#house Grimmus

[thegorydamnreaper]

Closeups!

It’s kind of hard to see with the lighting but the snake’s tongue is actually the needle that Lysander pricked his finger on.

Ajax and Lysander

Inspired by this scene from Dark Age:

“Is it him?” Kalindora asks a taller, younger knight in armor the color of a storm cloud. His skin is black, his eyes violent amber. The pelt of a pearl leopard sways from his powerful shoulders as he steps forward to examine me. For a moment, it feels as if we’re both looking through a dirty pane of glass, leaning and squinting to see if the apparition on the other side is really a long-lost friend or merely some trick.

I barely recognize the man I once called “brother.”

Only the long lashes of his eyes are the same.

In the eleven years since I last saw him, his plump features, often an item of hushed ridicule on the Palatine, have melted away to reveal an Adonic visage so surly, so passionate, so manly even Cassius might, in a drunken moment, declare some minor flaw in the man in hopes of diluting his own utter jealousy.

Octavia was always disappointed in her little genetic experiment. She would not be now. Ajax, son of the loveless genetic union of Aja and Atlas au Raa, is a masculine specimen.

By the phalera that bedeck Ajax’s armor, I see he has already fulfilled his childhood dreams. He wears not just his Peerless scar, but insignia signifying the office of Storm Knight, and the rank of a full Legate infantry commander.

With my scarless face and my drab civilian vestments, before the two Olympic Knights, I feel my ten-year absence more acutely than ever.

“You are the man who claims to be Lysander au Lune,” Ajax sneers.

“Ajax.” Mistaking his tone for banter, I reach to embrace him. The Stained block my path. I actually feel wounded. “Don’t you recognize me?”

Ajax’s eyes narrow to slits. “Test him with the Manteío.”

Hope you guys like it!! ♥️

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

DOn’T DO THIS TO ME DiSNEY

***Mild chapter 6 spoilers beneath the cut!***

NOT IDIA TELLING L*ONA TO PLAY WHACK-A-HYDRA BECAUSE IT’S POPULAR WITH CATS (who love to smack the heads) 😭 HE WANtED TO SEE iF L*ONA WOULD REACT TO IT LIKE A NOrmAL HOUSE CaT???????????

NOT MY CAT LOVING ASS SEEING THIS ShiT cOMING FOR MY THROAT *grips Grimmu so hard* GRIMGRiM IS THE ONLY HOUseKITTY i NEEF D ThaNk YOU VERY MUCH 😤

[385bookreviews]

1.3.3 Morning Star by Pierce Brown

SPOILERS

Pages: 518

Read Time: 11 hour and 4 minutes

Overall Rating: 5★ Storyline: 5★ Dialogue: 5★ Characters: 5★

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

TWs for the book: Violence, war, torture, gore, death, murder, blood, su*c*de, confinement, paranoia, cursing, classism, gun violence, slavery, kidnapping, body horror, emotional abuse, genocide, physical abuse, racial slurs (in accordance with the races of this universe), sexism, su*c*dal thoughts, xenophobia, grief, cannibalism, medical trauma, colonization, drug use, self harm, PTSD

POV: First person; Darrow

Time Period/Location: A future of genetically enhanced and segregated humans across the Solar System, including Mars, Io, Earth, Luna (Earth’s Moon), and the outskirts of Jupiter.

First Line: I rise into darkness, away from the garden they watered with the blood of my friends.

