Iron Gold

by Pierce Brown
596 pgs  (Red Rising series #4)

It's been ten years since the uprising and rebellion of the Red slaves on Mars against the Gold ruling caste. Darrow, the slave who led the revolution and took on the persona of the Reaper, has become a legend during those years, as he's continued to lead the new Solar Republic in battles against the Ash Lord in an effort to liberate the rest of the solar system. But there is a faction at work within the Republic, one that wants to undermine Darrow, the war he's fighting, and the millions of lives that have been lost in his quest to provide that freedom.

In this, the fourth book in his "Red Rising" series, Pierce Brown does something unexpected with the series. Instead of continuing to focus primarily on his main character and follow him as he continues to fight for those unable to fight for themselves, he instead shifts the focus to others in the series and removes Darrow from the pedestal he and others have put him on.

I've heard this series referred to as a "space opera," and that label is deserved. The story and the action are often over the top, and the characters tend to be more caricatures with extreme personalities than fully fleshed out characters with complex personalities. But in this case, I'm okay with that. The series is fun. And I think it's exactly what Pierce Brown wants it to be.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