Light Bringer is the sixth book of the Red Rising Saga, and the third of the Iron Gold Tetralogy. The book was officially announced by Pierce Brown at San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2022.[1] The book was originally planned to be published in May 2023.[2] The actual release date was July 25, 2023.
On November 4, 2022, Pierce revealed the book cover of the novel via social media.[3]
Synopsis[]
“The measure of a man is not the fear he sows in his enemies. It is the hope he gives his friends.”—Virginia au Augustus
The Reaper is a legend, more myth than man: the savior of worlds, the leader of the Rising, the breaker of chains.
But the Reaper is also Darrow, born of the red soil of Mars: a husband, a father, a friend.
The worlds once needed the Reaper. But now they need Darrow. Because after the dark age will come a new age: of light, of victory, of hope.
Plot[]
WARNING: This section reveals MAJOR SPOILERS from this and prior books. It is meant to be used as a reference for those who have already read the book and need the information or a refresher on the storyline. By no means is this meant to be an alternative to reading the book. Read at your own risk.
Part I: Circus[]
- DARROW
It is now 8 months after the fall of Heliopolis. Darrow and his surviving troops are stranded aboard the Archimedes. Cassius au Bellona was able to ferry them out of Heliopolis after Lysander au Lune defeated the Free Legions, but the ship is now crippled, hidden in a ring of trash moons close to the sun. Cassius and Aurae, a Pink companion hailing from the Rim, have left them behind in search for helium for the Archimedes. They have been gone for six weeks. Darrow has had no outside communication with the Republic, and is in the dark about the course of the war. He feels guilt weighing on him for abandoning millions of his troops, including his niece Rhonna, on the sands of Mercury to die.
Darrow’s only notable possession is a tattered book given to him by Aurae. It has many opaque meditations that Darrow has grown to appreciate. However, the mood overall is dreary, as he and his 200 surviving troops are trapped in a monotonous cycle of shift management to repair their ship. The Free Legions were obliterated on Mercury, the White Fleet is in shambles, and the Obsidians have abandoned them.
Although it troubles Darrow to admit it, a small part of him resents Sevro for leaving before Mercury. His leadership and camaraderie with the troops was sorely missed. To pass the time, Darrow trains with the razor, looking to regain his form after his duel with Lysander. He listens to the book while he practices as it recites various philosophical understandings.
“The fourth understanding: the supreme good is the wind of the deepmines. It flows through rock, around people, and all over lands. The wind is oblivious to obstacles though they shape her path. When you smell rust on her breeze, or hear the echo of tools in the dark, smile and be glad. The path is upon you, and you are upon it. All you must do is walk.”
Darrow finds the book comforting, a familiar presence in this bleak time. He records several audio messages for Virginia and Pax as part of a memoir, continuing a months-old project. Then, an alarm blares throughout the ship, with Screwface warning of an inbound Votum torchShip.
Darrow, eager for some action, runs into Thraxa, equally excited. The Telemanus is the only warrior onboard with a razor, as Darrow’s was shattered in Heliopolis. Their excitement dies down as the ship identifies itself, but hope is reignited. The pilot is Colloway xe Char, the new commander of Darrow’s fleet in the wake of Orion’s death. He tells them Mars still stands, and Virginia and Pax are alive. The Rim has also brought two armadas to the war. The stalwart Helios au Lux commands the Dust Armada, while Dido au Raa has the Dragon Armada. Colloway tells Darrow of Sefi’s death and that Quicksilver has seemingly quit the war as well.
The Blue looks at Darrow with condemnation in his eyes, saying the troops who weren't evacuated were eaten by Atalantia’s hounds or impaled by Atlas. The road of spikes went from Heliopolis to Tyche. Cassius also arrives with Aurae, bringing the valuable helium they needed for the Archimedes. The bad news continues for Darrow, as he learns that Sevro was sold in an auction to Apollonius au Valii-Rath. A holo is shown of a beaten Goblin, his eyes looking more defeated than Darrow can ever remember. He is being held on the dockyards of Venus.
Darrow sees an opportunity to rescue Sevro and strike at Apollonius. This seemingly suicidal mission is too much for his beleaguered troops, and they ask him to abandon his hope of rescuing Sevro. Cassius confronts Darrow, who says his mission will draw eyes to Venus and allow the rest of his men to escape to Mars, while giving the Republic a new hope in the war. Surprising him and Cassius, Aurae volunteers to accompany the Reaper. She convinces Cassius to join as well. The Bellona confesses to Darrow how he believes in the Republic and the Rising, but is still trapped by guilt for the crimes he committed under Octavia’s command. Darrow reveals to Cassius their escape plan, an atomic warhead.
Darrow and Cassius head for the Archimedes in Colloway’s hangar. The way is barred by his men and commanders, who implore him to stay with them and defend Mars. Darrow refuses, adamant the path to victory lies through Venus. Thraxa gives him her razor amidst the stony silence. Darrow knows his troops see him as abandoning his home planet as he turns to leave his friends.
Darrow, Aurae, and Cassius arrive at Venus. Disguising themselves as Rath knights, they leap from the Archimedes as Aurae remains in orbit as their escape pilot. Cassius and Darrow begin looking for Sevro’s cell. They kidnap a Green and force her to locate Sevro. Cassius and Darrow find the cell, but the man inside is an imposter. The gravity increases inside, and the door slams shut behind them. A voice drifts overhead. It is Apollonius, who has trapped Darrow and Cassius and played them for fools.
