In a word? WOAH. This series is unbelievably good. I’m not sure if I enjoyed Golden Son more than the first book, but either way, I was completely hooked from start to finish and can’t wait to dive into the final book of the trilogy.

I loved delving deeper into the Ares movement and seeing how the groundwork Pierce Brown laid in Red Rising starts to pay off. The surprise reveals were expertly timed and kept me on the edge of my seat. However, my only gripe with this series at the moment is how often Darrow finds himself in life-or-death situations, only to narrowly escape. While I understand that he's a powerful warrior, his survival did start to feel a little too ""movie magic"" after a while. How many near-death experiences can one character survive before it begins to stretch credibility?

That said, Pierce Brown’s signature staccato writing style still works wonders, and I loved the development of the character relationships in Golden Son. The emotional depth of the characters really shines here, and I can’t wait to see where their journeys take them next.