Peter's 2019 Challenge List!

[Sophie]

I'm so excited for you to revisit the whole series! I need to get to a few other audiobooks before I listen to Dark Age, I can't wait!

[Peter]

Sophie wrote: "I'm so excited for you to revisit the whole series! I need to get to a few other audiobooks before I listen to Dark Age, I can't wait!"

I am too!! In listening to Red Rising, I picked up on some early foreshadowing that I didn't my first time through. I'm expecting I'll notice more through the others well.

[Peter]

I just finished Golden Son, book two of the Red Rising series. Sophie, thanks for the recommendation to see seek out the audiobooks; the narrator is great!! It ends with one of the biggest, most intense cliffhangers I've ever encountered in books. I'm anxiously awaiting my hold to come in for Morning Star (I'm next!) to finish of the first trilogy. Then I'll be rereading Iron Gold before diving into the newly released Dark Age!

[Sophie]

I'm glad you love the audiobook, they're so good! Are you also going to listen to Iron Gold? The 4 narrators do add something pretty intense to the story in my opinion...

[Peter]

I've only been able to find a copy of the first three on audio. My library doesn't have the audio version of Iron Gold. I have the book on hold for when I finish listening to Morning Star though. Does Iron Gold still use the same narrator for Darrow and add in others or is it a completely different voice?

[Sophie]

Yes, 3 more narrators are added for the 3 other perspectives, it's amazing.

If you don't have an Audible subscription, you could just subscribe for the first free month, listen to Iron Gold and then cancel your subscription 😜

[Peter]

I just started listening to Morning Star!! But my hold for Dark Age already came in! I need to power through Morning Star and Iron Gold because I'm really tempted to just start the new one!

[Sophie]

aaarrgg what a dilemma! You're going to live and breath Darrow for the next few weeks 😝

[Peter]

Annnnd, I'm finished with Darrow and the Howlers for now. And Wow, Pierce Brown didn't disappoint.

I found Dark Age started off a little slower, but it didn't take long for it to pick up the pace. The complexity level in the plot increased a fair bit over the previous books - many more characters spread over more locations, all with their own plans and schemes. The book kept the spirit of the Red Rising series, but took on a feeling a little more akin to Game of Thrones with the number of plots and characters around. It also introduced another POV character (Mustang!!!). I took Sophie's advice and found the audio version and the voice actors did not disappoint. There was a lot that happened, with the characteristic gut wrenching emotional roller coaster Brown is known for.

The book ends with some pretty major cliffhangers for most of the characters, and very dire circumstances for almost everyone. Can't wait for the next book to come out, and really hoping Volga is introduced as a POV character!!

I'm a little behind in my reading just because I've focused on getting through the Red Rising series. I'm hoping to get through The Dragon Republic soon and I'm also working my way through the short stories in the Forward Collection.

[Peter]

Well, I'm not going to make it to 52 books this year, but I'm hoping to make it to 40.

On my list to complete this year are The Hod King, which I've just started on audio, The Dragon Republic which just arrived from my library. Both are the latest in two series I'm really enjoying so I'm excited to get through them.