A solar system fractured by betrayal, madness, and the cost of revolution
In short: In Pierce Brown's 2019 epic, the Solar Republic faces total collapse. As the Society Remnant sieges Mercury, internal coups and rogue terraforming technology turn the heavens into a battlefield, leaving millions dead and the fate of the entire solar system hanging in the balance.
Released in 2019, Dark Age is the second installment of Pierce Brown's tetralogy, following the events of Iron Gold (2018). The narrative shifts focus to a desperate struggle for survival across multiple worlds. On Mercury, the Society Remnant, led by Dictator Atalantia au Grimmus, launches an assault against the Solar Republic's Free Legions after destroying their orbital fleet.
The conflict escalates through extreme measures and unpredictable shifts in loyalty. On Mercury, the character Orion, driven mad by torture under Atlas au Raa, attempts to use old terraforming technology to create hypercanes, a move that kills millions of civilians and even the character Seraphina. Meanwhile, on Luna, political stability dissolves when the Syndicate—orchestrated by a ten-year-old clone of Adrius au Augustus—poisons Senator Dancer and his allies, leading to a deadly Vox Populi riot.
The scale of the devastation extends to Mars, where Sefi's Obsidians clash with various factions, and Earth, which is eventually captured by Diomedus and Ajax. Amidst the chaos, complex alliances form; Lysander au Lune, the grandson of former Sovereign Octavia au Lune, navigates a treacherous path between the Society and the Republic, eventually making a secret deal with Apollonius to become the Society's Sovereign.
The novel weaves together the fates of many key figures, including Darrow of Lykos, the former ArchImperator of the Republic, and Virginia au Augustus, the reigning Sovereign. As the lines between hero and villain blur, the characters are forced to confront the brutal reality of a solar system caught in the throes of total war.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Dark Age (novel)
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