I mean I guess

Eh. Lots of world building, barely anything happening. Hoping it pays off in the next book and things actually HAPPEN. ( )

Significantly better than the previous three, I was surprised to see the original trilogy be better rated because Iron Gold seems like an immensely more interesting story and more mature storytelling from Brown. I still think he bit off way more than he could chew and there are a hundred characters who all seem like Gold Knights of something, or family members of some character I totally forgot about from book 2, but aside from that this was a thrill to read.

The additions of Ephraim, Lysander and Lyria completely open up the world and tells a story from far more interesting, detailed and compelling viewpoints. The fallout from the original Rising is probably the most interesting part of the story. When it goes back to Darrow and his usual fighting I sort of glazed over - it's still entertaining to read, but I really can't tell if this is fantasy or sci-fi when I'm reading about another seven foot Adonis swinging a battle axe through plasma armor or something.

It's bombastic and brash and cheesy at times, but still a massively fun read and I'll be continuing on the series for sure. ( )

I didn't think there was much to add to the story, but after finishing another solid entry--apparently I was wrong! ( )

This Red Riding saga is definitely in space opera territory now!
The shifting alliances, the scheming, the new characters joining old ones in the fray. Loved it! ( )

Continuation of the Red Rising saga set 10 years later. Darrow/Reaper is in trouble. In an attempt to bring an end to the war against the Golds that are still holding out he has disobeyed an order from the senate and although it brought him a great victory it was at a high cost. Only the Ash Lord remains to stand against the new democratic order but will Darrow remain free to see the turmoil brought to a close?

Although this is not the best book in the series I do quite like some of the new characters. This is much more of an ensemble piece than the previous books and has several viewpoints, as we not only follow Darrow but also Lysander (the former emperor’s grandson), Lyra (a young Red who starts off languishing in a freedom camp) and Ephraim (a thief who may have got in over his head). While the original trilogy started out as YA I think this is aimed at a more adult reader. Still enjoyable enough to stick with the series and will pick up the next book(s) at some point. ( )