u/Elysium94

Whoof... Darrow, my man, what have you done?

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So, as the title implies, I have just finished my first readthrough of Iron Gold. The first entry of the series set after the RR Trilogy.

And holy moly, am I anticipating a roller coaster. Not only are the stakes far higher in this series, our characters are being challenged in ways they weren't in the original trilogy and their mistakes have far graver consequences.

I've heard people talk about the darkness of this sequel series and how dire things get before the sort of comeback we get in Light Bringer.

Well, if this first entry is anything to go by, I'm expecting things will be quite "dire" indeed.

But honestly? I rather like that.

If a creator wants to continue the story already told, said continuation should have a point. The challenges should feel justified, earned. But the themes present in that first story should endure.

So far, at least, it appears Pierce Brown understands this. Both regarding the lead characters, and the larger world in which they exist. And what story he tells in the IG saga I hope will build on its predecessor, perhaps deconstruct it, before putting it all back together in a way that honors it.

Heroes' Burdens

No two ways about it: Darrow and company are going through the wringer.

Morning Star left off with the harsh truth that the war was not over. Well, Iron Gold commits to the bit and then some.

The heroes of the Rising are finding out that building a new world isn't nearly as easy as breaking the old one. By the end of this book, our lead hero is an outlaw. The woman he loves is at the head of a floundering Republic. His friendships and alliances are either strained, or outright broken.

But, hey. Nobody said being a hero was ever easy.

The road ahead will be a challenging, even seemingly impossible one. The second in this series is literally called Dark Age. But that darkness will make whatever triumphs lie at the end of the road all the more... well, triumphant.

That's a hero's journey for you. And the journey is clearly far from over.

Not All for Nothing

One of the key challenges of crafting a sequel is making sure the accomplishments of its predecessor don't feel completely pointless.

It's easy to mash the reset button, take it all back to square one, and just do the whole thing over again with a fresh coat of paint. But more often than not, that leaves a sour taste in a fan's mouth. It makes one feel the time they invested in the story was time wasted. And makes it feel like their beloved characters are being needlessly pushed aside for whatever new kids on the block are introduced.

Glares at the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy...

Well, it doesn't feel like Pierce Brown is doing that.

• The "Solar War" of the IG saga is just the next step in this saga of revolution and change.
• The Society Remnant is coming back with a vengeance, but they're not the dominant power they once were.
• The Republic is all kinds of flawed, but it's not something undone with just a snap of the authorial finger.
• Eo's dream is not truly realized, but it still can be.

Both old heroes and new are fighting a broader war than what faced the Rising. And they're in this fight together, as it should be for a proper legacy sequel.

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Ramble done.

To sum it up, Iron Gold is great. The Iron Gold Series is off to a great start, and so far it's all the things I want in a sequel. This series is a very different beast than the RR Trilogy and that's good. It would be pretty boring if we got just more of the same.

Already I'm bracing myself for the waking nightmare that is Dark Age. Will be posting/engaging in group therapy throughout, I'm sure.

Wish me luck, goodmen!

It's been a short while since I completed the trilogy.

Have only just embarked on my journey across into Iron Gold saga, and as I do I thought I'd post a slightly rambly appreciation for our boy Cassius. A standout, to me, across all three Red Rising books and from what I've heard a continued high point in the sequels.

High Highs, and Low Lows

Boy oh boy, what a whirlwind of emotions I experienced with this guy. Peaks and valley all the way. Never anything resembling a boring moment with him.

Given how enjoyable, even downright likable he was for much of Red Rising, his turning on Darrow once the truth came out was understandable and yet oh-so-difficult to read. How readily he committed to the blood feud, and the eagerness with which he pursued hurting Darrow in every which way, had me both mourning their lost friendship and cussing him out frequently.

That gala sequence in particular, I mean c'mon Cass you reap what you sow.

And yet, throughout it all, I couldn't help but wish he would see reason and come to terms with the harsh reality that Darrow was not at fault for what befell poor Julian. I wished desperately he would remember the earnestness of his and Darrow's friendship, and what moments of genuine joy they'd found in their short time together.

So imagine my utmost relief and jubilation come Morning Star, when he is not only disgusted with the Jackal and friends' conduct but reacts to the truth of his family's demise as an honorable, just man should. Deciding to choose the side of the people who, despite any and all violence and subterfuge that comes with wartime, had not acted with such dishonor as the Jackal and Sovereign did.

Which, of course, leads me to what defines Cassius when all is said and done.

Honor

Between Prince Zuko, Jaime Lannister and now Cassius au Bellona, I think I've really got a type as antiheroes go.

Men who struggle with what honor means. Whether it be their sense of personal honor, or the very concept of honor in a society which frequently spits on such notions.

From the beginning, Cassius is a bit of an outlier among many elite Golds in that he really does care about doing the right thing. Or at least what he sees as the right thing. He tells the truth, wears his heart on his sleeve, cares deeply for those he calls friend and fights tooth and nail to avenge those he cares for when they're wronged.

Even his blind, vengeful pursuit of Darrow is at least in part painted by his desire for justice. A desire the Sovereign and Jackal gleefully exploit to no end.

Deep down, Cassius has a moral code that is as genuine as Darrow's. He is, at his core, a good man fighting for the wrong side. And it's perhaps one of Darrow's greatest triumphs that he recognized that, even after all they'd done to each other, and helped Cassius turn over to the right side of this war by one simple action.

By undoing the very breaking point that turned Cassius against him in the first place.

By telling the truth.

That one good deed is all Cassius needs. Because truth still matters to him. And it helps him remember that Darrow, Mustang, and company do in fact possess some shred of honor. An honor that is utterly absent in the ruling echelons of the Society. And knowing that, Cassius chooses to undo the regime that ruined his family, turned him on his friends, and very nearly made him lose sight of his honor altogether.

By the end, he's ready to start again. He's not perfect, God knows, and it feels like he has a ways to go before he can truly be a part of this "Republic" the sequels depict. But if he's already come this far, I have no doubt he will find that belonging and rekindle that brotherhood he and Darrow once shared.

I don't know the context of this line, but I've heard people quote a very pointed remark of Cassius's in the sequel series. A remark that absolutely rings true, by the time Morning Star draws to a close.

"...my honor remains."

Yes it does, Cassius.

Yes it does.

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Anyway, ramble over.

Cassius is a damn great character and I'm eager to see where he goes next.

Back to the Iron Gold saga we go!