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Red Rising Saga Dramatic Adaptations #2, Part 1
Golden Son (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation): Red Rising Saga, Book 2
Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom. 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.
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.
Audible Audio
First published January 6, 2015
37 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Pierce Brown
55 books53.2k followersHello. I'm Pierce Brown, the author of the Red Rising Saga, a NYT #1 bestseller.
I figured I'd write you myself than have corporate copy pasted below my totally natural author photo.
In my books you'll find stories of men and women finding their inner strength when all seems lost. You'll also find me exploring themes of love, violence, hope, and power--what it means, why people seek it, and how they hold onto it.
IG @piercebrownofficial
Twitter @pierce_brown
I figured I'd write you myself than have corporate copy pasted below my totally natural author photo.
In my books you'll find stories of men and women finding their inner strength when all seems lost. You'll also find me exploring themes of love, violence, hope, and power--what it means, why people seek it, and how they hold onto it.
IG @piercebrownofficial
Twitter @pierce_brown
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
November 4, 2025
Not my first time reading(listening) Golden Son, but the Graphic Audio version is very VERY good. To be fair, the book is a bloody damned masterpiece, so it also has that working for it.
February 24, 2025
These Graphic Audios are hands down the best produced audiobooks I’ve ever listened to! The voice acting, the sound effects, the music! It’s all chef’s kiss!
October 25, 2024
Absolutely beautiful work done by all of the VA’s! Such incredible performances, that I found myself tearing up many more times then I did when I had first read this🥺😍😍😍
March 28, 2025
When your comfort read is filled with utter chaos and destruction 🤌🏼 I forget how INSANE the ending to this was. Hits just has hard as reading it the first time. Also love Darrow’s voice, exactly how I imagined it. And Jenna of course as Mustang 💕
February 1, 2025
this was only half the book but it’s okay bc i can alr tell my reading goal is gonna need the padding
anyway we’ll see how the second half goes but so far i have felt a lot less engaged than the first book but i have high hopes
anyway we’ll see how the second half goes but so far i have felt a lot less engaged than the first book but i have high hopes
December 23, 2025
Slight disclaimer: I'm writing this review after already having started Part 2, so there is a possibility that I'll have gotten confused about what happens in what part...
My first impression is that you definitely need to be focused on the story of this one; it's a lot more political, a lot more nuanced and, to me at least, had a lot more worldbuilding in than the first one. So while I really enjoyed it and the dramatisation is fab, I think I'd probably have been better served with this version as a reread.
The main thing that sticks out for me is the fact that I can't get the Star Wars visuals out of my head. Just a couple of examples; Luna looks like Coruscant, the Jackal's club was a mix between the Mos Eisley cantina and the bar from AotC (I was just waiting for someone to try and sell Darrow a deathstick), and when Darrow is stood on the deck of his ship with Blues plugged into the flight systems and his team of lieutenants around him... yeah, those ships were Star Destroyers, without question. And then add in Darrow's exclamation of 'never tell me the odds'... suddenly he looks very Harrison Ford-ish... 😁 I'm not complaining by any stretch; I actually find the comparisons vey helpful, but equally I find it a shame that the author's own descriptions aren't strong enough for me to see his own vision clearly.
The characters are all so wonderfully complex; as much as you want to root for Darrow, he's developing a devious side that makes you question whether he hasn't, just a bit, started to 'go native'. And yet you see him grappling with his decisions, trying his best to determine the course of action to take and you are put through the ringer right beside him. I love the fact that there's no shying away from the character's vulnerabilities; allowing him to cry and break down, and feel the weight of his choices - it all makes him so beautifully relatable. In addition, I have to applaud the author for maintaining Eo's presence at the centre of Darrow's motivation, while allowing new FMC to elicit feelings in Darrow. It's the fact that he hasn't just moved on from losing his wife in such a short spell, but still recognises that there might be something between he and Mustang worth pursuing, while also holding back due to the secrets he keeps... it's such a good portrayal of love after loss, albeit in something of a fantastical context.