Darrow is taken to a gladiatorial arena, where he is to duel Apollonius. He and Cassius are surprised by the amount of men the Minotaur has been able to accrue, with many of them Martian exiles. It seems Lysander has been ferrying legions to Apollonius. The Minotaur appears, putting on a grand spectacle for his raving soldiers. Cassius and Darrow still don’t know where Sevro is, and are resigned to relying on Aurae and the atomic to escape. Darrow notices the remnants of two faint wounds on his enemy, and begins to put two and two together.
The Minotaur brandishes his razor, three times as thick as a conventional one, and brings forth Darrow and Cassius’s razors. He also reveals their atomic, ruining their chances of escape.
Darrow and Apollonius begin to duel. The Reaper falls into the Willow Way, but Apollonius slowly builds up the speed and ferocity of his attacks. His conditioning and strength is extraordinary, and soon Darrow is bleeding from a multitude of wounds. The truth is shocking: Apollonius has figured out how to beat the Willow Way. He is magnitudes better than Darrow with a razor, making his death inevitable. The Minotaur, frustrated that Darrow seems past his prime, worries his victory will be tainted. As he prepares to land a killing blow, an explosion goes off outside the coliseum.
Darrow, knowing the bomb wasn’t from Aurae, realizes Sevro must have escaped and is causing chaos in the dockyards. It is revealed that Asmodeus au Carthii has led a strike force from the north pole of Venus, seeking to reclaim the dockyards and kill Apollonius. Apollonius prepares to lead his legions in the defense, dragging along Darrow and Cassius as prisoners. The soldiers become pinned in a corridor only ten paces wide after several bulkheads refuse to open, likely from Sevro’s sabotage. Enemy leechcraft on the other side begin to melt through the door, putting Apollonius in an extremely vulnerable position. Trapped, the Minotaur decides to hit the invaders as hard as possible.
The breach opens, with Obsidian berserkers and Carthii Ram-Lads fanatically pouring through, creating an unstoppable surge of human mass. They plow through the front-line Grays, and Apollonius and his Golds surge forward to clear the holes. As the chaos unfolds, Darrow and Cassius escape their captors. They flee to the rear bulkhead, which finally falls and creates a massive stampede from the soldiers desperate to escape the killing ground. A starShell towers over Cassius and Darrow and unleashes a howl. It is Sevro. He leads them away from the battle to an extraction point, where Darrow is able to contact Aurae. They escape onto the Archimedes and fly away from the battle.
The reunion between Darrow and Sevro is awkward. They are able to reconcile with the other’s different paths, however. Sevro tells Darrow once they return to Mars, he is done with the war. Cassius, however, still draws the angst of the Goblin for raising Lysander.
Aurae enters. She reveals she is an agent for the Daughters of Athena, a sister organization of the Sons of Ares that has arisen in the Rim since Fitchner’s death. A holo is played for Sevro from Athena herself, along with a message from Fitchner. He is implored to reach out to the Daughters to become their general, their god of war. She has a fleet of ships, ready for Sevro’s disposal. Sevro, taken aback, retreats to his quarters. Darrow follows him, assuring him he will step in Sevro’s place so he can see his family again. He sees an opportunity to deliver Athena’s ships to the Republic’s war effort.
Later, Darrow begins training with Cassius again in the razor. He must adapt if he is to face Apollonius again, or even Diomedes au Raa.
- LYSANDER
Back in Heliopolis, Lysander falls into his new role as the beloved hero of Mercury’s people, who still loathe Darrow and Atalantia equally. There is friction between Rhone and Glirastes, which Lysander tries to quell. He is also dealing with the insulting absence of Julia au Bellona in his victory games, a problem given her sizeable control over the Society Senators. Glirastes cautions against an alliance with the Minotaur and Carthii, saying they are too unpredictable and beneath the Lune. Pytha meets them, Lysander’s new commander and pilot of the Lightbringer, formerly named Morning Star, Darrow's flagship. The games will conclude with its launch, and Lysander and Pytha’s reputations hinge on its success.
It is clear to Lysander now that while Darrow grievously wounded Kalindora au San in battle, it was Atalantia au Grimmus who poisoned the Love Knight, leading to her death. He heads to his box to socialize with the Core politicians. Lysander sees Horatia au Votum, a political ally with him against Atalantia’s dominant Iron bloc. For all intents and purposes, the Grimmus warlord remains a dictator over the Society Remnant, enjoying the lion’s share of resources, military might, and prestige.
Despite detesting the Carthiis, Lysander recognizes the importance of their dockyards on Venus to keep their military machine running. Even though Apollonius now controls that port, he has signed a detente with Atalantia to keep sending ships to her. As Rhone and Kyber, another of Lysander’s bodyguards, keep watch, Valeria au Carthii walks up. She is one of the most ambitious of gens Carthii present, and poses an interesting political opportunity for Lysander. The Lune maintains his quiet appearance in the background of all the politics, telling Valeria he only wants to focus on winning the war for Golds. She requests his help in reclaiming the Dockyards, her inheritance. Lysander plays coy, as he also has negotiated in secret an alliance with Apollonius.
Lysander chats with Cicero au Votum, who he has come to see as a friend. They are interrupted by the brash Tharsus au Valii-Rath, who continues to peeve Lysander by talking to him in public. The Lune wants to remain publicly apart from House Rath to allay suspicion of his talks with Apollonius. Tharsus believes himself untouchable, as Apollonius has the Society war machine in a stranglehold with his ships. He reveals the Minotaur has captured Darrow and Cassius. Lysander is floored at the news of his former mentor’s survival and his defection to Darrow.
