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Golden Son

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Golden Son
First edition cover
AuthorPierce Brown
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublisherDel Rey Books (US)
Publication date
January 6, 2015
Publication placeUnited States
Media type
Pages464
ISBN0-345-53981-8
Preceded byRed Rising 
Followed byMorning Star 

Golden Son is a 2015 science fiction novel by American author Pierce Brown, the second in his Red Rising trilogy.

The sequel to 2014's Red Rising, Golden Son continues to follow lowborn Darrow's plan to destroy the Society from within. It debuted at #6 on The New York Times Best Seller list and won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction.

The third novel, Morning Star, was published in February 2016.

Plot summary

Darrow, now one of the Peerless Scarred and in the service of his enemy, Nero au Augustus, is poised to gain control of his own fleet of warships, which he knows will be useful to the Sons of Ares and their plan to undermine the Society. During his final exam at the Academy, Darrow faces off against Cassius's older brother, Karnus au Bellona, in an epic space battle. Darrow pulls a tactical move but underestimates Karnus and loses, resulting in several casualties. Karnus becomes praetor of his own fleet and all of Darrow's plans have unraveled. Defeated, Darrow returns to his quarters at the Academy and set upon by Karnus and members of House Bellona, bent on revenge for Julian's death. After Darrow suffers from this humiliation and the loss to Karnus, Augustus releases Darrow from his contract and advises he will be auctioned to another House at the Summit, a gathering of the Great Houses on Luna. Without the protection of Augustus, Darrow is vulnerable to Bellona family whose matriarch has tasked them to murder Darrow and bring back his heart.

Awaiting the end of his contract, Darrow is approached by Victra au Julii (Antonia's sister and one of Darrow's lieutenants at the Academy) who leads him to the Jackal, Adrius au Augustus, at a bar in Lost City. The Jackal was exiled by his father thanks to the manipulations of his advisor, Pliny but has managed to create an empire of his own. He now controls 30% of all the media and is poised to use his power to influence a House to buy Darrow's contract and wishes to bring down the Sovereign and the Sons of Ares and place himself as the head of the Society. The Jackal offers a partnership with Darrow and proposes him to become the face of the revolution. While discussing their plans, a Pink Darrow recognizes as Evey, enters the bar intent on assassinating the Jackal. Before Darrow can stop her, Evey sets off an explosion that kills many LowColors but Darrow manages to save the Jackal.

Darrow learns that Evey is working for Harmony, a leader of the Sons of Ares. Harmony reveals to Darrow that Dancer, his former mentor, has died but that Ares still has a mission for him. The Sons of Ares have planted explosives all over the cities of the Society, and Darrow has been tasked to set off an explosion at the Summit. Darrow is hesitant, but is convinced after Harmony shows a recording of Darrow's wife, Eo, speaking to her sister before she is executed. She asks her sister to hide a cradle from Darrow, revealing her pregnancy. Darrow's anger towards the Society is reignited and he accepts Harmony's assignment.

At the Summit, Darrow prepares to carry out his plans and drugs his close friend, Roque au Fabii, in order to spare his life. As he enters the gathering, he realizes Eo would not have wanted for Darrow to be responsible for countless death. He devises a new plan, the best way to infiltrate the Society is not through violence among the Colors but through civil war among the Golds. Darrow challenges Cassius, who has arrived with Mustang au Augustus (Darrow's former lover), to a duel to the death. Cassius, thought to be the better fighter, is bested by Darrow who has been secretly training with Razor Master, Lorn au Arcos. Darrow nearly kills Cassius but is stopped by the Sovereign, Octavia au Lune, revealing her favor for the Bellona family. The rules of the Society state that a duel to the death is final but the Sovereign demands Cassius's life be spared. Chaos ensues and many prominent families are murdered by rival Houses. Darrow narrowly escapes but is taken into custody by Fitchner, now an Olympic Knight loyal to the Sovereign.