I will say that I was a little thrown at the outset by the jump forward in time, which in turn meant that the trajectory of the book was different to what I was expecting. Likewise, the dispersal of the characters you became familiar with in book one did mean it took me longer to get settled into this installment. And while the worldbuilding works, there were some instances where I felt a little "information overload" and lost the the thread of what's what and who's who.
The performances were all great, although I'm still struggling with the vast majority of the younger characters sounding so much older than their years! Once again, kudos to Stewart Crank's immaculate switching between the English and Irish accents; I am in awe of the ease in which he performs in both. Yes, there are a couple of other performers which have almost comedically bad accents, but fortunately these are the exception rather than the rule and they do only appear relatively briefly.
Definitely invested in the series now!
My first impression is that you definitely need to be focused on the story of this one; it's a lot more political, a lot more nuanced and, to me at least, had a lot more worldbuilding in than the first one. So while I really enjoyed it and the dramatisation is fab, I think I'd probably have been better served with this version as a reread.
The main thing that sticks out for me is the fact that I can't get the Star Wars visuals out of my head. Just a couple of examples; Luna looks like Coruscant, the Jackal's club was a mix between the Mos Eisley cantina and the bar from AotC (I was just waiting for someone to try and sell Darrow a deathstick), and when Darrow is stood on the deck of his ship with Blues plugged into the flight systems and his team of lieutenants around him... yeah, those ships were Star Destroyers, without question. And then add in Darrow's exclamation of 'never tell me the odds'... suddenly he looks very Harrison Ford-ish... 😁 I'm not complaining by any stretch; I actually find the comparisons vey helpful, but equally I find it a shame that the author's own descriptions aren't strong enough for me to see his own vision clearly.
The characters are all so wonderfully complex; as much as you want to root for Darrow, he's developing a devious side that makes you question whether he hasn't, just a bit, started to 'go native'. And yet you see him grappling with his decisions, trying his best to determine the course of action to take and you are put through the ringer right beside him. I love the fact that there's no shying away from the character's vulnerabilities; allowing him to cry and break down, and feel the weight of his choices - it all makes him so beautifully relatable. In addition, I have to applaud the author for maintaining Eo's presence at the centre of Darrow's motivation, while allowing new FMC to elicit feelings in Darrow. It's the fact that he hasn't just moved on from losing his wife in such a short spell, but still recognises that there might be something between he and Mustang worth pursuing, while also holding back due to the secrets he keeps... it's such a good portrayal of love after loss, albeit in something of a fantastical context.
I will say that I was a little thrown at the outset by the jump forward in time, which in turn meant that the trajectory of the book was different to what I was expecting. Likewise, the dispersal of the characters you became familiar with in book one did mean it took me longer to get settled into this installment. And while the worldbuilding works, there were some instances where I felt a little "information overload" and lost the the thread of what's what and who's who.
The performances were all great, although I'm still struggling with the vast majority of the younger characters sounding so much older than their years! Once again, kudos to Stewart Crank's immaculate switching between the English and Irish accents; I am in awe of the ease in which he performs in both. Yes, there are a couple of other performers which have almost comedically bad accents, but fortunately these are the exception rather than the rule and they do only appear relatively briefly.
Definitely invested in the series now!
March 9, 2025
Ok just finished the first half of the book on audio. This is my first audio book and I didn’t know what to expect. Now I know I may have ruined future audio books because this one is amazing!!
So much action and just the right enough of emotional pull to keep you rooting for Darrow. But honestly if they just made the book about Sevro, I wouldn’t be mad!!!! Sevro is the best and he only gets better. So many amazing action scenes.
I don’t usually love political heavy books but this one seems to be great about keeping it simple and interesting. I love all of the daring moves Darrow makes and how he cares. The internal struggle he has is great to explore.
I can’t wait to see what more comes of Victra and of Mustang!!! 😯 soooo much excitement!! But he just needs to dive into his passion for one of them!!
Part 2 here I come!!