After the tragedy of the Triumph at the end of Golden Son, Morning Star opens a year later, with Darrow imprisoned by the Jackal in a stone box. He is slowly going insane from the darkness, but, just as he is about to end it all, he is slowly lifted from it. The entire time he was inside a stone table, and it has been 9 months that he has been in the box, after being tortured for 3. He is being given by the Jackal to Cassius au Bellona and Aja au Grimmus so the Sovereign can have him dissected. He is taken by Legion XVIII Grays, and during this, rescued by two of them, brother and sister, Holiday and Trigg ti Nakamura. On their way out they encounter Vixus, who reveals that Victra is alive. Darrow demands they free her, which reveals their escape. Darrow kills Vixus, and they escape into a tunnel dug by clawDrills with the help of Ragnar, Sevro, and the Sons of Ares, who Sevro now leads as Ares. This, however, costs Trigg’s life. Darrow awakes in the underground Sons of Ares run city of Tinos. His entire Red family is there, as is Dancer, Sevro, and Ragnar. Sevro reveals to Darrow a lot of things, such as Darrow’s Carving being made public after the Society fake executed him as a Gold and not a Red spy, that the Moon Lords of Jupiter and the rest of the outer Rim planets had rebelled with the aid of Mustang and the Telemanus family, and that Sevro had taken Darrow’s original Red eyes in place of his Gold ones. Darrow undergoes another carving by Mickey to restore him back to how he was, but has his sigils removed so his hands are bare. They go on bigger and bigger missions till Darrow, Victra, and Holiday are inducted as Howlers. Sevro then decides to move on with their mission to economically collapse the society by kidnapping Quicksilver, the richest Silver in the Solar System and the Jackal’s silent partner, and bombing Phobos. They smuggle into Phobos and find Matteo, the pink that trained Darrow in Aureate society before he went to the Institute, but Sevro breaks his jaw when he doesn’t know where Quicksilver is. They head to his office, and are shocked to find Mustang, Kavax au Telemanus, Moira au Grimmus (sister to Aja), and Cassius brokering a peace treaty between the Moon Lords and the Sovereign. Sevro goes off the walls, drunk on power, and begins a battle. Moira dies, Cassius and Mustang escape, and Kavax, Matteo, and Quicksilver are taken prisoner. Darrow assumes control from Sevro and they escape in the void of space out the window and into the back of Holiday’s ship. Once back in the Sons of Ares safe house, they stress on how to escape, and then go to question Quicksilver. He reveals he was the original Son of Ares all along after having found it with Fitchner. Darrow and Sevro fight, and Sevro defers leadership to Darrow. In order to save the Sons of Ares on Phobos and cause a ruse for another plan, he starts a rebellion of all the lowColors on the moon. As the rebellion rages and he is assumed to be on Phobos, him, Holiday, and Ragnar escape in a ship headed for the south pole of Mars, where they plan to raise an Obsidian army and lead them out of slavery. Mustang also accompanies them on this journey, saying she needs proof that Darrow is fighting for the right cause. After the Obsidians challenged Gold years back, the Golds had marooned them on the poles of the planets, brainwashing them into thinking Golds are Asgardian gods and that their technology is magic to keep them in check. Ragnar intends to show his tribe the way to freedom and have them join the Rising, but they are shot down by Cassius and Aja. They fight off cannibals and snow storms and Carved monsters, but eventually track down Cassius and Aja. Mustang shoots Cassius through the throat and he survives but is subdued, and Aja brings down Ragnar before stumbling off of a cliff. As he lay dying, his sister and her Valkyrie arrive on griffins. He tells her to live for more, and then dies. This leaves Darrow, Holiday, and Mustang to entreat Ragnar and Sefi’s mother, Alia Snowsparrow, to join their cause and tell her people the Golds are false gods. She knew already, however, and tells Sefi to turn them into the Golds on the floating mountain of Asgard. Sefi takes them, but not before making a deal with Darrow to let him prove to her the gods are false, and he does, killing Procter Mercury, who was disguised as Loki, and another Gold disguised as Freya. They capture the rest of the Golds in the mountain, return to the tribe, and present them to the war council and Alia. She demands the Golds freed so Sefi beheads Alia, and then slowly kills all of the Golds. Several weeks later, she has united the Obsidian tribes of south Mars, and leads them all back to Tinos. Their next move is to sail to Io to convince Romulus au Raa to ally with them against the Society’s Sword Armada, led by none other than Roque au Fabii. Darrow convinces/tricks them into an alliance, and they defeat the Sword Armada. Roque kills himself before being taken prisoner or disgraced, and Antonia flees, but is soon caught. Darrow destroys Romulus’s ship port, framing Roque for it, so the Moon Lords will not be a threat to him for the rest of the war. They broadcast that they are sailing to Mars when they actually sail for Luna.  During this time, the Obsidians revolt after Darrow’s uncle Narol was publicly executed by the Jackal. They hang Gold prisoners and attempt to hang Cassius, but Sevro proves a point that they need to be better by hanging himself. Cassius and Sevro fortunately survive the display, and shortly after Victra and Sevro are married. They sail on Luna, and, after rebonding with Cassius, Darrow decides to let him go before one of the Obsidians or Reds sneak into the prison during the battle and kills him. He betrays them however, and kills Sevro, captures Darrow and Mustang, frees Antonia, and escapes. They bring Darrow, Mustang, and Sevro’s body before the Jackal, and the Jackal demands Cassius to cut off Darrow’s sword hand, which he does. He then takes them before the Sovereign. Octavia executes Antonia for her cowardice during the battle in the Rim, and then starts live-streaming the execution of Darrow. The Jackal demands to put him down, but instead, Cassius reveals the entire thing was a trick and starts killing the Praetorians in the room. Together, Darrow, Mustang, Cassius, and the now revived, not dead at all Sevro take down the Truth Knight and the Joy Knight, pin the Jackal to the floor, cut Octavia’s belly open, and kill Aja. They let the Sovereign die, leaving her grandson Lysander alive, and then hear the Jackal laugh. He begins to instruct his Bonerider, Lilath, to detonate 30 megaton nuclear warheads all over Luna. He gets around 15 of them off before Darrow rips out his tongue and the Ash Lord destroys Lilath’s ship. Mustang becomes the new Sovereign of the Society, and the Jackal is hanged. The Ash Lord flees to Mercury, and Cassius takes Lysander with him to start a new life. At the end of the book, Mustang and Darrow are on Earth where she reveals that she has been keeping a secret from him. Another ship with Darrow’s family and the Telemanus family arrive, and he is introduced to his and Mustang’s son, Pax. 

