2 Book Lovers Reviews

Here we are with book four in the Red Rising Saga, and Pierce Brown clearly has something special going on here with Darrow.

This book gave me strong Star Wars vibes right from the start: we leap ten years into the future, and it feels like the beginning of a new trilogy within the same series. Much like Star Wars, we are still in a familiar universe with a few returning characters, some notable losses, and a cast of new voices ready to take the reins. Darrow is still leading the fight, and Mustang is now queen, but this is undeniably a new chapter. The Rising is complete, and new villains are beginning to emerge from the ashes.

Starting a new story within an established universe gives Brown a real advantage because his readers already have a connection to the world and its central characters. It is always easier to build forward from an existing relationship than to start from scratch. Even so, I found the new characters to be the real focal point here, and that is reinforced by the shifting points of view. Iron Gold has four narrators: Darrow, of course, along with three new characters. I enjoyed spending time with each of them, and Brown takes care to introduce them thoughtfully to the reader.

There are a lot of relevant themes running through this series, particularly around inequity, class structure, and political theater, and Iron Gold is no exception. You could read the book without dwelling on the parallels to the real world, but I cannot imagine that was Brown’s intention. Those echoes make the story feel more immediate and help create a stronger connection between the narrative and its audience.

As it stands, Iron Gold offers some strong plot developments, but it also spends a fair amount of time laying groundwork, introducing characters, and setting the stage for what comes next. It feels very much like a book in preparation for bigger things. And I am absolutely on board for that. The next two books are already sitting there waiting for me.

*4 Stars

Iron Gold

(Red Rising #4)

By Pierce Brown

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