/lit/ - Literature

Iron Gold, Red Rising Saga #4 - Pierce Brown (2018)

Ten years at war have passed and little remains as it was, not only for the characters, but for the readers and author as well. The first trilogy was entirely the story of Darrow. It is no longer. He is now one viewpoint among four, all told from the first person perspective. Lyria is a Red disillusioned by broken promises and the trauma she's endured. Ephraim, a Gray, is a disaffected former member of the Sons of Ares who has turned to a life of crime. Lysander, the Gold exile, wanders through space without much purpose, until an opportunity arrives. How much each of these new viewpoints matter is arguable, though it seems inarguable to me to say that Darrow's narrative remains dominant. The new viewpoints are a welcome addition that I appreciate. I hope that it remains this way for the rest of the series. If this had remained solely Darrow's story I would've enjoyed it much less

Only ~40% of those who rated the third book rated this one, it's even less for /sffg/, and it's the lowest rated book in the series. It may be that many were satisfied with what they got from the first trilogy and didn't need any more. It also suggests that quite a few weren't pleased with the direction that Brown chose for the second trilogy, which is understandable, as much of it feels like a new series rather than a continuation. The first trilogy was about aspiration, revenge, and revolution. Despite all the terrible things that happened, there was optimism, confidence, and competence. Everything was much simpler then, including the characters and narrative. This second trilogy seems to be about the opposite in several ways. Those who want to continue to fully and blindly support Darrow may be disappointed or upset. After considering the reception that doing similarly in other series has received, it seems evident that turning against reader expectations for a character is a risky gamble.

For me the most interesting questions though are why these changes happened and whether I should accept them for for what they are. I wonder how much these changes are because Brown became better at writing, was unsatisfied with what he had written, and because this was the natural evolution of the characters and story. What's presented here definitely wants me to take it seriously, which isn't how I felt about the previous books, but I don't know that I should because that means I'd have to judge it in a different way. I don't know that Brown can quite live up to being judged seriously, though perhaps the following books may change my mind. I believe this transition to be a good thing, at least in terms of my preferences. The characters are more developed, the plot is more complex, everything seems more meaningful, and interesting narrative choices are made. However, it's also much less fun and ridiculousness I enjoyed is gone. It's unfortunate when technical improvement leaves readers behind.

Rating: 3.5/5 (4)

>he prevented a war before it even happened by crippling an entire sphere of the society in one move, thereby ensuring the war effort could remain focused and wouldnt evolve into a bloodier conflict before the republic was ready to move in and finish the job
>he's a danger to humanity, he has to die
Lysander's stupidity is going to grate on me in dark age, isnt it...