Darrow O’Lykos (The Reaper of Mars; The Morning Star): Darrow’s humbling at the hands of the Jackal is some serious character growth that was much needed. He realizes that he and the people around him are not invincible, and is more willing to make sacrifices and smarter decisions. The reveal of him having a son with Mustang is a lovely closing arc (despite there being more books). Eo and their child was lost, but he gained a new life, in a better world with Mustang and their son, the ultimate reward for his sacrifices. The grace he shows for Roque, Cassius, and Thistle despite what they have done to him show him to be a true judge of character.  The only thing I wish had been shown more was his PTSD from the Jackal. Granted he does have it, and it is shown, but I felt as though there could have been better representation of that. 

Cassius au Bellona (The Morning Knight): Cassius has one of the best redemption arcs I have ever seen, starting with when he covers the naked and tortured Darrow after he is brought out of the Jackal’s box with his own Morning Knight cloak. Darrow never gives up on him, even when they are enemies, and it eventually gets through to him. He shows grace, mercy, true honor, and a lack of the “revenge/blood for blood” motto he has in the first and second book. It was a really scary plot twist to go from Cassius being good, to him “killing” Sevro and “capturing Mustang and Darrow”, to him then being revealed as good again. 

Sevro au Barca (Goblin; Ares): I’m sorry but you will be hard pressed to find a more badass scene than when Sevro hangs himself to save Cassius. 

Storyline: The storyline of this book is exquisite. It keeps you on your toes the whole time, and everything flows together really well. Everything makes sense (no “Game of Thrones finale” endings here). Nothing magically resolves itself, there are no plot holes, and the author isn’t shy about killing major characters (RIP Ragnar, Roque, Lorn, Tactus, Quinn, Lea, Pax, Fitchner, and Uncle Narol).

Representation: Orion xe Aquarii, Thistle, and Aja au Grimmus are the only people of color explicitly mentioned. Quicksilver proclaims very proudly that Matteo is his husband. Holiday explains that her brother Trigg was engaged to a man named Ephraim. There are more comments alluding to the fact that Roque and Tactus were involved, and Tactus’ brother makes a joke asking if him and Darrow were involved, as Darrow “wouldn’t have been the first.”

Summary: The plot twists of this book, the secret plans, the bold moves, the character development, the gut wrenching emotions, the entertaining and powerful dialogue, all combines into a serious masterpiece of a book and a great ending to the first part of the series. It has a heavy happy ending; there are still problems, nothing is perfect, they only arrived there through blood, sweat, tears, and death, but everything is good, because they have won, and Darrow has gotten back what he lost in a new way. 

Quotes:  “All deeds that last are painted in blood.” (pg. 5) “’I will give Eo your love. I will make a house for you in the Vale of your fathers. It will be beside my own. Join me there when you die.’ He grins. ‘But I am no builder. So take your time. We will wait.’”-Ragnar Volarus (pg. 237) “’This is always how the story would end, Adrius,’ I say down to him. ‘Not with your screams. Not with your rage. But with your silence.’”-Darrow O’Lykos (to Adrius au Augustus) (pg. 501) “’A man thinks he can fly, but he is afraid to jump. A poor friend pushes him from behind.’ He looks up at me. ‘A good friend jumps with.’” “Justice isn’t about fixing the past, it’s about fixing the future. We’re not fighting for the dead. We’re fighting for the living. And for those who aren’t yet born.”-Darrow O’Lykos “And I wonder, in my last moments, if the planet does not mind that we wound her surface or pillage her bounty, because she knows we silly warm things are not even a breath in her cosmic life. We have grown and spread, and will rage and die. And when all that remains of us is our steel monuments and plastic idols, her winds will whisper, her sands will shift, and she will spin on and on, forgetting about the bold, hairless apes who thought they deserved immortality.”-Darrow O’Lykos “If your heart beats like a drum, and your legs a little wet, it’s because the Reaper’s come to collect a little debt.”-Sevro au Barca “Man is no island. We need those who love us. We need those who hate us. We need others to tether us to life, to give us a reason to live, to feel.” “What is pride without honor? What is honor without truth? Honor is not what you say. It is not what you read.” Romulus thumps his chest. “Honor is what you do.”-Romulus au Raa

[hyena-frog]

I'm calling a Blood Feud on House Lune. Btw I do think that House Lune will be extinct by the end if the series.

From your lips to God’s* ears!

I wouldn’t mind spitting blood in Lysander’s face for the blood feud declaration, that’s for sure.

“The blood of the Conquerors thins,” Alexandar drawls through the coms. (Dark Age, 108)

You love to see it.