Later that evening, a Rim ship by the name of Dustmaker lands in Heliopolis. Lysander strides out to meet the esteemed Helios au Lux and Diomedes au Raa. Helios wears a Cestus, battle glove the Rim uses to give a user, matched by their DNA to the Cestus, complete mastery over their ship. Lysander is particularly excited to see Diomedes again, who has made a name for himself in the war against Darrow. The Rim warriors reveal they plan to attend the Dictator’s Summit in Rome, where Atalantia will unveil her upcoming plans for the war. Presumably, the Remnant will strike at the Reaper’s home of Mars. It is a clear affront to Lysander. Despite being formally wed, he was not invited to or notified of the Summit. Helios tells Lysander the Rim will return to isolationism once the war is concluded. Lysander’s dream of Gold unity evaporates.
Atlas au Raa approaches the men, wearing a garish Venusian wig. Helios and Diomedes regard him as a traitor for becoming a tool of Octavia’s when he was her hostage, and leave. The Fear Knight tells Lysander he comes as a prefect to review his gala’s expenditures. Agreeing with seemingly every other Gold Lysander has talked to, Atlas tells the Lune to stay in his domestic office while the war is resolved. As he leaves, Lysander orders Kyber, a whisper, to shadow Atlas.
Lysander prepares to unveil the Lightbringer to the dignitaries, who silently anticipate a colossal failure. He hopes the successful launch will prove builders from outside the Carthiis can also produce warships. The Lightbringer is able to launch into a holding pattern over Heliopolis. A party begins, with Lysander receiving many congratulations from the politicians as the wind dramatically shifts. Then, Rhone interrupts and brings news of Asmodeus’s invasion of the dockyards, with Apollonius requesting reinforcements. Lysander tells Cicero au Votum to remove Tharsus from the party, but the Carthii have already heard the news. He rushes in to rescue the situation, finding Valeria au Carthii. Lysander quickly tells her of the troops he smuggled to Apollonius, and offers to hand her control over her House if she doesn’t expose him. Valeria agrees and is put in contact with Horatia au Votum. Atlas au Raa arrives, sending a chill through the party.
Tharsus flees the party, but he and his entourage are pursued by Atlas and his Gorgons. Atlas kills Tharsus’s companions, and throws him back into the party, where the Carthiis are laughing at his downfall. The Fear Knight lands, wearing gray armor and an iron gauntlet, the Iron Fist. He cuts off the Rath’s feet and hands, suspending him in zero-gravity with the gauntlet. Atlas then throws him in a manticore cage. He announces that because of the truce on Venus being broken, an inquest has been launched. Lysander is summoned to New Sparta on Earth, presumably to meet with Atalantia.
This puts Lysander in a dangerous position, as he is well aware of his popularity on Mercury. His political machinations have secured him several allies who are equally distrustful of Atalantia. As Lysander leaves on a shuttle with the Gorgons, they begin to beat him.
Part II: Rampart[]
- LYRIA
Lyria is searching for clues about Figment somewhere in the asteroid belt. Pax believes the parasite was damaged and attempting to guide the Red to somewhere it could be repaired. Now, however, it has gone silent, much to the frustration of Lyria and her ranger escorts. The rangers of the Republic are there to protect Lyria, whose code name is “Truffle Pig”, but would rather be on Mars to prepare its defenses. They must do their work while avoiding the detection of Rim squadrons and not receiving any reports from Mars.
Lyria and a ranger named Fel inspect an abandoned pirate base. They find bodies, victims of a highly contagious bioweapon called the Green Death, and lose contact with their ship. As they return to the Snowball, they see sleek, black warships appear from behind their asteroid. The ships destroy the Snowball, and Fel rushes in to evacuate their pilot, telling Lyria the Rim has found them. Lyria and the rangers flee to the pirate base, hoping to commandeer an abandoned corvette. The pursuing soldiers kill the pilot and cut Fel’s arm off. They corner Lyria and Fel, cutting the ranger’s legs and Lyria’s hand off, and preparing to take them back for questioning.
Then, the asteroid rumbles, several obelisks erupting from its surface. A blinding light strikes Lyria, and she reawakens to find herself floating in space. The obelisks have killed the Rim Golds, and now several chrome orbs fly around her. One approaches her, with a voice seemingly talking to the parasite inside her.
Lyria reawakens in a hospital bed, her hand reattached. She follows a path out to find Matteo, Quicksilver’s lover. He reveals they are in a self-contained ecosystem within the asteroid. The figment in Lyria’s head is called a psyche, a powerful AI tool that would allow the user to link their nervous system to machines while maintaining control over their body. It would give someone the ability to run a war from hundreds of kilometers away. They were invented by a Silver named Agala si Ken, who Quicksilver tried to commission more psyches from. In protest, she killed herself and released six of her prototypes into the Solar System, where one eventually found Lyria. Matteo tells Lyria it may be possible to repair her psyche, but she could potentially lose her memory. Instead, she asks that they remove it from her, saying she does not want to forget her family or Liam, her nephew and only surviving relative.
- VIRGINIA
Virginia leads the Republic from Agea. She sends a team to investigate Lyra’s findings in the asteroid belt and win Quicksilver back to their cause. Mars is currently under siege from the Remnant fleets, though Virginia is confident in the strength of its defenses. She and Kavax visit Pax at the Darkstar Conservatory, a school founded by the late Orion to train elite pilots. Virginia and the Telemanus share their frustrations over Lysander au Lune’s rise, and Kavax wants to know how Virginia has come to discover four high-ranking traitors under her command. They are interrupted by the arrival of Pax. Although it has only been six months since his enrollment, the son of Darrow has been placed on the Accelerated track and received the title of Adept Augustus.
Virginia tells him they may have found Quicksilver’s base, and that Valdir, the former warlord of Sefi, will not be pardoned for his crimes on Mars. She is proud of her son for all he has accomplished, but regrets he feels the need to become a weapon, a symbol for the people. Pax faces her with conviction in his heart.
