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Red Rising Saga #4
Asche zu Asche
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science Fiction (2018)Vor einem Jahrzehnt war Darrow der Held einer Revolution, von der er glaubte, sie würde die Gesellschaft verändern. Statt Frieden und Freiheit hat sie nur endlosen Krieg gebracht. Jetzt muss er alles, wofür er gekämpft hat, in einer einzigen letzten Mission riskieren. Darrow glaubt nach wie vor, er könne jeden retten. Aber kann er sich auch selbst retten?
Red Rising war die Geschichte vom Ende eines Universums. Asche zu Asche ist die Geschichte von der Erschaffung eines neuen. Der Beginn einer aufregenden neuen Saga von New-York-Times-Bestsellerautor Pierce Brown.
Red Rising war die Geschichte vom Ende eines Universums. Asche zu Asche ist die Geschichte von der Erschaffung eines neuen. Der Beginn einer aufregenden neuen Saga von New-York-Times-Bestsellerautor Pierce Brown.
729 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 2018
25419 people are currently reading
185179 people want to read
About the author
Pierce Brown
52 books52.3k 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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June 2, 2023
I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo
A bloodydamn spellbinding return to my number one favorite sci-fi series of all time.
There haven’t been any changes to my list of favorite authors of all time for a year now. I’m gratified to say that after reading his Red Rising trilogy and Iron Gold, Pierce Brown deserves to be included in the list.
For those of you who don’t know, Iron Gold is the continuation of the highly acclaimed Red Rising trilogy, which has now become a saga; making this book the fourth installment in the Red Rising Saga. The story takes place ten years after the end of Morning Star and to tell you what the book is about—spoiler-free, of course—there’s really no better way than to let Pierce Brown himself explain it:
Full article here: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1...
There you have it. And as for my thoughts and review, here it goes.
I found the plot of Iron Gold to be superbly compelling; it was extremely hard to put down, and the pacing was executed masterfully. Most of the chapters in this book tended to end on a cliffhanger, and there wasn’t any moment where I was bored, not even for one bloodydamn page. The main reason for this is the transition to a multi-POV narration. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the first trilogy; told solely through Darrow’s perspective, the first-person narration in the first trilogy was utterly magnificent and immersive. However, if Pierce really intends to continue this series with another trilogy, I honestly don’t think another single character POV would be a good idea; it might end up becoming tedious, to say the least. Hence, this is why the shift in narration to a four-character multi-POV was a brilliant move.
Picture: The main POV characters of Iron Gold. Art by Magali Villeneuve.
Seeing the plot unfolding from several characters’ perspectives with different backgrounds and personalities instead of one provided the series with a new level of depth and complexity, especially regarding the characters and scope of the series. I immensely enjoyed the grand and majestic story told here. Pierce Brown really knows how to create a dramatic, dynamic, and cinematic reading experience in his books; every character’s POV was engaging and addictive in their own way. Iron Gold is the biggest installment in the series so far, but it still felt too short for me; I finished it within three days. Each word kept me turning the pages late into the night, and Brown also managed to connect the few loose ends from Morning Star seamlessly. It’s a book about liberty, penance, politics, love, and many more aspects that contains a heavy resemblance to our society. This is actually one of many reasons why I love Red Rising Saga; even though this is a sci-fi series and the majority of the time the story doesn’t even take place on Earth, the themes still felt incredibly scary and relatable. It was almost prophetic how the mayhem in this book and series can be correlated to our world and civilizations.
I’ve talked already about the brilliant narrative change to multi-POV, but to be honest, I had my doubts about this at first due to the fact that these four POVs were all done in first person POV. There’s nothing wrong with it; I’m just more used to multiple third-person POVs. I really shouldn’t have worried; Pierce Brown nailed it with finesse. Not only was the story more epic in scope, but more importantly, Brown successfully made each character's distinct voices and personalities shine, even when all four of them were done in first-person narration. Although it took me a while to warm up to one of the POV characters, once I was halfway through the book, I was fully engrossed in the four POV characters equally. These character’s emotions, their rage, friendships, loss, love, and dilemmas, they were easily palpable through each word that Pierce carved; it was emotionally impactful for me. All the characters in Iron Gold were flawed and genuine; they’re complex, and the burden of their past and the weight of their choices and actions felt believable. They did questionable things with understandable motivations, and I loved this book more because of that. Humans are complex by nature, and Iron Gold exhibited just how complex each individual can be, especially when they’re all trapped in the cycle of death, hatred, and violence. It’s safe to say that I’m emotionally invested in all the characters, both main and side.
One of the things that differ in this novel compared to the previous three books was the action scenes. And I’m not talking about the quality because those have always been exhilarating and breathtaking since Golden Son. Iron Gold is not an exception to this; pulse-pounding, explosive, and stunning as ever. Iron Gold, however, contained more violent scenes, and they were written elegantly. The set-pieces, the buildup, the execution; they all made the action scenes so powerful and beautifully destructive, and I thoroughly loved them.
Picture: Deepgrave by Sam Burley
Pierce Brown also did a spectacular job with his world-building in Iron Gold; it was enlightening to read what has transpired to the characters during the past ten years—in the narrative—within the solar system. We also get to see the character’s journeys on several different planets. The settings, atmosphere, and weather were vividly described, and this, in my opinion, enhanced the reading experience. That said, my favorite part of the world-building in Iron Gold was the exploration of cultural differences between the colors; it’s fascinating to witness how myriad of changes doesn’t immediately mean that circumstances have indeed improved. And the implementation of Japanese culture in the House Raa family was especially delightful for me to read. For example, the terms gahja (outsiders) that the House Raa used probably derives from the word gaijin, which means foreigners. Plus, the House Raa upholds the code of honor and respect reminiscent of the Japanese culture.
Picture: Iron Gold by Sam Burley
Before Brown’s Red Rising trilogy became a saga, the division between those who loved and those who hated the series stemmed primarily from Brown’s prose. Fortunately, I fell on the loving side, and I continue to love his writing style. I always think of Pierce’s prose as evocative, philosophical, compelling, vivid, and elegant. From my observation, his capability to pull off first-person present tense is top-tiered. In addition to that, the prologue of Iron Gold displayed a fraction of the amazing story he can tell if he decides to write a novel from third-person perspective narration one day. I hope it will happen one day; the prologue was short, and it was transcendent. Regardless of my wishful thinking, this once more demonstrated Brown’s incredible talent as a writer.
The year 2018 has only just begun, and I’m confident that Iron Gold will be included not only as one of my favorite reads of the year but also as one of my favorite books of all time. Personally speaking, Iron Gold is my second favorite installment in the series so far; just below Golden Son, and it is up there with . Red Rising Saga is truly my favorite sci-fi series of all time, and I highly recommend this to all sci-fi fans.
One final thing. I’ll leave this passage from the acknowledgments in this book for all of you to read because trust me, Pierce Brown understands his readers. Who knows? This could be the extra push for those of you who are trapped in the Bermuda Triangle of Fantasy (George R. R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch) to finally invest in the Red Rising Saga if you haven’t.
Side note: The homage to A Song of Ice and Fire is perfection.
Okay relax boyo, there is no House Leo. I made that up to keep this review spoiler-free but you get my point.
Picture: My copy of Iron Gold. Thank you, Haifa! I will cherish this birthday gift!
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Zoe.
A bloodydamn spellbinding return to my number one favorite sci-fi series of all time.
There haven’t been any changes to my list of favorite authors of all time for a year now. I’m gratified to say that after reading his Red Rising trilogy and Iron Gold, Pierce Brown deserves to be included in the list.
For those of you who don’t know, Iron Gold is the continuation of the highly acclaimed Red Rising trilogy, which has now become a saga; making this book the fourth installment in the Red Rising Saga. The story takes place ten years after the end of Morning Star and to tell you what the book is about—spoiler-free, of course—there’s really no better way than to let Pierce Brown himself explain it:
“Iron Gold is about the struggle to preserve liberty in a bleak landscape, where heroes of the past look suspiciously like villains and the inspiring dream of liberty has been hijacked by politicians, dirtied by social strife, and muddled by interest groups and competing factions.
How in such a world can good prevail? On the back of one man? Certainly not. It takes a village—a host of disparate people who, despite their conflicting views and disparate pasts, must band together to find their own purpose, to replenish the dream of liberty with their own sacrifices and come together for the common good…”–Pierce Brown
Full article here: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1...
There you have it. And as for my thoughts and review, here it goes.
I found the plot of Iron Gold to be superbly compelling; it was extremely hard to put down, and the pacing was executed masterfully. Most of the chapters in this book tended to end on a cliffhanger, and there wasn’t any moment where I was bored, not even for one bloodydamn page. The main reason for this is the transition to a multi-POV narration. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the first trilogy; told solely through Darrow’s perspective, the first-person narration in the first trilogy was utterly magnificent and immersive. However, if Pierce really intends to continue this series with another trilogy, I honestly don’t think another single character POV would be a good idea; it might end up becoming tedious, to say the least. Hence, this is why the shift in narration to a four-character multi-POV was a brilliant move.
Picture: The main POV characters of Iron Gold. Art by Magali Villeneuve.
Seeing the plot unfolding from several characters’ perspectives with different backgrounds and personalities instead of one provided the series with a new level of depth and complexity, especially regarding the characters and scope of the series. I immensely enjoyed the grand and majestic story told here. Pierce Brown really knows how to create a dramatic, dynamic, and cinematic reading experience in his books; every character’s POV was engaging and addictive in their own way. Iron Gold is the biggest installment in the series so far, but it still felt too short for me; I finished it within three days. Each word kept me turning the pages late into the night, and Brown also managed to connect the few loose ends from Morning Star seamlessly. It’s a book about liberty, penance, politics, love, and many more aspects that contains a heavy resemblance to our society. This is actually one of many reasons why I love Red Rising Saga; even though this is a sci-fi series and the majority of the time the story doesn’t even take place on Earth, the themes still felt incredibly scary and relatable. It was almost prophetic how the mayhem in this book and series can be correlated to our world and civilizations.
“I know it may be impossible to believe now, when everything is dark and broken, but you will survive this pain, little one. Pain is a memory. You will live and you will struggle and you will find joy. And you will remember your family from this breath to your dying days, because love does not fade. Love is the stars, and its light carries on long after death.”
I’ve talked already about the brilliant narrative change to multi-POV, but to be honest, I had my doubts about this at first due to the fact that these four POVs were all done in first person POV. There’s nothing wrong with it; I’m just more used to multiple third-person POVs. I really shouldn’t have worried; Pierce Brown nailed it with finesse. Not only was the story more epic in scope, but more importantly, Brown successfully made each character's distinct voices and personalities shine, even when all four of them were done in first-person narration. Although it took me a while to warm up to one of the POV characters, once I was halfway through the book, I was fully engrossed in the four POV characters equally. These character’s emotions, their rage, friendships, loss, love, and dilemmas, they were easily palpable through each word that Pierce carved; it was emotionally impactful for me. All the characters in Iron Gold were flawed and genuine; they’re complex, and the burden of their past and the weight of their choices and actions felt believable. They did questionable things with understandable motivations, and I loved this book more because of that. Humans are complex by nature, and Iron Gold exhibited just how complex each individual can be, especially when they’re all trapped in the cycle of death, hatred, and violence. It’s safe to say that I’m emotionally invested in all the characters, both main and side.
