Dark Age

This book was horrifying, disgusting, and made me feel the entire spectrum of negative emotions.

And you know what?

I respect it.

Wow have I been reading this since APRILLLL!!!! Okay wow, wowowowowoow

So I think I liked this more than Iron Gold and allow me to start by saying if anything happens in the next book to Darrow or Lyria I am going to cry so just keep that in mind.

Lyria is a really cool character, she was introduced in iron gold and has quickly become maybe my favorite character in the whole series, and whole dynamic btwn her and volga and victa was so cool. I just love how Iron Gold and Dark Age split the stories between different characters, it feels like you're watching infinity war and everything is slowly building to a crescendo. You know these characters are going to meet at some point and then they do and then it's incredible.

So yeah I'm just going to be waiting around doing nothing until 2023 dono bout you guys tho.

Note to myself: This book was really good, you should watch a recap when the next one comes out, drop what you're reading, and start reading that. Because you really liked this one a lot and if I were me in the future, I would be soooo mad if you had the chance to read a page of #6 but didn't.

But- ummmm- whatabout- there???s a lot of things in this book that I???ll forget about when the other books come out and it???ll be like ???Oh yeah!??? There???s so many moving players here it???s getting a little crazy. Did it need to be this long? Probably not. But was is a good read? Absolutely. The longest book I???ve read in my life so that???s saying something.

I need therapy after that book.

The red rising series is incredible. Half the time they are spouting relationships and family names I've since forgotten but I'm so interested I look them up again to refresh my memory. And im still pulled through a 600 page book in the blink of an eye. What a premise for a series, what a way with words. I could read about this universe for a long time and not get bored.

The ending of this book had me chewing my fingernails and turning pages so fast!!

Wow. After reading number 4 I was dubious about continuing the series beyond the original 3 but this has proved me wrong. Thrilling story with brilliantly well written characters. Can't wait for number 6 now!

This series is so good! I have to knock off a star for some parts where I feel the decisions made by the character were made for plot sake and did not come off as genuine based on their character's persona. But I will continue this series until the end and be very sad when it's over.

"Somehow, he Survived": The Novel.

I think this is probably the weakest entry since the first one. There's a lot of good here, but it's very long and if I wanted to spend what felt like several thousand pages in a desert, I'd have read Dune.

I find it difficult to believe that over and over again 20 year old somethings keep overpowering the older, more experienced commanders. Lysander's escape at the end of the book is hardly believable, even with a time lag, no communications, with other parties, no backup to carry out such a complex plan without funking up when missiles fall all around, either he is incredibly lucky or more clever than anyone else (which is not apparent from the book.Not quite clear what is Lysanders motivation. Hate of Republic? Revenge? How does he feel about slavery? Who does he think anyone is worthy to replace the sovereign?It also feels like too many villains with separate plans and visions are crammed into one book. It feels a bit too much. One elaborate plan by one villain and perhaps few accomplices would be sufficient to send them to dark age.

9/10

Dark age is a brutal horrific story I have ever read
I did not cry, but there were moments where I stood and stared in horror for what I was reading -

I love these characters, even stupid a Darrow and his stupid Decisions but it broke my heart, and Lyria surprised me. Went from hating her, to liking her in this book.

Virgina was a nice head to be in, seeing behind the brilliance. I may be one of the few who like Lysander

This book made me screen, I KNEW IT while at work - if you've read it you'll know.

A excellent book.

5.00/5.00

What can I say about this series that I haven't said already? For those who are worried about this book being dark and hard to read. Yes, it's dark and gruesome. But it's entirely engrossing. In the last few chapters I could not sit down and read, I had to walk around and jump and scream as the final battle raged. Pierce Brown has done a spectacular job with dark age, his writing of action and battle is unparalleled.

The new POVs were much more enjoyable in dark age. Darrow-Lysander action is my favorite part of this book, it is better than any other battle in the red rising saga.

