This book was BRUTAL. Not just because just about everything that could go wrong did. Not just because our heroes were backed into all corners. But because the author thought it would be cute to kill every third character 😭 I feel like I’ve lost so much of my heart. But I must see this series through because it couldn’t have all been for nothing. 

The author kept inventing new villains/weapons/histories and only introduced them when he needed them to develop a plot point. It would have been nicer to have foreshadowing and development of these things throughout the book and/or sereis rather than have new things pop up only when they are convenient.
The level of gore and violence in this book is much greater than that of the pervious books in the sereis. Most of the time it is just violence for the sake of violence and does not even contribute to the story line or the moral. So much uncessary violence is in the book that it actually detracts from the shock of certain scenes where violence actually does add value. 
Book was way too long. Plot for thr first 75% of the book is hard to get through and I needed to reference the wiki constantly to keep up with all the new characters being introduced. 

The darkest chapter yet of the red rising sequel trilogy - the Lysander chapters tend to drag a bit, and the non-stop existential brooding of Darrow can grind things to a halt. Ephraim’s story continues to be the most engaging of the sequel series, and Lyria get a lot of character growth that helps make what would otherwise be an annoying plucky “resistance” nu Star Wars character a much more interesting and fascinating experience.

Victra is easily a standout - something about her haughty, better-than-you tone just works, and she’s a far better POV character to have as a grown adult than she would have been in the previous books. 

The darkness is grim and the grimness is dark, but it looks like we’re seeing the end of the tunnel with this space opera of a story. 

 Fifth novel in the ‘Red Rising’ series of science fiction books. A story of conflict in the solar system of the far future, when it’s all modeled on ancient Rome. This is not a jumping on point. New readers should start with Red Rising. Regular readers, read on. This book runs for seven hundred and fifty two pages. It has four parts and is further divided into ninety six chapters.

It does not end the story. There’s clearly more to come.

There’s copious violence, some adult moments, and a handful of bits of strong language. So it’s just for the grown ups.
There is a cast of characters at the front. And a map of one key location.
Picking up from the end of the last book, Darrow is now an outlaw. And is at the center of conflict on Mercury. Can he win again, or is his time done?

This is a middle book. And then some. Letting things happen. Setting a lot more up. But it serves no more purpose than that.
In addition to Darrow, there are four other viewpoint characters. It will tell you at the start of each chapter who it is in the one you are reading.
Everyone narrates in first person present tense.
I can see what this is trying to do. It’s cool to be epic, which it has to be in showing the sheer scope of the narrative. But you can get a little too epic for your own good. Which this alas is guilty of.
The big problem is the prose. And the print. All the viewpoint characters do talk and think in the same way, so if not for the name at the start of each chapter, you could easily get confused as to whose chapter it is. I actually did on one occasion.
The way it’s all written, the present tense and lots of short descriptive sentences, coupled with small print size, means this becomes a complete slog at points. The prose really didn’t hold me at all, and I had to take it very slowly to try and make it keep my attention. But that was a chore at times, not a pleasure.
When the focus is on Darrow, it’s okay. The first part does actually come very close to clicking towards it’s end.
But then he rather vanishes from the tale in the middle. Far too much time is given over to two other characters, whose stories don’t really go as far as you would hope and seem like diversions from the central story at times, so it’s easy to lose your focus there.
It does slightly come back together in the final part where all plot points do converge and some things develop. But that’s where the middle book problem comes in. Because all this has done is be grim gritty and depressing for hundreds of pages, and leave so much up in the air.
There are a few too many miraculous bits of tech just happening to come into play at key points, as well.

As seems to be a common problem these days, you really wonder how much editing was done on this. If at all.
Just gets two stars because of it’s ambition and occasional moments of clicking, but I am afraid this series has rather lost it’s way for me. I will consider reading any future one, but it needs to be a bit shorter and much less indulgent to make me want to. 

Wow. If you liked the series so far for the unpredictable alliances, the absolutely BRUTAL combat, the sheer humanity of war and compassion laid bare, then you will definitely love this one as well. 

We still follow our Howlers, the republic, the rim, the Vox, and every other group queueing for control and power. Learning more secrets, and following multiple perspectives. 

This is an insanely dark book, with the true depths of war. Every trigger possible is in this book, so check them of needed. 

Once again I found myself tearing up, freezing in shock, standing to cheer, and filled with rage. I am so attached to these characters. The absolutely brilliant writing makes me have empathy and feel depth for even the most henous of characters. I sometimes forget they aren't real...