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REVIEW of Dark Age by Pierce Brown: And We Would All Go Down Together

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Right now I can’t imagine being as enthralled with another story as I am with the one spun in Dark Age. It’s generous in its development of character, plot, and emotional arcs. There are both monumental heartbreaks and monumental payoffs in this saga. If the story ended here, it would be for us, the reader, not Darrow, Virginia, Sevro, Lysander, Lyria and all the other vivid characters that have bled in a decade of war and must still find their path forward. They are indomitable, and each will play a role in shaping the future of society for good or ill. It’s a privilege to see the writer Brown at the top of his game and read his uncompromising and richly conceived vision of the future. Now, on to the story…

Total war is here. Both sides have marshalled all their resources to wage a war and target their enemy by any means necessary to achieve victory. Civilians are fair targets and every other interest becomes secondary to survival. Dark Age gives a very clear picture of what total war looks like in terms of the human toll and the destruction of entire ways of life. Dark Age is crafted to make the reader feel it in uncomfortable and horrific ways. No one is spared war’s horror. No one.

The prologue, as in all of the Red Rising books, is a bit of an adrenaline rush and sets a grand stage. Brown does not disappoint. But I wasn’t prepared for the fallout of this tale and what it would ultimately do to our protagonists. I should’ve heeded the signs, as Darrow said it best himself:

War is our time. Sevro thought he could escape it. I thought I could end it. But our enemy is like the Hydra. Cut off one head, two more sprout. They will not sue for peace. They will not surrender. Their heart must be excised, their will to fight ground to the finest dust.

The solar system holds its collective breath to see what side will prevail—Society or Republic—and the weight of war brings instability even among allies. It’s not easy to watch your heroes slowly ground down by the engine and fog of war. 

Darrow is hardened by the destruction on Mercury. He is under no illusion the war will follow him until death claims him. It’s a manifest destiny of destruction, one that he can’t control because of larger unstoppable forces in the solar system.

The book spans far and wide, with threats on multiple fronts making the Republic vulnerable. Dark Age has to be my favorite entry in the Red Rising saga because of its human drama, cranked up to an 11, and the unflinching and draw-dropping turns it takes. The deaths of allies and enemies come unexpectedly and Darrow is a walking ghost in a seemingly impossible campaign to save his army and world. It is winner takes all, with planets, and centuries of civilization being swept away by mechanized armies and super soldiers. I cried pretty openly at the losses experienced by the Republic soldiers and their allies. Tyche hit me particularly hard when the city drowned. 

This story is a true ensemble piece and it’s a credit to Pierce Brown that he can create characters that come to life in unexpected and deeply affecting ways. I never expected Lyria’s and Ephraim’s stories to come alive so fully. When Lyria orchestrated the inside attack on the Red Hand and helped Volga, (what a gambit with the fake tooth with acid), it was flat out wicked, dangerous fun. And that was after narrowly escaping the Ascamani (sp) boogymen in outerspace on Victra’s besieged flagship.

And I had to take a breath as the end with Virginia and Victra reconciling after the emotional fallout of Victra losing her newborn to Red murderers and Sevro to the twisted clone of Virginia’s brother.

Recounting the tale wouldn’t really do it justice, but here are some more spoilers (look away!) so I can remember what crazy action this story offcers: 

-The coup of the Senate saw the death of many loyal Republic heroes and it was hard to watch. Daxo was a shocking casualty as was Dancer, both barbarically killed. The executions after were equally as brutal.

-Darrow’s campaign on Mercury was insane. It is incredibly immersive as a war story and doesn’t spare the reader from the atrocities committed and the trauma of death. Darrow watched his army slowly wither from radiation poisoning, witnessed the death fields of impaled and booby trapped soldiers, and he almost got raped and killed by the Fear Knight’s depraved crew. Thraxa arrived just in time in their flagship after traversing the Waste of Ladon (the killer of armies) in order to rally Darrow’s hollowed-out forces.

-The ending hurt so bad: Lysander goes full Gold and rallies the Society troops to take back Heliopolis. The calvary charge on the Sunblood horses. A raging Thraxa willing to give it all in the Red Rain as a last gambit during the onslaught. Darrow, a tiger stalking his prey even as that prey outnumbered and slaughtered his forces. The joust showdown between Darrow and Lysander. It was a truly nailbiting ending. Was it a deux ex machina when Casius saves Darrow at the end? Nah. I knew he was alive. I can’t wait to hear what happened to Cassius in the Rim.

