Red Rising 4: Iron Gold - Sci-Fi Adventure Book | Dystopian Fiction Novel | Perfect for Sci-Fi Lovers & Book Club Discussions

2023-07-18I remember feeling trepidation when Iron Gold was first announced. Trepidation that, I now believe, Pierce Brown himself felt as well. A continuation of Red Rising... The trilogy felt like such a complete package that I was worried Pierce didn't have more story to tell, or that he was forcing a continuation due to the success of the first three books. Oh, how wrong I was.Iron Gold, especially on a reread, in many ways feels like a necessity. An inevitability, even. Something that the original trilogy was leading toward all along. The book begins with a ten year time jump, and it reinvigorates the series on almost every level. It changes the stakes, the circumstances, and the passage of time is believable, something Pierce has always excelled at. This change to our setting, along with our new POV characters, injects something into the series that I didn't even know it needed until it was there. It's hard to quantify, but it's in the pages.The tragedy of the first trilogy is that after everything that Darrow and his allies did, after all they sacrificed to break the chains of the Society, all it gained them was war. That is what Iron Gold shows us. A Republic that has been at war for ten long years, harried by remnants of the Society at every turn, knowing no peace, even for their victory. And it is how Darrow fits within the Republic he helped build (or rather, how he doesn't fit) that makes the continuation of the series so interesting. As I said, Darrow's path here feels like some tragic inevitability. Just, as I hope, his redemption will be...The character work remains excellent here, and Pierce has expanded the story from one first-person point-of-view to four. Not everyone was on board for this, but I find it brilliant. It felt natural to me, expanding the breadth of Pierce's storytelling and allowing him to showcase how his writing skill has evolved since he began. I think that a full trilogy of just Darrow was actually too much Darrow, in a way. Not because you got sick of him, but because he is so cool, such a great character, that depriving you of him, even if just for a handful of chapters, makes him that much more effective once he returns.Iron Gold is in many ways a herald of the Dark Age to come. Just as, one hopes, Light Bringer will be a tonal reprieve. It's just over the horizon now, and I can't wait to begin.“This is not the end. I loved you before I ever met you. I will love you until the sun dies. And when it does, I will love you in the darkness."2018-01-27A few years ago I bought a book called Red Rising by Pierce Brown for 99 cents. I'd heard good things, and what's a dollar for a book? It turned out to be one of the best dollars I ever spent as my fervor for the story led me to buying Golden Son. That book earned the series and its characters a spot among my favorites, and resulted in both my brother and father diving into the series. It led to a brutal wait for Morning Star for all of us, then to excitement over the possibility that Pierce would continue the story later in the timeline, which led to a brutal wait for the fourth book in the saga and thus, Iron Gold.I will not be posting any blatant spoilers for the book below, however if you've not ready any of the other books and would like to remain in the dark about who lives through the initial trilogy, I would skip this review.The Red Rising saga is like coming home for me. Its world and its characters hold a special place and sinking back into the story was easy and comfortable. Pierce Brown changes things up this time in that we no longer have a single narrator in Darrow. Instead he is joined by three other POV characters, making this one of the only first-person books I've ever read that has multiple points of view. I had some initial trepidation about this approach, but it was unwarranted. Pierce handled it extremely well, and each character had their own distinct voice.Seeing Darrow again was like hanging out with an old friend, and my heart breaks for him. To witness his efforts and sacrifices in the initial trilogy earn him nothing but war and strife was very hard, but I am impressed that even after four books Darrow is still growing, with room to grow further still. Lyria, our only truly brand new character, was a joy. And in a way she reminded me of Eo, the catalyst of the entire series. Amazing that a rebellion begun in her name could spawn so many more people just like her. Ephraim was a worthy POV character, offering the Gray perspective and tying in nicely with Lyria's story. He is another victim of the Rising, and lost much to Darrow's rise. You can't help but feel his nihilism and depression is justified. Finally, our last POV character (and the only one I knew we'd be reading before the book's release) was Lysander. Heir of Empire, grandson of Octavia au Lune and Lorn au Arcos, and godson of Magnus au Grimmus, the Ash Lord. I was most looking forward to reading Lysander's chapters, and they did not disappoint, easily taking the spot of my favorite. The story in the Rim is incredibly compelling, and House Raa with their code of Honor over vanity and excess (so atypical of Gold society) is admirable. Diomedes au Raa has the potential to become my favorite character of this series. Beyond our POV characters it was satisfying to reunite with other old friends like Sevro, Mustang, the Telemanuses, and many more.Characters aside (if you can't tell I think Pierce excels there) the pacing and story were true to form. Iron Gold is no different than the other Red Rising books in that it is damn hard to put down. Twists and turns abound, and by the end it's clear that this is just a new beginning. The Dark Age comes. Now we must see how our characters will meet it. I couldn't more pleased with this new installment, and with Pierce's progression as a writer. Luckily, I believe that the fifth book is due out this year as well, a welcome surprise. I cannot wait.LUX EX TENEBRISHail Libertas. Hail Reaper.