Light Bringer is book six of the Red Rising series and it's a good one; however, if you were hoping this would finally lead to a resolution of the rebellion then you will be disappointed. After the last book, it felt like the series was set up to be resolved in a final battle for control of the solar system, but Pierce Brown decided that Darrow needed to go on one more side quest before that ultimate battle. I must admit that when I understood the direction this book was taking I was disappointed, but by the time it was over, I definitely felt differently. This was yet another solid book in the series and it delivers some meaningful events, even if it felt more like a side quest than progress in the main campaign. It does set things up for an even bigger finish in the next book, which I am definitely looking forward to.

The usual cast of characters are back, at least the ones that are still alive, and the political jockeying for power continues to go back and forth. However, this one feels more about the relationships between the characters than the politics, and that makes everything that happens all the more meaningful. The sides of this conflict have never been cut and dry and it is not a story about good vs evil. Every character has a dark side, and both sides of the war commit atrocities, so you always have a reason to root against every character, but the alliances and betrayals feel extra poignant this time around. It is tough to see how mentally damaged some of your favorite characters have become over the course of the series, and things only get worse by the time this one is over. If you are a fan of the series then you are used to such darkness, so don't hesitate to pick this one up. This one does a good job of reminding you which side of the conflict everyone is on so you get your bearings before things start getting shuffled once again.

The audiobook version is narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, who is an awesome narrator, but I must admit it is a step backwards for him to be the only voice of all the PoV characters. I must admit, the older ensemble cast was a better experience. I never dislike Tim's work, but it's a little harder this time around to keep track of the PoV switches with only a single narrator, as his voice for Lysander and Darrow are just too similar. Still, he is very talented and it does not detract much from the quality of the story, so that should not dissuade you from listening.