3.5 of 5 stars

The Red Rising saga continues in a new series starting with Iron Gold, which takes place approximately ten years after the end of Morning Star. Darrow, a Red who infiltrated the Golds and won the hearts of his peers, has led a revolution that has turned the entire solar system upside down. Together, he and his allies seek to change the old ways, forming a new government which would give everyone—no matter their color—a voice.

While theoretically you could jump into Iron Gold without having read the original trilogy, I would still highly recommend starting from the beginning. There’s simply too much history in the previous three books, and it’d be best to first familiarize yourself with the characters in order to gain the full impact of this novel. Darrow returns, for one thing; he’s a little older and wiser now, but still fighting, always fighting. The Rising may have ushered in a new system of governance, but peace remains elusive as old prejudices and bitter grudges have led to constant war. Now the man called Reaper must take matters in his own hands, or see everything he has fought for fall apart.

For this new beginning, Pierce Brown also introduces multiple POVs. First of these is Lyria, a Red girl who was freed in the Rising, only to end up in a refugee camp where the conditions aren’t much better. After tragedy takes away what little she has left, Lyria seizes a chance to get off-planet, unaware that she would soon become a pawn at the center of a long-standing feud.

Meanwhile, Ephraim is an ex-soldier, angry and bitter with grief. He’s turned his back on his old life as a Son of Ares, starting a new one as a thief instead. Soon, his reputation catches the attention of a ruthless and powerful Duke, who hires Ephraim and his team to help him steal the most valuable thing in the galaxy.

And finally, we have Lysander au Lune, a Gold in exile. As grandson of the late Octavia and heir to the Sovereign, this young man clearly has a lot to sort out about his heritage. Traveling across the solar system with his mentor, Cassius, the two of them are determined to do the right thing for the planets and peoples forever changed by Darrow’s revolution.

Not gonna lie, I shamelessly played favorites with the POVs. The chance to catch up with Darrow and his old companions like Mustang and Sevro again was probably the highlight for me in Iron Gold, and I think I liked his perspective best, though I suspect much of that has to do with my personal bias for his character. I forgave many of his personality flaws and blind spots where his desire for peace are concerned, not to mention some of his monumentally stupid decisions, but hey, that’s because he’s the Darrow I know and love, and some things never change.

The other characters did not have that advantage, however, and admittedly, I probably placed higher expectations on the author to convince me to care about them. Not too surprisingly, the results were hit and miss. Lyria and Ephraim both took their time to grow on me, with Lyria’s chapters capturing my interest first, since her story was just so heartbreaking. Ephraim’s story, on the other hand, took a while to build, but once things took off, his chapters continued to gain momentum until the very end when his arc actually took over my full attention.

Unfortunately, the one POV that did absolutely nothing for me was Lysander’s. I just never found his plot very interesting, and his chapters especially paled when compared to the complexity and intrigue of the others. While my interest in the rest of the characters’ POVs ebbed and flowed, for Lysander it remained flat and unaffected, and I often found his chapters unbearably tedious and had to fight the temptation to skim them.

That’s the problem with multi-POV books, I find—namely, if there’s one that you can’t stand, it can drag down the whole experience. And that is also why I couldn’t bring myself to give this one a higher rating, not when I struggled with roughly a quarter of this book. Yes, I blame Lysander. And I also think Brown might still be finding his rhythm when it comes to balancing multiple POVs. I could tell he tried to give his characters equal attention, even if it meant sometimes switching to their POV when there’s nothing really worth talking about. As a result, we had uneven action and interest, and the occasional chapter consisting of mostly filler. These are by no means insurmountable obstacles, obviously, but they did impact the flow of the story, however slightly.

That said, I still had a great time with Iron Gold and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I really only had one complaint, and it just so happened to be one that affected my enjoyment in a major way. I loved Darrow, Lyria, and Ephraim, but try as I might, I couldn’t get into Lysander’s chapters, though I have a feeling his role will be leading to something big. I hope that I will find his story more compelling in the next book, because I definitely plan on continuing with the series. I love this world Pierce Brown has created, and it was fascinating to see how the people and the places have evolved. If you are a fan of the Red Rising trilogy, this is one you absolutely will have to read.