One of the things that differ in this novel compared to the previous three books was the action scenes. And I’m not talking about the quality because those have always been exhilarating and breathtaking since Golden Son. Iron Gold is not an exception to this; pulse-pounding, explosive, and stunning as ever. Iron Gold, however, contained more violent scenes, and they were written elegantly. The set-pieces, the buildup, the execution; they all made the action scenes so powerful and beautifully destructive, and I thoroughly loved them.
Picture: Deepgrave by Sam Burley
Pierce Brown also did a spectacular job with his world-building in Iron Gold; it was enlightening to read what has transpired to the characters during the past ten years—in the narrative—within the solar system. We also get to see the character’s journeys on several different planets. The settings, atmosphere, and weather were vividly described, and this, in my opinion, enhanced the reading experience. That said, my favorite part of the world-building in Iron Gold was the exploration of cultural differences between the colors; it’s fascinating to witness how myriad of changes doesn’t immediately mean that circumstances have indeed improved. And the implementation of Japanese culture in the House Raa family was especially delightful for me to read. For example, the terms gahja (outsiders) that the House Raa used probably derives from the word gaijin, which means foreigners. Plus, the House Raa upholds the code of honor and respect reminiscent of the Japanese culture.
Picture: Iron Gold by Sam Burley
Before Brown’s Red Rising trilogy became a saga, the division between those who loved and those who hated the series stemmed primarily from Brown’s prose. Fortunately, I fell on the loving side, and I continue to love his writing style. I always think of Pierce’s prose as evocative, philosophical, compelling, vivid, and elegant. From my observation, his capability to pull off first-person present tense is top-tiered. In addition to that, the prologue of Iron Gold displayed a fraction of the amazing story he can tell if he decides to write a novel from third-person perspective narration one day. I hope it will happen one day; the prologue was short, and it was transcendent. Regardless of my wishful thinking, this once more demonstrated Brown’s incredible talent as a writer.
“It is my duty as a free man to read so I'm not blind being lead around by my nose”
The year 2018 has only just begun, and I’m confident that Iron Gold will be included not only as one of my favorite reads of the year but also as one of my favorite books of all time. Personally speaking, Iron Gold is my second favorite installment in the series so far; just below Golden Son, and it is up there with . Red Rising Saga is truly my favorite sci-fi series of all time, and I highly recommend this to all sci-fi fans.
One final thing. I’ll leave this passage from the acknowledgments in this book for all of you to read because trust me, Pierce Brown understands his readers. Who knows? This could be the extra push for those of you who are trapped in the Bermuda Triangle of Fantasy (George R. R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch) to finally invest in the Red Rising Saga if you haven’t.
“A single, standalone book is a fling. A series such as this is a relationship between author and reader. You trusted me to give me your time, your imagination through the initial trilogy. And, by buying this book, you trusted me yet again.
So my greatest thanks to you, the reader, for that trust. Know that I do not take it lightly, and will not abuse it as we spin further down the rabbit hole.” –Pierce Brown
Side note: The homage to A Song of Ice and Fire is perfection.
“House Leo sends their regards.”
Okay relax boyo, there is no House Leo. I made that up to keep this review spoiler-free but you get my point.
Picture: My copy of Iron Gold. Thank you, Haifa! I will cherish this birthday gift!
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Zoe.
October 25, 2017
Scintillating. Just scintillating. This author seems to really understand the way my clock ticks.
If you know what I mean, boyo.
If you know what I mean, boyo.
August 9, 2019
Reread!
I HAVE MORE PICS OF GOODIES! HOLY SH*T BALLS! Don't forget to scroll down after these pics to see the link to the special HOWLER BOX W/ GOODIES
THIS IS MY FREAKING SIGNED/NUMBERED AND ORANGE STAINED EDITION THAT CAME TODAY!
AND IT CAME WITH A COOL CARD!
This is the black stained/signed edition of the book. Love it!
I don't keep stained editions on the same shelf, I just wanted to add these to see what they look like next to each other. Of course they are falling over! I made me a special edition shelf & I have a shelf just for stained books.
UPDATE OMG!!!!!! I have just had a panic attack! It came! My Howler Box! Clink the link below the pic to see the unboxing. THE BOOKMARKS PEOPLE!!!!! (Also one of my 2 black sprayed/signed editions came)
THE STUFF
So much of this book was 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 ♥
PS ~ When the cool stuff arrives, I will be adding it =)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
AMAZON REVIEW
I HAVE MORE PICS OF GOODIES! HOLY SH*T BALLS! Don't forget to scroll down after these pics to see the link to the special HOWLER BOX W/ GOODIES
THIS IS MY FREAKING SIGNED/NUMBERED AND ORANGE STAINED EDITION THAT CAME TODAY!
AND IT CAME WITH A COOL CARD!
This is the black stained/signed edition of the book. Love it!
I don't keep stained editions on the same shelf, I just wanted to add these to see what they look like next to each other. Of course they are falling over! I made me a special edition shelf & I have a shelf just for stained books.
UPDATE OMG!!!!!! I have just had a panic attack! It came! My Howler Box! Clink the link below the pic to see the unboxing. THE BOOKMARKS PEOPLE!!!!! (Also one of my 2 black sprayed/signed editions came)
THE STUFF
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
Men call him father, liberator, warlord, Slave King, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the war-torn planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy.
It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-third of his life.
So much of this book was 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 ♥
PS ~ When the cool stuff arrives, I will be adding it =)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
AMAZON REVIEW
August 15, 2025
“My wife is not as fickle as a flame. She is an ocean. I knew from the first that I cannot own her, cannot tame her, but I am the only storm that moves her depths and stirs her tides. And that is more than enough.”
Yeah no because at this point I’m just voluntarily letting Pierce Brown cut my heart clean out of my chest, toss it on the ground, and leave it there to be feasted on by vultures. And I would do it all over again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME???? I will say though I feel so at home in the red rising fandom because we’re all just a bunch of masochists.
Okay so apparently this book is everyone’s least favorite and let me just say this.. I LOVED IT!!!! It was definitely a change of pace with the new POVs but I loved all of them! I truly don’t see how he could have progressed the storyline without other perspectives! And I loved seeing other people’s opinions of Darrow and seeing the reality of what’s going on from multiple sides of the war.
Am I bitter that we missed 10 years of Mustang and Darrow falling more in love and getting married and being parents? Yes very. But like I get it. I adore Pax and I’m terrified for him!! How do we protect him?? Also Sevro and Victra having 4 daughters is actually everything to me. Electra being a carbon copy of her parents is so on brand. I do wish we got more Victra in this book though.
Mustang and Darrow are my romance empire. I hate how much they mean to me and how deeply they make me feel because I’m terrified for them. The way they love each other so deeply and how you can feel their love to throughout the book despite them having all of two on page interactions! Darrow is a peak yearner, emo sad boy. He broke my heart left and right. I hate that he can’t be the father he’s always wanted to be. Him just longing for his family the whole time.. It HAUNTS ME. I feel like a lot of people struggled with darrow in this book but I love how consistent piece brown is with his character and the fact that he will stop at nothing to win this war for good. The transition of him going full reaper and killing the red boy he used to be was inevitable from the start and it’s making me die inside. I just feel like he can’t have ANYTHING and it makes me want to put my head through dry wall. The ending broke me in half but I also completely understand why Darrow chose to not leave with Sevro… maybe I’m delusional but what other choice did he have?? What is he gonna go back to Luna to be put in a cell while Atalantia comes for them? I feel like Mustang would be PISSED if he came back. I truly think the two of them trust each other so deeply that they know when to let the Sovereign and the Reaper take the lead. Despite it hurting.
Lysander….. don’t ask. I don’t know. We are in a very toxic relationship and he is gaslighting me left and right. I don’t trust him at all and fear he’s going to do awful things but I also love his character at the same time because PB is a genius.
Lyria… girl you cannot catch a break. I’m terrified for you. Her chapters were slow at first but I ended up loving her! Ephraim… without a doubt my new favorite POV, oh god his story broke my heart!!!
I’m in love with Apollonius and I’m not afraid to say it.
The ending has me TERRIFIED for what’s to come. I’ve lost all hope of any sort of happiness in the end. I can’t even look at Dark age I’m so scared so there’s that.
Idk I’m a shell of a human at this point.
Yeah no because at this point I’m just voluntarily letting Pierce Brown cut my heart clean out of my chest, toss it on the ground, and leave it there to be feasted on by vultures. And I would do it all over again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME???? I will say though I feel so at home in the red rising fandom because we’re all just a bunch of masochists.
Okay so apparently this book is everyone’s least favorite and let me just say this.. I LOVED IT!!!! It was definitely a change of pace with the new POVs but I loved all of them! I truly don’t see how he could have progressed the storyline without other perspectives! And I loved seeing other people’s opinions of Darrow and seeing the reality of what’s going on from multiple sides of the war.
Am I bitter that we missed 10 years of Mustang and Darrow falling more in love and getting married and being parents? Yes very. But like I get it. I adore Pax and I’m terrified for him!! How do we protect him?? Also Sevro and Victra having 4 daughters is actually everything to me. Electra being a carbon copy of her parents is so on brand. I do wish we got more Victra in this book though.
Mustang and Darrow are my romance empire. I hate how much they mean to me and how deeply they make me feel because I’m terrified for them. The way they love each other so deeply and how you can feel their love to throughout the book despite them having all of two on page interactions! Darrow is a peak yearner, emo sad boy. He broke my heart left and right. I hate that he can’t be the father he’s always wanted to be. Him just longing for his family the whole time.. It HAUNTS ME. I feel like a lot of people struggled with darrow in this book but I love how consistent piece brown is with his character and the fact that he will stop at nothing to win this war for good. The transition of him going full reaper and killing the red boy he used to be was inevitable from the start and it’s making me die inside. I just feel like he can’t have ANYTHING and it makes me want to put my head through dry wall. The ending broke me in half but I also completely understand why Darrow chose to not leave with Sevro… maybe I’m delusional but what other choice did he have?? What is he gonna go back to Luna to be put in a cell while Atalantia comes for them? I feel like Mustang would be PISSED if he came back. I truly think the two of them trust each other so deeply that they know when to let the Sovereign and the Reaper take the lead. Despite it hurting.
Lysander….. don’t ask. I don’t know. We are in a very toxic relationship and he is gaslighting me left and right. I don’t trust him at all and fear he’s going to do awful things but I also love his character at the same time because PB is a genius.
Lyria… girl you cannot catch a break. I’m terrified for you. Her chapters were slow at first but I ended up loving her! Ephraim… without a doubt my new favorite POV, oh god his story broke my heart!!!
I’m in love with Apollonius and I’m not afraid to say it.
The ending has me TERRIFIED for what’s to come. I’ve lost all hope of any sort of happiness in the end. I can’t even look at Dark age I’m so scared so there’s that.
Idk I’m a shell of a human at this point.
July 25, 2023
3.5 stars
Ok. Well.
I'm a huge fan of the original trilogy and was incredibly happy with the way Brown ended it. Fantastic job. I was so grateful he didn't shit the bed on that one.
But then I heard there was a new book coming out with new characters.
Ok, ok. Well, new characters sounds cool.
So, I went into this sort of expecting it to have a bit of stuff with the original cast, but mainly it would be about the new guys fighting to make the new Republic work and whatnot.
Now, I'm not saying that's what I should have expected! But for whatever reason, that's what I did expect.
