Continuation of the Red Rising space opera saga.
So much war, so much death, so much one-upmanship, so much scheming. So good!

I love the all the new compatriot groups which formed in this one.
Can't wait for the next installment, Light Bringer, so see how this continues to pan out. ( )

Minus one star for another unnecessary cliffhanger ending ( )

Really loved the previous books in the series, but this one started soooo slow (a real slog) and it had been a while since the last one some there was so much confusion about the characters (and who was who, and who had done what to whom) that I had to put it down. I might try again another time - sad because I was quite invested in the characters and story arc. ( )

Pros: Depth of character development, beautiful prose, new phrases like "Meat carpet."
Cons: Okay, dude, we get it. All hope is lost, everything sucks and everyone's gonna die.

I'd read it again though. ( )

So, here's the thing. I don't think I actually like Darrow anymore. He's had to make incredibly difficult decisions throughout the series and this just continues in Dark Age. I disagree with many of them and he has the arrogance of a Gold who was created to destroy and rebuild the society.

But, you know what? It doesn't matter because I continue to love this series. I love so many of the characters and it hurts when they get hurt (and die, because of course they do). Lyria especially who grows in this book to start to recognize she can make change happen. The world building continues to be superb. The world Pierce Brown has created continues to grow and develop.

In so many book series, it ends with the triumph. We never get to see what happens after. The pettiness and resistance to change. The day to day struggles that can result in everyday people thinking that life was easier in the oppressive society of before our hero's triumph. Not this series. We see some fighting to return to what was before. We see some fighting to change things. And we see some people thinking they know what society needs and they will fight to shape it in their vision, whether it be right or wrong.

The most upsetting thing in this book is now having to wait for the next in the series to be published. I can't wait. ( )