We know from Dark Age that the “great” Gold houses are dying out. I thought it was an interesting detail that collectively they are called “the 200.” But some houses are more endangered than others. Which main players are critically endangered?

House Lune: Just Lysander left. Easy pickins. Was functionally extinct in the wild until the end of Dark Age. Damn.

House Bellona: Cassius and Julia. Basically, only Julia right now, while Cassius is off fighting the good fight. I don’t want Julia to die, though she is a thorn in the Republic’s side, but I would like Cassius to regain control of the house remnant.

House Grimmus: Atalantia and Ajax. If anyone from this house survives, I would prefer it be Ajax. But I don’t feel like Ajax would run a house very well.

House Valii-Rath: Apple and Tharsus. (I’m pretty sure their parents are dead by this point.) I’m interested to see if Tharsus grows a spine and opposes his brother. Not that he could ever win, but imagine the family drama!

House Augustus: Yes, I must include this one in the name of fairness. Only Virginia and Pax left. No, I’m not counting the Abomination. Obviously, this house will be fine. Right, Pierce?

House Arcos: Honestly, its status is a bit unclear. Yes, there have been several... important losses (😭) including the current Primus. But how many grandkids did Lorn have exactly? And how many are still alive? Plus, there are still a few daughters-in-law out there. I’ll be damned if Lysander tries to claim this house, blood relation or not. 🔪

House Raa: Not critically endangered but I would say, vulnerable. They’re dropping like flies, even though they still have many members left. And if Atlas has anything to say about it, they’ll be endangered soon.

House Telemanus: Also not endangered but I am alarmed by how many have died (or have given me a death scare) by now. Please stop that. 😰

I won’t go into Houses Carthii or Saud or anyone else because we don’t have a lot of specific information on those families.

We know from Rhone that House Lune’s infantrymen were split among other houses after the bloodline was presumed extinct. I wonder what would happen if every major Core (non-Republic) bloodline ended? Where would all those soldiers go? Not to mention the servants. 🤔

*Pierce Brown

[fandomoverflow]

Everything We Know About The Solar War

After combing over Iron Gold and Dark Age while reworking my overall timeline of the Red Rising saga, I ended up taking a lot of notes on the various events that happened during the time skip and trying to figure out where all of these battles fit on the timeline. Now that my timeline revisions are done, I figured I would compile everything here

Calm Before The Storm

According to Morning Star, Octavia au Luna’s death happened in November 743 P.C.E. Based on the time frame I’ve been able to piece together, Cassius leaving Luna with Lysander and Darrow meeting Pax for the first time happened in December 743 P.C.E. 

Based on the time frames for Iron Gold and Dark Age, the accompanying maps, and Darrow’s narration at the end of Morning Star, the Solar War officially began in early January 744 PCE.

Luna 

The Ash Lord, having solidified his foothold on Mercury and Venus, launched a counterattack against the new Republic. He launched an invasion of Luna that lasted for three years, coming to a close at the end of 746 PCE.

The primary objective of the invasion was of course to retake the moon from the Rising, with a secondary objective to relieve and evacuate the Society legions left marooned after Octavia’s death. 

Based on his comments in Iron Gold, Ephraim served in the battle for about two years before deserting when the Gold who slaughtered his unit was pardoned for resources. Based on his own comments, this occured in late 745/early 746 PCE.  

Society and Republic forces fought block to block, earning the ground campaign the nickname of “the Block Wars”. 

Civilian casualties were high, with schools and apartment complexes and entire neighborhoods being incinerated by the munitions used by both sides. 

Obsidian war bands would often employ a Shaman who would charge Society positions naked and high, protected by squads of Skuggi warriors. 

In 747 PCE, Apollonius was duped into undertaking a suicide mission with a hundred of his most loyal troops. When he realized that the Ash Lord had sent him to die, he chose to press on and attempt the assassination of Darrow, Sevro, and their families. At least one Howler was killed during the raid, but Apple was ultimately captured and sentenced to life in Deepgrave prison. 

Earth

At some point prior to his capture Apollonius fought against Darrow and the Solar Republic’s Eighth Legion, Second Cohort at the mountain pass known as Khardung La in India. Darrow later led this same unit into battle at the City Gates of Paris. 

In the spring of 746 PCE, the Solar Republic launched an invasion of the seat of House Grimmus in Africa. That spring, Darrow accompanied Pax, Thraxa, and Daxo on a vacation to the Telemanus family estate in New Zealand. While Daxo took Pax hunting and built sandcastles together, Darrow spent most of the time inside preparing for the invasion.

In the first year of the campaign, Darrow travelled to North Africa to personally recruit Harnassus as a Praetor of the Republic’s Second Legion. 

While Mars became the next primary theater of the war after the Battle of Luna ended, combat on Earth lasted as late as 748 PCE, when the last Grimmus forces were driven from Africa and the Americas.

Following the Society retreat, a single army of Society loyalists continued to hold out in the South Pacifica region even up to the time of Iron Gold in 753 PCE. Whether they are still around at the time the Rim-Core alliance retook Earth at the end of Dark Age remains unclear. 

