for him. To witness his efforts and sacrifices in the initial trilogy earn him nothing but war and strife was very hard, but I am impressed that even after four books Darrow is still growing, with room to grow further still. Lyria, our only truly brand new character, was a joy. And in a way she reminded me of Eo, the catalyst of the entire series. Amazing that a rebellion begun in her name could spawn so many more people just like her. Ephraim was a worthy POV character, offering the Gray perspective and tying in nicely with Lyria's story. He is another victim of the Rising, and lost much to Darrow's rise. You can't help but feel his nihilism and depression is justified. Finally, our last POV character (and the only one I knew we'd be reading before the book's release) was Lysander. Heir of Empire, grandson of Octavia au Lune and Lorn au Arcos, and godson of Magnus au Grimmus, the Ash Lord. I was most looking forward to reading Lysander's chapters, and they did not disappoint, easily taking the spot of my favorite. The story in the Rim is incredibly compelling, and House Raa with their code of Honor over vanity and excess (so atypical of Gold society) is admirable. Diomedes au Raa has the potential to become my favorite character of this series. Beyond our POV characters it was satisfying to reunite with other old friends like Sevro, Mustang, the Telemanuses, and many more. Characters aside (if you can't tell I think Pierce excels there) the pacing and story were true to form. Iron Gold is no different than the other Red Rising books in that it is damn hard to put down. Twists and turns abound, and by the end it's clear that this is just a new beginning. The Dark Age comes. Now we must see how our characters will meet it. I couldn't more pleased with this new installment, and with Pierce's progression as a writer. Luckily, I believe that the fifth book is due out this year as well, a welcome surprise. I cannot wait. LUX EX TENEBRIS Hail Libertas. Hail Reaper.

Unlike the previous novels in the Red Rising Saga, Iron Gold is told from multiple perspectives. Each shares a different storyline that gives us insight into the state of the council, their enemies, and the people. Knowing we would have at least a year wait before the next book, I attempted to savor this novel by forcing myself to stop at the end of chapters. It was bloodydamn hard. We are given a lot of information about the world since Darrow’s victory. Battles still rage, colors still suffer and anger stews. We have idealists, rationalist and those who feel left behind. Pierce Brown will have you doubting our hero, holding your breath and weeping over those lost to us. Iron Gold, begins with the Fall of Mercury giving us an idea of what has transpired since Golden Son. We then move into the multiple perspectives and storylines starting with Darrow the Hero of the Republic. Pierce also introduces a few new characters as he shares updates and points of interest for beloved and hated characters. The storylines: Darrow the Reaper, leader of the Howlers, returns home on Liberation Day. It has been four years since the war, but we quickly learn the fight is far from over. Darrow and his team have been leading strikes to bring all the planets into the Solar Republic. He is tired, misses his family and wants to end this war and come home. Darrow’s storyline was intense, as we watch our war-weary hero make sacrifices and decisions that affect not only him but his team, family, and country. Lord do we see some unexpected things as we enter the battle that includes rifts among the group. Lyria of Lagalos is a young Red, who desperately wants to believe in all that the Rising stands for, but her circumstance and those of her family make it difficult. From the beginning, readers will sense the strength of Lyria, even through her tears. We learn of her families fate and her reality. We journey with her as she does what she can for herself and brother. Her storyline weaves with another pov and added suspense as the reader is privy to things she is not. Ephraim: He abandoned the fight and made a name for himself as a lucrative thief. Together with his team, he is forced to take part in a high stakes plot. Here we see key players from the Rising Saga, and catch a glimpse at profiteering and plotting in this worn torn world. While I never doubted he was looking after his own hide, I came to like Ephraim. Lysander au Lune: Lysander travels on a ship with Cassius au Bellona the man who allowed Darrow to destroy his world, but also saved him from death at the hand of Sevro. This is a dark thread that begins when they answer a distress signal and find themselves, unwilling guests on an asteroid. Here we explore guilt, the cost of war. Gorydamn Brown slew me with this thread All of these storylines were masterfully woven together by Brown as we came to understand the state of the Solar Republic. We are privy to its successes as well as failures. The story prepares us for what is to come, and I for one cannot wait

Bit of a setup for the next two books I imagine. Different from the first three in that there are four perspectives, Darrow’s and three others (Lysander’s, Trigg’s living fiancé Ephraim, and a Mae’s red girl/woman named Lyria).