“Mother, your inheritance was guilt. Father’s was surrender. Mine is struggle. I do not blame you. I thank you. You never pretended the world wasn’t broken, even when a broken world favored you.”
As Virginia embraces her son, he urges her to focus on the war and not to worry about him.
Harnassus, Screwface, Thraxa, and Colloway have made it safely to Mars. She learns that Sevro and Darrow are alive. Intel reports have been virtually nonexistent during the war, as the Republic’s telescope webs and sensor networks have been crippled. Virginia learns the Remnant fleet led by Lysander is on its way to Mars.
The day of battle arrives, with thousands of Red civilians praying to the Reaper. Virginia stands before the Pegasus Legion, still led by Thraxa. Victra will lead the naval battle.
“To fill his personal legions, my husband chose only his own breed. The kind of grunts who floss their teeth with the threads of enemy standards. Who sleep on volcanic rocks and win a fight in heaven or hell.”
Victra stands beside Virginia, looking tyrannical and daunting in her war armor. This will be her first military action since the death of Ulysses.
“They come for our children, Virginia. Do not fear for me. Instead, pity them.”
The battle begins at the moon of Phobos, a necessary staging point for the eventual battle on Mars itself. Its defenses are formidable, and Virginia watches the colossal statues of the Rising’s heroes from her own flagship. She lands on its surface and makes her way down to the Nucleus, the underground military command center for the impending siege. Holiday and her elite Lionguards stand at Virginia’s side.
Mars itself is protected by an OBC, an orbital battle station complex that lies in two staggered shells, one at 6km above the surface and the other at 3km. It becomes a waiting game as Lysander’s armada approaches, with the Lune in his flagship Lightbringer. Virginia’s intelligence believes the ship to pose no tactical threat. Surprisingly, Lysander’s fleet reduces velocity as they arrive, and Kavax notices two of the ships around Lightbringer don’t even have surface guns.
Hours pass as the fleets jockey for position. Virginia feels something is amiss, and notes in 31 minutes Lysander will be directly aligned with Phobos. Then, a stream of rail slugs strikes the Republic’s fleet, sending it into disarray. Virginia realizes they were fired weeks ago from the guns on Earth. Lysander had adjusted the velocity of his fleet to line up her ships precisely with the slugs’ trajectories. It is a stunning strike, with monumental amounts of mathematics behind it. The enemy fleet moves towards Victra, looking to destroy her at the North Pole of Mars.
The destroyers surrounding the Lightbringer charge in front. However, analysis reveals the ships are empty and being remotely controlled. Lysander is using them as shields to get closer to Phobos, negating the OBC guns will have on his armada. Virginia sees his gambit: the destroyers will act as battering rams, smashing into the moon’s shield, and allow for the Lightbringer to drop its legions on the surface.
The destroyers make contact. Virginia orders the shield to be lowered, sparing a general overload. A destroyer makes a massive crater on the surface as the Lightbringer exchanges fire with the ground guns on Phobos. Because of the debris, Lysander will have to adjust his landing zone. On the main screen, Virginia watches as Lysander’s Helldivers begin to drop. She orders the shields to be raised again to prevent further landfall from Lysander, knowing that the radiation will kill the engineers inside. Kavax departs the Nucleus to lead the Red Legion I in preventing the Helldivers from reaching the Core and main reactors.
Back in the Nucleus, Virginia readies herself for the infantry battle on the surface. If they lose, the docks and their army’s ability to replace lost ships are gone. The Remnant will be able to strangle Mars with Phobos as its base. The clawDrills have been able to circumvent the Republic’s Bastions, which were intended to be centers for reinforcements. The fighting underground is close-quarters chaos. Since the shield has been raised again, Lysander is outnumbered and his Helldivers are hunted down. Virginia’s Red Legion I rushes to seal breaches. Meanwhile, Kavax’s charge has stalled, Lysander’s Praetorian guard are putting up a stubborn fight. Virginia detects an enemy unit that has bypassed her centuries and is pushing to the reactor in its sector, mowing through the troops ordered by Virginia to intercept it. The Sovereign notices Ajax au Grimmus leading charge. She sends 1000 of her Lionguards to eliminate Ajax and his squad, which also includes Rhone.
As the ground battle continues to unfold, victory for the Republic seems more uncertain. Victra patches in, informing her that the navy is holding, but Apollonius, Cicero, and Diomedes are unaccounted for and presumably somewhere on the surface. Virginia is forced to use more of her Lionguard until only 500 remain in reserve. The Lightbringer withdraws, and Votum and Rath ships descend like tigers, waiting for the clawDrills to bring down the shields again.
The first Lionguards sent by Virginia are overrun, and she is forced to send the last of her reserves. However, the shield over the sector goes down, clearing the way for Votum and Rath troops to land. Virginia orders Kavax to withdraw, but gets no response. She can only watch as Apollonius’s reinforcements fall on Kavax’s division. Virginia orders a retreat from Sector One, commanding her forces to fall back to Sectors 2 and 8. It is a cold, inhuman game of chess she must play to manage the retreat, with necessary sacrifices of common troops to preserve her elite units. Kavax’s Drachenjaeger comes online, but Apollonius appears.
“War, the mortal hallelujah. Lionheart. I have broken your champion. Now, I come for you.”
Virginia and the Nucleus staff evacuate and flee for their fallback center in the Hollows. The Nucleus comes under fire from particle beams, causing the room to superheat. The unarmored lowColors burn alive while Virginia, Holiday, and her guard are able to escape in an emergency lift. It stalls, and the two Lionguards who leave to scout quickly vanish. The Minotaur and his troops are hunting. Virginia knows she and her guard are in danger of being cut off, and they must navigate the maze of dark hallways to avoid capture or death. As they run, Virginia can hear the Minotaur’s horn as he closes in.