Mars 

The earliest known conflict on Mars between the Society and the Republic was the Siege of Olympia in 747 PCE, after the return of Atlas au Raa but before Apollonius was captured. Society forces led by Atlas and Apollonius launched an attack on the Obsidian resettlement operations in Olympia.

During the campaign, Atlas and his forces were duped by a Republic spy named Daedre who, under the guise of a pro-Society civilian providing them with food, earned their trust over the course of a week before attempting to poison them with a nerve agent, managing to kill 104 of Atlas’ soldiers before her ruse was discovered.  

Apollonius held his own against Sefi’s best warriors, with Valdir the Unshorn becoming the only human other than Darrow to duel the Minotaur one-on-one and live. 

The fighting left Olympia in ruins, and lasted until Darrow arrived with the Republic’s Seventh and Fifteenth Legions to drive the enemy back. 

At some point during the campaign, the Republic took control of New Thebes, and in response the Ash Lord dropped nukes on the city. 

The Society Navy was driven from orbit at the Battle of Mars in early 749 PCE. Prior to the Battle of the Ladon in Dark Age, this was considered the Society Remnant’s largest troop mobilization in the entire war. 

Late in the campaign, Dancer and the Sons of Ares began to liberate the Helium-3 Mines from Society control. 

The fighting in the tunnels came to be known as the Rat War, infamous for being nastier than the block fighting during the Battle of Luna. 

Dancer personally liberated over a hundred mines. Lagalos was liberated in 751 PCE. 

At the conclusion of the Rat War, Dancer retired from the military and went into politics, becoming a senator and founding Vox Populi. 

Though the Society Navy was driven off, an army of Gold holdouts remained encamped on the continent of Sirenia as late as the beginning of Iron Gold. Their status after the end of Dark Age remains unclear. 

Ceres

Little is known about the Battle of Ceres. The year it took place in has not been definitively confirmed (though given the course of the war I think 750 is the most likely candidate), but based on comments during Lysander’s early chapters in Part I of Dark Age, the battle occurred prior to 751 PCE. 

The only detail known about the battle itself is that during the battle, the Morning Star nearly broke the Annihilo in half, but Atalantia’s flagship still managed to destroy two brand new Republic capital ships and hold off Darrow’s fleet until House Carthii arrived with Society reinforcements. 

Mercury 

The Siege of Mercury began in 751 PCE. 

During the first year of the campaign, a Republic supply convoy was raided by a Society fleet. The fleet was raided, and one of the ships, the Nessus, was claimed by Quicksilver for his personal use. 

At some point in 752 PCE, Darrow returned to Luna and managed to visit his wife and son. 

[sha-ka-re]

Odo in the last one looks like the rotting grimmus costume in the dead storage below the McDonald’s vaguely near my house

peace and love on the planet earth

[nathanielmauger]

Golden Son (2015) Pierce Brown – Book Two of Red Rising Trilogy

Darrow, a Red remade into a Gold named “Darrow au Andromedus” (The Reaper) Lancer of House Augustus.

Virginia au Augustus, nicknamed “Mustang”, daughter of Nero au Augustus and twin sister of Adrius.

Adrius au Augustus, Virginia’s sociopathic twin brother, called “The Jackal”.

Nero au Augustus, the ArchGovernor of Mars and father of Virginia and Adrius.

Victra au Julii, lancer of House Augustus, half sister to Antonia au Severus.

Roque au Fabii, lancer of House Augustus.

Tactus au Rath, lancer of House Augustus.

Ragnar Volarus, Stained Obsidian

Kavax au Telemanus, father of Daxo and the late Pax.

Daxo au Telemanus, son of Kavax and Pax’s brother.

Cassius au Bellona, lancer of House Bellona, brother of Karnus.

Karnus au Bellona, lancer of House Bellona, Brother of Cassius.

Octavia au Lune, the Sovereign of the Society.

Lysander au Lune, grandson and heir of the Sovereign and grandson of Lorn au Arcos.

Aja au Grimmus, the Sovereign’s Protean Knight.

Lorn au Arcos, the former Rage Knight.

Fitchner au Barca, former Proctor of Mars at the Institute, father of Sevro.

Sevro au Barca, leader of the Howlers, son of Fitchner.

Antonia au Severus-Julii, Darrow’s ruthless longtime enemy and Victra’s half sister.

Pliny au Velocitor, Nero’s chief of staff.

Dancer, Red lieutenant in the Sons of Ares.

Harmony, Dancer’s Red lieutenant.

Mickey, a Violet carver who remade Darrow as a Gold.

Evey, a Pink former slave of Mickey.