WARNING: I'm going to try very hard not to spoil any major plot points, but if you would rather know nothing about this book before reading it? Turn away now, because some of you are stupid crybabies.
Aww. I'm just kidding. Kinda.
So, a bunch of this is about Darrow, and how sucky his life is because he's chosen to chase the Ash Lord instead of retire and hang with his family. <--um, what?! No. No, no, no, no, no.
Why is he even in this? He did his part, and I don't want to read more about him.
And because of that, I didn't really enjoy any of the stuff about Virginia or Sevro, either. Just stop already with those guys, ok?
STOP STAR WARSing EVERYTHING!
I honestly do not need to know what happens to my favorite characters in the future. If I want to imagine them out in the stars still battling evil, I will. If I want to imagine them tucked into bed safely every night, I will. If I want to imagine that they broke up with the love of their life and then got killed by their evil son, I will.
And I'm terrified that's where this series is headed.
Just give me new characters and tell me a different story, please.
I also get that a lot of people feel much differently about things than I do, and my opinion isn't the only one that matters. I'm not saying they're wrong, either. It just makes me very nervous when an author goes back to a successful series that has already supposedly ended, because rarely have I ever enjoyed what they did with the new stuff. <--personally!
But hey, I realize it's the author's choice...
Now, I would not have rated this a 3 star book based on my fears of what could be.
My god, I'm not a total savage.
Anyway, it wasn't until about the 60% mark that I wasn't somewhat bored with the plot, and it wasn't until I hit the 90% mark that stopped putting it down for days at a time.
Here's the thing, there are books that are well written that I just have to force myself to read. An example of one I'm reading right now would be The Shining. It's fabulous! And yet I just don't care. I'm seriously making myself read a bit every day so that I can keep up with a group of friends that I'm buddy-reading with. I've been reading it for close to a month now, and I couldn't give less of a shit what happens to Danny, his mom, or his dad.
But this is an INCREDIBLY well-written book - just ask the 10 bjillion people who loved it.
Sadly, I'm bored.
And that is exactly how I felt while I was trying to get through the majority of Iron Gold. It's a good story, it's well-written, yadda, yadda, yadda...
I just didn't care.
You know what I did like?! Darrow's kid, Pax. Oh, and Sevro's kid...whatsername. But they weren't really (as characters) a huge part of this one. Maybe in the next book, they'll have more of a starring role? <--yes, I believe so.
Anyway. I'm a lot less excited about the next one, but I imagine I'll read it just the same.
Ok. Well.
I'm a huge fan of the original trilogy and was incredibly happy with the way Brown ended it. Fantastic job. I was so grateful he didn't shit the bed on that one.
But then I heard there was a new book coming out with new characters.
Ok, ok. Well, new characters sounds cool.
So, I went into this sort of expecting it to have a bit of stuff with the original cast, but mainly it would be about the new guys fighting to make the new Republic work and whatnot.
Now, I'm not saying that's what I should have expected! But for whatever reason, that's what I did expect.
WARNING: I'm going to try very hard not to spoil any major plot points, but if you would rather know nothing about this book before reading it? Turn away now, because some of you are stupid crybabies.
Aww. I'm just kidding. Kinda.
So, a bunch of this is about Darrow, and how sucky his life is because he's chosen to chase the Ash Lord instead of retire and hang with his family. <--um, what?! No. No, no, no, no, no.
Why is he even in this? He did his part, and I don't want to read more about him.
And because of that, I didn't really enjoy any of the stuff about Virginia or Sevro, either. Just stop already with those guys, ok?
STOP STAR WARSing EVERYTHING!
I honestly do not need to know what happens to my favorite characters in the future. If I want to imagine them out in the stars still battling evil, I will. If I want to imagine them tucked into bed safely every night, I will. If I want to imagine that they broke up with the love of their life and then got killed by their evil son, I will.
And I'm terrified that's where this series is headed.
Just give me new characters and tell me a different story, please.
I also get that a lot of people feel much differently about things than I do, and my opinion isn't the only one that matters. I'm not saying they're wrong, either. It just makes me very nervous when an author goes back to a successful series that has already supposedly ended, because rarely have I ever enjoyed what they did with the new stuff. <--personally!
But hey, I realize it's the author's choice...
Now, I would not have rated this a 3 star book based on my fears of what could be.
My god, I'm not a total savage.
Anyway, it wasn't until about the 60% mark that I wasn't somewhat bored with the plot, and it wasn't until I hit the 90% mark that stopped putting it down for days at a time.
Here's the thing, there are books that are well written that I just have to force myself to read. An example of one I'm reading right now would be The Shining. It's fabulous! And yet I just don't care. I'm seriously making myself read a bit every day so that I can keep up with a group of friends that I'm buddy-reading with. I've been reading it for close to a month now, and I couldn't give less of a shit what happens to Danny, his mom, or his dad.
But this is an INCREDIBLY well-written book - just ask the 10 bjillion people who loved it.
Sadly, I'm bored.
And that is exactly how I felt while I was trying to get through the majority of Iron Gold. It's a good story, it's well-written, yadda, yadda, yadda...
I just didn't care.
You know what I did like?! Darrow's kid, Pax. Oh, and Sevro's kid...whatsername. But they weren't really (as characters) a huge part of this one. Maybe in the next book, they'll have more of a starring role? <--yes, I believe so.
Anyway. I'm a lot less excited about the next one, but I imagine I'll read it just the same.
September 4, 2025
well.. i’ve never considered throwing a book through my fucking wall before so that was cool
April 4, 2018
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
So here we are, back in the elaborately ruthless world of Red Rising. And boy-o-boy was it a glorious return.
Honestly, it's not often that I find myself with much hope for continuations of series that have concluded. Many times it's easy to see when new material is... uninspired. Money/deals/obligations have the potential to create sticky situations. I loved the first three Red Rising books & I was worried that this new addition may be unnecessary, even if the prospect of continuing on with such an amazing tale was exciting.
But let me just say, Iron Gold is purely additive.
Pierce Brown doesn't write like he's in it for the wrong reasons. He writes like he has a story to tell, and he's gonna tell us the bloodydamn story the way it's meant to be told. Period.
10 years after the events of the original trilogy, the social & political structure of this world is balanced on a knife's edge. Rebellions, criminal organizations, and the looming threat of the Ash Lord plague the visions of peace & prosperity Darrow once held for the future.
Given the time gap, there's a healthy amount of nostalgia present here with many old faces making a meaningful return & the next generation taking up the mantel to make their own way in this world ravaged by war. Resulting consequences of actions from the past ripple through the story, touching every corner in a way that feels realistic & plausible.
The new characters whose perspectives we follow are all excellent compliments to Darrow. Together they create a complex circle of interconnection that forces the reader to be on constant swivel when deciding who to support & who to condemn. As situations pan out, it becomes clear that characters on many sides of this conflict are represented, and that they often hold justifiable points of view.
A set up like this is only improved by the choice of sticking with First Person POV for each character, which is probably the last thing I thought I'd ever hear myself say. But truly one of the biggest strengths of Brown's series is how he forges the bonds between the readers & his characters, and I believe he is aided by giving readers a glimpse into the minds of his central cast.
Speaking of characters, many people seem to dislike Darrow but for me, his flawed are exactly what make him such a magnificent character. In fact, I can't think of any other character who upsets me repeatedly, does literally everything I'm screaming for him not to do, and yet somehow still manages to gain my sympathy & wrangle my emotions into knots. Darrow is his own man, slag what I or anyone else thinks. And that's why I love him, even when I want to throttle him.
Brown's talent as a writer is on full display here. Not only does he beautifully capture the rage & brutality that fuels a war driven society such as this, but he creates situations that resonate deeply with his audience. Scenes of blood & gore that are not there for simple shock value, not there for purpose of a momentary gasp or a whispered "Ouch."
Moments of clarity, friendship, passion, defeat, anger, understanding are interwoven to give the violence a meaningful shape.
The the juxtaposition of cruelty & elegance stands starkly unique against the backdrop of this violent world he has called forth. Each scene is penned with such an individual significance that they will surely be replaying over & over again in your mind.
One of my favorite aspects of this series is how Brown finds interesting ways to paint a detailed picture of a high-tech society without boring me to tears. I've personally struggled a lot with Hard Science Fiction as a written genre because I tend to get bogged down in its densely worded walls of unnecessary sci-fi jargon. Red Rising as a series is not Hard Science Fiction, but the advanced tech of the era is critical to the story being told & I appreciate that it is communicated in a way that gives me clear imagery without assuming I'm in need of a physics lesson.
The only reason I knocked off half a star (more like a quarter of a star if I'm being honest but I don't normally divide my ratings down that far) is because I felt myself being just a little less interested in Ephraim's point of view when compared with Lysander, Lyria, and Darrow. His arc definitely paid off in the end but if I absolutely had to pick a least favorite POV, it'd be his. He's still a great character with a solid presence in the book, but he stood a little shorter in the shadows of the others.
This is truly one of my absolute favorite series. It's taken the concepts & formulas we've seen before & breathed new life into them. These are the ideas that resonate with humanity or else we wouldn't see them told over & over in so many different ways. Iron Gold is just the newest masterpiece to devour in the Red Rising series, and it's exactly what I needed to read at this moment in my life.
If you haven't gotten your hands on this series by now, what the gory hell are you waiting for?
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
So here we are, back in the elaborately ruthless world of Red Rising. And boy-o-boy was it a glorious return.
Honestly, it's not often that I find myself with much hope for continuations of series that have concluded. Many times it's easy to see when new material is... uninspired. Money/deals/obligations have the potential to create sticky situations. I loved the first three Red Rising books & I was worried that this new addition may be unnecessary, even if the prospect of continuing on with such an amazing tale was exciting.
But let me just say, Iron Gold is purely additive.
Pierce Brown doesn't write like he's in it for the wrong reasons. He writes like he has a story to tell, and he's gonna tell us the bloodydamn story the way it's meant to be told. Period.
10 years after the events of the original trilogy, the social & political structure of this world is balanced on a knife's edge. Rebellions, criminal organizations, and the looming threat of the Ash Lord plague the visions of peace & prosperity Darrow once held for the future.
Given the time gap, there's a healthy amount of nostalgia present here with many old faces making a meaningful return & the next generation taking up the mantel to make their own way in this world ravaged by war. Resulting consequences of actions from the past ripple through the story, touching every corner in a way that feels realistic & plausible.
The new characters whose perspectives we follow are all excellent compliments to Darrow. Together they create a complex circle of interconnection that forces the reader to be on constant swivel when deciding who to support & who to condemn. As situations pan out, it becomes clear that characters on many sides of this conflict are represented, and that they often hold justifiable points of view.
A set up like this is only improved by the choice of sticking with First Person POV for each character, which is probably the last thing I thought I'd ever hear myself say. But truly one of the biggest strengths of Brown's series is how he forges the bonds between the readers & his characters, and I believe he is aided by giving readers a glimpse into the minds of his central cast.
Speaking of characters, many people seem to dislike Darrow but for me, his flawed are exactly what make him such a magnificent character. In fact, I can't think of any other character who upsets me repeatedly, does literally everything I'm screaming for him not to do, and yet somehow still manages to gain my sympathy & wrangle my emotions into knots. Darrow is his own man, slag what I or anyone else thinks. And that's why I love him, even when I want to throttle him.
