Golden Son

From the Dust Jacket:    As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring the backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow's kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitists masters, the Golds - and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love - but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind's destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution - and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo's principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

My Thoughts:

-    Holy cow! These books are awesome! So many feels! This first book was awesome, and the story just keeps growing an evolving into something even more.

-    The politics in this book is crazy! Everything is so intricate and could fall apart at any moment. The politics were a little overwhelming at times, but it was vital to the story.

-    I'm not sure if I like how Darrow's character has changed or not. He is under some serious pressure from all sides, and I'm not sure all of his decisions were good ones.

-    There are some blow your mind revelations in this book.

-    These books aren't for everyone. It gets very violent. People die! People I care about die, and it isn't pretty! There is a lot of sexual banter/language/references that I could have lived without.

-    I don't know who to trust!! The betrayals left me wounded. Darrow made some majorly good and bad choices that gained him strong allies but also strong enemies. I wasn't sure who was going to stand by him and who was going to stab him in the back (literally and figuratively).

-    The ending!!!! GAH! I HATE cliffhangers like this!! This ending left me feeling hopeless and bleeding! Oh my heck! WHY!?!?

-    Next book please!?!?!? NOW!

Red Rising

Goodreads Synopsis:    The war begins...

Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars. Generations of Helldivers have spent their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that one day people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. Mars is habitable - and indeed has been inhabited for generations by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. The Golds regard Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

With the help of a mysterious group of rebels, Darrow disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield. And Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda...

My Thoughts:

-    OMG! This is probably the most intense book I've ever read! The institute makes the hunger games look like a picnic.

-    The beginning is a little slow. It was hard to get into, and the world is complicated. It was hard for me to picture and understand. But once it starts going, it never stops! I was hanging on every word. 

-    The society reminds me of an episode from Stargate SG-1. 

-    Oh the violence! There is A LOT! Some of the savage and violent acts bothered me. I would not recommend this for teens. It is for adults.

-    In the beginning Darrow reminds me a lot of Day from Legend, but Darrow learns and grows a lot and he becomes his own distinct character in the end. He is hardened, and he becomes a leader I would follow. 

-    There are a lot of characters in this book, and it was a little difficult to keep them all straight. I liked a lot of the sub characters though, especially Sevro and Mustang. I loved Pax as well.

-    Cassius and Darrow's relationship makes me sad. I want them to be friends. They would be unstoppable together.

-    This story was amazing! I felt so many emotions for the characters, but mostly I am scared for them. Wonderful read, but again, it is pretty graphic.