  At the end of Red Rising our hero, Darrow, becomes a Lancer for his enemy, Nero au Augustus. At the beginning of Golden Son we see Darrow lose a mock space battle to Karnus (Cassius’ old brother).   This loss prompts Nero to tell Darrow that he is going to put his contract up for bid at the next summit of the great houses.   Before the meeting he sees Adrius (the Jackal) who has his own schemes. He also meets Harmony who tells him that Dancer is dead (a lie) and tells him that Ares wants him to be a suicide bomber at the House Summit. Darrow is about to do this and then has another idea. He challenges Cassius to a duel. It turns out that Darrow has been training with Lorn au Arcos (former Rage Knight) and is able to defeat Cassius and is about to kill him when the Sovereign calls of the fight to save him.   Darrow chops off Cassius’ arm in frustration and chaos incuses.

  The Sovereign asks Darrow to join her and has a truth telling contest with him using special scorpion-like creatures called oracles. Darrow finds out that the sovereign was planning to destroy Augustus and give Mars to Bellona. Mustang signals Sevro and the Howlers who rescue Darrow and take the Sovereign’s grandson Lysander as a hostage.   As they are escaping Aja crushes Quinn’s head. On the escape, Adrius (the Jackal) pretends to operate on Quinn but actually (we find out later) kills her.   Now we have war!

  Darrow attacks and takes the largest ship in the Sovereign’ s fleet. He renames the ship the Pax in honor of his friend from the institute.   Also of note is the appearance of a stained obsidian – Ragnar Volarus. Ragnar is one of the most interesting characters in the series. The whole culture of the obsidians is designed to make Golds as god-like figures and prevent the obsidians from uniting. For if they do they would be a massive force. Darrow, wisely, gives Ragnar his freedom. This is not an easy thing and Ragnar rejects freedom but Darrow finally convinces him. This, of course, makes Ragnar even more loyal to Darrow then before. He becomes a member of Sevrus’s howlers.   I would really like to see Pierce Brown write a book with an obsidian as it’s main character. Maybe a prehistory to this when the obsidians fought the Golds (and lost).

  Darrow plans an “iron rain” and to take Mars from the Bellona for Nero au Augustus. First he needs more ships and men and seeks these with his teacher Lorn au Arcos who is forced to join Darrow when the Sovereign’s forces turn up to kill his family and Darrow saves them. Darrow’s former friend Tactus escapes Darrows first trap and is in position to kill Lorn’s family. Darrow convinces him to come back to him. A very positive moment which is very short when Lorn kills Tactus for threatening his family. Second Chances seems to be a theme for Darrow which occasionally gets him in trouble. I think it humanizes him and makes him a much more believable character.

  With Lorn’s forces they initiate the battle for Mars. In the fight he is rescued at one point by Fitchner who reveals himself to be Ares. Turns out that his wife (Sevrus’ mother) was a red who was put to death. Sevro had already told Darrow that he knew his secret. He tells Mustang his secret and she considers killing him until Ragnar intercedes.

  As Sevro becomes closer to Darrow, Rogue is pulling away. He blames Quinn’s death on Darrow (as Cassius blames him for killing Julian).   So it is not a big surprise when at a victory feast he stabs Darrow with a tranquilizer. They present him with a box containing Fitchner’s head (Cassius killed him) and Adrius (the Jackal) kills his father, Nero. Rogue, Cassius and Adrius are in a plot with the Sovereign Octavia. Antonia shoots here half-sister Victra in the back. They know Darrow’s secret and plan to dissect him to find out how it was done – we will see what that means. Probably torture and eventual death for Darrow (and Eo’s dream).

  Why would Rogue betray Darrow? He blames Darrow for Quinn’s death. The sovereign ordered Aja to kill Quinn and Adrius finished the job. Well maybe to maintain the Gold’s way of life.   But if Rogue didn’t betray Darrow then what would be the plot of the third book? Sort of an odd plot twist that didn’t make good sense to me. I could see Rogue fighting against Darrow but not betraying him.

  Remaining Questions:

  Will Darrow give Rogue and Cassius another chance to get on the right side?

Where is Mustang?

Are the Son’s of Ares gone?

How will Ragnar and Sevrus fit in?

Where is Darrow and how is he going to escape and lead the revolt to victory?

  Next up: Morning Star

Golden Son (2015) Pierce Brown Golden Son (2015) Pierce Brown - Book Two of Red Rising Trilogy Darrow, a Red remade into a Gold named "Darrow au Andromedus" (The Reaper) Lancer of House Augustus.

[thegorydamnreaper]

The Furies - Aja, Moira, and Atalantia au Grimmus

New art featuring the Furies! And I finally drew Moira!

| Instagram: pallasillustration |

| Artblr: @pallasillustration |

[385bookreviews]

1.3.2 Golden Son by Pierce Brown

SPOILERS

Pages: 442

Read Time: 11 hours and 37 minutes

Overall Rating: 5★ Storyline: 5★ Dialogue: 5★ Characters: 5★

Genre: Adult Science Fiction

TWs for the book: Violence, death, gore, war, blood, murder, slavery, classism, sexism, torture, grief, child death, addiction, bullying, child abuse, genocide, mentions of r*pe, kidnapping, slavery, racism, mentions of cannibalism, cursing, colonization, drug use, betrayal 

POV: First person; Darrow

Time Period/Location: A future of genetically enhanced and segregated humans across the Solar System, including Mars, Europa, and Luna (Earth’s Moon).