Brown's talent as a writer is on full display here. Not only does he beautifully capture the rage & brutality that fuels a war driven society such as this, but he creates situations that resonate deeply with his audience. Scenes of blood & gore that are not there for simple shock value, not there for purpose of a momentary gasp or a whispered "Ouch."
Moments of clarity, friendship, passion, defeat, anger, understanding are interwoven to give the violence a meaningful shape.
The the juxtaposition of cruelty & elegance stands starkly unique against the backdrop of this violent world he has called forth. Each scene is penned with such an individual significance that they will surely be replaying over & over again in your mind.
One of my favorite aspects of this series is how Brown finds interesting ways to paint a detailed picture of a high-tech society without boring me to tears. I've personally struggled a lot with Hard Science Fiction as a written genre because I tend to get bogged down in its densely worded walls of unnecessary sci-fi jargon. Red Rising as a series is not Hard Science Fiction, but the advanced tech of the era is critical to the story being told & I appreciate that it is communicated in a way that gives me clear imagery without assuming I'm in need of a physics lesson.
The only reason I knocked off half a star (more like a quarter of a star if I'm being honest but I don't normally divide my ratings down that far) is because I felt myself being just a little less interested in Ephraim's point of view when compared with Lysander, Lyria, and Darrow. His arc definitely paid off in the end but if I absolutely had to pick a least favorite POV, it'd be his. He's still a great character with a solid presence in the book, but he stood a little shorter in the shadows of the others.
This is truly one of my absolute favorite series. It's taken the concepts & formulas we've seen before & breathed new life into them. These are the ideas that resonate with humanity or else we wouldn't see them told over & over in so many different ways. Iron Gold is just the newest masterpiece to devour in the Red Rising series, and it's exactly what I needed to read at this moment in my life.
If you haven't gotten your hands on this series by now, what the gory hell are you waiting for?
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
November 7, 2025
3.75!
“I will love you until the sun dies. And when it does, I will love you in the darkness.”
I don't understand how authors write books about oppression and act completely differently in the real world.
Now that I have that out of the way, I must add that this is a relatively well-written book; it is fast, action-packed, and filled with amazing dialogues, but it does fall short on some aspects that restrain its rating to a three. I also must point out that this is definitely not the weakest book; Morning Star holds that torch very well. This was a massive step up and has me very hopeful about the way this series might turn out. Especially, with the way it was written. This series has taken a step towards a darker direction, the writing has improved significantly (not that it was bad in the first place), the pacing is faster, and this plotline has me more hooked. I saw Iron Gold like I saw The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson. It was set after decades, so it was needed for us to feel comfortable in this world and for the plot to settle and to introduce new characters. The conversations that are carried out and the new characters that are introduced have immense potential and are shaping up a plot that I believe will be mind-blowing, so Iron Gold is rebuilding what Morning Star destroyed, and for that, I appreciate this book a lot.
“I know it may be impossible to believe now, when everything is dark and broken, but you will survive this pain, little one. Pain is a memory. You will live and you will struggle and you will find joy. And you will remember your family from this breath to your dying days, because love does not fade. Love is the stars, and its light carries on long after death.”
Darrow is one of the reasons why I have given this book a lower rating; he is the dumbest fucking bitch to ever exist. The things he did in this book made me so damn mad!! I hated his thought process, I hate his decision-making skills, and I hate his critical analysis skills. In short, I hated him. I know Pierce Brown glazes Darrow a lot, but in this book, I just did not buy any of it. The dialogues in his perspectives are amazing, the action sequences are really well written, the plot is carried out well, but being in his idiotic head had me banging MY head against the wall. I would have been more mad if I were not already 400 pages through Dark Age, where his character has improved significantly. Mustang, She honestly ate her perspectives. How did Darrow bag her? I would never know. She is one of the smartest people in this series, even though she wasn't a lot in this, you can clearly see it.
““Do not let fear touch you. Fear is the torrent. The raging river. To fight it is to break and drown. But to stand astride it is to see it, feel it, and use its course for your own whims.””
Lysander is such a slimy, weasely bitch, and I loved him! I have always hated him so much! Since the very start, because I knew he would be a raggedy ass bitch in the future, he's always had that vibe, but I loved being proven right. Also, it's just the way he is written, the way his mind works, and the way he articulates things!! I love reading about a good villain. He was cunning and so damn unpredictable. That is what made him scary. Cassius, he is such an amazing fighter and I love him so much!! His journey with Lysander was so unexpected and fun to read, but POOKIE 😔 you deserve sm better, and I am still holding out hope thanks to my NBND belief.
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.”
Lyria, Our first new character. Her pov was amazing! It was so well written, the loss and the emotion. Everything surrounding it was dealt with in such an intricate manner that I loved it. I was instantly attached to her character, and I know that she'll be very important as we move forward with the series. Her loss and how she dealt with it in this book were well written, and her whole arc was very exciting to read! I have high hopes for her character in the future books. Ephiram 😒 his chapters are so boring, it felt like climbing a mountain because I needed so much power to finish them, like if you're making a character important to the plot, can you please just make his chapters interesting. Whenever I would come to these chapters, I would just put my book down 😭 I had zero motivation to read his chapters, and they continue to contribute to this rating a lot.
“The key to learning, to power, to having the final say in everything, is observation. By all means, be a storm inside, but save your movement and wind till you know your purpose.”
Despite the fast pacing and the action-packed plot, I did feel like this book was too long. It could have been shorter because there was absolutely no need, but I still managed to enjoy it. The plot that is being set up has me excited, and the character arcs are turning. The high stakes!!! (literally what I love most about fantasy books) They are so high sometimes that it feels overwhelming, and I love it!! The worldbuilding can be seen as enhancing, but my favorite part was the action sequences; they were so well written and just so damn well executed!! Especially the whole Cassius in the ring scenes. The political aspect of the book is so intriguing to read, like it just hooks you on, but it was sort of surface-level in this one, but I know it'll get better!
Overall, this was an interesting way to start the new trilogy!
“Sharing a life threads more than flesh and blood together. It weaves her memories in and around and through mine. The more I know of her, the more I share of her, the more I love her in a way the boy I used to be never knew how to love. Eo was a flame, dancing against the wind. I tried to catch her. Tried to hold her. But she was never meant to be held. My wife is not as fickle as a flame. She is an ocean. I knew from the first that I cannot own her, cannot tame her, but I am the only storm that moves her depths and stirs her tides. And that is more than enough.”
_
One year late 😭 but we're finally continuing our buddy read!! Pierce Brown better ace this set and the hype better live up 😤
Buddy reading with Rowan.
“I will love you until the sun dies. And when it does, I will love you in the darkness.”
I don't understand how authors write books about oppression and act completely differently in the real world.
Now that I have that out of the way, I must add that this is a relatively well-written book; it is fast, action-packed, and filled with amazing dialogues, but it does fall short on some aspects that restrain its rating to a three. I also must point out that this is definitely not the weakest book; Morning Star holds that torch very well. This was a massive step up and has me very hopeful about the way this series might turn out. Especially, with the way it was written. This series has taken a step towards a darker direction, the writing has improved significantly (not that it was bad in the first place), the pacing is faster, and this plotline has me more hooked. I saw Iron Gold like I saw The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson. It was set after decades, so it was needed for us to feel comfortable in this world and for the plot to settle and to introduce new characters. The conversations that are carried out and the new characters that are introduced have immense potential and are shaping up a plot that I believe will be mind-blowing, so Iron Gold is rebuilding what Morning Star destroyed, and for that, I appreciate this book a lot.
“I know it may be impossible to believe now, when everything is dark and broken, but you will survive this pain, little one. Pain is a memory. You will live and you will struggle and you will find joy. And you will remember your family from this breath to your dying days, because love does not fade. Love is the stars, and its light carries on long after death.”
Darrow is one of the reasons why I have given this book a lower rating; he is the dumbest fucking bitch to ever exist. The things he did in this book made me so damn mad!! I hated his thought process, I hate his decision-making skills, and I hate his critical analysis skills. In short, I hated him. I know Pierce Brown glazes Darrow a lot, but in this book, I just did not buy any of it. The dialogues in his perspectives are amazing, the action sequences are really well written, the plot is carried out well, but being in his idiotic head had me banging MY head against the wall. I would have been more mad if I were not already 400 pages through Dark Age, where his character has improved significantly. Mustang, She honestly ate her perspectives. How did Darrow bag her? I would never know. She is one of the smartest people in this series, even though she wasn't a lot in this, you can clearly see it.
““Do not let fear touch you. Fear is the torrent. The raging river. To fight it is to break and drown. But to stand astride it is to see it, feel it, and use its course for your own whims.””
Lysander is such a slimy, weasely bitch, and I loved him! I have always hated him so much! Since the very start, because I knew he would be a raggedy ass bitch in the future, he's always had that vibe, but I loved being proven right. Also, it's just the way he is written, the way his mind works, and the way he articulates things!! I love reading about a good villain. He was cunning and so damn unpredictable. That is what made him scary. Cassius, he is such an amazing fighter and I love him so much!! His journey with Lysander was so unexpected and fun to read, but POOKIE 😔 you deserve sm better, and I am still holding out hope thanks to my NBND belief.
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.”
Lyria, Our first new character. Her pov was amazing! It was so well written, the loss and the emotion. Everything surrounding it was dealt with in such an intricate manner that I loved it. I was instantly attached to her character, and I know that she'll be very important as we move forward with the series. Her loss and how she dealt with it in this book were well written, and her whole arc was very exciting to read! I have high hopes for her character in the future books. Ephiram 😒 his chapters are so boring, it felt like climbing a mountain because I needed so much power to finish them, like if you're making a character important to the plot, can you please just make his chapters interesting. Whenever I would come to these chapters, I would just put my book down 😭 I had zero motivation to read his chapters, and they continue to contribute to this rating a lot.
“The key to learning, to power, to having the final say in everything, is observation. By all means, be a storm inside, but save your movement and wind till you know your purpose.”
Despite the fast pacing and the action-packed plot, I did feel like this book was too long. It could have been shorter because there was absolutely no need, but I still managed to enjoy it. The plot that is being set up has me excited, and the character arcs are turning. The high stakes!!! (literally what I love most about fantasy books) They are so high sometimes that it feels overwhelming, and I love it!! The worldbuilding can be seen as enhancing, but my favorite part was the action sequences; they were so well written and just so damn well executed!! Especially the whole Cassius in the ring scenes. The political aspect of the book is so intriguing to read, like it just hooks you on, but it was sort of surface-level in this one, but I know it'll get better!
Overall, this was an interesting way to start the new trilogy!
“Sharing a life threads more than flesh and blood together. It weaves her memories in and around and through mine. The more I know of her, the more I share of her, the more I love her in a way the boy I used to be never knew how to love. Eo was a flame, dancing against the wind. I tried to catch her. Tried to hold her. But she was never meant to be held. My wife is not as fickle as a flame. She is an ocean. I knew from the first that I cannot own her, cannot tame her, but I am the only storm that moves her depths and stirs her tides. And that is more than enough.”
_
One year late 😭 but we're finally continuing our buddy read!! Pierce Brown better ace this set and the hype better live up 😤
Buddy reading with Rowan.