-And f&%# you Lysander for shooting Alexander. That was cold. 

5 of 5 stars

Now off to read Light Bringer!!

REVIEW of Iron Gold by Pierce Brown: Once More Unto the Breach

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All good stories must, as they say, come to an end, and the Red Rising trilogy was an epic story wrapped with a bow. There was no need to continue it. To do so would be to tempt fate. To tip over into excess. To ruin a perfectly good saga.

But who am I kidding? These characters are incredible. As a fan, I wanted more. And what I got with Iron Gold exceeded my expectations. This tale, simply put, is the Star Wars we all deserve—a deeply complex, gripping saga with action, intrigue, drama, and characters who expand the imagination. Through their trials, we get a better understanding of our own strengths, failings, decisions, and desires.

Iron Gold is a front row seat to a solar system still at war. The Red’s revolution didn’t create a utopia, not even close, and Darrow battles an entrenched Gold Core, 10 years after the start of the war.

The ensemble cast has expanded considerably and Pierce Brown does some impressive interweaving of narratives to suck us right back in. Virginia and Darrow must carry the weight of this new Solar Republic, ruling from Luna. The Reaper, once the symbol for freedom across humanity, now must face the consequences of uprooting the Society’s order. Reds suffer and die in shanty towns on the surface of Mars and a tense peace exists with the Rim. The Ash Lord meanwhile holds Venus and Mercury.

Brown has lost none of his bite or imagination. The grand scale of events throughout the solar system show the devastating human cost of conflict, yet again. 

Darrow’s gambit to take Mercury in an Iron Rain pays off, but at a high cost. He is accused of treason when it is revealed he ignored the Ash Lord’s offer of an armistice and talks of peace. 

One of the enduring traits of these stories is the sheer magnitude of what’s at stake. As Darrow sees it, he must sacrifice his own happiness as a husband and father, and if necessary his life, to finish what he has started.

But equally as compelling are the other characters who we follow through the story. Lysander, the boy who was spared when the Lune family reign ended with Octavia, is now a young man with his own destiny beckoning him. He and his protector Cassius are on the fringes of civilization, helping others as they travel the expanses of space. But then they are pulled into a very dangerous game with the Golds of the Rim, a sleeping giant, ready to awaken. 

Then there is Lyria, a Red whose life is crushed beneath the machine of war but then is fated to help save the future of the Republic. Ephraim is a former legionnaire-turned-mercenary who gets in over his head and pays a heavy cost. Lyria’s and Ephraim’s stories are intertwined and their choices show the tragic failings of even the best-intentioned people. 

With big action sequences, political intrigue, and emotional notes all hitting their mark, Brown has crafted yet another tale worthy of the name of Red Rising.

He dives deep into the weight of war, and how rebuilding a society might take many lifetimes. Darrow has paid a high price, not being the father he wants to be and, as he is grimly reminded, “death begets death begets death.”

In Iron Gold, Darrow and the Howlers have some new insane stunts they pull off — a prison jailbreak under the ocean, aligning with an unstable enemy to bring down the Ash Lord, and attacking an island citadel with slim numbers and slimmer chances — all while cracking jokes, which is what Howlers do.

There’s much to love in this tale, and also much to fear for these people. The course of human destiny is in disarray, and not even the fates can tell what awaits on the other side of this Vale.

5/5 stars

-josh

REVIEW of ‘Golden Son’ by Pierce Brown: Blazing Battles, Gutsy Gambits, and a Killer Climax

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Yes, there’s high-octane action, and I feel like I’m one Darrow’s Howlers, loud and loyal, and itching to take down my enemies. This book hits the right notes as a commercial success, but there’s something deeper here, more primal, and undeniably powerful in the story and the decisions of its characters that decide the fates of worlds.

The narrative takes the approach of moving quickly from one major moment to the next in the unfolding revolution, but it maximizes each fateful encounter and nails the intensity of all the insane gambits and political machinations. These Golds rule with absolute impunity and when the tale begins Darrow has lived for four years perfecting his disguise among his enemies.

His extended band of loyal Golds include some new and fun additions–Victra and Ragnar as standouts–and when the original band is brought back together, author Pierce Brown does not waste the opportunity to build their parts in this world and how their fates intersect with Darrow’s.

Darrow is a compelling and conflicted protagonist and in stepping into his shoes you get a sense of the weight that he carries. The personal and societal developments deliver in a harrowing third act. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Virginia de Augustus is Darrow’s anchor in his tortured reality among the Golds, and I think the book handles his inner struggle authentically as he tries to reconcile his love for a woman who is, for all intents and purposes, the enemy. As a fan, I hoped that there wouldn’t be any contrived, simple solutions in their relationship, and I wasn’t disappointed. The relationship reflects reality and the effort it takes to build trust in someone who you want to build a life with.

