All the Books.

" Golden Son  picks up where Red Rising  left off and it grabs the reader tight and never lets go; especially with the gut wrenching, jaw dropping twist of an ending." 5 Stars Pros:  More background on the characters of Fitchner/Sevro et al/The constant internal struggle that Darrow faces and the choices he must make/The Jackal is a delightfully evil character.   Cons :  There are a lot of characters and some are lost in the background, so you're not sure if you should miss them when they're gone.  Full Review:  Picking up two years after the surprising conclusion of Red Rising,  Darrow is now a Lancer to House Augustus, training at the Academy on the ways to leading his own interstellar fleet. He hasn't heard a word from the Sons of Areas since he was placed into Gold Society and he isn't sure if he is still a part of their plans. It isn't until an incident at the Academy desecrates his reputation and Augustus sells his contract to the highe...

"A truly disturbing novel that makes you appreciate your freedom but it also left a sick feeling in my stomach at the end." 2 Stars Pros:  The juxtaposition between how Jack sees Room and how Ma does is interesting in its simplicity and horror.  Cons :  The premise is extremely disturbing, so much so that I almost stopped reading/A story told from the point of view of a 5 year old can get really annoying, really fast, language wise.  Full Review:  All Jack knows is Room. He knows Bed, Tub, Sink, Table, Chair and Wardrobe, where he sleeps. He knows all the words to all the books that he owns and he loves playing with his Ma. She is the only thing he knows and understands. She and Room make up his entire world.  But there's a much more sinister side to it all. Jack also knows that by 9 pm he has to be in Wardrobe or Old Nick will see him when the door goes "beep beep" and he comes into Room. Jack always stays in Wardrobe because that's what Ma tells him to do...

" The Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones but packed with so much emotion, struggle, intricately rich characters and sharply carved twists/turns that it keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page." 5 STARS Pros: The author is phenomenally good at making you feel the struggle of Darrow and his dual roles/The Jackal is a truly terrifying character.  Cons : There are a LOT of characters to keep track of and though the most important do stand out, sometimes people can get lost in the shuffle.  Full Review:  Darrow is a Red, born on a colony in Lykos, his life's purpose to mine and gather Helium 3, which he is led to believe, will help the others terraform Mars when they arrive. This is all he knows. This is his life. He works, he loves his wife Eo and they celebrate simple things like songs, dancing and family. But his world all comes crashing down when he and Eo find a secret garden and are sentenced to be flogged as punishment.  Darrow takes the pun...

"Though there were times in the novel where it seemed like things were connecting and making sense, the ending overall left me bewildered and asking myself what the Hell did I just read?"  2 Stars.  Pros: There were some truly hysterically funny moments/Hal is a conflicted but likable character as is Don Gately and many of the other characters.  Cons : There were many, many times where I had absolutely no idea what I was reading, who I should be concerned about, what it all meant/The lack of a more or less linear plot and the ending really just fell flat.  Full Review:  I'm finding it almost impossible to put this book into words.  There are many, many separate story lines that are all happening at once and all involve numerous characters but the main ones seem to be (and emphasis on seem to be because this whole book left me feeling disconnected with reality) as such.  Hal Incandenza is the youngest son of the late James O. Incandenza, the founder of...