They learn Kavax is alive, his back was broken by Apollonius and he is now a prisoner. Arriving at a tunnel that leads to their escape shaft, Holiday detects Apollonius waiting in ambush. Virginia sees an opportunity. She plans to capture Apollonius and exchange him for Kavax in a prisoner swap. They stage a false retreat, and Apollonius and his Golds erupt from the tunnel to chase them. The Lionguards try to use a net to capture the Minotaur, with Virginia remaining anonymous in the same armor as her Grays. They are able to fire a net that electrocutes his armor, but Apollonius sees Virginia at the last second as she stabs him in the leg with her razor. He uses the razor to cut himself free, but the Lions get a shield-dome up, trapping him inside with Virginia and seven of her Grays. They battle to subdue Apollonius and tranquilize him, but the Minotaur is too strong. He kills several Lions and fights off the tranquilizer. Then, one of his troops outside rolls a grenade under the shield. It detonates, stunning everyone inside. A dazed Virginia gets to her feet and orders a retreat with Holiday as Apollonius slowly rises.
Virginia has lost half of the Lions she fled the nucleus with. Holiday is slowed by a gut wound at the hand of Apollonius. They are forced to stop, even as Apollonius and Cicero now close in. However, Virginia realizes they are near the brig, where dangerous prisoners are kept. Taking a GhostCloak, she sneaks past Cicero himself and enters the prison. It is there she finds Valdir Unshorn, former warlord of Sefi the Quiet. She convinces him and 63 Obsidians to help her bodyguards escape. In the dark and rising heat, which is negating thermal optics for Apollonius, the Stained warriors pose a terrifying threat. Valdir and his braves ambush Cicero and Apollonius, and are able to drive them back. Only 10 Obsidians remain. Apollonius killed 10 himself, and Cicero claimed the lives of 4. Virginia, Holiday, and the remaining Lions are able to escape the Nucleus. It is a race over open ground to the Hollows, but they manage to make it to the Hollows.
The battle rages on for 12 more days. For Virginia, it has become less about strategy and more of the emotional draining she faces as she chooses which troops to sacrifice. Victra remains stranded behind enemy lines, and there has been no word from Darrow or Sevro. Kavax is still a prisoner, and Mars is unable to send Virginia the reinforcements she badly needs. As she visits the wounded troops, Virginia is taken aback by their fanatic conviction for their cause and Darrow.
“I pity them for their faith in my husband as much as I cherish and admire their conviction. Golds are a faithless breed, founded in the gross sobriety of atheism, but the rest of the colors are willing to believe.”
Victra, Thraxa, and the Pegasus Legions then make a triumphant return from Sector 1. They bring the Sovereign the head of Ajax au Grimmus and Cicero au Votum as their prisoner.
Some days later, Lysander and Virginia meet in secret while the war rages on. The Lune is taller than her, and wears the face of a battle-tested commander who has come to conquer. He knows his forces are slowly gaining the upper hand over the Republic, while Darrow remains missing.
“I am here. Above his planet. Talking to his wife. Where is he?”
“I have Darrow’s blade. I have Darrow’s warship. Now I have more than a third of your moon. By the end of the week, half your army will be cut off and herded toward the Hollows, where we will kill them.”
Virginia firmly states she will not surrender Phobos, and is prepared to start another Rat War, which would be a costly and bloody campaign for Lysander. He offers a deal. He will allow for Virginia and her legions to surrender Phobos and have safe passage down to Mars. In exchange, they will agree to not scuttle the Julii dockyards and hand over the codes to the defense systems. Lysander reveals he will give Apollonius control over the moon, and that he plans to call a referendum to the 200 to remove Atalantia’s dictatorial powers. He will then duel her and kill her. Virginia agrees to the deal, and she and Lysander also decide to exchange Kavax and Ajax’s head for two Oracles and Cicero.
Most of Virginia’s commanders are upset at the parlay, but Holiday agrees with Virginia’s logic.
“Atalantia is raw power and a realist. Lune is an idealist. When she is gone, his allies will fight to fill her vacuum.”
The Republic views Atalantia as the larger threat, taking Lysander’s deal as an opportunity to create more discord within the Remnant.
Virginia is nervous. She is about to receive a tightbeam from the Archimedes, contacting her husband for the first time in ages.
“It doesn’t feel long ago I sat atop my horse looking down at two young men by a loch at the Institute.”
“The dark one. Not in features, but dark in his energy. There was a man who needed no witnesses to burn. His energy was igneous and parthenogenetic, fire reproduced of itself. It wasn’t love that he awoke in me. It was fear.”
Darrow appears on her screen. He is relieved to hear of Char, Screw, Thraxa, and Haranassus’s survivals, and tells his wife he is days away from Mars. Although in her heart Virginia desperately wants Mars to be reunited with its hero, its Red God, her mind tells that is not the logical move. If Darrow sneaks past Lysander and lands on Mars, he becomes just as stuck as the rest of the Republic. Instead, Virginia needs him to find an armada and return as its savior.
- LYSANDER
On Earth, Lysander reunites with Ajax au Grimmus, who has been removed from high command in the wake of his defeat at Heliopolis. He tells Lysander Atalantia is sending ten legions to Venus. The former friends turned enemies have fallen back in good graces, seemingly united in their newfound dislike of Atalantia. As Atlas arrives to summon Lysander to a meeting with the Dictator, Ajax urges him to kneel and give her what she wants. Two massive gun towers loom in the distance as Lysander leaves to meet the Dictator.