First Line: My silence thunders.

The book opens 2 years in the future with Darrow, now serving under ArchGovernor Augustus, suffering a defeat at the Academy by the hand of his rival’s brother, Karnus au Bellona. Karnus becomes a Praetor instead of Darrow, and jumps him, accompanied by his brothers, sisters, and cousins. Since Darrow was humiliated by the Bellonas twice in a row, the ArchGovernor reveals he plans to sell his contract to another Gold family. They travel to Luna, the ruling seat for the Sovereign, Octavia au Lune, to attend the Summit, a meeting of the ruling Gold families. Upon arriving, Victra (Antonia’s sister who serves under Augustus), takes Darrow to Lost City, a lowColor part of the moon. There he meets Adrius, the Jackal, who has become a businessman, and schemes against his father and the Sons of Ares. Darrow makes an alliance with him, agreeing to let him buy his contact, when Evey, a Pink with ties to the Sons of Ares, enters in disguise. Darrow and Evey recognize each other, and she tries to help him escape after she plants a bomb, but he runs to save Adrius instead. Afterwards, he hunts her down, and finds her, Harmony (a Red he met when he joined the Sons), and Mickey (the Violet that carved him). She tells him that Dancer, Darrow’s recruiter, is dead, that Mickey is carving genetically modified Reds to fight for them, and that Ares requires him to detonate a bomb at the gala that will occur at the end of the Summit. Darrow refuses, saying the way to take down the Golds is from the inside, by causing a civil war, but Harmony shows him clips of Eo’s death, and reveals that she was pregnant with their child when she was killed. Resolved, Darrow decides to bomb the gala, but moments before it begins, he drugs Roque to keep him from dying. At the gala, however, he sees Mustang with Cassius (who has been given the mantle of the Morning Knight, one of the 12 Olympic Knights), and his resolve changes. He challenges Cassius to a duel to the death, even with Cassius’s fame as a dueler. Darrow defeats him, however, and cuts off his sword arm with skills he learned from secretly training with the former Rage Knight, Lorn au Arcos. The Sovereign then reveals her nepotism for the House Bellona by stopping the duel, which breaks the laws of the Society. Civil war breaks out between the Augustans and the Bellonas. When the Augustans try to escape, Fitchner, who has been made the new Rage Knight, stops them, and brings Darrow to Octavia. They play a game of truths in front of Mustang (who had infiltrated Luna) and Lysander (Octavia’s grandson), and the Sovereign is forced to reveal that she would have let the Bellona attack House Augustus at the gala anyways, and that the whole thing was a trap. She tries to bring Darrow into her house, and he agrees, only to escape from his room when Sevro, Quinn, and the Howlers come to fetch him. They free House Augustus from an onslaught of Octavia’s Praetorians, using Lysander as a captive, but Quinn is attacked and killed by the Protean Knight, Aja au Grimmus. As they are escaping into the atmosphere, Tactus steals Lysander and gives him back to Octavia, removing the leverage they had to escape. Darrow and Sevro capture a ship and rename it the Pax, where Darrow also gains the loyalty of a Stained Obsidian named Ragnar. After the ship is taken, Sevro reveals to Darrow that he is in league with the Sons of Ares. The Augustans flee, and make plans to overthrow the Bellonas and the Sovereign. Darrow forcefully recruits Lorn au Arcos, who kills Tactus. ArchGovernor Augustus is betrayed by his right hand man, Pliny, and Darrow, Mustang, and Adrius kill Pliny, and declare an Iron Rain on Mars. They wage war on the Bellonas, and the capital city of Mars, Agea, where Augustus is being kept and Octavia is also hiding. There are heavy losses from the Howlers, but the city and planet are taken. But as the Sovereign escapes, Darrow jumps into her ship, hoping to kill her. They overpower him, but not before he kills Karnus. The Sovereign, noticing Fitchner trying to save him, orders him to kill him on the spot. He doesn’t, wounding the Sovereign and fleeing the ship with Darrow, revealing to him that he is Ares. Darrow wakes a week later. He tries to mend his friendship with Roque, that has been slowly fracturing throughout the whole book. Sevro interrupts them, however, and says that Harmony, Mickey, and Evey have been captured by Adrius. Darrow goes to meet with Victra and Adrius as a distraction, and the Sons free the captives. Afterwards, Darrow reunites with Sevro, Fitchner, and a very much alive Dancer. Fitchner reveals that Harmony betrayed them, and that the reason he started the rebellion was because his wife was Red, making Sevro half-Red, half-Gold. Darrow then visits the mines of Lykos, and decides to tell Mustang the truth. He visits with his mother, who recognizes him despite him being so different, and then waits in the mines for Mustang’s reaction. She is angry and threatens to shoot him, but in the end, with some convincing from Ragnar, she leaves and doesn’t return. Darrow goes back to Agea to receive praise and accolades from Augustus and the people of Mars. Augustus adopts him as his son and heir, and there is a ceremony to be held for him. But at the ceremony, Roque poisons him, and Cassius, Adrius, Aja, Vixus, and Antonia, kill Lorn, Victra, the ArchGovernor, and others. Thanks to the Jackal, they found out he was a Red, and they give him Fitchner’s severed head in a box.