November 13, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
The ONLY reason this isn’t a 5 star (keep in mind this series is STILL god tier for me) is because it did take me a minute to get into it at the beginning, it was a touch slow BUT it did have a purpose for sure. Expanded world, new characters, new plot lines, and I’m so excited to continue. Although… Everything is doomed it feels like. How the hell can this get better 😭
The ONLY reason this isn’t a 5 star (keep in mind this series is STILL god tier for me) is because it did take me a minute to get into it at the beginning, it was a touch slow BUT it did have a purpose for sure. Expanded world, new characters, new plot lines, and I’m so excited to continue. Although… Everything is doomed it feels like. How the hell can this get better 😭
July 29, 2019
‘you will survive… because love does not fade. love is the stars, and its light carries on long after death.’
and the love affair i have with pierce browns storytelling could fill the night sky with an infinity of stars, making the sun jealous of their light.
what absolutely blows me away is the emotional complexity of this story and how that is conveyed through the writing. PB excels at fast-paced action-packed scenes, which is a must for a sci-fi novel. but consistent words of beauty and heaviness give this story such a depth of humanity that anyone, even those who do not enjoy sci-fi books, are able to find something worth relating to when reading this.
i once said this is the best sci-fi series i have ever read, and that claim still stands. in fact, after this, i swear my little crush on PB has now turned into a full blown obsession. im meeting him next week, so wish me luck on my proposal. i hope he says yes. :P
↠ 4.5 stars
and the love affair i have with pierce browns storytelling could fill the night sky with an infinity of stars, making the sun jealous of their light.
what absolutely blows me away is the emotional complexity of this story and how that is conveyed through the writing. PB excels at fast-paced action-packed scenes, which is a must for a sci-fi novel. but consistent words of beauty and heaviness give this story such a depth of humanity that anyone, even those who do not enjoy sci-fi books, are able to find something worth relating to when reading this.
i once said this is the best sci-fi series i have ever read, and that claim still stands. in fact, after this, i swear my little crush on PB has now turned into a full blown obsession. im meeting him next week, so wish me luck on my proposal. i hope he says yes. :P
↠ 4.5 stars
August 24, 2022
"War eats the victors last."
SPECTACULAR STORYTELLING! I knew before that Pierce Brown had a great way with words. But with interweaving 4 different POVs into one story, his storytelling skills reached new heights. I was spellbound from beginning to the end and as cliché as it may sound, I could not put this book down. Pierce Brown definitely knows how to make me FEEL while I read his books!
Once again, Darrow's POV and storyline touched me the most. He is the ultimate tortured hero and author spares him nothing. After everything that Darrow sacrificed, it broke my heart to see him doubting himself and blaming himself for so many things.
"It feels like the world is doing this to us. But is it the world or is it the me? The way I am built? A breaker, not a builder after all."
Among new main characters, Lyria has become my favorite. She is direct, always does what is need to be done. She goes through so much but remains empathetic towards others. She may be naive and inexperienced but she has genuinely good heart, strong backbone and she is a person of high morals. And I have to respect her for that. Together with Darrow's POV, hers was the most emotional one.
Lysander's storyline was a fascinating one. Not because of what he did or said but because of the situations he found himself in and people he met. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of Lysander himself; there is something about him that rubs me the wrong way. But all in all, I'm very curious to see where Pierce Brown will take his character in the next book.
"Using claws of others is not brave, nor it is the same as having claws."
The last one of new characters, Ephraim, is another proof that Pierce Brown likes his characters to be complex, complicated and never ever fully good or fully bad. I'm going to repeat myself but the die is cast and I am super excited to see how Pierce Brown is going to play this game when it comes to Ephraim.
All that said, I have to admit that Iron Gold didn't have the same wow factor as previous books. This book felt like it was "only" setup for bigger things to come. And to imagine that there are even bigger things to come, I truly cannot wait for Dark Age!
PRE-REVIEW:
Whatever Pierce Brown writes, I read it. It's that simple.
I can't wait to find out more about this project!
Read basic info about this new series in USA Today article and Entertainment Weekly. WARNING: Article contains spoilers from Red Rising trilogy so do not read if you haven't finished Morning Star yet!
arcs
March 29, 201812/15/16: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/12/15/...
So. Much. YAASSS.
So. Much. YAASSS.
August 8, 2023
Done in one day, but how long to recover??
August 20, 2019
This series is without a shadow of a doubt my all time favourite sci-fi series. It has the perfect blend of action, drama, romance, and shock happenings. The story is pretty dark and intense, but that is mitigated by the humor and the undercurrent of hope that ran through the story.
I felt like the Red Rising trilogy had a near perfect, fantastic, ending but I was still looking forward to this sequel series (despite the dreaded 10 years time jump) because I always felt like this world was so awesome that it had a lot more stories worth telling. So it proved with Iron Gold as it lived up to all my high expectations!
I say it all the time but I'll say it again Pierce Brown really is my sort of author. His writing is highly engaging and has a beautifully melancholic and poetic feel to it. His books are always intense and exciting and really drag me through the emotional ringer from start to finish. It is great when you find a book where you find the story super exciting and can emotionally engage with the characters and happenings.
The story in Iron Gold was great. The action picked up a decade after the fall of the Society in the Core and we got to see that establishing Darrow and Virginia's new Republic was no easy endeavour. I feel that Brown's decision to expand the POV cast to include three new characters really helped to flesh out the world building and add more depth to the story. I still love Darrow the most but I did manage to warm to two of the three new characters. The third needs a pulseFist to the face though!
All in all I loved this one and felt like Brown again got the balance spot on between the triumph and the tragedy. There was some real heart-breaking moments but also some inspiring and hope filled ones as well. It is that sort of balance that makes a great story so great!
Rating: 5 stars. An easy rating to give. It is only January but I have my doubts I'll read a better book anytime in 2018 than this gem.
Audio Note: I had some serious concerns going into Iron Gold when I heard that Recorded Books had decided to limit Tim Gerard Reynolds role in the book by brining in three new narrators to voice the three new POV segments. The only positive was that they had retained TGR for the Darrow POV segments. I'm still puzzled by why they thought this was a good idea as TGR is one of the best narrators out there and his performance of the original Red Rising was fantastic. One of the best performances of any audio I've ever heard (and I've listened to hundreds of audios over the years!). The guy was so good he enhanced the quality of an already great story with his ability to convey emotion with his voice and his excellent voice acting.
It goes without saying that TGR's Darrow POV section of Iron Gold were as fantastic as one would expect. His Apollonius interpretation was stand out good!
So how did the new narrators get on? They were a bit of a mixed bag.
John Curless - He did the Ephraim POV segments and I thought he was fantastic. Almost as good as TGR with his ability to convey emotions and he really got the tone and humor of the story. If he had a flaw it was that his character voices, while pretty good, were just not quite as good as TGR's. Still, he gets the thumbs up from me and I'll be happy to listen to more books he narrates in the future.
Aedin Moloney - She voiced the Lyria POV segments. I felt like she did an OK job. She struggled a little with the set voices and accents of the established characters but seemed to get the tone of the story and was also quite good at conveying emotion with her voice. She over did a few bits but all in all I still felt like she did an OK job.
Julian Elfer - The guy voiced the Lysander bits of the story. I felt like he was the real weak link and the only narrator not up to the job. He was pretty awful. The only good think he had going for him was that he was well-spoken and his voice was a great fit for an upper class Gold. The downside is that he was a poor voice actor and just read everything in a monotone. He even failed to get the humor which sounded decidedly off and stilted via his poorly timed delivery.
At least the production by Recorded Books was not awful. To their credit the had the new narrators retain the accents used by TGR in the original RR trilogy. It is a minor thing but really makes a difference as it helps with consistency.
Reread Update: Just as awesome the second time around!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Read moans!
I just checked Iron Gold on my Audible pre-orders and was aghast to see that a few more audio narrators have been added to Iron Gold. Why oh why is my luck with audios so bad in the last few months? Tim Gerard Reynolds did a FANTASTIC job with the Red Rising trilogy so what idiot thought it would be a good idea to limit his role in this 4th instalment?
I was super looking forward to this one but now some of the enthusiasm has been sucked right out of me. I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the person running Recorded Books has never actually listened to an audio series in their life to understand the value of consistency of interpretation!
I felt like the Red Rising trilogy had a near perfect, fantastic, ending but I was still looking forward to this sequel series (despite the dreaded 10 years time jump) because I always felt like this world was so awesome that it had a lot more stories worth telling. So it proved with Iron Gold as it lived up to all my high expectations!
I say it all the time but I'll say it again Pierce Brown really is my sort of author. His writing is highly engaging and has a beautifully melancholic and poetic feel to it. His books are always intense and exciting and really drag me through the emotional ringer from start to finish. It is great when you find a book where you find the story super exciting and can emotionally engage with the characters and happenings.
The story in Iron Gold was great. The action picked up a decade after the fall of the Society in the Core and we got to see that establishing Darrow and Virginia's new Republic was no easy endeavour. I feel that Brown's decision to expand the POV cast to include three new characters really helped to flesh out the world building and add more depth to the story. I still love Darrow the most but I did manage to warm to two of the three new characters. The third needs a pulseFist to the face though!
All in all I loved this one and felt like Brown again got the balance spot on between the triumph and the tragedy. There was some real heart-breaking moments but also some inspiring and hope filled ones as well. It is that sort of balance that makes a great story so great!
Rating: 5 stars. An easy rating to give. It is only January but I have my doubts I'll read a better book anytime in 2018 than this gem.
Audio Note: I had some serious concerns going into Iron Gold when I heard that Recorded Books had decided to limit Tim Gerard Reynolds role in the book by brining in three new narrators to voice the three new POV segments. The only positive was that they had retained TGR for the Darrow POV segments. I'm still puzzled by why they thought this was a good idea as TGR is one of the best narrators out there and his performance of the original Red Rising was fantastic. One of the best performances of any audio I've ever heard (and I've listened to hundreds of audios over the years!). The guy was so good he enhanced the quality of an already great story with his ability to convey emotion with his voice and his excellent voice acting.
It goes without saying that TGR's Darrow POV section of Iron Gold were as fantastic as one would expect. His Apollonius interpretation was stand out good!
So how did the new narrators get on? They were a bit of a mixed bag.
John Curless - He did the Ephraim POV segments and I thought he was fantastic. Almost as good as TGR with his ability to convey emotions and he really got the tone and humor of the story. If he had a flaw it was that his character voices, while pretty good, were just not quite as good as TGR's. Still, he gets the thumbs up from me and I'll be happy to listen to more books he narrates in the future.
Aedin Moloney - She voiced the Lyria POV segments. I felt like she did an OK job. She struggled a little with the set voices and accents of the established characters but seemed to get the tone of the story and was also quite good at conveying emotion with her voice. She over did a few bits but all in all I still felt like she did an OK job.
Julian Elfer - The guy voiced the Lysander bits of the story. I felt like he was the real weak link and the only narrator not up to the job. He was pretty awful. The only good think he had going for him was that he was well-spoken and his voice was a great fit for an upper class Gold. The downside is that he was a poor voice actor and just read everything in a monotone. He even failed to get the humor which sounded decidedly off and stilted via his poorly timed delivery.
At least the production by Recorded Books was not awful. To their credit the had the new narrators retain the accents used by TGR in the original RR trilogy. It is a minor thing but really makes a difference as it helps with consistency.
Reread Update: Just as awesome the second time around!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-Read moans!