The story’s action deserves a dedicated standalone section. Even with the fast-paced encounters in the book, each one advances the story with a feel of distinct cinematic events. The action complements the personal story like a perfectly fitted glove and makes for a complete experience.

This is book two of a series. The story ends in a climax, and wow, it is a banger. It’s a testament to the writer that I had a physical reaction to the ending. Screaming wasn’t involved, more like stunned silence and immediate panic that the fates of the worlds are indeed up for grabs.

I plan to add to this review to break down some of the plot elements, so it will be a “spoiler section.” I’ve started it below, and it will expand. For me, remembering the details of what I loved about the story is important, so I’ll likely be including these at the end of my reviews.

Until next time, my goodman, don’t get bloodydamn complacent. No one is safe in the Society.

-Josh

SPOILERS:

Darrow makes a fateful choice

Like all good heroes must do, Darrow must decide what kind of man he wants to become, and in his path to revolution, he can become an extremist, or something else. He makes a fateful choice when he finds out his deceased wife was pregnant. It breaks him (and me if I’m being quite honest. Damn tears are coming right now just thinking about it.). He solidifies his quest for vengeance and decides to plant a bomb at a Luna event and effectively wipe out the Gold ruling class, the Peerless Scarred.

But then something happens. He alters course and makes a harder choice along a longer and more perilous path. He decides to incite civil war among the Golds, and how he does it is a rousing, movie-worthy spectacle of calling out his archenemy to a Razor duel. These razors are swords that can turn into deadly whips, making it a versatile weapon. His opponent Cassius has few equals and Darrow looks like he’s signing his own death warrant, never having mastered the art of the Razor.

It’s a satisfying bait-and-switch, because in his four years in Society, Darrow studied the Razor in secret with a master, Lorn au Arcos, aka the Rage Knight. The ensuing confrontation is reminiscent of the duel at the end of Dune. Kingdoms are at stake here. This is when the adrenaline started pumping and never really quit. What a fight!

REVIEW of ‘Red Rising’ by Pierce Brown: This is How You Start a Revolution

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This is a fine specimen of a novel. The opening scene sets the imagination on fire and fans the flames until the very last page. This bonfire blaze of a story is as bright and hot as any you could want if you’re a sci-fi fan.

And it’s an underdog story where the dog already has a boot to its neck, and the gun that will put it down is being loaded; there should be no fight left in this dog, but no one told him that.

The main character Darrow (our underdog) lives in a world veiled by darkness and shadows—he’s a helldiver, mining the subterranean depths of Mars. The book makes the reader care about this tenacious teen, the life he’s built caring for his family, and how he’s able to scrape out a meager existence in the mines. But then that all changes. Spoilers in 3…2…1…

Son to a murdered father, husband to a murdered wife, Darrow will have his vengeance in this life or the next…Um, wait, wrong hero.

The book quickly sets up Darrow to follow his family to the gallows, which the Golds (the ruling class) use as one mechanism to maintain order, but a group of revolutionaries rescues him and sets things in motion. Darrow is a Red, the lowest class of humans, but he is augmented through a painful process to become a Gold. It’s his ticket to get his revenge and start the spark of a revolution. Tough odds though…

The book excels at building a dystopian world where humanity’s class war has reshaped the species. The Golds annihilated the nation states of old Earth, and made Mars and other planets the ruling center of the galaxy. They are tougher, meaner, and more ruthless than humans 1.0.

The Golds breed for superiority, and they take a very Darwinian approach to training their children to become their successors. The meat of the story takes place in a section of Mars’ Valles Marineris (it’s the biggest canyon in the solar system, according to Wikipedia), where up-and-coming Gold students fight for the coveted class championship. Darrow infiltrates this training academy, taking part in, and then taking apart the brutal trials of these so-called superior humans.

I loved the cat-and-mouse games and the deception throughout. Darrow makes unlikely allies and faces threats from unsuspecting quarters. This usually makes for the best stories when the setup is believable, and, yes, I was fully immersed.

One of the best scenes is when the meddling proctor Apollo tells Darrow—who is on his way to winning and beating out the preferred Jackal—to stop what he’s doing or there will be consequences. Darrows’ trusty Howlers, led by Sevro, are at that very moment taking down House Apollo, having used the classic crawl-through-shitty-sewers tactic to get in their castle. Apollo’s arrogance is his undoing later in the tale.