So much action and just the right enough of emotional pull to keep you rooting for Darrow. But honestly if they just made the book about Sevro, I wouldn’t be mad!!!! Sevro is the best and he only gets better. So many amazing action scenes.
I don’t usually love political heavy books but this one seems to be great about keeping it simple and interesting. I love all of the daring moves Darrow makes and how he cares. The internal struggle he has is great to explore.
I can’t wait to see what more comes of Victra and of Mustang!!! 😯 soooo much excitement!! But he just needs to dive into his passion for one of them!!
Part 2 here I come!!
October 20, 2025
If Red Rising was brutal, Golden Son was a full-speed, blood-soaked emotional disaster 😭 Pierce Brown really said “oh, you liked pain?” and doubled down. Everything I loved from the first book — the scheming, the betrayals, the desperation — just… bigger. Louder. Meaner.
The politics? Messy.
The action? Relentless.
The heartbreak? Unforgivable.
And Darrow? My guy is out here trying to change the universe while barely holding himself together, and I felt every single second of it.
And okay… I thought I loved this book the first time I read it, but listening to the graphic audio version? Holy sh*t. It’s like a full-on movie in your ears. The voices, the sound effects, the chaos — everything hits harder. 10/10 worth the emotional damage.
Still recovering. Still obsessed. Still not over that ending. 😭🔥
The politics? Messy.
The action? Relentless.
The heartbreak? Unforgivable.
And Darrow? My guy is out here trying to change the universe while barely holding himself together, and I felt every single second of it.
And okay… I thought I loved this book the first time I read it, but listening to the graphic audio version? Holy sh*t. It’s like a full-on movie in your ears. The voices, the sound effects, the chaos — everything hits harder. 10/10 worth the emotional damage.
Still recovering. Still obsessed. Still not over that ending. 😭🔥
December 6, 2023
This series will never fail to completely blow my mind every 10-15 minutes, genuinely. Listening to the graphic audios has made consuming these books such a surreal experience, to the point that I think I might have to wait for the graphic audios of the rest of the books to come out before I finish this series…🫣 I’m so nervous for part two, patiently waiting for my library to get a copy so I can dive right in (with loreli of course) (bc listening/reading these books by myself is a test of endurance and strength, and I have failed)
December 3, 2023
An action-packed sequel to Red Rising with constant twists and turns. Reads like a movie. This is part 1 of an audio dramatization, and it features the same excellent cast that did the Red Rising dramatization. The quality is top notch and the voices, sound effects and music all enhance the experience tremendously. Can't wait to see what happens in part 2!
December 6, 2023
tea i want part two ugh
August 4, 2024
Peak cinema
October 21, 2024
3.5
Why is Darrow so OP? Yes they have colors and space ships and all that, yet this is the unrealistic part in my eyes...
Hope we see more depth in other characters
Why is Darrow so OP? Yes they have colors and space ships and all that, yet this is the unrealistic part in my eyes...
Hope we see more depth in other characters
February 4, 2025
Wow, amazing, I am in awe
June 5, 2025
Review of Graphic Audio adaptation.
One of my biggest worries about revisiting the Red Rising original trilogy was the amount of time required to go through them. All Red Rising books are behemoth bodies of work, making the audio versions marathons.
The Red Rising GA went by quicker than the original narration, in part from cuts of who said and in other parts because it felt easier to digest Darrow’s internal monologue with the accompaniment of sound effects and background music.
The step in writing quality from Red Rising to Golden Son amplifies how quickly I ate up this Graphic Audio version. Sometimes I have a hard time following large action scenes and it felt like I could so easily see it happen this go around.
Not sure if I’ll ever get over the Jackal’s voice actor sounding nearly 3x his age but the rest of the cast is perfection and amazing.
One of my biggest worries about revisiting the Red Rising original trilogy was the amount of time required to go through them. All Red Rising books are behemoth bodies of work, making the audio versions marathons.
The Red Rising GA went by quicker than the original narration, in part from cuts of who said and in other parts because it felt easier to digest Darrow’s internal monologue with the accompaniment of sound effects and background music.