I just checked Iron Gold on my Audible pre-orders and was aghast to see that a few more audio narrators have been added to Iron Gold. Why oh why is my luck with audios so bad in the last few months? Tim Gerard Reynolds did a FANTASTIC job with the Red Rising trilogy so what idiot thought it would be a good idea to limit his role in this 4th instalment?
I was super looking forward to this one but now some of the enthusiasm has been sucked right out of me. I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the person running Recorded Books has never actually listened to an audio series in their life to understand the value of consistency of interpretation!
Read
January 17, 2024Full video review here: https://youtu.be/R_34BkyZXPk
I think what makes the sequel series of Red Rising books so special to me is it takes that one foot out of fantasy that the original series had and embraces the real life consequences of war and regime change. Our heroes are more jaded and battle weary a decade later and you quickly see that things aren’t as easy after you win as you think they’ll be as an idyllic teenager.
Iron Gold is different enough from the original trilogy to feel fresh yet still retain those Red Rising elements that make the series so addicting. The same fast-paced action sequences are there along with the superb dialogue. But Brown paces things differently this time by coming up for air and observing the consequences of the Rising around the solar system.
The way he does this is by deciding to move away from the singular first person narrative of Darrow and adding 3 more POV characters in Lyria, a Gamma Red, Ephraim, a Grey with a death wish, and a surprise character I don’t want to ruin for you here.
The great thing about adding these new POVs is Pierce doesn’t have to try and work a magic trick with his twists and turns by hiding the fact we are in the main characters head and should know the plans. And give the new characters time; they’ll grow on you. If you can count on Pierce Brown for one thing it is his character work, which remains exceptional.
Lastly, this book just feels more grown up as our characters deal with the weight of a decade plus of their choices on their backs, being parents, and dealing in (in-world) politics. It was the shot in the arm the series needed and I think it’s better for it.
I think what makes the sequel series of Red Rising books so special to me is it takes that one foot out of fantasy that the original series had and embraces the real life consequences of war and regime change. Our heroes are more jaded and battle weary a decade later and you quickly see that things aren’t as easy after you win as you think they’ll be as an idyllic teenager.
Iron Gold is different enough from the original trilogy to feel fresh yet still retain those Red Rising elements that make the series so addicting. The same fast-paced action sequences are there along with the superb dialogue. But Brown paces things differently this time by coming up for air and observing the consequences of the Rising around the solar system.
The way he does this is by deciding to move away from the singular first person narrative of Darrow and adding 3 more POV characters in Lyria, a Gamma Red, Ephraim, a Grey with a death wish, and a surprise character I don’t want to ruin for you here.
The great thing about adding these new POVs is Pierce doesn’t have to try and work a magic trick with his twists and turns by hiding the fact we are in the main characters head and should know the plans. And give the new characters time; they’ll grow on you. If you can count on Pierce Brown for one thing it is his character work, which remains exceptional.
Lastly, this book just feels more grown up as our characters deal with the weight of a decade plus of their choices on their backs, being parents, and dealing in (in-world) politics. It was the shot in the arm the series needed and I think it’s better for it.
July 7, 2023
2023 thoughts: While I agree with most everything below, I must say that this installment didn’t hold up quite as well to rereading as the original trilogy, in my opinion. While I still enjoyed the story, I found the first half a bit slow, and found the overall tone sad and dark after the high of the Morning Star’s ending. While it’s still an excellent book, and I understand the reasoning behind the tonal shift, I’m downgrading my original 5 star rating to 4 stars, just as a gauge of my own personal enjoyment. My original review can be found below.
Original 2018 review:
Well done, Pierce. This was a phenomenal reentry into a story I thought had come to an end. It was phenomenally handled, and I applaud both your bravery and finesse in this continuation of a series that has already left its mark on the sci-fi world.
It’s always a bit nerve-wracking to revisit a series that you thought was ended well. Some authors don’t know how to let a world go and move onto another, and sometimes a world revisited but revisited poorly can sour a reader’s memories of a story they loved. I think that was a legitimate concern when Pierce Brown announced that the Red Rising trilogy would not remain a trilogy, but would instead evolve into a saga. Iron Gold, the fourth book and the one that would begin the new strand of the saga, would take place ten years after the events in Morning Star.
There are other authors who have expanded a world they created, and have done it well. But generally, these expansions take place either before the plot of the original story, or more than a generation later, after the main characters of the original plot have passed on. I though Pierce’s plan for the Red Rising saga was ballsy from the moment I heard about it, but thankfully the man followed through brilliantly.
With every book I’ve read from him, I’ve been more and more impressed with Pierce’s writing. His prose is incredible, and I would put it on par with the majority of authors in the genre of literary fiction. Most of the time, science fiction and fantasy are about the characters, the setting, and the story. Rarely does the writing itself shine, but Pierce’s does. I’m beginning to view him as the Patrick Rothfuss of the sci-fi genre in terms of prose, and there’s no greater compliment I can give in regards to the sheer beauty of someone’s writing.
“I will love you until the sun dies. And when it does, I will love you in the darkness.”
An aspect of this book that I was nervous about but ended up appreciating greatly was the use of multiple points of view. One of the things that made the original trilogy stand out in my mind was the fact that it was told in a limited first-person perspective. I’m not usually the biggest fan of first-person, but I thought it was used brilliantly in Red Rising. In the continuation of the series, however, we have four perspectives, all presented in first-person. I thought this would be difficult to follow, but each point of view character had a completely different voice and way of thinking than their counterparts, and all four of them were compelling, fallible characters. All four of them had some wonderful character traits, but all four of them made some terrible mistakes.
“They all want a part of it. A part of the pain that's not theirs. Nod their heads. Wrinkle their foreheads. Now they want to pity it, gorge on my pain. And when they're done or bored or too sad, they whisk themselves away to stare at a screen or stuff their fat faces, thinking 'How lucky am I to be me.' And they they forget the pain and say we should be good citizens. Get a job. Assimilate...
They planted us in stones, watered us with pain, and now marvel how we have thorns.”
One of the reasons that Darrow worked so well as a main character in the original trilogy was his fallibility. Is he noble? Yes, he certainly can be. Is he honorable? Yes. Is he a hero? That depends on who you ask. Is he a perfect? Definitely not. And each of the other three point of view characters share that last trait with Darrow. They are far from perfect. They make mistakes. But they are beautifully, achingly human, no matter what Color they are.
“A new wound can take a body. Opening an old one can claim a soul.”
We have Darrow, the hero of the the Rising. We have Lyria, a Red of Mars whose life has been made infinitely harder by that hero. We have Ephraim, a Gray who has been embittered by the Rising and has turned to a life of crime. And we have Lysander, a young Gold of the old order, whose loyalties have never been tested and are as displaced as he is himself. Four widely varied characters. Four points of view of the same struggles that have ripped apart the solar system. Four sides of what appeared to be a two-sided struggle.
“I know it may be impossible to believe now, when everything is dark and broken, but you will survive this pain, little one. Pain is a memory. You will live and you will struggle and you will find joy. And you will remember your family from this breath to your dying days, because love does not fade. Love is the stars, and its light carries on long after death.”
Getting to revisit characters from the original trilogy, and to see how they have changed over ten years, was wonderful. It was an ode to the Howlers, both the literary characters and the readers who have loved Pierce’s work since they opened the first book. But what I really loved was the expansion offered by the other point of view characters, an expansion that allows readers to experience far more of the world Pierce has created. We see that nature abhors a vacuum, and that whenever power is removed from a despot, another tyrant will rise up to take their place. We see that friendship covers a multitude of sins, but even it can only be stretched so far. We see love in all of its forms, and betrayal in just as many. We see that war touches everyone, and that everyone’s voice deserves to be heard. We see that an uprising is never truly finished. We see victory and defeat, pain and passion, dreams and despair. We see life in all of its beautiful chaos and horrendous patterns.
“War eats the victors last.”
I thought that my favorite sci-fi-fi series would always and forever be Ender’s Saga by Orson Scott Card. While Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow will indeed always remain among my favorite books, I can unequivocally say that Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga has become my favorite science fiction series, and I can’t wait to read future installments.
“Change isn’t made by mobs that envy, but by men who dare.”
Original 2018 review:
Well done, Pierce. This was a phenomenal reentry into a story I thought had come to an end. It was phenomenally handled, and I applaud both your bravery and finesse in this continuation of a series that has already left its mark on the sci-fi world.
It’s always a bit nerve-wracking to revisit a series that you thought was ended well. Some authors don’t know how to let a world go and move onto another, and sometimes a world revisited but revisited poorly can sour a reader’s memories of a story they loved. I think that was a legitimate concern when Pierce Brown announced that the Red Rising trilogy would not remain a trilogy, but would instead evolve into a saga. Iron Gold, the fourth book and the one that would begin the new strand of the saga, would take place ten years after the events in Morning Star.
There are other authors who have expanded a world they created, and have done it well. But generally, these expansions take place either before the plot of the original story, or more than a generation later, after the main characters of the original plot have passed on. I though Pierce’s plan for the Red Rising saga was ballsy from the moment I heard about it, but thankfully the man followed through brilliantly.
With every book I’ve read from him, I’ve been more and more impressed with Pierce’s writing. His prose is incredible, and I would put it on par with the majority of authors in the genre of literary fiction. Most of the time, science fiction and fantasy are about the characters, the setting, and the story. Rarely does the writing itself shine, but Pierce’s does. I’m beginning to view him as the Patrick Rothfuss of the sci-fi genre in terms of prose, and there’s no greater compliment I can give in regards to the sheer beauty of someone’s writing.
“I will love you until the sun dies. And when it does, I will love you in the darkness.”
An aspect of this book that I was nervous about but ended up appreciating greatly was the use of multiple points of view. One of the things that made the original trilogy stand out in my mind was the fact that it was told in a limited first-person perspective. I’m not usually the biggest fan of first-person, but I thought it was used brilliantly in Red Rising. In the continuation of the series, however, we have four perspectives, all presented in first-person. I thought this would be difficult to follow, but each point of view character had a completely different voice and way of thinking than their counterparts, and all four of them were compelling, fallible characters. All four of them had some wonderful character traits, but all four of them made some terrible mistakes.
“They all want a part of it. A part of the pain that's not theirs. Nod their heads. Wrinkle their foreheads. Now they want to pity it, gorge on my pain. And when they're done or bored or too sad, they whisk themselves away to stare at a screen or stuff their fat faces, thinking 'How lucky am I to be me.' And they they forget the pain and say we should be good citizens. Get a job. Assimilate...
They planted us in stones, watered us with pain, and now marvel how we have thorns.”
One of the reasons that Darrow worked so well as a main character in the original trilogy was his fallibility. Is he noble? Yes, he certainly can be. Is he honorable? Yes. Is he a hero? That depends on who you ask. Is he a perfect? Definitely not. And each of the other three point of view characters share that last trait with Darrow. They are far from perfect. They make mistakes. But they are beautifully, achingly human, no matter what Color they are.
“A new wound can take a body. Opening an old one can claim a soul.”
We have Darrow, the hero of the the Rising. We have Lyria, a Red of Mars whose life has been made infinitely harder by that hero. We have Ephraim, a Gray who has been embittered by the Rising and has turned to a life of crime. And we have Lysander, a young Gold of the old order, whose loyalties have never been tested and are as displaced as he is himself. Four widely varied characters. Four points of view of the same struggles that have ripped apart the solar system. Four sides of what appeared to be a two-sided struggle.
