Golden Son

Summary

Setting

Set in a dystopian future where humanity has colonized the solar system, Red Rising takes place primarily on Mars. Society is structured into a rigid caste system, with the ruling Golds at the top and the laboring Reds at the bottom. The story follows Darrow, a lowly Red who toils beneath Mars’ surface, believing his work is crucial to terraforming the planet for future generations. However, he soon discovers that Mars is already habitable, and his people have been deceived and enslaved for generations.

Plot Overview

Darrow's life takes a tragic turn when his wife, Eo, is publicly executed for defying the oppressive rule of the Golds. Inspired by her dream of a free world, Darrow is recruited by a rebel group known as the Sons of Ares. They surgically transform him into a Gold—enhancing his physique, intelligence, and appearance—to infiltrate their society and dismantle it from within.

Darrow gains entry into the Institute, an elite academy where the best and brightest Golds are trained to become future rulers. The Institute is less of a school and more of a brutal war game, where students are divided into houses and forced to wage battle against one another in a ruthless test of leadership, strategy, and survival.

Darrow quickly proves himself to be a cunning and ruthless leader, forming alliances with outcasts while learning to navigate the treacherous world of the Golds. However, he also begins to recognize complexity within his enemies, questioning whether all Golds are inherently evil. He earns the respect of figures like Mustang and Cassius but also makes powerful enemies, including the sadistic and ambitious Gold known as the Jackal.

As the Institute’s war games escalate, Darrow maneuvers his way to victory, defeating his rivals through a mix of strategy, manipulation, and brute force. By the novel’s end, he has risen to prominence among the Golds, securing a place in the upper echelons of their society—his first step toward bringing it down from within.

Favorite Quotes

• [3] Quote One

Final Thoughts

Key Takeaways

Characters

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Notes

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Notes