First off, I want to thank the awesome people over at Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC, even though I ended up finishing this one off via Audible because, umm, Tim Gerard Reynolds is the MAN.

It is nice being able to get back into a series without any sort of expectations. Unlike a lot of people who loved the first three (3) books in the Red Rising series, I didn't get to them until December 2017. I binged each novel via audiobook in anticipation for Iron Gold's release because of the hype that surrounded it. Let me go ahead and tell you: the hype is legitimate. Iron Gold is in the early running for my top read of 2018.

A decade after the events of Morningstar, Mustang is now Sovereign and her husband, Darrow, continues to fight for peace amongst the stars. As made famous by the game franchise "Fallout", War Never Changes. While the Republic stands to keep order in the galaxy, the Senate is quickly rising in power and leading all in a direction that Darrow is unwilling to take. Darrow takes matters into his own hands and leads the Howlers on a mission with unforeseen consequences.
Meanwhile, a Red girl escapes her refugee camp in hopes of a fresh start but becomes entangled in a feud that will change her life forever.
An ex-Son of Ares, along with his motley crew of Colors, is contracted by a mysterious Duke to steal the most invaluable thing in the galaxy, but what he comes back to he never suspected.
Lysander au Lune, grandson of the late Octavia and heir to the Sovereign, travels with Cassius au Bellona, his mentor and guide. The two become embroiled with those of the outer rim and ponder what their futures hold at the hands of their captors.

As you can already tell, Iron Gold is a bit different from the original trilogy. It is told from four (4) different POVs that seemingly intertwine with one another as the story progresses. Also, with it taking place a decade into the future, it feels more like an adult story than a (which, IMO, you can't call the original trilogy this) YA one. The action is grittier, the conversation more brutal, and the lives of those entangled within beyond redemption. Having said that, Brown injects everything you came to love in the first three (3) books, and then some. New characters, more plot twists, and an overarching sense of dread throughout the galaxy.

I would recommend the audiobook because, well, Tim Gerard Reynolds. He narrated the originally trilogy superbly and does so again here. But, he is not alone. Julian Elfer, Aedin Moloney, and John Curless also lend their voices to this performance and, TBH, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Though pacing from a couple of the narrators could've been sharper, having a fresh voice for each unique POV works wonders for audiobooks and helps the narratives become clearer.

All in all, go pick up a copy of Iron Gold and read it as soon as you can (if you read the original trilogy). I can't, in all honesty, recommend it to those who have not experienced the awesomeness that is Red Rising. There are quite a few spoilers that, I believe, would taint the reading experience.

This author never disappoints and book number four is no exception!! Plus I'm super excited to know there will be a book five!!

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started to see info coming out about Iron Gold when I was almost done reading Morning Star so I was quite excited and, yet, nervous for how everything was going to turn out at the end of the third book. I didn't read anything about Iron Gold until I got through with Morning Star and then learned I had to wait a whole year before reading it!

The wait was worth it, though. Along with Darrow, we get three other viewpoints: Lyria, a Red whose family was brought up from the mines; Ephraim, a Gray who was an ex-soldier and now turns to thievery, and Lysander au Lune, who should be familiar to those who read the previous trilogy.

Iron Gold takes place a decade after Morning Star ends. Peace has never truly come. Despite the attempts to make things equal between the Colors with representatives giving advice to the Sovereign, Virginia Au Augustus, there have been uprisings of the lower colors who still believe they are getting the short end of the stick. Terrible things are stirring in the dark, giving rise to the Syndicate and the Red Hands--seemingly an off-shoot of the Sons of Ares.

Meanwhile, Darrow has hardly been at home with the family he longed for due to the continuing war effort. He chased the Ash Lord and his army from one side of the solar system to the other and, despite the misgivings of the representatives, he decides to end the Ash Lord's terror once and for all with a final push. Though, of course, nothing ever goes according to plan.