Atalantia has gained control over Earth and her ancestral home in Africa, although parts of the planet still need to be pacified. She plans for Scipio au Falthe, not Ajax, to serve as its ArchGovernor. With Earth’s population now available to replenish her ranks, she tells Lysander she has 40 more legions backordered. It is a staggering amount and speaks to her tremendous military might. Atalantia also confides in him that she will launch an Iron Rain on Luna in six months instead of Mars, believing his legacy ended and his spirit broken.
“From anyone else except Atlas, it would sound like bravado. But this is Atalantia, the only person to have actually beaten Darrow in a fair fight.”
Lysander learns he will be dropping in the Rain on Luna. This will not only aggravate Ajax, but the Rim delegation. Atalantia and Atlas insist that an Iron Rain on Mars would be strategically impossible, given its size, shields, resources, and hostile population. Lysander knows that Atalantia seeks to use the Rim to wear down Mars in order to weaken two of her main political rivals.
Atalantia then brings forth Glirastes, who has been tortured and psychologically manipulated to behave like a dog. It is a lesson for Lysander, whom the Grimmus knows has been forming a faction behind her back. She slaps the Lune over and over, who drops to his knees and asks for forgiveness. Inside, a boiling hatred grows for Atalantia, and Lysander is able to put on a convincing facade of shame. Atalantia forgives him, and tells him that at the summit tomorrow he will remain silent among her supporters, saying nothing else.
“It is Lysander the Peacemaker I desire. Not Lysander the Conqueror. I am the Conqueror.”
Before the summit, Lysander receives news from Horatia that their covert dockyard deal is complete. He enters the Colosseum, where the Iron, Moderate, Reformer, and Rim blocs are seated. Cornelius au Carthii takes the stand and implores for unity amidst the battle on Venus against Apollonius. Atalantia politically outmaneuvers him by offering ten legions to reclaim the dockyards, effectively handing her control over the Carthii inheritance. She verbally jousts with Dido and Diomedes au Raa as the tension continues to build. As Julia au Bellona, the Princeps Senatus, quells the bickering, Dido accuses Atalantia of delaying the invasion of Mars. She takes her seat to silence, indicative of the lack of support she has and the control Atalantia maintains over the 200, including Lysander.
Lysander’s silence is strategic. Those who also chafe under Atalantia’s control wonder why he does not speak up now, of all times.
“I have been very vocal for this reason. My silence would not have mattered in a room filled with remonstrations from the Reformers, but now it thunders.”
He flicks a quick glance to the looming Atlas, and the assembly follows suit. This makes it seem that everyone has been cowed into silence, a look that Atalantia cannot afford. As the Grimmus announces the invasion of Luna, to be led by Lysander, her bloc erupts into applause as the furious Rim delegation stands to leave the session. Lysander seizes the moment, and rises to speak.
He invokes his right of interjection to speak, with Horatia and her senators giving him their support so Atalantia can’t interfere. Lysander preaches that he only seeks peace and the welfare of their Society, that Gold has lost its way.
“I wonder: where have all the shepherds gone? In their place, I only see wolves and sheep.”
He addresses the elephant in the room, admitting that it is easy to foreshadow war between the Core and the Rim after Darrow falls. Lysander calls upon the names of Silenius au Lune and Akari au Raa, founders of the first Society.
“Do we reclaim our moral imperative, and choose to work together to remind billions who look to us for guidance that will lead them to a brighter future? It is a choice too important for one person to make for us all.”
Lysander finishes his rousing speech by urging for the invasion of Mars, appearing to humbly turn down the opportunity to reclaim his homeland and family seat. He nominates Apollonius to lead the invasion of Mars, which sends the 200 into chaos. Lysander plays his trump card. He signals Horatia au Votum, who rises and reveals her brother Cicero has negotiated a ceasefire between House Carthii and House Rath. A holo from the Minotaur and Valeria au Carthii plays. Asmodeus au Carthii, Primus of his House, has fallen in battle. Together, they say they will sail for Mars with House Votum and House Lune.
The majority swings to Lysander, but Atalantia is furious. She will continue with her attack on Luna and will not join the invasion of Mars. Ajax spurns Atalantia and says he will fight alongside Lysander.
Lysander strides into the main hangar of the Lightbringer with Ajax, Kyber, and Rhone’s guard to the roar of his troops. He walks toward his own Helldiver corps, formed by exiled Martian Gammas from Julia au Bellona. As he and Ajax load into starShells, the Storm Knight calls them family, saying it was unforgivable to Atalantia to kill Lysander’s parents.
“I am Iron. I am Death. I am Gold.”
“SPITFIRE: TEN MINUTES!”
Lysander and his troops attempt to breach Sector 8, while Horatia reports she has nearly broken through the bulwark covering Sector 2. Diomedes, living up to his reputation, has already infiltrated Sector 6. Ajax storms the bulwark and is able to destroy the last Republic starShells defending Sector 8. It is an impressive performance from the Storm Knight that wins him the praise of Lysander’s Praetorians. Kyber kills an assassin disguised as a medic intended for Ajax. Rhone interrupts the stunned party to inform Lysander that Victra has broken through and is dropping her own troops behind their lines. Cicero patches in, telling Lysander he is chasing Virginia himself. This goes against the plan, as Apollonius was promised the Sovereign in exchange for his public support of Lysander. The Lune is able to relay Victra’s arrival to Apollonius, who orders a withdrawal, but Cicero is trapped. Ajax takes his Golds and flies away to confront Victra himself. Lysander’s best weapon, a warrior deemed better than Aja au Grimmus herself, leaves to the roars of the infantry, the fate of the battle hanging on his razor.