The step in writing quality from Red Rising to Golden Son amplifies how quickly I ate up this Graphic Audio version. Sometimes I have a hard time following large action scenes and it felt like I could so easily see it happen this go around.
Not sure if I’ll ever get over the Jackal’s voice actor sounding nearly 3x his age but the rest of the cast is perfection and amazing.
September 12, 2025
‼️ Full review will be on the actual book listing‼️
🧠 4
✨️ 5
" Amazing the power you have when you're bloody up to the sleeve and none of it is your own. "
If anything happens to Sevro, I SWEAR I WILL RIOT.
The first half of this one was SO GOOD!
BrB gotta listen to the 2nd half.
🧠 4
✨️ 5
" Amazing the power you have when you're bloody up to the sleeve and none of it is your own. "
If anything happens to Sevro, I SWEAR I WILL RIOT.
The first half of this one was SO GOOD!
BrB gotta listen to the 2nd half.
December 27, 2024
My star rating is for the performances and the way this graphic audio book has been handled, rather than the story itself. For my true story review, see my review of the original book (which I loved).
I prefer the voices done by Tim Gerard Reynolds in the original audiobook (mostly). In this drama, the Jackal's voice, while villainous, is far too gruff. Some of the background audio meant to be suspenseful ended up sounding like cows mooing. Sometimes, Darrow narrates what people are saying, while they mumble it in the background. Clearly, you bothered to record it, let it be heard.
Splitting the book in two parts is a pain (and costly). They could have picked a better moment to split the book (or better yet, not split it in half at all). It stops mid-conversation while Darrow and Mustang are eating on The Pax, rather than finishing the Bacon and Eggs chapter.
Frustrated, because now I have to wait ~12 weeks for part 2 at the library.
Update: now that I've waited... They were less than 5 minutes away from the start of Part 3 of the overall book. I think they did this with Red Rising as well. These audio dramas are so bogus!
I prefer the voices done by Tim Gerard Reynolds in the original audiobook (mostly). In this drama, the Jackal's voice, while villainous, is far too gruff. Some of the background audio meant to be suspenseful ended up sounding like cows mooing. Sometimes, Darrow narrates what people are saying, while they mumble it in the background. Clearly, you bothered to record it, let it be heard.
Splitting the book in two parts is a pain (and costly). They could have picked a better moment to split the book (or better yet, not split it in half at all). It stops mid-conversation while Darrow and Mustang are eating on The Pax, rather than finishing the Bacon and Eggs chapter.
Frustrated, because now I have to wait ~12 weeks for part 2 at the library.
Update: now that I've waited... They were less than 5 minutes away from the start of Part 3 of the overall book. I think they did this with Red Rising as well. These audio dramas are so bogus!
January 31, 2025
Well. I’m done with part one. But to be honest, I have no idea what’s going on here. I really liked red rising? But I am so confused this time around. I’m not sure if I just waited too long between the books? Or if there’s just 1 million characters and things happening everywhere that I just can’t keep up?
I like the whole idea of it? But I don’t know.
I’m gonna go read the summary and see if the second half is better than the first. 😬
I like the whole idea of it? But I don’t know.
I’m gonna go read the summary and see if the second half is better than the first. 😬
August 5, 2025
third time through this year and I still haven’t had enough
”My name, gentle lords and ladies, is Darrow au Andromedus. My honor has been pissed upon. And I demand satisfaction.”
darrow’s narrator is killing it 👌
”My name, gentle lords and ladies, is Darrow au Andromedus. My honor has been pissed upon. And I demand satisfaction.”
darrow’s narrator is killing it 👌
January 25, 2025
If I could give this book a 6 star rating. I would. **yet again. Also, I lied I didn't read a palette cleanser. I continued to ride with Darrow and the characters, not just of Mars but even of the rest of the galaxy.
I have known no story as good of a ride as this one. Truly, I am in the palm of Pierce Brown's hand, and I am GRATEFUL for it.
