2023 reread
Just as great as the first time around! Really enjoyed it!

I actually liked Golden Son a lot better than Red Rising. The pacing felt better for me (still a bit slow at times, and it could have been more condensed), and it felt more like true sci-fi instead of urban fantasy. The world is fascinating and really well fleshed out, and I loved the political scheming and twists and turns. I also really love when an SFF book has commentary/philosophy that's goes beyond the story itself. There's a lot of good reflection on the cost of war, the power of love and friendship, and that really takes this to the next level for me. Darrow also grows a lot as a character and I'm looking forward to seeing how he develops in the next one. It's not often that I go straight on to the next book, but I really want to see where this is going. 4.5 Stars