Pierce Brown is back with the next installment in his RED RISING series, LIGHT BRINGER. I have been anticipating this book for years, so I was so excited to be given the chance to read it early. It was so good to be back in this world with the same characters with stakes that were higher than ever. Readers should expect the same action, creativity, and will be unable to put it down! I cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves this summer and read whatever Brown writes next!

Is it too early to put my name on the waiting list for Red God? Pierce Brown has done it again with his next installment in the Red Rising Saga. It doesn’t take long for the book to speed up and take shape as yet another fast paced action-filled novel that readers have grown to expect in this series. Light Bringer focuses heavily on a hand full of characters while seemingly ignoring others. It will be interesting to see how much of the next book occurs after the events of Light Bringer versus in tandem chronologically, just following different characters. If I had to make a complaint about the book, it did seem like some of the plot and character development was a little rushed, however, that is a price I’m happy to pay for the quickness of the pacing, which consistently prevented me from putting it down.

If you are a fan of the underdog and a good heroes journey, I can not recommend this series enough. Please do note however, that Light Bringer is Brown’s 6th installment in the Red Rising series and should not be read as a standalone book.

"Trapped in a world of lies, maybe the howls were the truest things that came out of our mouths. We were all just lonely and in search of a pack."

If Dark Age was a rampage fueled by rage, Light Bringer is a reckoning fueled by moments of introspection, laughter, and hope, peppered through with furious battles for survival.

It is a search for coming to terms with past deeds, while still knowing you need to win wars in a body and mind that's tired of fighting.

Light Bringer allows moments to shine that are hilarious, sorrow filled and tense, moments where you gasp out loud and then cry. The pacing held even through these quieter moments in the book.

It's rare that six books into a series the momentum is sustained but Pierce Brown does that here with this book. You can see the seeds planted for the final stage of the long game for the Rising. I can't wait for the last book whenever it comes.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

What a ride!!! Thanks so much to Pierce Brown, Del Rey, Penguin Random House, and Netgalley for my DRC of Light Bringer! This is my most anticipated book of the year and I was bloodydamn ecstatic to have gotten a review copy. I feel like this one had so much more humor than the other books so far and I loved that. There were just a lot of really funny interactions and dialog this time. Of course, there were also some very tragic outcomes to the plot, as one would expect from Pierce Brown, but the journey was thrilling. I cried, I laughed, I gripped my kindle so hard at times, I mourned, and now I’m just so scared of what’s coming up in the next book, “Red God!” Shit sure escalated!

We find Darrow defeated and stranded at the beginning of “Light Bringer;” it starts off right after the harrowing events from “Dark Age.” Without an army how can he give aid to a besieged Mars? To the Republic? To the Sovereign and his wife? To his son? Reader, do not doubt the Reaper. Armed with his brooding and strategically martial brain, a new philosophy he learned from a book within the book (!), and stalwart comrades, expect him to smash a few enemies to gory hell.

Clang. Clang. Clang. “Confess!”

Light Bringer is a cinematic storytelling masterclass; emotionally charged prose with expeditious pacing and extraordinary characterization.
Bloodydamn brilliant.
Pierce Brown is this generation’s Frank Herbert and I will die on this hill.

Please note: This is posted on Goodreads right now, but will be posted on my blog/instagram account on the publication date. Thanks!

"Light Bringer" by Pierce Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
✈️ to: Space
Pub Date: July 25, 2023

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

Whenever I think Pierce Brown cannot break my heart more, he does. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book and been so angry at a character that I want to throw the book across the room… well, ok the last time was probably when I read Dark Age… Light Bringer is just one of those book that demands verbal (more than a few curse words) and physical reactions (lots of pacing!).

This book is, of course, brutal, but there are also so many really sweet tender moments with focuses on redemption, brotherhood, forgiveness, and breaking the cycles of violence we are born into.

And it goes with out saying: Light Bringer is just bloodydamn epic. Without getting into spoiler territory, here are some of my highlights:

-A new favorite fight scene with Darrow — Breath of Stone. Confess!
-“That motherfucker’s gonna burn.” I hope that’s a promise!
-A surprising amount of piggy back rides
-Lyria aka truffle pig. She finally grew on me!
-Victra, Diomedes, Cassius, Sevro, Darrow

Light Bringer had me crying at 1:30 am and yet I would do anything to start Red God today. Hail Reaper!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the eARC.

This is not a standalone book, you need to read the previous books, or it won't make sense, it is a rollercoaster full of action and emotions, this story definitely pulls your heartstrings but will keep true to the brutality.

Pierce Brown has done it again. Darrow's saga continues in LIGHT BRINGER in his most harrowing adventure yet, while Lynsander questions the cost of his soul. The twists were both epic and brutal.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc! HOWLERS UNITE!

Pierce Brown is a masterclass. I must be totally honest, the red rising trilogy was my entry gate into sci-fi. A roaring space opera with just as much heart as there is gore. The follow up series to it, starting with iron gold, has set a new bar. Raised it. We get our same cast, but with higher stakes…

And the gore cuz if you know, you know

Epic. Incredible. This continuation of the red rising series was AMAZING!!!! To be back in this world again, felt like coming home!

Just when you think Piece Brown has hit his apex, the NEXT book in the series comes out and blows it away. This is the 6th installment of the Red Rising Saga and if you haven't caught on by now you're totally missing out. Some things we've come to expect from this series - pain, war, indiscriminate killing, deceit, manipulation, more war, tactics, and brutality. All of which are included in Light Bringer, but there's something more.