Revisiting these characters that I grew to love in the first book, but with bigger issues and obstacles to endure and counter. To see how they've grown since the Institute. To experience the grief, the loss, the wayward feelings, the politics, the war. I am at a loss of words for this story.
Every turn left me grasping at straws, wanting more but pacing myself to take it slowly. Because truly I can only experience this book once for the first time. There's no greater feat than having so many plot twists in one story. I never could have seen these moves being made (actually I try my best to predict the story, but really I am kept surprised and shocked). It's such an experience. A wild ride.
With the introduction of new characters and even more colors, the worldbuilding has been heightened. The stakes are higher and i have NO idea what will happen next.
I still cannot tell which way is right, but honestly neither can Darrow most of the time. Thank God he was able to figure his next moves out.
Im so proud to witness his character growth. Like there is so much personality in every character and they're so memorable in their own individual ways. I love some of these characters so much and I don't remember when I've held onto a story this close to my heart since my last 5 star urban fantasy read (The Tarot Sequence), but honestly even The Hunger Games is somewhat paling in comparison to this series for me.
I am at the edge of my seat, buckled up and ready to see what else awaits me in the stars of Darrow's golden eyes. May i just also say, Sevro au Barca. The man that you are. This book wins because Sevro is in it. My fav characters are still Sevro, Roq and Pax. I do also love Darrow, but that's a given LOL. I still say fuck Antonia and what the fuck Adrius (the Jackal). I loved the monologues in this story as well (Sevro, Roq, Darrow, and Mustang's included). Vitra is a nice new addition.
I highly recommend the graphic audiobook performance of this, as well. It really heightened my senses and had my jumping up and down in joy throughout all the super memorable scenes.
I have known no story as good of a ride as this one. Truly, I am in the palm of Pierce Brown's hand, and I am GRATEFUL for it.
Revisiting these characters that I grew to love in the first book, but with bigger issues and obstacles to endure and counter. To see how they've grown since the Institute. To experience the grief, the loss, the wayward feelings, the politics, the war. I am at a loss of words for this story.
Every turn left me grasping at straws, wanting more but pacing myself to take it slowly. Because truly I can only experience this book once for the first time. There's no greater feat than having so many plot twists in one story. I never could have seen these moves being made (actually I try my best to predict the story, but really I am kept surprised and shocked). It's such an experience. A wild ride.
With the introduction of new characters and even more colors, the worldbuilding has been heightened. The stakes are higher and i have NO idea what will happen next.
I still cannot tell which way is right, but honestly neither can Darrow most of the time. Thank God he was able to figure his next moves out.
Im so proud to witness his character growth. Like there is so much personality in every character and they're so memorable in their own individual ways. I love some of these characters so much and I don't remember when I've held onto a story this close to my heart since my last 5 star urban fantasy read (The Tarot Sequence), but honestly even The Hunger Games is somewhat paling in comparison to this series for me.
I am at the edge of my seat, buckled up and ready to see what else awaits me in the stars of Darrow's golden eyes. May i just also say, Sevro au Barca. The man that you are. This book wins because Sevro is in it. My fav characters are still Sevro, Roq and Pax. I do also love Darrow, but that's a given LOL. I still say fuck Antonia and what the fuck Adrius (the Jackal). I loved the monologues in this story as well (Sevro, Roq, Darrow, and Mustang's included). Vitra is a nice new addition.
I highly recommend the graphic audiobook performance of this, as well. It really heightened my senses and had my jumping up and down in joy throughout all the super memorable scenes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2024
Spoilers for book 1, spoiler free for book two aside from the discussion of themes
At least in part one, Golden Sun is the opposite of the “second book slump” phenomena- with its added texture and development of characters, this is how you write a sequel.
In part two there’s a lot of humor and it’s well placed, I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I have. So much of the conflict is touching and anxiety inducing in a good way.