There’s a lot going on in this story—death, destruction, betrayal, alliances, guilt, loss, ambushes, baking bread (yes, bread), rape, magic boots, a colossal bear cameo, wolf boys, castles, cannibalism, horse carcasses, corrupt game masters…the list goes on.

I’ve never been one to pick up a book as my first leisure activity, but I literally ignored everything but eating, sleeping, and bathroom breaks until I finished this book. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

REVIEW of ‘NOS4A2’ by Joe Hill: A Survivor Forced into Action Against a Villain Destroying Lives to Extend His Own

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You can’t ask for much more in a novel; fully realized and flawed characters, a vivid world, action that builds in a believable and satisfying way, and an incredible narrative that takes the reader on a rollercoaster (Sleighcoaster?) ride.

Stories that matter are the ones that stick with you, and this one most certainly does. This tale packs a surprising amount of life lessons alongside the madness and mayhem. Vic McQueen, Maggie Leigh, and Lou Carmody are the types of characters whose struggles, hopes, and triumphs you remember—they don’t simply slip away when you’ve turned that final page.

The characters are what I appreciated most about the story. Author Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King, and the family legacy is alive and well here in the immersive and authentic way he breathes life into the people. No trauma is left behind: Almost died as a kid? Had your family torn apart? Watched a guy burn to death? It happens to Vic, the lead protagonist, and the consequences are long-term.

Just to get one thing out of the way—NOS4A2 is not a vampire story, not really. The title points to the clever vanity license plate on the villain’s 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith. And OK, yes, Charlie Manx (said villain) is a kind of vampire: throughout his long and unnatural life, Manx uses a power to take the lifeforce of kids. He promises they’re going to a better and safer place, Christmasland, but they are never heard from again. It’s Manx’s twisted way to justify pursuing his own immortality, among other goals.

The author makes it so that Manx keeps his hands clean of any vicious acts. The darkest parts of the book are saved for the depravity of the Gasmask Man, who does Manx’s dirty work in disposing of the parents in horrific fashion.

Hill is disciplined in building out a world with rules. I won’t spoil the big concept, but it’s a really intriguing good versus evil plot that plays out in very unexpected ways. The novel stands as an exemplar of first-rate fiction because of the characters, of course, and how the “big concept” manifests itself all the way to the blazing end. The heart and heroine of the tale is Vic, but the supporting cast is wicked good.

Rarely have I empathized as much with a character as I do with Vic McQueen. The reader shares moments of her childhood that define her, as well as the strange events that will ultimately create an inner conflict within her throughout her life. Completely relatable.

If I had to describe this book to someone, I would say it’s about a real person living in a fantasy scape. What is reality and how stable is it really? Are you crazy, or is everyone else? The resulting turmoil defines Vic’s life and has far-flung consequences. Vic uses sheer willpower and an inner courage to selflessly make the only decision a mother would for her family. A Triumph indeed. 5 of 5 stars.

FAVORITE PLOT SPOILER 👇 (look away!)…

My goodness. My breath was caught over three chapters as Hill agonizingly set up a Game of Thrones-style exit for a main character. When the hammer landed, I felt like the character, paralyzed, looking at my own death. It was the definition of nail-biting. The one hope to stop Manx laid bloodied and broken on the ground. This was where Vic showed her grit and fate was locked.

Lou saved his love with the biker jacket. The hammer that was meant to break Vic’s bones only broke the plates in the jacket. Her helmet saved her too. I really thought we had us an Ed Stark situation. Hat tip to Hill for the amazing scene.

He outdid himself with the ending too. Christmasland is turned into The White and the Lou saves Wayne my smashing his ornament in the trees at the Sleighouse. RIP, Vic.

-josh

Love, Loss and Exile (Ep. 73) | Wizard and Glass (Dark Tower #4) by Stephen King

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roland-cuthbert-and-alain

The original ka-tet: Cuthbert, Roland and Alain 

This entry into the Dark Tower odyssey offers some of the most tense and fascinating exploits in Roland Deschain’s journey to the Dark Tower. It is in fact near the beginning of a journey that will span Roland’s lifetime  and it shows a boy in a trial to become a man. The game of Castles he plays with a band of desperadoes, a town hiding a mystery, his first love, and an unbreakable bond with his ka-tet — Cuthbert and Alain — make this one of my favorites of the 7-book series. Spoilers ahead.