The POV characters interweave in some aspects and, as we get to see more than just through Darrow's eyes, he actually becomes a lesser-liked character, in my opinion. He's the same ol' Darrow, not really learning from mistakes or experience and it kind of blows up in his face.

Overall, I really enjoyed Iron Gold. Shit goes down, gets resolved, and then more shit goes down only to not get resolved by the book ends because there's another one coming and I need it now! I suggest reading or re-reading, or at least, reading a deep recap of the previous trilogy before cracking this bad boy open. There were quite a few characters that were mentioned that I had no idea who they were even though the other characters were just going along like I was supposed to remember who everyone was.

Another gem from Pierce Brown. This installments jumps ten years into the future and while it could be read as a standalone, it will be best enjoyed by readers who have read the previous three titles. Brown's writing is, as usual, crisp and engaging and the new characters he introduces are compelling. Like the rest of the series, Iron Gold is full of hard choices and heartbreak - a must read for fans of the series.

Iron Gold is a thrilling continuation of the Red Rising Series. With even more at stake, the battles and struggles are more vivid and immediate than they have ever been. This is an incredible ride, twists and turns at every decision the characters make. This book will keep you up all night because you won't be able to put it down.

Anytime I read the first book in a new series that follows one I love as much as Red Rising, I approach with both a huge dose of excitement but also a touch of apprehension that it won’t live up to the previous series. I am so excited that Iron Gold lived up to every expectation I had and maybe even set some new ones for the rest of the series. It has all the traits that Ioved in the Red Rising series, but the current story stays fresh and exciting.

Iron Gold is set about 10 years after the last one left off and the peace that Darrow and Mustang worked to achieve is beginning to show signs of serious strain. There is the threat from the Ash Lord, but internally there is also politcal strife as groups try to jockey for power. Darrow is faced with some incredibly hard choices and some of his decisions, quite frankly, just don’t go over well. It is interesting seeing him go from being the favored son of the land, a living superhero of his time, to, well … you’ll have to read to find out, I don’t want to go into too much detail. We also get to see how his decisions impact his son who feels Darrow always puts the war first. Because really, Darrow continues to see himself as critical to everything, and just doesn’t feel like anyone else could get the job done like he can. And honestly, sometimes you have to wonder if that is true or not.

For perspectives, Iron Gold features about 4 POVs, one of which is a brand new character that I absolutely love. She is a red girl who has suffered great loss but also has a keen sense of determination as well as a pretty strong moral code. She manages to set her life on a path she could never have expected, or even imagined, and it puts her in a prime position to be critical in this story. Honestly, she has a lot of the traits that I loved about Darrow. She is determined and can be quite fearless, doing unexpected things that she thinks anyone would do, when really, the rest of us know that’s not the case. I kind of feel like all the other POVs in this are on par with the Red Rising trilogy, but something about this girl, I just enjoy even more. That’s really saying something.

So if you were a fan of the Red Rising be assured there is more excitement to come, and this book lives up to every expectation I have for Pierce Brown (warning, that includes ending with serious cliffhangers), you MUST read this, it will not disappoint!

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
1/14/2018 0 Comments

Oh. My. God. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, Netgalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book so I could review it.

I read the Red Rising series as it came out, waiting a year between each book. To say I devoured them would be fairly accurate.

With Iron Gold, I wanted to take my time, read slowly, and absorb what was happening. I tried. I tried so hard. I would stop between chapters and take a break for a few minutes. I even made myself stop reading for the day at a decent time so I could get sleep. But I dreamed of Darrow and Sevro and Victra and Mustang and Lysander and Ephraim and Lyria, especially of Lyria. And then I couldn’t take it anymore. I finally finished it in one fell swoop. And now I have to wait a whole bloodydamn year for the next one. Slag!

