Golden Son (2015) is the second book in the Red Rising Saga by American science fiction author Pierce Brown. He is best known for his work on the Red Rising Saga and Red Rising: Sons of Ares, a comic book series. The novel depicts a futuristic dystopian world where humans are genetically separated into a hierarchy of Colors ranging from Red, the lowest, to Gold, the highest.

Darrow, the protagonist, is a Red who was surgically disguised as a Gold by a rebel organization called the Sons of Ares. His mission is to hide among the Golds and bring down the oppressive regime of the Society. The novel explores the makeup of A Society Built on Oppression and Exploitation, as well as themes of Friendship, Loyalty, and Betrayal, and The Isolation of Living a Lie. Other books in the series include Red Rising (2014), Morning Star (2016), Iron Gold (2018), Dark Age (2019), and Light Bringer (2023).

This guide is based on the 2015 Del Rey (Random House) Kindle edition.

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of violence and language some readers may find offensive. Offensive language appears in the guide only through direct quotations.

Plot Summary

After Darrow au Andromedus loses to Karnus au Bellona at the Academy—an elite school that teaches advanced war tactics to those that survive the Institute (the initial training program for the Society’s elite featured in Red Rising)—he is attacked by seven members of the Bellona family. Consequently, Nero au Augustus, the ArchGovernor of Mars, decides to sell Darrow’s contract after a Summit on Luna held by Octavia au Lune, the Sovereign ruler of the Society.

While on Luna, Darrow allies with the Jackal (also known as Adrius au Augustus) and reconnects with members from the Sons of Ares who are plotting an attack on the Jackal. After saving the Jackal, Darrow is given a mission to deploy a bomb at the gala on the final day of the Summit.

Mustang (also known as Virginia au Augustus), the woman Darrow loves, attends the gala with Cassius au Bellona. After deciding that bombing the gala would be unethical and unproductive, Darrow challenges Cassius to a duel.

Octavia rules that it will be a fight to the death, but when it seems Darrow will win, she stops the duel and changes the rules, overstepping her powers as Sovereign. Darrow cuts off Cassius’s arm, and the Golds begin fighting one another. Darrow leads ArchGovernor Augustus and the others toward their ships, but they have been sent away, indicating Octavia’s nefarious intentions.

Octavia sends for Darrow and offers freedom in return for his loyalty. They engage in a game of honesty, each wearing an Oracle—a genetically modified creature—on their arm that will sting them if they lie. Darrow wins the game when he forces Octavia to lie about plotting Augustus’s assassination.

Having won, Darrow is offered a luxurious room, and Mustang, who is pretending to support Octavia, enacts a plan to help them all escape. She sends Sevro, Darrow’s friend, and the Howlers to free Darrow from his room. Darrow assumes command and leads the group to rescue Augustus and the other prisoners. They are successful, and Sevro abducts Octavia’s grandson and heir, Lysander, to ransom for their safe passage.

As they leave, Aja (Octavia’s bodyguard) kills Quinn (a Howler under the command of Sevro). Both Sevro and Roque (Darrow’s friend) love Quinn and are hurt by her loss. Roque and Darrow’s friendship devolves. Tactus, another of Darrow’s friends, betrays him and returns Lysander to Octavia. Darrow and Sevro are fired onto the bridge of Octavia’s largest ship, claiming it for themselves.

Instead of killing Octavia’s crew, Darrow offers them the choice to kill Octavia’s Golds and support him. They agree, and Darrow and the others escape. In the process, Darrow gains the friendship and allegiance of Ragnar, a Stained—or superlatively powerful—Obsidian. Sevro confronts Darrow and forces him to admit his connection to the Sons of Ares, revealing that he is a member too.

After a month of running from Octavia’s forces, Darrow suggests attacking Ganymede to capture a powerful moonBreaker weapon that they ransom to the students in the training facilities to garner support from Lorn au Arcos, a retired fighter. Augustus is captured when he attacks Ganymede; Mustang loses her entire fleet when she returns to the Academy for the students but evades capture.

Darrow, who suspects that Augustus’s advisor, Pliny, is traitorous, lets slip his plan to go to Lorn, so he is prepared to meet Octavia’s forces. His actions force Lorn to choose a side, and they defeat Octavia’s army before reuniting with Mustang, who reveals the two failed missions. Darrow and a band of fighters rescue Augustus and the other prisoners, and Pliny is killed by Augustus’s supporters (bannermen). They then plan an attack on Mars.

Darrow and 1,000 other fighters are shot from ships to fight on the ground on Mars—a tactic referred to as Iron Rain—while others fight the battle above the planet’s surface. Darrow and a small group of fighters land far from the Citadel and must make their way to the city while battling enemy forces.

The Sons of Ares have built a tunnel under the river so Darrow’s fleet can get under the Citadel wall, but when they emerge from the water, a Brown girl sets off an EMP device that renders their war suits useless. Darrow and several others fall to the bottom of the river; Darrow cuts himself free with his razor, then saves Ragnar. Together, they kill the enemy forces along the riverbank and save the rest of their group. Darrow sends Ragnar on a mission with the remaining Obsidians to open the gate for reinforcements.

Darrow, Sevro, and the surviving Howlers continue to the Citadel. When they arrive, Sevro uses his gravBoots (boots that alter gravity) to take Darrow onto a wall of the Citadel, but the boots give out, leaving Darrow alone. Darrow’s reinforcements break through the gate and forcefield protecting the top of the city. Octavia attempts to escape, and Darrow chases her, grabbing hold of her ship as it departs. He faces off with several enemies and is nearly killed, but Fitchner, Octavia’s advisor, reveals that he is Ares, leader of the Sons of Ares. He saves Darrow by setting off a grenade on the ship.

Darrow awakens to discover Octavia escaped, Augustus now controls Mars, and the Jackal has taken control of a city. He reconnects with his friends and discusses future plans with Fitchner and Sevro. Fitchner instructs Darrow to let Augustus adopt him and to help Augustus become the Sovereign, making Darrow heir to Sovereign’s throne and positioning him to dismantle the Society’s social order. Darrow agrees but wants to take Mustang with him to visit his Red family first. Fitchner grants permission with the caveat that Sevro will kill Mustang if she turns against Darrow.

Darrow goes to Lykos, his home city, and orders the mine Magistrate to throw a feast for the Reds. Afterward, he and Mustang walk to his family’s unit, and he leaves Mustang in the hall with a holoCube showing a video of his carving, revealing his true background. He speaks with his mother, who fears for his safety and worries his mission will end in his death.

Mustang leaves after watching the video, and Sevro tracks her on his dataPad. Darrow wanders through Lykos, trying to contact Mustang when she suddenly sneaks up on him, points a weapon at his chest, and demands answers, fearing Darrow intends to start a genocide against Golds. Darrow drops his weapons and kneels in front of her, a gesture copied by Ragnar. Mustang leaves and disappears—no one knows where she is.

A celebration is thrown in Darrow’s honor, but during the ceremonial awarding of the Triumph Mask, Darrow is betrayed and drugged by Roque, who has discovered Darrow’s Red origins. Victra (Darrow’s friend) is shot, Lorn is killed, Fitchner’s head is in the box intended to hold the Triumph Mask, and Darrow is taken prisoner by the Jackal.