Dark Age (2019)

Dark Age is a 2019 science fiction novel by American author Pierce Brown; it is the second book of a tetralogy which continues the story of his Red Rising trilogy (2014–2016). Dark Age takes place immediately after the events of Iron Gold (2018), as the Society Remnant forces aim to take back Mercury from the Solar Republic. A sequel, Light Bringer, was released on July 25, 2023.

Plot

Atalantia au Grimmus, Dictator of the Society Remnant, besieges the Solar Republic's Free Legions on Mercury after destroying their fleet in orbit. Three weeks after departing Venus, Darrow of Lykos arrives on Mercury with his team and rescues Orion from torture at the hands of Atlas au Raa. Atalantia agrees to Lysander's proposition of an alliance with the Rim, but requires both Lysander and Seraphina to fight in her attack on Mercury.

Atalantia's forces assault Mercury. In response Darrow has Orion create hypercanes using old terraforming technology—killing many of the invading forces of the Society Remnant, including Seraphina. However, Orion—driven mad by torture at the hands of Atlas au Raa —goes rogue, intending to scour the planet's surface to devastate the Society forces at the cost of the Free Legions and Mercury's civilians. When she refuses to back down, Darrow executes her, though tens of millions of civilians are dead by that point. Kalindora au San, Rhone ti Flavinius and his Praetorians pledge allegiance to Lysander, making him a political threat to Atalantia. Jealous, his childhood friend Ajax unsuccessfully tries to have Lysander assassinated. Accepting that Orion's storm has doomed the northern cities and seeing that Atalantia seeks to occupy resource-rich Heliopolis, Darrow has his forces ride the storm across the Ladon Waste to intercept Ajax. Briefly captured by Atlas, Darrow is saved by Colloway and Thraxa, and his forces repel the assault on Heliopolis. Kalindora and Rhone are captured by the Republic, Ajax flees, and Lysander is stranded in the desert.

On Luna, Virginia au Augustus urges the Republic Senate to come to the support of Darrow and the Free Legions, allying with Dancer to secure the necessary votes. However, right before the vote can occur, Dancer and his allies are publicly poisoned by an anonymous group—revealed to be the Syndicate. Publius cu Caraval, who acts as the unknowing puppet of the Syndicate, accuses Virginia of the poisoning and leads a deadly Vox Populi riot that massacres the Senate representatives that support Virginia, including Daxo. Lilath au Faran is revealed to have survived the events of Morning Star and to be the mysterious Queen of the Syndicate. Virginia, Sevro, and many Howlers are captured. Publius publicly executes many of Virginia's allies, including Theodora, but Quicksilver, Kavax and Holiday escape. Lilath installs Publius as a puppet ruler and reveals that the Syndicate's rise to power was orchestrated by the now 10-year old clone of Adrius au Augustus, who is being carefully molded into a mirror of the original Adrius. Virginia escapes and is rescued by Holiday's strike team, but is unable to escape along with Sevro, leaving him on Luna.

Victra has the mercenary, Figment, kidnap Lyria and Volga. In the wake of their shuttle's crash, Ephraim, Pax and Electra are captured by Sefi's Obsidians. Sefi has been fatally poisoned by Atalantia, and she needs Volga, revealed to be Ragnar's daughter, as her heir to realize her dream of an Obsidian homeland on Mars. She plans to barter the children for Volga. With Ephraim's guidance, Sefi's Obsidians capture many of Mars' helium mines from Quicksilver. After a celebratory dragon hunt, the mysterious Obsidian Volsung Fá and the Ascommani—Obsidians who lived outside the society's control—of the Kuiper Belt surprise Ephraim, killing the popular young Obsidian Freihild, who had been sleeping with Sefi's husband, and framing Sefi as having done it out of jealousy. Freihild's death sparks widespread discontent for Sefi's rule.

Above Mars, the Ascomanni attack Victra's flagship Pandora to find Volga, attempting to frame Sefi for the attack. Many onboard are killed, but Victra, Volga, Lyria and Figment crash on Mars. Fearing Sefi's imminent downfall, Ephraim escapes the Obsidians with Pax and Electra. Not trusting the Republic after Publius' coup, Pax suggests they seek out Victra. Figment dies from wounds sustained in the crash, but a mysterious parasitic device detaches from her and enters Lyria. Victra gives birth to a son, Ulysses. Harmony's Red Hand track the group, brutally kill the newborn Ulysses, and capture Victra and Volga. With the help of the device, Lyria infiltrates the Red Hand base, freeing Victra, Volga, and many enslaved prisoners. Lyria and Victra feed Harmony to pitvipers. To defeat the Red Hand, Lyria seeks help from Mars' civilians, who arrive after Pax boosts Lyria's distress call. Pax and Ephraim lead the response, ending the threat of the Red Hand. Victra reunites with Electra and Pax, though Volga has to stop Victra from killing Ephraim.

Ephraim, knowing both Sefi and Volsung Fá seek Volga, returns to Olympia to warn Sefi of her servant Xenophon's duplicity. Xenophon admits to being an agent of Atlas and Fá, as well as having manipulated the male Obsidians to turn on Sefi. Fá arrives, declares himself father of Ragnar and Sefi and challenges Sefi to a duel, killing her. Fá orders Ephraim's execution, but Ephraim triggers a bomb designed by Pax, killing Xenophon. Fá survives and kills Ephraim, then unleashes the Obsidians to brutalize Martian cities.