On the downside (as minor as it is), the political drama was less impressive than Iron Gold. IMO nothing beats the political scenes with Romulus (Iron Gold, Morning Star). Looking forward to more Moon Lord drama in Light Bringer. Virginia's POV does some of the political drama heavy lifting but it's just her going through stuff.

What a Read. Strange to be giving a book 5 Stars to a book as bleak and full of moments that made me pause for a day or two but the characters pierce brown has created had me so invested in their journey/struggle that I can't rate it anything else.

Brilliant, visceral, best yet of the Red Rising series. The battle scenes are so well written, so brutal and intense. There are crushing moments of sadness. Beloved characters endure so much. And a terrifying new enemy from beyond the Rim appears.
I cannot say enough good things about Dark Age.

Executive Summary: This has many of the same issues I had with the last book, but overall I liked it better.Audiobook: I really love Tim Gerard Reynolds as a narrator, and I have generally mixed feelings about multiple narrators. However this series has 3 additional quality narrators, so that makes this still a must listen to me. Mr. Reynolds is still my favorite of the bunch, but they all add their own extra something.Full ReviewMuch like the originally trilogy, I found the first book of this sequel trilogy frustrating. And again like the original trilogy I liked the second book much better. However some of my issues with [b:Iron Gold 33257757 Iron Gold (Red Rising Saga, #4) Pierce Brown https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1482475064l/33257757.SY75.jpg 49451841] have not gone away in this book. It might be that I had some time to cool down, it could simply be that I came into this book being ready to be pissed off again that makes the difference. It's hard to say.I definitely don't think the sequels are anywhere near as good as [b:Golden Son 18966819 Golden Son (Red Rising, #2) Pierce Brown https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394684475l/18966819.SY75.jpg 26984955] or [b:Morning Star 18966806 Morning Star (Red Rising, #3) Pierce Brown https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1461354277l/18966806.SY75.jpg 26984941]. This being so deep into the series, there isn't a lot I can say about the book without major series spoilers.I am hoping considering the developments of this book that the final book of this trilogy will help redeem the last two. I guess we'll see what happens. Either way I'll be picking it up as soon as it's out, so what more can an author really ask for?

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
—

From a distance, death seems the end of a story. But when you are near, when you can smell the burning skin, see the entrails, you see death for what it is. A traumatic cauterization of a life thread. No purpose. No conclusion. Just snip.

I knew war was dreadful, but I did not expect to fear it.

How can anyone not, when death is just a blind giant with scissors?

This will not end well

anyone

starts

Dark Age

Iron Gold

Dark Age

Iron Gold

Iron Gold

Dark Age

Red Rising

Morning Star

do not

Red Rising

“What does Mars mean to you, Nakamura?” I ask.

The Terran hesitates. “Hope. And you, my liege?”

“War.”

Wow. Just wow. This series amazes at times. This book is one of the darkest I have ever read, and it sets up the final two books of the series—gonna be an epic conclusion to what has become an epic series...what started out as a Hunger Games Sci-Fi clone has turned into so much more.

4.5

This book was brutal in the best way possible. The trail of bodies is long. The main characters are put through hell. This book is really long, yet I was still wanting more when that last page turned. I can't wait for the ending to the 2nd trilogy.

“I would die for the truth that all men are created equal. But in the kingdom of death, amidst ramparts of bodies and wind all of screams, there is a king, and his name is not Lune. It is Reaper.”

A lot of important things happen in this book. Back to being fast paced and much more mature and unpredictable than the first trilogy of books. However, bringing back the Jackal as the Abomination sucked. I also still feel like Lyria is a mediocre character.

4.75

It would be a 5 star if it wasn't for the first part. I couldn't wait to get it over with...

However, the rest of this book is a masterpiece. Pierce Brown is a great writer and knows exactly how to keep a reader engaged and on the edge of his seat. The emotional impact was really great and the different story arcs left me just speechless at some points.

The different POV's are written way better then Iron Gold, so that was also a big step up from book 4.

⭐4.5⭐