A tale set in a bleak future society torn by class divisions follows the experiences of secret revolutionary Darrow, who after witnessing his wife's execution by an oppressive government joins a revolutionary cell and attempts to infiltrate an elite military academy.

Darrow is a Red? a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. He works all day? believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. But they have been betrayed. Darrow discovers that vast cities and sprawling parks cover the planet? and Reds are nothing more than slaves to the decadent Gold ruling caste. Now he will sacrifice everything and stop at nothing to bring down his enemies.

In the future, when mankind has spread across thestars, the hierarchy of man is dictated by the color of one's caste. TheGolds rule all, but what will happen when one falls for a lowly Red? See how aforbidden love will set the course of events for the future and lead to theformation of the formidable Sons of Ares! --Publisher.

"In the future, when mankind has spread across the stars, the hierarchy of man is dictated by the color of one's caste. The Golds rule all, but what will happen when one falls for a lowly Red? See how a forbidden love will set the course of events for the future and lead to the formation of the formidable Sons of Ares!"--Jacket flap.

Ares may not always be in control, but he has a plan--and it's a doozy. Join him and his crew for the story that sets the fuse for the Rising that Darrow will inherit.

A decade ago, Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society, and abolish the color-coded caste system. But the Rising has shattered everything, and brought endless war. New foes emerge to threaten what has been earned, and throughout the worlds other destinies entwine with Darrow's to change his fate forever. A young Red girl flees tragedy in her refugee camp, and achieves for herself a new life she could never have imagined. An ex-soldier broken by grief is forced to steal the most valuable thing in the galaxy -- or pay with his life. And Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile to the Sovereign, wanders the stars with his mentor, Cassius, haunted by the loss of the world that Darrow transformed, and dreaming of what will rise from its ashes.

"With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender's Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown's genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown's continuing status as one of fiction's most exciting new voices. Praise for Red Rising "[A] spectacular adventure. one heart-pounding ride. Pierce Brown's dizzyingly good debut novel evokes The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, and Ender's Game. [Red Rising] has everything it needs to become meteoric."--Entertainment Weekly "I don't know what Pierce Brown did before he started writing books, but whatever it was, he was wasting his time. Fast-paced, gripping, well-written--the sort of book you cannot put down. I am already on the lookout for the next one."--Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Shannara "Pierce Brown has done an astounding job at delivering a powerful piece of literature that will definitely make a mark in the minds of readers."--The Huffington Post "Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow: Pierce Brown's empire-crushing debut is a sprawling vision of humanity's diaspora to the stars."--Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Nocturnal "[A] great debut. The author gathers a spread of elements together in much the same way George R.R. Martin does."--Tor.com"--

The legendary Reaper, Darrow, to defend Mars from a bloodthirsty would-be conqueror, begins his long voyage home, an interplanetary adventure where old friends will reunite, new alliances will be forged, and rivals will clash on the battlefield.

Darrow wages a rogue war on Mercury, hoping he can salvage the dream of Eo. As he leaves death and destruction in his wake, his legacy as a hero is in question. Meanwhile, Lysander au Lune has returned to the Core to try to unite the treacherous Gold families.

For a decade Darrow led a revolution against the corrupt color-coded Society. Now, outlawed by the very Republic he founded, he wages a rogue war on Mercury in hopes that he can still salvage the dream of Eo. But as he leaves death and destruction in his wake, is he still the hero who broke the chains? Or will another legend rise to take his place? Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile, has returned to the Core. Determined to bring peace back to mankind at the edge of his sword, he must overcome or unite the treacherous Gold families of the Core and face down Darrow over the skies of war-torn Mercury. But theirs are not the only fates hanging in the balance. On Luna, Mustang, Sovereign of the Republic, campaigns to unite the Republic behind her husband. Beset by political and criminal enemies, can she outwit her opponents in time to save him? Once a Red refugee, young Lyria now stands accused of treason, and her only hope is a desperate escape with unlikely new allies. Abducted by a new threat to the Republic, Pax and Electra, the children of Darrow and Sevro, must trust in Ephraim, a thief, for their salvation--and Ephraim must look to them for his chance at redemption. As alliances shift, break, and re-form--and power is seized, lost, and reclaimed--every player is at risk in a game of conquest that could turn the Rising into a new Dark Age.