In my review of book one my main source of praise came from Pierce Brown’s execution of Darrow’s inner conflict- book 2 so far has taken it a step further. I loved in book one how Darrow held tightly to his humanity. In book 2 he’s the model of acceptance and hardened grief. Instead of sobbing over loss he’ll internalize it and hide it because he has to.
Instead of shutting down his empathy he hides it, but doesn’t demean himself for feeling deeply and passionately. What he does is for the good of his friends and for the good of his cause. Even as he sacrifices his genuine reputation in favor of being seen as a killer- people in his repertoire know his true nature. He won’t needlessly sacrifice or cross the lines that other golds do.
As a leader he once again takes a different spin. Instead of a hardened war lord he prioritizes the lives of his crew mates and the safety of those beneath him- he doesn’t see anyone as beneath him and it earns him loyalty even from strangers.
The conflict between him and Cassius only grows and I hope at some point it resolves because the needless bloodshed turns Cassius and the Bellona family further into villains by the day.
Darrow’s change in tactics for the uprising makes him the perfect infiltrator- and I can’t wait for him to burn the society to the ground.
Gonna continue with part two, so far this series continues to be my favorite of 2024!
At least in part one, Golden Sun is the opposite of the “second book slump” phenomena- with its added texture and development of characters, this is how you write a sequel.
In part two there’s a lot of humor and it’s well placed, I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I have. So much of the conflict is touching and anxiety inducing in a good way.
In my review of book one my main source of praise came from Pierce Brown’s execution of Darrow’s inner conflict- book 2 so far has taken it a step further. I loved in book one how Darrow held tightly to his humanity. In book 2 he’s the model of acceptance and hardened grief. Instead of sobbing over loss he’ll internalize it and hide it because he has to.
Instead of shutting down his empathy he hides it, but doesn’t demean himself for feeling deeply and passionately. What he does is for the good of his friends and for the good of his cause. Even as he sacrifices his genuine reputation in favor of being seen as a killer- people in his repertoire know his true nature. He won’t needlessly sacrifice or cross the lines that other golds do.
As a leader he once again takes a different spin. Instead of a hardened war lord he prioritizes the lives of his crew mates and the safety of those beneath him- he doesn’t see anyone as beneath him and it earns him loyalty even from strangers.
The conflict between him and Cassius only grows and I hope at some point it resolves because the needless bloodshed turns Cassius and the Bellona family further into villains by the day.
Darrow’s change in tactics for the uprising makes him the perfect infiltrator- and I can’t wait for him to burn the society to the ground.
Gonna continue with part two, so far this series continues to be my favorite of 2024!
July 16, 2025
Golden Son, the second installment in Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy, delivers a clear and compelling narrative that builds upon the foundation of the first book with sharp focus and high emotional stakes. The Audible edition, narrated brilliantly by Tim Gerard Reynolds, brings the vivid world and intense character dynamics to life with clarity and energy.
What stands out most is how well-structured and concise the story is. Despite its complex political intrigue and fast-paced action, the plot never feels bloated or confusing. Brown maintains tight storytelling throughout, guiding listeners through shocking betrayals, strategic alliances, and moments of introspection that deepen our understanding of Darrow and his struggle.
While Golden Son functions as a powerful climax in its own right, it also serves as a satisfying bridge to the larger saga. It ties up key arcs from the trilogy while leaving just enough unresolved to spark excitement for what's to come. By the end, I found myself eager to dive into the future books, curious to see how the loose threads will unravel.
Overall, Golden Son is a masterful continuation of the series—clear, concise, and emotionally gripping. It’s a must-listen for fans of epic sci-fi with heart and ambition.
What stands out most is how well-structured and concise the story is. Despite its complex political intrigue and fast-paced action, the plot never feels bloated or confusing. Brown maintains tight storytelling throughout, guiding listeners through shocking betrayals, strategic alliances, and moments of introspection that deepen our understanding of Darrow and his struggle.
While Golden Son functions as a powerful climax in its own right, it also serves as a satisfying bridge to the larger saga. It ties up key arcs from the trilogy while leaving just enough unresolved to spark excitement for what's to come. By the end, I found myself eager to dive into the future books, curious to see how the loose threads will unravel.
