r/redrising

I just finished golden son, and when exactly Adrius know about darrow?

I think that was harmony or even other ones being held by Jackal, but, how the fuck they know about Fitchener?

Because all the time I udersantad that only Dacer knows Who Ares was

Half way through dark age. Idk man I haven’t read a single happy thing toward one of the main characters since morning star. I know that’s a no shit statement seeing as the book is called dark age. But man is this all depressing. Hard to put down and well done. But almost like reading through a hopeless journal. Without spoilers in light bringer at least more hopeful?

Read the title before i put this here.

Read it again. Add "series finale" to it.

And again.

Okay i would pay a great deal of money for Lysander to die begging for his life like Homelander did. I know he wouldnt but come on it would be so good

I have finished reading the first 3 series ebooks and now just listening to the graphic audio version.

It is sooooo good!
>!I thought the gala fight was good but the monologue/speech Darrow gave after seizing the bridge of the Vanguard (Pax) after fleeing Luna is just amazingly unbelievable.!<

Sooo soo so good!

I think I can never get tired of listening to these…
It’s indeed a movie in my head!

That’s all!
Nothing controversial. Just came here to say Graphic Audio is amazing!

This is just my opinion. But I recently finished Dark Age -- and this might be a hot take -- Iron Gold is better.

Maybe it's a function of where my expectations were set for each book. Many people seem to dislike IG, and rave over DA and LB. So it's not super surprising that IG was a pleasant surprise and DA was a disappointment. But even controlling for that, I think IG is just a superior book.

IG has better story-telling. Each main POV has a unique journey, each with multiple sub-plots. They each have a very unique voice. The ways the stories connect is surprising. The climax for each POV is unique to the character and yet also quite satisfying. The story is just so much more dynamic than DA. It also sets up some great intrigue for the next books. I had a great time!

By comparison, DA felt stagnant. The adventures are darker and more violent, but they are less dynamic. Darrow and Lysander are confined to Mercury, and spend nearly all of it fighting or recovering from fighting. (By comparison, Darrow's story in IG starts as a political thriller, leading to a jail-break, and culminating in a major battle on Venus.) Ephraim's story feels like it's more about introducing Pax than anything else, a big step down from his story in IG (a heist plot and a story about PTSD and self-forgiveness). And although I really liked having Virginia's POV, I just don't think it makes up the lost ground. The characters also don't really do as much by comparison (the exception being Lyria, who I think got a big upgrade in DA in terms of having things to do within the plot).

I also think the supporting cast is just more interesting in IG. Appollonius, the Duke of Hands, Cassius, the Au Raas, Kavax. All of them were fairly electric on the page. I'm not saying the supporting cast is bad in DA--I liked having more time with Sefi and Victra--but I just wasn't as interested in the supporting characters in DA as compared to IG. It kind of felt like many of them were introduced to the story to serve as fodder (RIP the Skuggi). And the combat on Mercury really flattened the characters around Darrow and Lysander.

I also just wasn't that impressed with the actual writing/editing in DA. It just felt like Brown was extremely reliant on certain words ("bedlam," "meat") and used them repeatedly throughout the book. It became a distraction. I didn't really have that complaint of IG.

Dark Age is a good book. Definitely some fun stuff in there. But overall, I think Iron Gold is better by a comfortable margin. Okay that's my hot take.

So I caught up this week and can't wait for Red God! Killed some time ranking all the fighters (there are a lot tbh) and the criteria I decided upon was - actual feats, trustable statements, time (kinda arbitrary). Here's the list:

1. Darrow O'Lykos - adapted beyond the Willow Way itself and became the deadliest fighter in the series
2. Aja au Grimmus - purest embodiment of lethal perfection the Society ever produced
3. Lorn au Arcos - defined modern razor combat and terrified generations doing it
4. Cassius au Bellona - cleanest technical duelist in the saga with near flawless defense
5. Apollonius au Valii-Rath - genetically absurd war monster
6. Diomedes au Raa - highly narrative pick, the best of the Rim
7. Ajax au Grimmus - another genetic freak, pure speed, aggression, and chaos
8. Volsung Fá - a walking raid boss
9. Atlas au Raa - arguably the smartest fighter in the series
10. Ragnar Volarus - greatest Obsidian warrior of the Rising and someone even Aja respected

If I had to put them into tiers, those would be

• 1 - 3
• 4 - 7
• 8 - 10

Within these tiers, the fighters are interchangeable up to some degree.
What do you all think?

Okay it's obvious that a reunion of this power couple is late already two books but what are things you guys wish to see them discuss or scene you can envision happening or just want to see?

Personally what I really want is a scene of them similar to the council meeting with Nero etc. in Golden Son, the one where Mustang eats an apple and ragebaits everyone. I simply need them to ragebait some people and be a bit silly. I want them to be the incredible undefeated power couple that they are and I want them to be infuriating to everyone around them.

Aside from that there's the obvious ones like the reunion itself and Darrow, Mustang and Pax together acting like a family for at least a moment.