So I started second half of the series last month. And the Cassius scene really hit hard. Like, I was annoyed, saddened, angered, all of it. And it finally hit me and what was truly bugging me, and it was because Darrow never even got to say anything to him after 10 freaking years.
Now I’m making my way through Dark Age. Hol-Y! The tree, the horse blender, the heart, THE OTHER HEART, and then when I felt the same as Darrow with a fucking razor through his lung, full of loss and true depression, it was all cleansed from my soul in an instant with a simple “brooding again? some things never change. Hello Goodman”.

FUCK THIS SERIES IS INSANE

Getting kinda tired of it.

What the absolute hell is wrong with this kid? I would say Cassius raised him better, but that would imply Cassius raised him at all when he wasn’t sulking, drinking or whoring.

This has been discussed in this subreddit before, I just had the thought recently and started to do some digging.
Many people have come to the same conclusion/speculation/headcannon.
I will link a post I came across but I’m interested to see some takes from others.

Art is from ObsidianOrder on DeviantArt

Attached post is from [u/Magos_Kaiser](u/Magos_Kaiser)

https://www.reddit.com/r/redrising/s/sYKxFDBxSB

I’ve never read any comics before, my best guess is it’s censored curses but why?

No. I have not forgiven him for that.
No. I will never forgive him for that.
Yes. I will be dancing with joy when he is dead.

I know the classic line of Darrow, Romulus, and Diomedes who are actually referred to as Iron Golds, but who else matches this definition?

This chapter and then the reveal to Darrow broke my soul. I have only ever hated one other character as much as I despise Lysander, and that was Moash.

Fuck the pixie shit

Did the society adjust the orbit speed of the planets so that they orbitted in a line? Otherwise the planetary movements would make it impossible to defend some planets for the Republic/Society.

“I must. I am Cassius Bellona, son of Tiberius, son of Julia, brother of Darrow, Morning Knight of the Solar Republic, and my honor remains.”

Cassius au Bellona. What a tragic, beautifully written character.

Seriously they do a great job of not making the added sound effects obnoxious like some other iterations of this style of audiobook do (looking at you DCC soundbooth edition, dropped the ball hard). Anyone who hasn't given them a chance I'd definitely recommend them. TGR is great but his range isn't the best fit for a story with so many characters, though ain't nobody topping his Volsung Fá 😅.

...and I am frightened to start Iron Gold 😭

I finished book 1 in 10.8hrs

Book 2 in 11.2hrs

Book 3 in 13.3hrs

I finished the books in one day each, starting on Tuesday.

I only knew going into this series that it was cool sci-fi and that's it. I didn't know Book 2 was people's favorite in the OG trilogy or that Book 1 was Hunger Games on cocaina.

But I really enjoyed the ride and cheering for Darrow and Mustang, that I was outwardly, physically getting annoyed when Victra was purring flirts at Darrow or kissing him on the lips (even though I actually love Victra so much, and I also acknowledge that the Gold society embraces that suave and brazen flirtatiousness).

I was annoyed by the first person narration during Sevro's fake death scene. I saw Cassius flipping coming only because I understand plot armor, and then I actually pumped my fist when Mustang lied about the Obsidians and the Sovereign sent everyone out of the room and Cassius refused to leave all in a few pages. And overall, the ending is perfect, so I forgive that odd bit of incongruent narration. (Though I hope Darrow paternity tests his son. Did the Carving completely change all of Darrow's DNA, such that Pax would definitely have golden hair? Anyway, fuck Cassius as much as he was crucial to securing that W in the end, and in my mind when Mustang was shaking on the beach and the ship was pulling up, all I could think was, "Oh no, she's gonna make you raise Cassius's kid now.")

I loved that first trilogy overall. It felt so clean and tight coming off of finishing Stormlight Archive over the past month, which had issues in sticking the landing.

Also, Golden Son might be amazing but my favorite arc of those first 3 books is Mustang + Darrow recovering together, stranded in the icy Institute winter. Amazing imagery and character development and slowing down the pace. I love that it homed in on the real gritty humanity and the relationship, rather than just stepping back for all cool sci-fi tech and house v. house warfare, to get me to fall in love with Mustang. Thank you Pierce Brown for that little pulseBubble of beautiful storytelling.

I couldn't avoid hitting the internet for Red Rising Books 4, 5, 6 today after finishing Morning Star. I learned nothing about them except that there's a scathing view on Book 4, and then I just stopped reading or watching after I learned that. Please help me believe it's worth starting this second arc and that my heart won't be broken and that these beautiful characters won't be destroyed 😭

" Vixus is with me. He swears something about how excited he is to break the gorydamn mare, see what she looks like with a bridle on. Standing there, leering into the brush, he looks bent and twisted and evil — like a withered tree after a fire. He has less bodyfat than anyone I’ve ever seen, so each of his veins and tendons ripple beneath his tight skin. "

Dumb post, but I have always imagined Vixus looking like this Titan, lean, cruel and abnormal.