Light Bringer add some new elements which undoubtedly enrich the reading experience - overtones of compassion, friendship, ascension, and heart.

Amidst the epic warring factions and desolate 'war is hell' attitude lies Darrow, stuck in a war that he wants out of. He wants to return to his family, he wants to become civil again. His taste for battle is turning sour and he wants only to have a peaceful world in which his son can grow up into. But his duty as The Reaper ignites that flame of righteousness and he carries on amongst the stars, determined to gather the necessary allies to finally stomp out his enemies.

On the other side is Lysander. He too, struggles to be finished with The Reaper once and for all and reign in a world of hierarchy and peace. He struggles with being content in a life as a puppet to the more powerful, or make a play to usurp the chair and put himself at risk of being devoured by the sharks he swims so closely to.

I felt that this books definitely pulled on the heartstrings while still staying true to the brutality of the world. and on more than one occasion tears were held back, but also shouts of joy and hearty laughs were had.

This is a wholly satisfying achievement in the Red Rising universe. It reached deep on an emotional level and proved that Pierce Brown has elevated this story to not-only punch us in the gut, but now stab us in the heart as well. Well done, sir!

The saga of Darrow, The Reaper, continues in Light Bringer and it proves to be another great installment to the Red Rising series. The book begins where we left off in Dark Age with Darrow defeated, his legions lost, and his spirit broken. All the surviving characters left surviving at the end of Dark Age return in this installment and most of the story this time centers around Darrow mending relationships he destroyed in that previous book.

To be honest, the book was a bit of a slog for the first few chapters but once the story gets going it becomes a page turner. The book ends with a satisfying conclusion to its core story arc and because it wraps up with a cliff hanger looming threat, I assume there are more installments planned for the Red Rising series. Just like all the previous books in the series it is well written and has a solid plot.

If you enjoy heroes journey stories or epic space opera, I strongly advise giving the Red Rising series a try. Light Bringer is not a standalone novel but the sixth book in a series, so make sure to read the earlier books beforehand or nothing will make any sense. All said, I eagerly await the next installment in the Red Rising series.

Is there anything that I can say about this series that I haven't already said? I don't think so honestly. Every time we come back to the world of Darrow and company it gets better and better and I can't wait for a new group of readers to discover this series!

The only bad thing about getting an ARC is having to wait even longer for the sequel. This was a rollercoaster of action and emotion. Pierce Brown literally never disappoints. Just put me in a coma until Red God comes out please.

This new installment in the 'Red Rising Saga' was as enjoyable as the previous books in the series. It is a must read for anyone who enjoys Science Fiction novels.

Light Bringer is the sixth installment in the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. When we left Darrow and the Rising at the end of Dark Age, things were looking pretty bleak. There were enemies on all sides and it wasn't clear how our hero was going to pull through. Light Bringer started out a bit disjointed. Unlike Brown's previous writing, it seemed he needed a few chapters to get his pacing and voice back. Once he did though, whoa what a ride! I felt that the last half of the book was much stronger than the first half, but I finished the book eagerly awaiting the conclusion we'll find in book seven, Red God.

If I had to make any critiques, I would say that the cast of characters has ballooned to the point that it's sometimes hard to keep track of everyone. Also, the beginning of Light Bringer meanders quite a bit as Brown attempts to position everyone for the forward push toward his true goal in the finale. That's about it.

The book has that authentic Pierce Brown pacing, style, and voice and he can still elicit all the feels with not just his story, but his ability to turn a phrase. This dude can write a battle like no one I've ever read before. You feel like you're right there and you can see it play out in your mind. What a writer. What a book. What a SERIES. I haven't felt this way about a book series since I picked up Game of Thrones in 1997. This series will light up screens and capture audiences one day. Count on it.

Well, I did say I was ready to be hurt again. This book is everything I wanted it to be. Probably more. I am speechless. Angry that I must wait *however long* for Red God. I can't talk about it yet. It's too soon. I need to think...

Okay, I'm ready. In the interest of not spoiling anything for anyone else, I must be brief. This book follows four characters, the newest of which is probably the weakest in the book (in my opinion). There were also a surprising amount of grammatical errors, but that's to be expected in an "uncorrected" copy, so I won't hold that against it.

Darrow and Lysander have strong showings, as you'd expect, no matter how you feel about Lysander (hashtags aside). But Lyria's story and her budding friendship with a particular character really surprised me and took me off guard. She didn't steal the scenes in this book (that honor belongs to someone else), but she did rise in my "favorite character" standings.

Now, if you love these books, you know how twisty and turny they can be. So, for that reason, I don't want to share my feelings on characters too much because it might give stuff away. But I will say, if you do love the others, you will love this one. And like me, you will laugh, you will cheer, you will gasp, you will stress eat, and you will probably cry.

Please, Mr. Brown. I can't wait four more years for Red God. But also, I don't want this story to end. So...do with that what you will.

Lightbringer is a worthy follow up to Dark Age and penultimate addition to the Red Rising saga. Lightbringer is clearly the beginning of a series conclusion, and the style is reminiscent of Morning Star. Although some major plot points are wrapped up seemingly too quickly, and others are not mentioned at all, Lightbringer has a clear focus on character journey and growth, with the theme of brotherhood shining through. Lightbringer ends with a light at the end of the tunnel, vastly different from Dark Age and a clear set up for the series conclusion.