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. ( )

I was reluctant to return to this series because I was really tired of war and hopelessness after the first three. It seems every novel diminishes the character of the characters I've come to love even more. No bright spots. No deviation from the downward trajectory. That said, I still enjoyed reading the story, I just found it to be predictable after reading the three prior. Brown's descriptions are lovely and imaginative, and I enjoy the introspective nature of his writing. The only bit of refreshment I found in this installment was the alternating PoVs, which helped the reader see the world in a more three-dimensional way. I hope to see more of that going forward, as the space battles and death have become somewhat stagnant.

If you loved the first three, give this one a go. If they were getting tired toward the end for you, then wait a couple years and maybe read this then. It's much of the same. ( )

Would make more sense if Cassius pined after Darrow instead of Mustang ( )