For the the actual review part, here you go:
Iron Gold picks up ten years after Morning Star ends. Pax, Darrow and Mustang’s son, is ten. Sevro and Victra have three daughters and Victra is pregnant with the 4th. Mustang is Sovereign and these best of friends are surrounded by the Telemanuses. Since so many of Darrow’s friends died in the first three books, there aren’t a ton of carryover characters, but the new characters definitely keep the same feel that we have come to know and love. The Howlers are still crazy, no matter who wears the cloaks. The Telemanuses are still larger than life. The 14th reiteration of Sophocles still loves candy. The backstabbing and treachery are still just as prominent. But the devotion and love play an even bigger role than in the first three books,

Iron Gold is told from the point of view of Darrow, Lysander au Lune, who has been raised by Cassius after being saved after Octavia was killed, Lyria, a girl “freed” from the Martian mines, and by Ephraim, an insurance investigator turned thief. All are flawed in their own way and all have a weird part to play in the bigger picture. It’s a grim book in a grim time. And it’s a fabulous restart to the series.

Mr. Brown, if you need someone to read the next two books well before they are released, it would be my privilege and honor to do so. The Red Rising series is the gauge I use to rate science fiction books.

3.5 stars

Darrow and company return 10 years after the fall of Society and the rise of the Republic. Life is not the utopia Darrow envisioned. He's been fighting the Ash Lord for 10 years and maintaining a precarious alliance with the Rim lords, while the dream of equality and freedom die among the lowColors of Mars. After a million men die liberating Mercury, Darrow returns to Lune to face retribution...and then embarks on a trip to assassinate the Ash Lord once and for all. Meanwhile, outside forces conspire to bring the Republic down from both inside and outside its worlds.

I wanted to like this book a whole lot more than I did, particularly because I loved the Red Rising trilogy. But this one felt like a gorydamn mess the entire time. I did like the depiction of how endless war and parenthood have changed certain characters, and that new characters were introduced, complete with their own motivations and backstories that eventually wound themselves into a main plot/subplot. However, there were so many twisting plots and subplots, with plot holes and questions, that I was left at the end with a host of questions that I am certain will be resolved in the next book...or quite possibly the book after that. The entire thing felt like a placeholder and set-up for book 5.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

"Iron Gold" is the beginning of what looks like a strong follow-up to the Red Rising trilogy. It's been ten years since the end of "Morningstar", and our heroes are learning that it is much easier to tear down a government then to build one. As the story starts, the young republic is foundering. Large populations are still living in poverty and violence stricken camps, waiting for their government to step in a save them. Crime syndicates operate in the major cities. Anger is simmering in the Rim worlds, and Darrow is still draining the Republic's resources for his endless war against the Ash Lord and his forces.

The greatest strength of "Iron Gold" is the way that it expands the Red Rising universe by moving much of the action away from our previous main characters. In this book Darrow is one of four viewpoint characters, sharing the spotlight with Lyria, a red teenager from the Martian refugee camps, Ephraim, a grey thief with a military past, and Lysander, grandson to the previous Sovereign. Honestly, without these other threads I think I would have had a much harder time enjoying this book. I loved the Red Rising trilogy, but after three books I kind of feel like I've seen enough of Darrow making painfully questionable decisions (his decisions are usually understandable, but it still gets hard to watch). The new characters allow the reader to truly feel like this is a new chapter of the story, and not just a continuation of Darrow's tale. They also allow us to see events from different viewpoints, giving a more complex vision of what's going on.

"Iron Gold" takes awhile to really get started, partially because you need to read through a bit to get invested in the new characters. I also had some difficulty remembering exactly who all of the peripheral characters from the original trilogy were. I'm not sure if this is something that will be included in the final book, but I think a list of key characters and families would have been a nice inclusion. The writing is as strong as I have grown to expect from Pierce Brown, and he seems to be building a reasonably complex view of the troubles a new government might face post revolution. As in the previous books, I have no idea where the story is going or what will happen to any of the characters, but I can't wait to find out.