“I know it may be impossible to believe now, when everything is dark and broken, but you will survive this pain, little one. Pain is a memory. You will live and you will struggle and you will find joy. And you will remember your family from this breath to your dying days, because love does not fade. Love is the stars, and its light carries on long after death.”
Getting to revisit characters from the original trilogy, and to see how they have changed over ten years, was wonderful. It was an ode to the Howlers, both the literary characters and the readers who have loved Pierce’s work since they opened the first book. But what I really loved was the expansion offered by the other point of view characters, an expansion that allows readers to experience far more of the world Pierce has created. We see that nature abhors a vacuum, and that whenever power is removed from a despot, another tyrant will rise up to take their place. We see that friendship covers a multitude of sins, but even it can only be stretched so far. We see love in all of its forms, and betrayal in just as many. We see that war touches everyone, and that everyone’s voice deserves to be heard. We see that an uprising is never truly finished. We see victory and defeat, pain and passion, dreams and despair. We see life in all of its beautiful chaos and horrendous patterns.
“War eats the victors last.”
I thought that my favorite sci-fi-fi series would always and forever be Ender’s Saga by Orson Scott Card. While Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow will indeed always remain among my favorite books, I can unequivocally say that Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga has become my favorite science fiction series, and I can’t wait to read future installments.
“Change isn’t made by mobs that envy, but by men who dare.”
June 8, 2018
Ugh, this was achingly good.
Marry me Mr. Brown, and feed me titbits from the next book!
Marry me Mr. Brown, and feed me titbits from the next book!
Want to read
February 1, 2018
#1.) Red Rising ★★★
#2.) Golden Son ★★★★
#3.) Morning Star ★★★★
July 23, 2025
4.5 because I was so fricken confused for the first 2/3 of this book 😅 the last couple hundred pages was a BANGERRRRR tho
September 5, 2019
After being back and forth on this book over the last year, my brain cells finally have a consensus: Iron Gold was a satisfying continuation to the original trilogy.
I first picked up the book shortly after it came out, then ended up abandoning it several chapters in. It took me too much time to re-immersed, and every time it started to gain momentum, there’d be a new POV. I lost interest, then I started confusing characters, so I got fed up and put it down.
I’m glad I picked it back up.
I thought the additional POVs added nice perspectives to how the system had changed since the uprising. It gave a glimpse into the after-effects felt within each cast (which Darrow’s view alone wouldn’t have conveyed sufficiently). It’s ironic that the exact thing that made me abandon Iron Gold a year ago is now one of the things I liked most about the book.
Another thing I didn’t like originally was the timeline – how soon after Morning Star the story began. I was expecting a next-generation spinoff and didn’t know how to feel about a full-blown continuation. As it turns out, this is also something I ended up appreciating about the book. It would’ve been much easier for Brown to start relatively fresh after ending on such a high note, but I actually thought it took a lot of balls to pick up where it left off. We’ll see if it pays off, but after this 4th book I’m left applauding his creativity and commitment to seeing this story through. I’m eager to see how the overall conflict is going to resolve.
Recommendations: Iron Gold is definitely worth the read if you loved the first trilogy. It has that same dramatic writing that’ll gut-punch you left and right (it’s nice to be back, lol), and it’s a truly bonafide continuation. The beginning suffers a pacing issue with a bunch of POV changes, but the momentum it builds off of that is worth the investment.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
Other books you might like:
I first picked up the book shortly after it came out, then ended up abandoning it several chapters in. It took me too much time to re-immersed, and every time it started to gain momentum, there’d be a new POV. I lost interest, then I started confusing characters, so I got fed up and put it down.
I’m glad I picked it back up.
I thought the additional POVs added nice perspectives to how the system had changed since the uprising. It gave a glimpse into the after-effects felt within each cast (which Darrow’s view alone wouldn’t have conveyed sufficiently). It’s ironic that the exact thing that made me abandon Iron Gold a year ago is now one of the things I liked most about the book.
Another thing I didn’t like originally was the timeline – how soon after Morning Star the story began. I was expecting a next-generation spinoff and didn’t know how to feel about a full-blown continuation. As it turns out, this is also something I ended up appreciating about the book. It would’ve been much easier for Brown to start relatively fresh after ending on such a high note, but I actually thought it took a lot of balls to pick up where it left off. We’ll see if it pays off, but after this 4th book I’m left applauding his creativity and commitment to seeing this story through. I’m eager to see how the overall conflict is going to resolve.
Recommendations: Iron Gold is definitely worth the read if you loved the first trilogy. It has that same dramatic writing that’ll gut-punch you left and right (it’s nice to be back, lol), and it’s a truly bonafide continuation. The beginning suffers a pacing issue with a bunch of POV changes, but the momentum it builds off of that is worth the investment.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
Other books you might like:
December 8, 2023
First reread, just as good as the first time. Now on to Dark Age.
---
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Random House, for providing me with a Netgalley copy of the book in exchange for an honest review as a result of a contest!
You'll have to forgive my language, but DAMN YOU, PIERCE. How could you do this to me? Rip my heart out by making the stakes even higher, making me care about even more characters in this incredible world you've built, only to leave fates hanging in the balance and the universe on the brink of an even bigger war? HOW COULD YOU MAKE ME WAIT FOR MORE?
Okay, sorry, now that I got that out, I can take a breath and try again. DAMN YOU, PIERCE. Oh, sorry, there was more.
Pierce Brown has done it again. First, in the original trilogy, he built a world from the ground up, then tore it down spectacularly. Now, he's upping the stakes and bringing more characters into the fold... more characters for us to learn to love, and leaving more of our hearts available for him to rip out and shred into tiny pieces. You've done it to us before -- you know the ones I'm talking about, Pierce. You remember what you did to us in the first trilogy. And you know what you're doing now. And you know that, no matter how much pain you cause me, no matter how many of my tears keep you fed and satisfied, I will keep reading. Because the world, the characters, the stakes, the loss... it's all worth it. You've made a masterpiece, and keep on adding to it in masterful ways.
Dark Age can't get here soon enough.
Review to be posted on release date... but... damn. Stakes are definitely upped. Mistakes are definitely made. "Winter is coming" lol.
---
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Random House, for providing me with a Netgalley copy of the book in exchange for an honest review as a result of a contest!
You'll have to forgive my language, but DAMN YOU, PIERCE. How could you do this to me? Rip my heart out by making the stakes even higher, making me care about even more characters in this incredible world you've built, only to leave fates hanging in the balance and the universe on the brink of an even bigger war? HOW COULD YOU MAKE ME WAIT FOR MORE?
Okay, sorry, now that I got that out, I can take a breath and try again. DAMN YOU, PIERCE. Oh, sorry, there was more.
Pierce Brown has done it again. First, in the original trilogy, he built a world from the ground up, then tore it down spectacularly. Now, he's upping the stakes and bringing more characters into the fold... more characters for us to learn to love, and leaving more of our hearts available for him to rip out and shred into tiny pieces. You've done it to us before -- you know the ones I'm talking about, Pierce. You remember what you did to us in the first trilogy. And you know what you're doing now. And you know that, no matter how much pain you cause me, no matter how many of my tears keep you fed and satisfied, I will keep reading. Because the world, the characters, the stakes, the loss... it's all worth it. You've made a masterpiece, and keep on adding to it in masterful ways.
Dark Age can't get here soon enough.
Review to be posted on release date... but... damn. Stakes are definitely upped. Mistakes are definitely made. "Winter is coming" lol.
Want to read
February 18, 2016
November 24, 2025
my poor crippled heart... and everyone says that Dark Age is even more painful?!
*the first time I read this I didn't understand the genius... now, I am in awe...*
*the first time I read this I didn't understand the genius... now, I am in awe...*
August 28, 2025
The Sevro and Darrow bromance must be fixed in the next book PB 💔 Literally how dare you?💔
There is no conceivable way to write a full review for this without spoilers for the entire first trilogy, so I'll just say this:
🪓 I would actually die for Sevro. That smelly hairy loyal psycho has my entire heart.💓 Also dare I say it...Sevro and Victra > Darrow and Mustang. DON'T COME FOR ME😭
🪓 The new POVs in the book were SO WELL DONE! Ephraim was a special favorite but Lyria oh my god! My girl could not catch a break in this book😭
🪓 Lysander is so ambiguous for me now. I like him but I also want him dead. It's confusing for me too😅
🪓 The plotting and scheming and the betrayals ahhhhhhhh I was so here for it!
🪓 The ending? Jail.
4.25 stars because it was a bit too long and the pacing was kinda slow here and there, but still a great book imo!!
There is no conceivable way to write a full review for this without spoilers for the entire first trilogy, so I'll just say this:
🪓 I would actually die for Sevro. That smelly hairy loyal psycho has my entire heart.💓 Also dare I say it...Sevro and Victra > Darrow and Mustang. DON'T COME FOR ME😭
🪓 The new POVs in the book were SO WELL DONE! Ephraim was a special favorite but Lyria oh my god! My girl could not catch a break in this book😭
🪓 Lysander is so ambiguous for me now. I like him but I also want him dead. It's confusing for me too😅
🪓 The plotting and scheming and the betrayals ahhhhhhhh I was so here for it!
🪓 The ending? Jail.
4.25 stars because it was a bit too long and the pacing was kinda slow here and there, but still a great book imo!!
January 15, 2025
2.5 ☆
”The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.”
i foolishly thought i’d like this book more than the previous ones and it’s disappointing to say i was VERY wrong. i did like having the new perspectives: Lyria - a red who has many reasons to hate the golds, Ephraim - an ex mercenary who lost everything in the rising, including his husband Trigg and Lysander - who’s the grandson and heir to Octavia au Lune. they provided a much needed escape from Darrow’s perspective and i especially was very interested in Lyria’s part of the story. of course, i still love Sevro and Victra and it was kinda crazy to see all these characters much older.
”The key to learning, to power, to having the final say in everything, is observation. By all means, be a storm inside, but save your movement and wind till you know your purpose.”
now, for all my issues with this book. one of the main ones that started almost immediately was my dislike of the pacing— it’s incredibly slow, which threw me off cause all the others before it didn’t have that problem. as I’ve stated many times, im not a fan of Darrow at all really and i can’t say im surprised that he’s still continuing to ruin people’s lives and cause all this uproar through his actions, even at his big age. i think this shows more why he was never fit to be a lead figure for the rebellion cause he’s too selfish and makes mistakes that he shouldn’t be making based on all the knowledge he’s supposed to have. i also just felt like the plot itself was nonexistent and i couldn’t even tell what the end goal was while i was reading this. the last sentence of this book had my eyes rolling so far back into my head that they still haven’t returned to their place. im still planning to continue cause i want to know what’s gonna happen with the new added characters but this is, by a landslide, my least fav of the series.
”The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.”
i foolishly thought i’d like this book more than the previous ones and it’s disappointing to say i was VERY wrong. i did like having the new perspectives: Lyria - a red who has many reasons to hate the golds, Ephraim - an ex mercenary who lost everything in the rising, including his husband Trigg and Lysander - who’s the grandson and heir to Octavia au Lune. they provided a much needed escape from Darrow’s perspective and i especially was very interested in Lyria’s part of the story. of course, i still love Sevro and Victra and it was kinda crazy to see all these characters much older.