Overall, Golden Son is a masterful continuation of the series—clear, concise, and emotionally gripping. It’s a must-listen for fans of epic sci-fi with heart and ambition.
March 5, 2025
Brilliant. Pierce Brown does it again. His ability to transport you quite literally through space and time is incredible. This book doesn’t have quite the emotional depth as Red Rising, but it makes up with how action packed it is. I do also believe that this book is setting up for something even bigger. Darrow is increasingly self riotous, but I don’t hate it?
Pierce Brown should be crowned king of metaphors and similes. His use of both figurative and imaginative language is superb. Darrow will say something, and I’ll think to myself how beautiful and easy it was for PB to think of that metaphor. The writing is unreal.
Sevro is the most well written character in the book. He is so full of depth and emotion. I absolutely adore him.
Pierce Brown should be crowned king of metaphors and similes. His use of both figurative and imaginative language is superb. Darrow will say something, and I’ll think to myself how beautiful and easy it was for PB to think of that metaphor. The writing is unreal.
Sevro is the most well written character in the book. He is so full of depth and emotion. I absolutely adore him.
October 21, 2025
Honestly this was difficult for me to get through. There’s just a lot of fighting and tragedy without much light in between. I’m typically driven by romance or some type of meaningful friendship, but Darrow really does live entirely within his own head and perspective, even when faced with really good people around him who give so much more trust than he would ever have for them. I can objectively see the book is well-written but I find myself not feeling super invested in the story even though I was listening to the graphic audio. The “ending” parts of this first half did make me want to continue to the next book but I’m not convinced at this point that I will read the next one.
April 1, 2024
I am flying through the adaptations of these books. This book proves how much these characters have changed after the Institute. My memory of reading this is foggy, and listening to this jogged my memory so much. This is clearly my favorite series of all time. I love the characters, I love the way they interact with each other, their arcs are so freaking good. This whole series deserves the graphic audio treatment. Excited to continue!
July 24, 2024
The last few chapters are where I think this book really shines. Some of the exposition around how Darrow is feeling at times felt a bit long winded to me.
This most recent read thru - my second - was a read along with the Graphic Audio version of the book. I found myself wanting to skip forward thru several slower sections where I felt like Darrow’s motivations and feelings were being re-stated over and over.
My favorite color gets introduced with Ragnar in this book. I love Obsidian!
This most recent read thru - my second - was a read along with the Graphic Audio version of the book. I found myself wanting to skip forward thru several slower sections where I felt like Darrow’s motivations and feelings were being re-stated over and over.
My favorite color gets introduced with Ragnar in this book. I love Obsidian!
July 9, 2024
4.2/5 stars. Excellent opening to book 2, really kept my interest and I am fully invested in this universe now. It was dark but not too dark imo which made it a lot more enjoyable than part 1b. I can't believe Can't wait to dive into part 2b!
July 15, 2024
Pierce Brown really said BUCKLE UP. This book is so intense and we jump in TWO FEET into chaos. I love the fast pace of this and how high the stakes are. Graphic Audio honestly deserves ALL OF THE PRAISE, because they keep things super intense and on the edge of your seat. My boy sevro is the best and I’m so excited to see him progress in this story.
Songs:
Battle cry- imagine dragons
Songs:
Battle cry- imagine dragons
June 25, 2025
Okay, it’s official—this series owns me. It keeps getting better with every book, even better than Red Rising. The second Darrow said “I demand satisfaction,” I flatlined. I’ve been listening non-stop—morning, night, even while pretending to sleep. The Reaper showed up, shattered my trust issues, wrecked an empire, and somehow made me cry. What a man. What a book.
September 23, 2025
wowie wow the graphic audio is SO GOOD! it genuinely feels like im listening to a movie and I feel like it helps me pay attention even better than a non-dramatized audiobook. I'm really excited to start the second part, as this one ending on some exciting things. I love how much Pierce is already opening up the world. I never expected to be so excited about space battles
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