The Sovereign proposes Darrow enter her service. She states Augustus sparked the revolution by executing Eo and believes if Augustus, the ArchGovernor of Mars, is killed they will be able to create a peaceful society for the Colors. Mustang, in service to the Sovereign in order to protect her family, overhears and is angered that the Sovereign plans to murder her father. She storms out and contacts Sevro au Barca, who organizes his Howlers and rescues Darrow. They kidnap the Sovereign's grandson, Lysander, to ensure they leave Luna safely but not before Quinn (a loyal Howler and Roque's lover) is murdered by Aja, the Sovereign's deadliest fury. Before they escape, Darrow is betrayed by his friend, Tactus, who frees Lysander and returns him to the Sovereign, their bargaining chip now gone. Quinn's death further drives a wedge between Roque and Darrow.

Now on the run and allied with House Augustus and House Telemanus, Darrow formulates a plan to defeat the Sovereign and the Bellonas who now rule Mars. They attack the largest ship of the Sovereign's armada and incite the LowColors to murder the Golds on board. During the chaos, Darrow obtains the service of a Stained Obsidian, Ragnar, and renames the ship, The Pax, after his late friend. After the battle, Sevro reveals to Darrow that he was contacted by Ares and knows he was born a Red. Darrow is overcome with emotion and is grateful to share his burden with a close friend.

Later, Darrow meets with his council, they must obtain more ships in order to defeat the Sovereign. Pliny believes their plans are fruitless and the only way to survive, is to run to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Darrow believes he can convince his mentor, Lorn to join the fight. He meets with Lorn who refuses to join Darrow as he is now a man of peace and cares only for the safety of his family. Lorn intended on delivering Darrow to the Sovereign, but decides to spare Darrow by allowing him to escape capture. However, Darrow was aware of the Sovereign's plans and advises Roque has a host of ships lying in wait for the Sovereign. The Sovereign will certainly blame Lorn for revealing her plans to Darrow and his family will be endangered. Lorn reluctantly joins Darrow. Before he can evacuate his family off his estate, Aja and Tactus arrive. Prepared for battle, they are cut short when Sevro sets off land mines, injuring Aja and killing her team of Golds. Tactus, escapes intent of killing Lorn's family but Lorn and Darrow stop him. Darrow attempts to win Tactus's trust and wants him back into his fold. Tactus lowers his weapon and embraces Darrow but is killed by Lorn for threatening his family.

When they return to their Fleet, Darrow learns from Mustang that Pliny has betrayed them and under the service of the Sovereign, has captured loyal house members. Darrow plans a rescues mission and storms Pliny's ship. He convinces the Peerless Scarred who guard Pliny to join him or die. In a gesture of their obedience, they kill Pliny. Afterwards, the Jackal broadcasts that Darrow has called for an Iron Rain. Houses from all over the galaxy flock to join Darrow's cause.

Darrow stages a televised battle against the Sovereign. His army falls in an Iron Rain from the sky onto Mars. Aided by a group of loyal Golds and Greys, Darrow prepares to attack a city and arrives on the banks of its river but is thwarted when the Sovereign sends a decoy that set off an EMP blast that renders their armor useless. Darrow's forces are overwhelmed and Darrow managers to escape with Ragnar and Sevro. Angered, an injured Darrow locates the Sovereign and boards her ship. He attempts to assassinate her in a last ditch effort but is subdued by her furies and Cassius. Fitchner is ordered to execute Darrow, instead he escapes with Darrow and as Darrow loses consciousness reveals he is Ares. When Darrow awakes from a coma, he meets with Fitchner who reveals why he became Ares and started the revolution. Fitchner fell in love with a Red and met with a Carver who made it possible for his wife to conceive a child with a Gold. She eventually gives birth to Sevro but The Board of Quality Controls learns of their actions and executes Fitchner's wife. Angered, Fitchner vowed to bring down the Society and formed the Sons of Ares.

Later, Darrow learns from Mustang that his efforts were not in vain. Roque and his fleet have defeated the Bellonas and the Sovereign but Cassius and his mother have escaped. The Augustus family has taken back Mars and Augustus plans to name Darrow his heir. Dancer is also alive and Harmony has gone rogue forming her own band of rebels against the Society. Darrow now weary of war wishes to return home to Lycos one last time.

Mustang joins Darrow on his trip and leads her to his home. He gives her a holotape (which reveals a recording of his "carving" into a Gold) and asks for her to wait for him, while he meets with his mother. After a heartfelt reunion with his mother, Darrow finds that Mustang has disappeared. He tracks her to a tunnel where Mustang angrily confronts him. She is prepared to kill him but Ragnar interferes and Mustang escapes.