”The key to learning, to power, to having the final say in everything, is observation. By all means, be a storm inside, but save your movement and wind till you know your purpose.”
now, for all my issues with this book. one of the main ones that started almost immediately was my dislike of the pacing— it’s incredibly slow, which threw me off cause all the others before it didn’t have that problem. as I’ve stated many times, im not a fan of Darrow at all really and i can’t say im surprised that he’s still continuing to ruin people’s lives and cause all this uproar through his actions, even at his big age. i think this shows more why he was never fit to be a lead figure for the rebellion cause he’s too selfish and makes mistakes that he shouldn’t be making based on all the knowledge he’s supposed to have. i also just felt like the plot itself was nonexistent and i couldn’t even tell what the end goal was while i was reading this. the last sentence of this book had my eyes rolling so far back into my head that they still haven’t returned to their place. im still planning to continue cause i want to know what’s gonna happen with the new added characters but this is, by a landslide, my least fav of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2025
I’m adding this book in my ‘currently reading’ list so that it’ll actually motivate me to pick it up again.
Story time:
I've been planning and wanting to re-read Iron Gold so that I can continue on with the rest of the saga, so I finally decided yesterday to borrow this book from the library and afterwards while sitting on the train I saw a guy who was literally sitting next to me reading the third book of this series.
Was that not a sign for me to finally read this book again or what!?
———————————
Current rating: 3 stars.
I'm going to re-read this book as soon as the 4th book in the second trilogy comes out, so that I can binge read them.
Story time:
I've been planning and wanting to re-read Iron Gold so that I can continue on with the rest of the saga, so I finally decided yesterday to borrow this book from the library and afterwards while sitting on the train I saw a guy who was literally sitting next to me reading the third book of this series.
Was that not a sign for me to finally read this book again or what!?
———————————
Current rating: 3 stars.
I'm going to re-read this book as soon as the 4th book in the second trilogy comes out, so that I can binge read them.
September 25, 2025
5⭐️
This one takes n.1 spot in the series so far.
The plot is definitely heavier than in first arc and that is fine with me. Listen, there isn’t a much of comedy relief. It is Probably because we don’t get to hear much from Sevro and even Darrow for that matter. Yes, there are Darrow’s POVs but I would say the book is more dedicated to new characters and they are AMAZING! They are just so imperfect and naive at times that I was at the edge all the time.
Writing is so dense that even 600 pages took me over a week to finish 😂.
I am going to have to take a break after this one as I am a bit emotionally drained.
This one takes n.1 spot in the series so far.
The plot is definitely heavier than in first arc and that is fine with me. Listen, there isn’t a much of comedy relief. It is Probably because we don’t get to hear much from Sevro and even Darrow for that matter. Yes, there are Darrow’s POVs but I would say the book is more dedicated to new characters and they are AMAZING! They are just so imperfect and naive at times that I was at the edge all the time.
Writing is so dense that even 600 pages took me over a week to finish 😂.
I am going to have to take a break after this one as I am a bit emotionally drained.
February 6, 2021
Yo durante el 50% de este libro: ¡NO, DARROW, NO!
Yo durante el 50% de este libro: ¡NO, LISANDRO, NO!
Yo durante el 100% de este libro, he estado con el corazón encogido, tirándome de los pelos y mordiéndome las uñas. Hora de saltar a Edad Oscura. No puede ser un mayor descalabro que este, ¿verdad?
¿VERDAD?
Yo durante el 50% de este libro: ¡NO, LISANDRO, NO!
Yo durante el 100% de este libro, he estado con el corazón encogido, tirándome de los pelos y mordiéndome las uñas. Hora de saltar a Edad Oscura. No puede ser un mayor descalabro que este, ¿verdad?
¿VERDAD?
February 25, 2018
Yup.
The man ain't sliding on his storytelling.
Expect excellent things. Difficult things. Tragic things. And best of all, NEW CHARACTERS! And old, of course. :) The wheel turns and turns and turns.
Yep. I'm a fanboy. It's not just the fantastically detailed worldbuilding or the way the author colors all the planets upon a mythological background or how awesome all the space-opera plays out or the really cool battles or the blood.
It's the whole package. It only gets deeper with this new book. We have a real sense of history and the cast is pretty immense. When we say epic, we talk about a whole series. The weight of everything that came before, propelling the rest forward. This is definitely all that and more.
And Brown is exceeding expectations. :) No spoilers. A lot of plot happens here as well as character development. Huge changes after ten years and even more changes during this text... even early on.
Little is resolved. This is a bona fide start of a new trilogy (or more).
And I don't care because I'm fully invested in these big books. :) :) :)
War. War never changes. Boys grow into their fathers.
The man ain't sliding on his storytelling.
Expect excellent things. Difficult things. Tragic things. And best of all, NEW CHARACTERS! And old, of course. :) The wheel turns and turns and turns.
Yep. I'm a fanboy. It's not just the fantastically detailed worldbuilding or the way the author colors all the planets upon a mythological background or how awesome all the space-opera plays out or the really cool battles or the blood.
It's the whole package. It only gets deeper with this new book. We have a real sense of history and the cast is pretty immense. When we say epic, we talk about a whole series. The weight of everything that came before, propelling the rest forward. This is definitely all that and more.
And Brown is exceeding expectations. :) No spoilers. A lot of plot happens here as well as character development. Huge changes after ten years and even more changes during this text... even early on.
Little is resolved. This is a bona fide start of a new trilogy (or more).
And I don't care because I'm fully invested in these big books. :) :) :)
War. War never changes. Boys grow into their fathers.
February 3, 2018
Four Stars: ✰✰✰✰
I have a love/hate relationship with Pierce Brown.
On the one hand, his books are just ridiculously cool, and they combine so many elements of many genres that I love dearly. It almost feels like a Sci-fi/Space Opera-Dystopian-Fantasy hybrid, and he does a really great job of this, without making it difficult to read. The first Red Rising trilogy is probably one of the most recommendable series that I've ever read - not because they're the most amazing books ever, but because so many different people could read those books and enjoy them, regardless of their preference for genre. They are even great books for first-timers to any of those genres.
It's one of the reasons why I think that these books have been so successful, and I applaud Pierce for what he's managed to accomplish with these books. They truly are one of a kind, in a lot of different ways, and this book was no different.
In fact, I think that Iron Gold is his best book yet.
I'm among the minority of people who - even though I definitely enjoyed reading the original trilogy - also found it to be vastly over-rated. I wasn't particularly drawn in by any of the characters; the scope felt limited due to the singular first person POV from Darrow; the writing, at times, felt clunky to me; and just honestly so many sequences of the book felt way too dramatic.
This book solved a lot of those problems. Rather than just having Darrow, we get FOUR individual POVs, creating an almost entirely new cast of characters we never really got to know before, while still giving people who loved the original trilogy all of the connections and references that they could hope to have. Darrow is still the main protagonist, but splitting up the airtime among Lyria, Lysander, and Ephraim gave the book a much broader scope. Having Ephraim and Lyria, in particular, was great because it gave us a glimpse back into the lower reaches of the society.
We also see a much darker side of characters like Darrow, as he needs to deal with the consequences of the Rising. Entire groups of people have slipped through the cracks. Injustice is rampant. The government teeters on the edge of collapse. It was a super realistic glimpse into the real-world problems that a world would face following something like the events we saw in Red Rising. I loved that about this book.
With all of the positives however, even considering that it was my favorite among Pierce Brown's books, I still don't really understand the appeal to Darrow's character. His POV had me yawning yet again, and felt extremely over dramatic. I didn't like Darrow even in the original trilogy though, so this is probably just my own tastes. Lysander's POV, as well, didn't really grab my attention, just because I had basically zero reason to care about what happened to him as a character. Lyria and Ephraim are what made this book shine, for me, just because their position in society, and also their motivations, were extremely relatable. It didn't feel stretched.
I also have a weird thing with Pierce Brown's writing, ever since book one. SO MANY of his descriptions just seem so.... odd? Like at one point in this book there was a whole lot of gunfire going on, and he described the attack as being "like hail on wet bread".
I'm sorry, but if you're talking about a GUN FIGHT, there simply MUST be a better analogy than HAIL on WET BREAD. In what circumstance would hail even be falling on wet bread? Has Pierce seen this happen that this is the thing that instantly came to his mind?
I digress.
Aside from my few pet peeves with the right, this book was excellent, and while it is definitely a huge change from the original trilogy, it is just as good. It's just good in a different way, and I think the fact that Brown is exploring new means of storytelling is commendable. I'm interested to see how this book fares among people who were die-hard fans of the originals.
Happy reading =].
I have a love/hate relationship with Pierce Brown.
On the one hand, his books are just ridiculously cool, and they combine so many elements of many genres that I love dearly. It almost feels like a Sci-fi/Space Opera-Dystopian-Fantasy hybrid, and he does a really great job of this, without making it difficult to read. The first Red Rising trilogy is probably one of the most recommendable series that I've ever read - not because they're the most amazing books ever, but because so many different people could read those books and enjoy them, regardless of their preference for genre. They are even great books for first-timers to any of those genres.
It's one of the reasons why I think that these books have been so successful, and I applaud Pierce for what he's managed to accomplish with these books. They truly are one of a kind, in a lot of different ways, and this book was no different.
In fact, I think that Iron Gold is his best book yet.
I'm among the minority of people who - even though I definitely enjoyed reading the original trilogy - also found it to be vastly over-rated. I wasn't particularly drawn in by any of the characters; the scope felt limited due to the singular first person POV from Darrow; the writing, at times, felt clunky to me; and just honestly so many sequences of the book felt way too dramatic.
This book solved a lot of those problems. Rather than just having Darrow, we get FOUR individual POVs, creating an almost entirely new cast of characters we never really got to know before, while still giving people who loved the original trilogy all of the connections and references that they could hope to have. Darrow is still the main protagonist, but splitting up the airtime among Lyria, Lysander, and Ephraim gave the book a much broader scope. Having Ephraim and Lyria, in particular, was great because it gave us a glimpse back into the lower reaches of the society.
We also see a much darker side of characters like Darrow, as he needs to deal with the consequences of the Rising. Entire groups of people have slipped through the cracks. Injustice is rampant. The government teeters on the edge of collapse. It was a super realistic glimpse into the real-world problems that a world would face following something like the events we saw in Red Rising. I loved that about this book.
With all of the positives however, even considering that it was my favorite among Pierce Brown's books, I still don't really understand the appeal to Darrow's character. His POV had me yawning yet again, and felt extremely over dramatic. I didn't like Darrow even in the original trilogy though, so this is probably just my own tastes. Lysander's POV, as well, didn't really grab my attention, just because I had basically zero reason to care about what happened to him as a character. Lyria and Ephraim are what made this book shine, for me, just because their position in society, and also their motivations, were extremely relatable. It didn't feel stretched.
I also have a weird thing with Pierce Brown's writing, ever since book one. SO MANY of his descriptions just seem so.... odd? Like at one point in this book there was a whole lot of gunfire going on, and he described the attack as being "like hail on wet bread".
I'm sorry, but if you're talking about a GUN FIGHT, there simply MUST be a better analogy than HAIL on WET BREAD. In what circumstance would hail even be falling on wet bread? Has Pierce seen this happen that this is the thing that instantly came to his mind?
I digress.
Aside from my few pet peeves with the right, this book was excellent, and while it is definitely a huge change from the original trilogy, it is just as good. It's just good in a different way, and I think the fact that Brown is exploring new means of storytelling is commendable. I'm interested to see how this book fares among people who were die-hard fans of the originals.
Happy reading =].
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