Golden Son (Red Rising Saga, #2)

As his final task at the Academy, Darrow is assigned a war fleet and must overpower his opponent, Karnus au Bellona. It’s been almost a year since he has spoken to Mustang, his one-time ally at the Institute, and two years since he has been contacted by the Sons of Ares, the rebel group who saved Darrow from execution and surgically carved him from a Red into a Gold. Reds are the lowest social order in the Society while Golds are the highest. Darrow’s friends, Roque, Tactus, and Victra assist him with the training mission. During his time at the Institute, a lower-level war training program, Darrow formed a close bond with Cassius au Bellona, which was destroyed when Darrow was forced to kill Cassius’s younger brother, Julian. Darrow’s ship is manned by Blues (pilots), Greys (soldiers), and Obsidians (large, powerful fighters).

Roque argues that Karnus is drawing them into a trap, but the others don’t feel Karnus is a threat since Darrow has seven ships to Karnus’s one. Darrow orders his friends to assume their positions and chants “Hic sunt leones” meaning “Here be lions” (7), the motto of Nero au Augustus, their master and the ArchGovernor of Mars.