I finished the first three books of the Red Rising series about 9 years ago with the decision I would not go further with the trilogy. Even after I bought book 4. Its hard to know why I stopped with the series. It was not for the reason that I was bored of it or that disliked Darrow. No, I think it was because I loved the happy ending of the Morning Star and I somehow knew that the next coming books would take a deep dive that would somehow shatter the happy, warm feelings that I had for Darrow and the world he dreamed of. This is how deep and amazing Pierce Browns books are. To fall in love with characters in a story and to have reread the first three books at least 4 times and bought and listened to the audiobooks 2 times just to wait 9 years later to finally have the courage to continue with the series should say enough. And Iron Gold does not disappoint.

Where do I begin. Firstly. There are four story lines in this story and although I fall in love with the three new characters, Pierce decided to end all of them with a god damn cliff hangar! No closure to any of the damn story lines. So if you hate cliffhangers like me, better wait until the next book to buy this one. I just gorydamn hate cliff hangers. Especially when you have multi story-lines and you don't decide to end any of them satisfyingly. Spoiler territory here: Characters Darrow: Darrow is now a father to a ten year old and his character is the only one I care about at the beginning of the book but becomes the least one I care about by the end of the book. The problem with Darrow character and not person is that he hasn't mature at all. Ten years of war and he's the same man he was at the end of the red rising trilogy. Seriously if it wasn't for the red rising trilogy, I doubt anyone would like him in this book. How far he goes and how far his head is up his own ass. Servo said it best, "You cut corners, take shortcuts." And this would be good if this was twenty year old Darrow. This is thirty year old darrow. I'm near thirty and I could never see myself acting the way Darrow is. He becomes totally unrelatable in this book and since we don't go through the history with Darrow on why he hate the ashlord so much or why he needed to call down the Iron Rain on Mercury, it's hard to feel sympathy for him. Lyria: I love this girl. However her story arc was so insignificant that it could be left out the book wholly or added to Ephraim storyline. It would had been better if she actually did something other than moan about her problems. I get it, everyone she know is dead but her story arc revolves around brooding and walking a fox. I hope she is not dead and I hope she is most important in the next book or we going to have problems. Ephraim: I seriously hated this character and skipped a few of his chapters. His teddy bear companion Volga was the only reason I read his chapter. I love that damn girl and hope she isn't killed off. I only started to love him when he goes good and calling Servo kid a little psycho. Too bad it was too late in the story and too bad he burned Lyria on his way to kidnap Darrows and Servo kids. Yes! He kidnaps the little ones after brooding for several chapters. Seriously the brooding done in this book is absolutely tiring. Lystander: Now here is where the book should had focus. I could had done without the other characters but this kid story was interesting from page 1 to the last page. I was sad for Cassius death. I hated him in the red rising trilogy but here his death was so sad, so lonely, so unfulfilled. Not only that, but his corpse was desecrated by sore losers. I wished he would had found a new home, a new family, a new cause and a new love but Pierce is a cruel god of his crafted world. Lystander only flaw is that it feel like Pierce is trying to hard to make him seem like a morally grey character and with this try hard effort it makes him narrative untrustworthy. Maybe that was the goal but I'm not a fan of it. This book was like red rising, slow start, exciting finish, so I expect next book to be like Gold Son. I hope everyone is alive.

This is a 5 ⭐️ read, but won't be listed as one of my favorites of the series probably. This one was full of world building (which I actually do love) because it's set 10 years after Morning Star. We were introduced to some new characters, better acquainted with some that had previously been mentioned. We're introduced to some of the Howlers' kids and some new foes of Darrow have been established. I'm terrified to get attached to any characters since I'm really hot sure who's going to live. I'm still not sure how I managed to avoid spoilers for this series, but I have 2 books left and I know I'm in for a hell of a ride.