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.

https://librarianonthelake.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/iron-gold-by-pierce-brown/

Brown’s fourth book in the Red Rising Saga is a complex tale of violence, betrayal and intense action. There are four narrators that give voice to their own storylines. Darrow is driven to finish what he started with the rebellion. He is convinced that there is one more serious threat that he cannot ignore. Against the wishes of many, including his wife, he leaves his family once again to put an end to the opposition. Lysander is busy with Cassius, helping those who are victimized in the outer realms. He travels incognito and relies on his older companion to decide where they go and what they do. Lyria is a Red who has lost faith in the rebellion. Her family is no better off and they are disillusioned by the unfulfilled promises of a better life. When she is suddenly left with her blind nephew as her responsibility, she is desperate to protect the boy. Ephraim is a former soldier who now makes his money as a thief, stealing valuable items for the highest bidder. He has a small crew who work with him to manage seemingly impossible heists. These disperate narrators provide insights from factions that are from different parts of the solar system and different strata of society. Brown does not merely show two sides of the conflict but of multiple forces at play throughout the solar system.

The war is over to many but Darrow knows he cannot give up the fight because there are still enemies out there. He disagrees with his wife who thinks it’s time to give up the battle because of the high cost in lives. But Darrow will not stop until he feels he has defeated all who oppose the rebellion. Some of his former colorful and fascinating Howlers still stand by his side. His family relationship has devolved and is sad. He is a man driven by the cause, one who sacrifices his personal attachments.

The action is fierce and bloody. The rebellion has taken a high toll and has not vanquished its enemies. There are many stakeholders who have their own agenda and who want to stop the uprising. Brown makes it impossible to put the book down, amping up the intensity of the action. It’s dark and sad and yet readers will yearn for more as this series continues.

(LINK WILL GO LIVE 01/17/18)

I absolutely loved the "Red Rising trilogy. It was epic in every sense of the word: a sweeping landscape that sprawls across the entire galaxy. An intimidatingly large cast of characters whose political machinations were challenging (in a good way!) to keep track of. And a story driven by one man's quest to begin a revolution that would shake an entire world order. But in Darrow's success, and the trilogy's success, where is left to go? Many, many places it turns out!

From the get go, "Iron Gold" sets out to be its own story. It's been ten years since Darrow's revolution, and yet he, his comrades, and his civilization are still at war, both with the remnants of the old system who seek to bring back their own ways and privileges, as well as with those in their own fledgling government who struggle to direct this new world order from within a different political and societal perspective.

The narrative is also split between four characters. Alongside Darrow, we have Lyria, a Red girl who grew up on a "freed" Mars where all is not as well as they had been promised when her family and their colony were brought up to the surface from the mines below. Back on Luna, an ex-solider-turned-thief struggles to find meaning in an existence void of his fiance who died years ago and finds himself caught up in an underbelly mafia that might be more than he can handle. And far on the out reaches of the galaxy, Lysander, the exiled heir apparent, drifts along until he unexpectedly finds himself pulled into a revolution of its own.

Both of these tactics, the expanded POV cast and the time jump, were managed extremely well. Not only was it a great choice to set the story 10 years later, but by splitting the narrative, "Iron Gold" was freed up from some of the constraints that were beginning to niggle at me back in "Morning Star" when Darrow's hero complex and habit of speechifying was just beginning to annoy me.

Here, not only do we have the three other characters, but Darrow is very much a changed man from the hopeful, conquering hero that we saw at the close of "Morning Star." Through him, Brown tackles complicated issues surrounding ongoing warfare, the effects to the psyche on career soldiers, and the simple truth that winning a revolution doesn't magically deliver up a new world freed of the systemic social classism that was at the heart of the old one. Darrow doesn't know how to come home, and his discomfort while there, surrounded by friends, his wife, and his son, is palpable. Further, Brown gives us a more complicated Darrow. No longer is the reader assured that however morally grey Darrow's decisions may be, that of course he is on the right side of this issue, he's going to save the day! This Darrow is operating in a world where the black and white issue, upending the Gold class system, has already happened. But Darrow's own legend has become a burden and throughout this story I often found myself questioning not only his actions but his justifications. Darrow almost becomes an unreliable narrator, and I loved it all.