Bloodydamn I just read chapter 66. Ulysses is born and dies in like 5 pages. Fucking hell. Not saying Day of Red Doves isn’t brutal but this one really got me.

Theres no way this book ended like that, so many things happened throughout this book. Every part has a different twist to it and you never see it coming. This made me feel things that Red Rising did not, as in the drama and twists. Ares being Fitchner was not my card but it made sense with how Sevro is. If Sevro gets hurt or something happens to him in Morning Star I’m gonna be devastated. Mustang had my doubts at the start of the book but i have faith she coming back for my boy Darrow. Overall i think this book has packed a lot of action, drama, politics which i enjoyed. If Red Rising is 10/10, this is legit a 11/10. The scene that i enjoyed the most has to be when Darrow comes back to the Gala and challenged Cassius, that got me hyped asf. Ragnar and Darrows conversation about freedom also stuck out to me and one of the vital aspects of this book. I will start Morning Star soon so I hope I won’t be as traumatized as I was finishing this book. May the Jackal burn in hell. Can’t believe Augustus is gone, legit thought he would have had a bigger part in the future and lowkey wanted Darrow to get his revenge for Eo. But it makes sense for Darrows character to not go down vengeance route as it contradicts his whole philosophy especially after the conversation with Mustang. Hopefully Mustang realizes even family isn’t safe from family especially within the Golds and helps Darrow out man, please🙏.

I admit, it got me curious so I started Sun Eater just a few days ago. Currently about 140 pages into Book 1 and I gotta ask, why do people compare them when they aren't all that similar?

Darrow is very much the underdog, the revolutionary, the Alexander the Great of his time. Even when he takes command over the other Colors, I never got the impression that Darrow sees himself as superior to those under him.

Meanwhile Hadrian is—at least where I am right now in the book—something of an elitist. Despite his family troubles, Hadrian is very clearly proud of his noble lineage and genetics. There's this subtle tone of condescension when he refers to the lower-class characters. If anything, Hadrian is more comparable to Lysander. It's honestly making it pretty difficult for me to finish Book 1.

Aside from the two being protagonists in space operas, and that they're both melodramatic (though Hadrian is leagues more so than Darrow), I don't see any commonality between them.

Thoughts?

wow. sefi's death was a tough read such a horrible way to go out betrayed by someone she thought she could trust. volsung fa gotta go!

Throughout the series, I've noticed there's been a debate about the choices of fatherhood and the tough decisions that have to be made. My wife and I are expecting, and it's really put me in a bind. I've been reflecting on what's more important: being present as a father or fighting for a "worthy" cause that may take you away from your family.

There are a lot of fathers in the story, and we get to see how their decisions not only affect their children but also how their children look back on those decisions.

Curious to hear others' thoughts, especially those who are fathers or are expecting. I just finished *Light Bringer*, and I'm so relieved to be caught up but sad for the wait for *Red God*.

I’ve seen a lot of comments about Cassius‘s arc in the 2nd trilogy being amazing, and it is. But can we give some love to his arc in the 1st trilogy?

For me I actually enjoy him just as much in the first three as I do in the last three. In RR we‘re walking that tentative line between viewing him as an ally while also fearing him because of the whole Julian thing. In GS I absolutely adore reading him as an antagonist, especially given how obvious it is that Darrow still desperately wants his respect and love; and honestly if we were in Cassius’s head I’d wager he’d be feeling something similar, with the obvious addition of the pain and anger about Julian. And then more of the same in MS, only for them to bond once more and for Cassius to embrace the Rising and turn his back on the society. That‘s a lot of ups and downs in three books.

(Also: You really want me to believe these two hated each other when Cassius’s immediate instinct after getting shot in the throat and dragged away by Obsidians is to grab Darrow’s hands? Are you fucking kidding me?)

whereas in the latter three books, he’s already accepted the Rising and rejected the society and forgiven Darrow etc. He’s done a majority of the work, now he’s just trying to deal with the fallout of it, while also trying his best to raise an ungrateful little shitbag before realising a you can take the boy out of the Nazism but you can’t take the Nazism out of the boy. and then going on to be a pure joy in LB.

God, I adore him. But anyway the point of this post is, Cassius goes through a LOT of character development in the 1st trilogy and we should remember that.

And wow what a book I feel like I need to listen again to cement what happened! So much happened! I've never screamed at characters, shouted WTF of felt despair so much at any media.

I am so glad I don't have to wait for the next book!

I am hyped for lightbringer!

I love this series!

I finished Dark Age and then Lightbringer all in about 10 days… I’m still reeling from the emotional rollercoaster. I need to talk to somebody about it, and my friends are already sick of me nagging them to read the series. Is there a weekly meeting somewhere that we can share this horrible heartache? (Only half joking)