Review of "Golden Son: Red Rising Saga #2" by Pierce Brown

This is the second book in a trilogy that begins with 'Red Rising'. As the book opens, Darrow au Andromedus - a former lowly Red miner who who was converted to an esteemed Gold warrior - is employed by Nero au Augustus, the hated man who killed his young wife. Darrow's plan is to rise high in the House of Augustus so he can obtain a fleet of warships. Darrow could then assist the rebel group, Sons of Ares, who want to overthrow the Golds and restructure society to free the lower Colors (Blues, Grays, Coppers, Pinks, etc.) from Gold domination. However both Darrow and Augustus have deadly enemies, Darrow because he had to kill the son of a powerful family (as well as many others) at the Institute where he trained and Augustus because the House of Bellona wants to usurp his position as ruler of Mars. Moreover, Octavia - the Sovereign who governs the Golds - has a deal with the Bellonas and a huge war fleet at her disposal. The action is non-stop as Darrow, assisted by a loyal group of friends, attempts to achieve his goals against overwhelming odds. Several powerful houses are allied against Augustus (and by extension, Darrow) and the Sovereign is very devious and deadly. Thus Darrow has to be inventive and clever, constantly thinking outside the box. He even joins forces with the Jackal, who was once his deadliest enemy. To add to the drama and suspense Darrow can't trust all his friends, some of whom are ready to turn traitor as soon as a good opportunity arises. There's a little romance in the book since Darrow has fallen in love with Mustang, the daughter of Nero au Augustus. Unfortunately, Darrow's infatuation sometimes makes him reckless (and a little foolish) and some readers may get frustrated with him - but it's all part of the story. There's a great deal of graphic violence and many deaths in the tale, along with a few surprises and twists - and the ending is an intense cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to see what happens in the third book of the trilogy. Rating: 4 stars