Just when it looks as if Darrow and the Rising are about to defeat holdout Golds and end their world's cruel color-coded caste system, a new foe comes along, which makes this fourth "Red Rising" book the first in a new trilogy. Last year's Morning Star topped the New York Times best sellers list.

It has been ten years since the Rising took down the Society. Even with the new Solar Republic led by Darrow and Mustang, strife continues to mar the peace Darrow tried to establish. While the Republic holds a tenuous balance of power against the remaining Golds, who strive to maintain their color-coded caste system, trouble brews beyond the asteroid belt. Newly freed Reds now living in refugee camps discover that freedom does not mean the end of their struggle. Still with his mentor Cassius, Lysander au Lune, the exiled heir to the sovereign, reaches a crossroads that could determine how much of the past will determine the future. VERDICT This fourth series entry (after Morning Star) launches a new trilogy, incorporating a fresh cast of characters along with several familiar ones. The gritty action and emotional punches will thrill fans eagerly awaiting more from Brown. [See Prepub Alert, 4/10/17.]—KC

Brown adroitly builds upon the intricate future he introduced in his Red Rising trilogy with this accessible space opera, set in a near future where the fledgling Solar Republic has freed Mars from the villainous ruling Society, and is attempting to do the same for several other planets in the solar system that are still under the sway of a military leader called the Ash Lord. The novel combines elements of The Expanse and Game of Thrones: the plot lines include world-shattering developments, but Brown's focus on crafting memorable individuals means that events such as a devastating attack on Mercury are very emotionally affecting for the reader. That assault was launched by Darrow, the military leader of the Solar Republic. His bombing campaign enabled Mercury to join other free worlds under the Republic's banner, but his actions were not officially sanctioned, and his wife, Mustang, may face repercussions in her role as sovereign. The repercussions of Darrow's rogue operation alternate with the situations that three other major characters confront. The most memorable involves Lyria, a Martian, for whom the liberation of her planet was not a happy ending: she faces even more trauma at this book's outset, "two years and a thousand broken promises" after the Republic's rise. Fans of thoughtful blends of action, intrigue, and prosaic human drama will find this hits the spot. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Associates. (Jan.)