Dark Age by Pierce Brown

Red Rising Saga. Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9781473646759.
(Young Adult/Adult). Recommended. Dark Age is the fifth instalment in Pierce Brown's dystopian science fiction Red Rising Saga and the tone of the book is indicated by the title. This a dark, unpredictable and action-packed ride to continue Brown's epic series.
Part space opera, part high political drama, Dark Age resumes the story of Darrow, the Republic he founded and the corrupt Society he has spent more than a decade fighting. Once a successful revolutionary, Darrow is now an outlaw, his children have been abducted or imprisoned and an age of political and social chaos threatens. The story is told from the points of view of five characters; Darrow, his wife and sovereign Virginia, Ephraim the thief, Lysander the heir and Lyria, risen from the dead. As with all of the books in the Red Rising Saga, there are battles, deaths and complex plot lines, all aided by Brown's considerable stylistic strengths and pithy dialogue. However at more than 800 pages, the novel does being to drag. As with many 'middle' books in series, the reader may be forgiven for questioning whether all 800 pages were entirely necessary. Nevertheless, Dark Age does well to pick set the scene for what should be a thrilling conclusion to the series.
Dark Age is not suitable for younger teen audiences and a content warning must be given for murder, graphic assault and violence. However, fans of the Red Rising Saga will be satisfied with the latest instalment in the series and eager to see how Darrow's story concludes. Themes: War, Politics, Revolution, Corruption, Death, Space, Mars.
Rose Tabeni