This discomfort and moral greyness carried over throughout much of the series. While the first trilogy was in many ways a simple mission with the good guys saving the world, this book challenges much of what we took for granted before. Through Lysander, we see a young man who was torn from the only life he had been trained to and cast out into the wilderness. Alongside him, we see the fallout of decisions that were made years ago to support Darrow's revolution, but had their own catastrophic consequences on other parts of the galaxy and felt by other people. I enjoyed Lysander for the most part, but I also struggled with his decisions towards the end. While I understood them and why he, specifically, would choose as he does, this discomfort of both rooting for AND against a character at the same time was challenging.

Lyria, growing up in the slums on Mars, highlights the fact that winning a war isn't all that is needed to save a downtrodden people. She and her family are essentially refugees on their own planet, forgotten by the very people who set out to save them who are now caught up in the "bigger picture." Yes, that big picture is important, but through Lyria, we see the very real image of a revolution that is still actively failing the vulnerable. Lyria was the one character who was entirely sympathetic, and I loved all of her chapters.

Ephraim, the Grey solider-turned-thief, was almost the most "Darrow-esque" character of the whole lot, at least as far as you can judge from the original trilogy. Which is funny, since of the four, he's also the one most in the wrong throughout the book. But through him we had much of the action and adventure we had in the first series. More jokes, less brooding.

There was also, of course, the return of many characters from the first book. Most notably, Sevro is right along Darrow for much of this ride. I loved that for all of his craziness, of the two, Sevro was by far the more balanced individual, able to carry the trials of war more lightly, and, most importantly, still able to retain a healthy, loving relationship with his wife and children. His wife, Victra, was probably my favorite character in the book for the simple fact that she had a battle suit fitted for her 8 month pregnant body and didn't let it slow her down one bit.

The biggest disappointment, however, was Mustang. Not in anything she does, but by the simple fact that she has very little page time in this book. It's not unexpected, considering her role as Sovereign, but I still wish we had more from her. I did enjoy the conflict that arose between her and Darrow. They are on the same side, obviously, but Brown masterfully illustrated the fact that a ruling Sovereign and a general on the front lines might still find themselves in very different places and making very different decisions, even when reaching for the same goal.

This is clearly the first book in a trilogy (?), and while many of the storylines are wrapped up well enough for the book itself, there are just as many ongoing challenges that are only made worse in this first book. Things go pretty badly for almost everyone involved and it definitely seems to be heading towards a "darkest before the dawn" type place. Further, given this book's willingness to confront the moral quandaries and grey zones of warfare, it feels like less of a given that all will end well for our heroes. As we've seen here, winning the battle doesn't get you very far if you don't know how to live without fighting. And what's more, what is the line in a war to save a galaxy? And are you even saving it to begin with? This book challenges its readers in ways that the original trilogy did not, and that is one of the highest marks in its favor. If you're a fan of the first series, definitely get your hands on this one soon! But make sure to browse through those first few books again first, cuz, man, there are A LOT of characters and connections that I had to try and remember as I went along!

Rating 9: Darker and more complicated than the first, but just as excellent, especially with its expanded POV character cast.

I have to admit, I put off reading Iron Gold for a while. I received an ARC of the most recent installment of the Red Rising series some time ago, but couldn't bring myself to read it. I think my issue was that I could not imagine doing much more with the futuristic world that Pierce Brown created. There was a resolution! We readers were satisfied and happy!
As the release date for Iron Gold approached, I finally decided to give it a go. I should have known that Brown would draw me in immediately with his world-building and character development. Just when you think you know everything about this future society, you learn something new. Iron Gold is different from the first three books in the Red Rising series in that it is told from four different first-person perspectives, rather than just Darrow's point of view. We see a different side of Darrow and begin to understand him as a man instead of a mythic hero. The reader also sees the ugly side effects of a revolution and how such a war can affect all people in a society, rich and poor, powerful and weak.
I recommend Iron Gold for fans of the Red Rising series. Also, I will recommend the Red Rising series once again.
Side note for Game of Thrones fans: If you are tired of waiting for the sixth book, and want to read a series with fantastic world-building and intriguing characters that you can't stop thinking about, this series is like Game of Thrones set in the future. Just sayin.'

