Golden Son is a dystopian science fiction novel written by Pierce Brown. Darrow remains
undercover as a Peerless Scarred Gold. He is in danger of losing favor of being discarded by
the Archgoverner of Mars due to not meeting expectations. With no news from Ares Darrow is a
spy left stranded and isolated from comrades and friends. Darrow’s dream is put to the test
when he has to face the political maneuvering of High Society and the reigning Sovereign. The
depths that Darrow must got to free his race of Reds seems endless but Darrow must continue
to fight for Eo’s in the face of danger and destruction.
Golden Son was a huge step up from Red Rising and abandoning the series’ YA roots. The
story becomes darker as the author brilliantly fleshes out Darrow while keeping his fundamental
traits of strong will and aggression. Moreover, the pacing in the second book is flawless as plot
points and character interaction between characters such as Darrow, Sevro, Mustang, and the
Jackal are brilliantly portrayed. The story never drags and when it seems like the adventure
has slowed down to a halt at the end of this novel, a jaw dropping conclusion cements this as
one of my favourite sci fi fantasy novels ever. The action is brutal and vicious through a weapon
called a Sling Blade which is one of the coolest weapons I’ve seen in a bool. Golden Son has
revealed to me a new sci fi series that may challenge the classics of old. I recommend this
greatly to teenagers and even adults as this book will not disappoint.