Lysander meets Diomedes resting in the captured Sector 6 with his Dustwalkers. Rhone interrupts with news. Cicero chose to stand and fight rather than run, and decided to coordinate a strike against Victra with Ajax. Ajax and his Golds, however, were ambushed by Victra and her Obsidians, outnumbered by 3-1 odds. Lysander watches a holo of the Storm Knight dueling Victra and Thraxa au Telemanus. Two of the greatest warriors in Darrow’s legions are too much for the mighty Ajax, and Victra decapitates him. Rhone informs Lysander that Cicero has escaped, his whereabouts unknown, while Apollonius has withdrawn from the battle and is fortified in Victra’s dockyard citadel. Perhaps most importantly, Lysander’s invasion of Phobos has lost its momentum. He knows the battle will now slow into a brutal grind as both sides battle to gain levels and tunnels.
Lysander, wearing his smoke and blood-stained white cape, oversees the last of the Republic ships leaving Phobos. He bestows rewards and honors among his troops, including his close Grays, Pytha, and the surviving Helldivers. To his Golds he gifts custom razors and scars them opposite their Peerless scar. He calls it the mark of the New Shepherds.
“In you I see the future the Conquerors intended. Virtuous Knights defending the rights of all Colors to live in worlds of peace, order, and prosperity. It is you New Shepherds who will carry the flame of the Society.”
They stare at me as if I was Silenius himself.
Lysander’s army watches as his armada fires upon the great statue of Darrow on the north pole. A great cheer erupts as the Republic’s hero falls.
At the celebration party in Victra’s citadel, Lysander confides to Julia au Bellona his shocking plan to launch an Iron Rain with their full might in three days. He wants to take advantage of their speed and the restlessness of his allies to settle the war and take vengeance. Dido and the Rim approach him, saying they will stand with him should Atalantia arrive at Mars.
Lysander wanders the gardens later, and finds Diomedes. He tells the Raa of his planned Rain, but begins bleeding from his eyes. He has been poisoned by the Lament. He orders Kyber to find Rhone as pain sweeps his body and he falls into an abyss of poison-induced pain and loneliness.
Lysander survives the poison, but awakes in serious pain nonetheless. Pytha and Cicero are at his bedside, and Rhone storms in, demanding to know why Lysander was woken up against his Dux’s orders. He had been unconscious for 8 days, and Rhone tells him they have Atalantia’s assassin in custody. There is troubling news, however. The Rim is abandoning the siege, jeopardizing the entire campaign.
Diomedes au Raa enters and reveals to Lysander that Ilium, the moons of Jupiter, are under attack from Volsung Fa. The Ilium Guard has been completely destroyed, and they believe Fa has united the Ascomanni and the Volk. Dido and Helios plan to return to Ilium with the Dragon and Dust Armadas at full torch. To preserve the alliance against Atalantia, Diomedes radically proposes that Lysander accompany them to the Rim as a show of faith. He pledges to Lysander the Shield of Akari, an honored Rim relic, in exchange for his assistance.
Lysander tells his allies of the developments, who are skeptical of whether Volsung Fa poses a true threat. He plans for Houses Rath and Bellona to maintain the siege while Lysander and his praetorians will accompany Diomedes on his ship. The Lightbringer and his slower fleet will follow. Cicero, looking to amend his blunders on Phobos, will also accompany them.
Lysander and Rhone prepare to leave, along with 1,000 praetorians. Rhone is still against Lysander leaving for the Rim, reminding him of the risks to his person and the opportunity it presents for Atalantia. Helios arrives, still not trusting Lysander, and demands he only bring 10 guards instead. Lysander has no choice but to accept the terms.
- DARROW
Darrow must find Quicksilver and his defense fleet. To convince the Silver to rejoin the war, the Archimedes must bypass Mars and continue to the asteroid belt, the location of Asteroid 12193. This move creates more friction between Darrow and Sevro, who continues to be adamant in his desire to leave the war. Cassius is reappointed the Morning Knight of the Republic by Virginia.
Darrow is also urged by Virginia to pursue Volsung Fa, a name that infuriates him as he cannot comprehend his Obsidians betraying the Republic. Brushing it aside, he tells Virginia of the contingency plan involving Athena’s ships in Illium. She will ground her ships on the surface and hold out until Darrow can return from the Rim.
Part III: Tempest[]
- DARROW
- LYRIA
- LYSANDER
Part IV: Brothers[]
- DARROW
- LYSANDER
Dramatis Personae[]
- Darrow of Lykos/The Reaper - ArchImperator of the Republic, husband to Virginia, a Red
- Virginia au Augustus/Mustang - Reigning Sovereign of the Republic, wife to Darrow, Primus of House Augustus, sister to the Jackal of Mars, a Gold
- Pax - Son of Darrow and Virginia, a Gold
- Dio O' Lykos - Sister to Eo, wife to Kieran of Lykos and mother of Rhonna, a Red.
- Kieran O'Lykos - Brother to Darrow, Howler, ArchGovernor of Mars, a Red
- Rhonna - Niece of Darrow, daughter of Kieran, Howler lancer, Pup Two, a Red, lost in the fall of Heliopolis
- Deanna - Mother to Darrow, a Red
- Sevro au Barca/The Goblin - Imperator of the Republic, husband to Victra, Howler, a Gold
- Victra au Barca - Wife to Sevro, née Victra au Julii, a Gold
- Electra au Barca - Daughter of Sevro and Victra, a Gold
- Ulysses au Barca - Son of Sevro and Victra, killed by Harmony and the Red Hand.
- Dancer O'Faran/Senator O'Faran - Senator, former Sons of Ares lieutenant, Tribune of the Red Bloc, a Red, Killed on the Day of Red Doves.