When Netgalley sent me this ARC I hadn't read the first three books in this series. In 10 days I read the four of them and I still wake up dreaming of military strategy and space battles. It has been so long since a series that I loved so much. I seriously recommend it and I'm looking forward to the next books!

Quando Netgalley mi ha mandato questo libro, non avevo nemmeno letto i primi tre, poi in 10 giorni li ho letti tutti e quattro e ancora mi sveglio dopo aver sognato strategie militari e battaglie nello spazio. Era tanto che una serie non mi prendeva in questo modo e spero davvero che i prossimi libri escano presto1

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29217027-iron-gold

This book is fantastic! Begging for an interlude for those ten lost years!
At the end, I feel as though this new series will set itself apart, and be on another pedestal! Beautiful work, captivating, heartbreaking! Thank you for the chance to read!

Outstanding! Pierce Brown has done it again! Five Stars for Iron Gold— the much anticipated first book of a new trilogy which continues the story of his Red Rising series. Iron Gold picks up ten years after the events of Morning Star, with Darrow “The Reaper” of Lykos and Virginia “Mustang” au Augustus leading the new Solar Republic.
I was one of the lucky fans who received an ARC of his latest novel and I couldn’t be more thrilled at the opportunity to be one of the first readers to set eyes on these pages.
For those us who are still reeling from the high octane, action packed rollercoaster ride of Morning Star, the start of Iron Gold will feel like a much needed relief from all the adrenaline. While for fans it has only been a couple of years since the conclusion of Morning Star, for our heroes it has been ten years since their victory over the Society. A lot has happened, and the author is patient in reintroducing us to this world and the events that transpired.
In addition to reacquainting us with some of our favorite Howlers, Peirce presents us with a whole new slew of characters to love … and others you will love to hate. We are also now seeing this world through three more set of eyes—those of Lyria, Ephraim, and Lysander. It’s a fresh perspective to this universe that until now we’ve only experienced through the eyes of Darrow.
The added point of views allow us to appreciate the Red Rising world in a way that expands our view of both the Society and the Republic. They say history is written by the victors, so what if you could see the world through the eyes of those who lost? Even more, what if you could see the world through those who were part of the collateral damage? I found myself conflicted at times, wondering if I had been too caught up in the Reaper’s glory to see the flaws and potential repercussions of his actions. Too enamored by my favorite character (Yes…Sevro) and too high on my personal vendetta against the villains in the story to think back on all the other lives that were also lost but never mentioned.
Then I wondered, aren’t the best heroes those who are flawed, those who have to battle their demons and make the sacrifices that many of us wouldn’t be ready to make? And, shouldn’t that be enough for redemption? Or should the heroes be held accountable for their mistakes, regardless of the price they’ve already paid? Regardless of our love for them?
Walking in Lyria’s, Ephraim’s, and Lysander’s shoes made me contemplate the reality of war. It is not just about destroying a villain and tearing down a corrupt institution, it’s about healing and rebuilding. It’s about leaving a place better than we found it. But what if that’s not enough for someone who lost everything in the name of the greater good? What if your ghosts literally come back to haunt you?
*Potential spoiler-esque comments below
Well, don’t get too comfortable in your chair because before you are done philosophizing about this incredible universe, in the words of Sevro au Barca, “S*it escalates” and very quickly. Core to Rim, you’ll fall in an Iron Rain, experience genocide, get captured, take part in an Ocean’s Eleven type heist, participate in a nerve wracking prison break, and go on a potential suicide mission that will leave you breathless. Darrow’s motley crew of Howlers will have you jumping into a StarShell, diving into oceans, and traveling to different planets, and pretty much partaking in their usual death defying antics before you can finish your burner.
Everything you’ve loved about Pierce Brown and his masterful storytelling comes together in a novel that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat, reading until the late hours of the night and into the dawn. Your gut will wrench, your heart will break, and your mind will be blown.

Get your razors ready, Howlers! This ride is just beginning.