Golden Son is the second book in the Red Rising trilogy written by Pierce Brown. The trilogy is a sci-fi dystopian tale set in the future where mankind has set up colonies on Mars and other outer planets.
Book 2, Golden Son continues the story of Darrow as he infiltrates the top tier of the prevalent social hierarchy, The Golds. Even though this is a sequel, Brown completely changes the setting from the first book. This keeps things fresh and interesting. I was surprised just in the first few chapters when things went in a very different direction. This happened a couple of times through the book so I can safely say I enjoyed it.
There isn’t a big setup required as things are already on the move from book 1. Hence, the pace of Golden Son is even faster. Things happen on the back of each other and there is barely any breathing time. Key characters make the jump from Red Rising to Golden Son but there are some fresh characters as well. Mustang, The Jackal, Cassius are all back and so is the delightful Sevro. We also finally get to meet Ares. Though, my favorite new character is Ragnar. He has an amazing intensity, clouded by a sense of mystery. You never know what he is going to do.
The language is easy as it should be, with Golden Son being a young adult novel. The length is also very comfortable and in line with the genre. Action sequences are cleverly written as they are descriptive without being gore. Yet, they never lose the intensity of battle which is translated shot for shot, swing for swing. The climax is powerful and brings the book to a fitting close while setting up book 3 beautifully. Even here, Golden Son differs from Red Rising (no spoilers: I am not going to say how).
Overall, Golden Son carries the trilogy further and keeps things interesting for the third and final book. If you have read Red Rising and liked it, there is no reason to stop. Golden Son is definitely on par with Red Rising, if not better.
Support local bookstores. Buy your books here. (use code: filmyfool to get an exclusive discount)