Darrow and his companions have a grand victory parade on Mars and Darrow is hailed as a hero. Later, a feast is held in his honor, and Roque presents Darrow with a gift in an ivory box. As Roque passes the box to Darrow, he injects him with a tranquilizer and hisses he is a traitor. Darrow is stunned by his friend's betrayal. The Sovereign organized a coup and in the ensuing chaos, Lorn is murdered, Victra is shot by her own sister, Antonia, and the Jackal captures Augustus. The Jackal confesses he orchestrated the death of his older brother, Claudius, in order to gain his favor. Augustus, shaken by this revelation angrily screams his should have smothered the Jackal in his crib. In a fit of rage and consumed with hate, the Jackal shoots Augustus. Cassius arrives and as Darrow lays paralyzed vows revenge for the death of his family. He opens the box and presents it to Darrow with the head of Fitchner inside. He tells Darrow that the Sovereign learned of his carving from the Jackal and wishes to dissect him to learn how he became a Gold. Cassius hisses that the Sovereign and her forces will hunt down and kill all of have opposed her; Sevro, Mustang, Ragnar, his loyal Golds, and Darrow's fate is now left uncertain.

Characters

  • Darrow, a Red remade into a Gold named "Darrow au Andromedus" to infiltrate and destroy the Society. Nicknamed "The Reaper" at the Institute, he is a lancer of House Augustus.
  • Virginia au Augustus, nicknamed "Mustang", daughter of Nero au Augustus and twin sister of Adrius.
  • Adrius au Augustus, Virginia's sociopathic twin brother, called "The Jackal".
  • Nero au Augustus, the ArchGovernor of Mars and father of Virginia and Adrius.
  • Victra au Julii, lancer of House Augustus, half sister to Antonia au Severus.
  • Roque au Fabii, lancer of House Augustus.
  • Tactus au Rath, lancer of House Augustus.
  • Kavax au Telemanus, father of Daxo and the late Pax.
  • Daxo au Telemanus, son of Kavax and Pax's brother.
  • Cassius au Bellona, lancer of House Bellona, brother of Karnus.
  • Karnus au Bellona, lancer of House Bellona, Brother of Cassius.
  • Octavia au Lune, the Sovereign of the Society.
  • Lysander au Lune, grandson and heir of the Sovereign and grandson of Lorn au Arcos.
  • Aja au Grimmus, the Sovereign's Protean Knight.
  • Lorn au Arcos, the former Rage Knight.
  • Fitchner au Barca, former Proctor of Mars at the Institute, father of Sevro.
  • Sevro au Barca, leader of the Howlers, son of Fitchner.
  • Antonia au Severus-Julii, Darrow's ruthless longtime enemy and Victra's half sister.
  • Pliny au Velocitor, Nero's chief of staff.
  • Dancer, Red lieutenant in the Sons of Ares.
  • Harmony, Dancer's Red lieutenant.
  • Mickey, a Violet carver who remade Darrow as a Gold.
  • Evey, a Pink former slave of Mickey.

Reception

Golden Son debuted at #6 on The New York Times Best Seller list,[1] and won the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction.[2] Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly gave the novel an A, calling it "gripping" and noting that "Darrow au Andromedus will break your heart."[3] He added:

With Golden Son, Brown avoids the sophomore slump, charging the novel with the kind of dystopia-toppling action you’d expect in a trilogy ender, not a middle volume. On virtually every level, this is a sequel that hates sequels—a perfect fit for a hero who already defies the tropes ... This isn’t a retread of the first book’s winning formula; Brown opts to surprise instead of satisfy, which is why certain delicious curveballs will blast readers out of orbit.[3]

Publishers Weekly called the novel "twisty" and noted that hero Darrow "is forced to manipulate both friend and foe, a burden described vividly and to great effect ... Dramatic battles with a real sense of loss, and a final chapter that slams into both Darrow and the reader, make this the rare middle book that loses almost no momentum as it sets up the final installment."[4]

References

  1. ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction". The New York Times. January 25, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  2. ^ "Best Science Fiction 2015". Goodreads. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Snetiker, Marc (December 30, 2014). "Golden Son (2015)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  4. ^ "Golden Son by Pierce Brown". Publishers Weekly. 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
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