Darrow O’Lykos (Darrow au Andromedus; The Reaper): Darrow continues to be just as compelling a main character in this book as he was in the first. His constant decisions to overcome his grief and need for revenge against the Golds and stay the course of the plan for the rebellion make him immensely admirable. But he is willing to risk it all for love, as he has no desire to use Mustang or take advantage of her true affection for his own gain or the gain of his cause. He remains a flawed character, his mistakes with Roque ultimately leading to his downfall.

Virginia au Augustus (Mustang): Even though she is the daughter of one of the most wicked men in the series, she remains a force for good. What surprised me most about her character was, even though she is a Gold and raised in their superiority complex society, she has a place in her heart for all of the Colors, and mentions to Darrow several times that she wants Reformers to have a place on the Senate, so other colors, especially Reds, have a better life. She is worthy of all of Darrow’s trust and affection, despite her reaction to his true self. 

Sevro au Barca (Goblin): Sevro is my favorite character in the whole series. He takes the news of Darrow being a Red in the Sons of Ares quite well, loyalty to him winning out over loyalty to his race. He keeps Darrow’s impulses in check, and challenges anyone who questions him, including his own Howlers. His mouth and sense of humor carry the entire series in my opinion.

Storyline: As he did in the first book, Pierce Brown carries on his detailed world-building and emotional storytelling. The plot twists are captivating and leave you not knowing what to expect next. Golden Son, however, was not my favorite of the series, as the plot drags a little bit in the beginning with the battle scenes.

Representation: Harmony and Evey are shown to be in a relationship. Tactus and Roque make several comments throughout the book that have led some readers to surmise that they might have had feelings for one another. Tactus au Rath, Orion xe Aquarii, and Aja au Grimmus are the only people of color. 

Quotes: “Home isn't where you're from, it's where you find light when all grows dark.”  “He always thinks because I’m reading, I’m not doing anything. There is no greater plague to an introvert than the extrovert.”-Roque au Fabii “Friendships take minutes to make, moments to break, years to repair.”-Roque au Fabii “I will die. You will die. We will all die and the universe will carry on without care. All that we have is that shout into the wind - how we live. How we go. And how we stand before we fall.”

[thegorydamnreaper]

Atalantia au Grimmus, The Last Fury

💀 💀 💀

From the Iron Gold Trilogy

Whooooo this was an absolute blast to work on! The aesthetics of House Grimmus just speak to me - deadly flowers, venomous snakes, golden skulls?? Sign me tf up!

ALSO!! Major news - I now have a Patreon! If you’re interested to see alternate designs for this piece, they’re posted on there now 😉

|| Instagram: pallasillustration ||

|| RedBubble: PallasIllustra ||

[thegorydamnreaper]

Aja au Grimmus, the Protean Knight

🐉 💀 🐉

House Grimmus strikes again - this time featuring sea dragons! Yes, she’s really only in the first trilogy, but I’ve got plans for Ajax and I didn’t want to draw Lysander 🤷‍♀️

For the full piece (complete with more armor details and nebula razor!) check out my Patreon -link in previous post! ♥️ Access is only $3/month and there’s a ton of really cool benefits 😊

|| Instagram: pallasillustration ||

|| Redbubble: PallasIllustra ||

|| Patreon: PallasIllustration ||

[thegorydamnreaper]

An update (and a chance to vote on the next art series!)

So besides a couple smallish things I haven’t been posting as much art as I usually do. There’s a couple reasons for that, but that’s not the point of this post.

The point: I’m going to be doing another villains series!

For the month of October I’ll be posting some brand-new pieces of the characters we love to hate. Some are new faces, some are old, but all are badasses in their own way!

House Grimmus will be heavily featured, as will a certain Olympic Knight that is freaky as all hell. But now the fun part: I want you guys to pick who else gets to be in the line-up!

Characters up for a vote are:

Volsung Fá

The Jackal

Lilath

Votes will only count if they reply to this post! Round up your fellow Howlers and vote, if only to keep the character you hate from winning!

If no one votes I’ll only draw Lysander from now on.

I’ll also be running a poll on my Instagram (pallasillustration) in a few days. Winning character will be chosen from the combined tally!

Get hyped!

🐺 Omnis Vir Lupus 🐺