- Kavax au Telemanus - Primus of House Telemanus, client of House Augustus, a Gold
- Niobe au Telemanus - Wife to Kavax, client of House Augustus, a Gold
- Daxo au Telemanus - Heir of House Telemanus, son of Kavax and Niobe, senator, Tribune of the Gold Bloc, a Gold, killed by Lilath au Faran
- Thraxa au Telemanus - Praetor of the Free Legions, daughter of Kavax and Niobe, Howler, a Gold
- Alexandar au Arcos - Eldest grandson of Lorn au Arcos, heir to House Arcos, allied to House Augustus, lancer, Pup One, a Gold, Killed by Lysander au Lune
- Lorn au Arcos - Former Rage Knight, Head of House Arcos, mentor to Darrow of Lykos, a Gold, Killed by Lilath au Faran and Adrius au Augustus
- Cadus Harnassus - Imperator of the Republic, second in command of the Free Legions, an Orange
- Orion xe Aquarii - Navarch of the Republic, Imperator of the White Fleet, a Blue, killed in Operation Tartarus
- Oro Sculpturus - Navarch of the Republic, Imperator of the White Fleet, a Blue, killed in Operation Tartarus
- Colloway xe Char - A pilot, reigning kill-leader of the Republic Navy, Howler, a Blue
- Holiday ti Nakamura - Dux of Virginia's Lionguard, sister to Trigg, client of House Augustus, Centurion of the Pegasus Legion, a Gray
- Quicksilver/Regulus ag Sun - Richest man in the Republic, head of Sun Industries, a Silver
- Matteo Husband of Regulus Sun, a Pink
- Theodora - Leader of the Splinter Operatives, client of House Augustus, a Rose Pink
- Clown - Howler, client of House Barca, a Gold
- Pebble - Howler, client of House Barca, a Gold
- Min-Min - Howler, sniper and munitions expert, client of House Barca, a Red, killed by the Abomination
- Screwface - Howler, client of House Augustus, a Gold
- Cassius au Bellona - Son of Julia au Bellona, former Olympic Knight, former mentor to Lysander au Lune, a Gold
Chapters[]
- Darrow | Castaway
- Darrow | The Book
- Darrow | Revenants
- Darrow | The Sordid Affair
- Lysander | Games
- Darrow | Mortal Concerns
- Lysander | The Ally Idiot
- Darrow | The Hanging Coliseum
- Darrow | Shit Escalates
- Lysander | Iron Fist
- Darrow | Inheritance
- Lyria | Truffle Pig
- Lyria | The Rose's Game
- Virginia | The Armor of Love
- Lysander | Earth
- Lysander | The Two Hundred
- Lysander | Mars Must Fall
- Virginia | The Returned
- Virginia | Rising Dirge
- Virginia | Nucleus
- Virginia | Petard
- Lysander | Iron, Death, Gold
- Virginia | Grim Glory
- Lysander | Drop Shock
- Virginia | War Prism
- Virginia | Labyrinth
- Virginia | A Good Death
- Lysander | War Engine
- Virginia | Pity Them
- Lysander | Edge of Glory
- Virginia | Détente
- Virginia | Parley
- Lysander | Master of the Spoils
- Virginia| Remember Earth
- Darrow | Wind of Duty
- Lysander | Jurisdiction
- Darrow | Cacophony
- Darrow | Tabula Rasa
- Darrow | Under the Golden Gaze
- Lyria | Departure
- Darrow | To the stars
- Lyria | Rat in the Machine
- Lysander | Fragment of Immensity
- Lysander | Grapes and Iron
- Lysander | Allfather
- Darrow | The Sun Is Down
- Lysander | The Bringer of Darkness
- Darrow | The Tickler
- Lysander | Vae Victis
- Lysander | Heavy Is the Head
- Darrow | Midnight Lands
- Darrow | Sungrave
- Darrow | Eyes of Stone
- Darrow | Pella! Pella! Pella!
- Darrow | Demigod
- Darrow | Dust Mice
- Lyria | Lamps in the Storm
- Lyria | Europa
- Darrow | Athena
- Darrow | The Weight of Guilt
- Darrow | The Three Masters
- Darrow | The Tyrants' Debris
- Lyria | Mashed Taters
- Lysander | The Noble Lie
- Lyria | Into the Maelstrom
- Lyria | The Fall of Heraklion
- Lyria | Volga
- Lyria | The King and His Court
- Lyria | Hour of Hunger
- Lyria | Passage of the Stains
- Darrow | Ashvar
- Darrow | Full-Metal Panoply
- Darrow| The Breath Of Stone
- Darrow| The Hunt
- Lyria | Prove It
- Darrow | By the Laws of the Ice
- Darrow | Old Stoneside
- Darrow | The Monster in the Storm
- Lysander | Teeth of Civilization
- Darrow | Stirring Stuff
- Lysander | Parting of the Shadow
- Darrow | Civil Discourse
- Lysander | A Way Out
- Lysander | Hangar 17B
- Darrow | Dusk and Dawn
- Darrow | Nivalnight
- Darrow | Casus Belli
- Lysander | The Sack of Demeter
- Darrow | The Only Path
Trailer[]
Book Cover Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Pierce Brown had written 400 pages of Light Bringer until he realized he had taken the story in the wrong direction and threw out those pages and restarted the book from scratch.
- Pierce stated he wrote have approx 70 pages of a Sevro POV, going in a few different directions, which he may release pieces of later, but they will not be canon There were also a bunch of different prologues which were them all scrapped.
- Unlike the previous two novels, which had multiple narrators for the audiobook, Light Bringer is only narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds.
References[]
- ↑ Pierce Brown, Instagram - Light Bringer - July 22, 2022
- ↑ We Got This Covered - Pierce Brown announces release date for the sixth book - July 22, 2022
- ↑ Pierce Brown, Instagram - Book cover reveal - November 4, 2022