Light Bringer: Red Rising, Book 6

I’m struggling to put words together on how wonderful Light Bringer, the penultimate book in the Red Rising saga was, Brown went out and shook me to my core and made me feel things that I was not expecting at all. There were times during the first 30% or so that I was left speechless, and times where I just needed a break because certain scenes just felt like they were dragging a little long. But then the culmination of those scenes hit and the understanding of why Mr. Brown took that journey, was worth it in the end. Something I didn’t really put together until now, partially because of some chapter header quotes by Homer, is that the story does weave in some of Odysseus’ journey and the perils he faced along the way to get home from The Odyssey, as well as a little bit of the revolt of Spartacus.One of the best thing about this series has always been the strong cast of characters, and Brown continued to do an excellent job of building relationships between the characters. The relationships that are formed is what really Carrie’s Light Bringer in a different light because of how it shapes each character. Brown continues to do a spectacular job of giving me all the feels for these characters, and one of the minor issues I had in the last installment is no longer an issue! Because of the Spartacus and Odysseus references I mentioned, I also noticed that Pierce has basically set the characters up, mainly Darrow, to be a bit of a characterization of Sisyphus from Greek mythology, who was condemned to roll a rock up to the top of a mountain, only to have the rock roll back down to the bottom every time he reaches the top.“In the cold prison of our minds, we are alone with our self-hatred, our doubts, and guilt.No one more than Sevro. A friend may reach through the bars and hold our hand, but they cannot open the door for us. Only the prisoner has the key. All I can do is remind him we’re waiting for him when he gets out.”Pierce’s writing is something magical, it’s gritty and beautiful, and will always get my mind racing on what is going to happen next, because you never know with Pierce. Light Bringer was masterfully written in every single way that I can possibly think, which is why I didn’t expect to get hurt the way that I got hurt, but wow, Pierce really did decide to plunge a dagger in and give it a twist on more than one occasion. It was an enthralling symphony of emotions that had me whirling from the intensity of every scene, which had my heart thumping out of my chest. There were also some pretty amazing fight scenes left me absolutely floored. Pierce saves the best for last, because one of the absolute best scenes happens close to the end, and all I could do was grin from ear to ear.On top of everything, Tim Gerard Reynolds comes back and gives yet an incredible performance with his narration. He really did a great job and put me in a trance by making me feel the pain, anger, happiness and joy of each one of the characters with his tones. I don’t think there was one voice that he did that I didn’t like, it was the perfect narration for the perfect series. While I didn’t hate the second trilogy, I was a bigger fan of the first one, and in my opinion, Light Bringer was on par if not even better than those.

This book, like this entire series, continues to astound with the epic and the tragic of human greatness and human depravity... of love, of hate, of forgiveness, of standing For what is right and good; and, of standing Against what is wrong and bad... and the ofttimes horrific cost, regardless of which side You choose as right or wrong.It's amazing in insight into the complexities of friendships, of relationships, of societies, of politics, of religious structures, and of simple (anything But!) Humanity.The emotions evoked are full- spectrum, rich, inescapable, poignant, lasting...

Tears, as I finish. The first new Red Rising book in four long years, and it leaves me in tears. But not without hope.Dark Age represented a low point in the series. Not in quality, but in disposition, and in outlook. Light Bringer then, we hoped, would bring us a reprieve from darkness, as its title suggests. It did and it didn't. This is Solar War. This is hardship, pain, loss. You cannot expect to be met purely with light in the worlds Pierce has created. But... he has shown us a path.Darrow's path. A spiritual reckoning has been long overdue for Darrow, this man who we have read about for a decade now, since he was just sixteen years old. But to heal, one must admit that they are broken. That they have done wrong, and see it as such. And so finally, here, between these pages, it was time to repair what had been cracked for so long. And so this new path and the walking of it resulted in a story for Darrow that I did not expect. But sometimes the best stories, the stories we need, instead of the ones we want, are the ones that touch us the most.So, Pierce returns to us after a long time away. One gets the sense that the path Darrow walked was one Pierce himself has trodden. During a dark time, one full of doubt, one that involved throwing away hundreds of pages of what would eventually become this book, it seems that Pierce found his own path. The walking of which led us here. The walking of which led Darrow here. Which saw him grow in ways I wasn't sure he ever would. Ways that bring a smile to my face. For both of them.And so, all that I love about this series is on display. It remains as strong, as worthy, as captivating a story as when I first read it, years ago. Even more so now, since we've spent years with some of these characters. Many we love, some we hate. An ambiguous nature is a part of these books now. It's what happens when you are forced behind the eyes of a character like Lysander. Questions arise. Questions that flit around concepts like morality and righteousness. We see that circumstance, as much as conviction, or motivation, guides ones actions. Beyond this, the books are just fun S**t escalates, always. Pierce remains expert at displaying visceral realism within a high-tech theater of war. He is a fantastic plotter, he's funny, and his stories grow in the telling.Light Bringer for Darrow, and perhaps for us as well, was a journey of the body, the brain, and the heart. It set us on a path of truth, reflection and friendship. A path of hope. A path of light. A path of consequences, but also of discovery. Of peace, of flow, and of the breath of stone.

I would definitely recommend reading the Red Rising series. It’s a long journey but will leave you wanting more.

Un libro duele cuando es demasiado bueno.Tengo demasiadas emociones ahorita. No me miren.

Não quero dar spoilers, mas a forma como o Pierce Brown trabalha com o desenvolvimento dos personagens, tanto mental como emocional, é um dos motivos de eu amar tanto essa série. Sem falar nas sequências de batalha que são as mais bem escritas que eu já li.

You the drill about Pierce, he never dissapoints, just read and enjoy(cry)

One of the best sci-fi series out there! Amazing read