Sagas & Sass began covering the Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown in September 2022; this is our summary of Lysander’s POV through chapter 17 in book 6 – Light Bringer – as it was written to introduce Sagas & Sass Episode 80.
AHOY! SPOILERS AHEAD!
In contrast to Darrow’s reluctance, Lysander returns as “The Eager Messiah”…
While Darrow was stuck on the trashteroid, Lysander has been living it up on Mercury…or well, making it LOOK like that’s what he’s doing, anyway, as it turns out he’s gotten himself into quite a lot of debt throwing chariot races and rebuilding the Morning Star, which he has renamed the Lightbringer.
Pytha is still with Lysander, as are Glirastes and Rhone, though the latter two are apparently at each other’s throats. Oh, and Lysander also has some new friends (or in some cases, hangers-on): Cicero au Votum brought his sister Horatia around, there’s a “whisper” named Kyber who’s been added to Lysander’s guard, and Valeria au Carthii is there on Mercury to poke at him about her family’s docks, to boot.
Lysander wants everyone to think he has all the things under control, but LOLZ he can’t even stop Cicero from taking part in the chariot races…let alone stop Tharsus au Valii-Rath from coming around despite being told to stay away. And when Diomedes au Raa and the Rim co-consul Helios au Lux arrive on Mercury, let’s just say neither of them seem excited about seeing Lysander.
To be fair, Diomedes DID lie to Lysander about Cassius’s death, and while he apologizes for this, Helios insists they aren’t there as a Rim deputation but simply to see a Violet actor per a request made by his dead daughter. That said, Lysander’s conversation with them does lead to him finding out that Atalantia is holding a summit in Rome…because, well, Lysander himself wasn’t invited!
However, despite Lysander not being invited to her summit, Atalantia apparently sent Atlas au Raa around to keep an eye on her fiancé – something that Lysander decides to keep from Glirastes, who’s more than a little worried about Lysander’s, err, machinations. And hey, Lysander has better news for his old friend – news sent by none other than Apollonius, in fact…
Apple’s news aside, there are other exciting things are afoot, too! Because it’s time for the Lightbringer to set sail, and Lysander’s throwing a big party to show off his new ride. Despite everyone’s doubts, the ship does fly, but the fun soon ends with news that the situation on the Dockyards of Venus has gone bad. The Carthii at the party are about to corner Tharsus, but Lysander makes a quick deal with Valeria and she calls them off…only for Atlas to show up with some Gorgons to brutally murder Tharsus and his friends, anyway!
Let’s be real, NOTHING is coming up Lysander these days, and to make matters worse for him (which, to be honest, GOOD), it turns out that the real reason Atlas showed up on Mercury is because Atalantia sent him to collect Lysander and bring him to Earth…well, after giving Lysander a good beating and then forcing him to undergo carving that will fix his Darrow-given scar.
(Hey, at least we won’t have to listen to Lysander go on and on about that scar anymore?)
When Lysander arrives on Earth, Ajax is there to greet him. He’s about to head off to an action in South Pacifica, but first he wanted to give Lysander a message: That when Atalantia strikes him, he shouldn’t hit her back – or laugh – but go to his knees. Only not too fast, because that would be bad too! Lysander has a moment to feel bad for his childhood friend, but then Atlas shows up to take him to his fi-aunt-cée. (See what I did there?)
Atalantia is on a hunt, and doesn’t rush its conclusion to talk with Lysander because, ya know, power plays and shit. When she does finally deign to give him her attention, it’s to tell him that her next move is to invade Luna with an Iron Rain, and that Lysander will fall in the vanguard. He insists that the Rim will be furious and that they should be invading Mars, but Atlas informs him how near to impossible that would be…and then fetches a certain someone from the hound cages.
It turns out that Glirastes isn’t in that safe house on Mercury, but instead was captured, tortured, and brought along to Earth to keep Lysander on Atalantia’s leash. UGH.
Atalantia then orders Lysander to lend his silent support to her during the next day’s summit, or else she’ll skin Glirastes and make Lysander a pair of leather boots out of his father figure’s (for lack of a better term) skin.
Cool cool cool cool cool cool cool.
Of course Lysander has no option but to agree to her rules, and she saunters off to her party while he goes to the citadel she prepared for him and tries to choke down dinner. Uuuuntil Ajax arrives, that is, and refuses to be ignored! Ajax claims he didn’t come to talk, just to eat, buuuut of course they end up talking anyway – a seemingly circular conversation that ends with Lysander revealing that Atalantia killed his parents.
Problem is, Atalantia already informed Ajax that Lysander would say as much, and Ajax notes that since both she and Lysander are so good at lying, he doesn’t know who to believe. So he departs, and in the morning Lysander is off to the Coliseum (like, THE Coliseum, ya know, in Rome, because of course that’s where Atalantia is doing her thing).
All of the mostest veriest importantest people are there, including the Rim deputation, none of whom are very happy with Atalantia. (Or Lysander, for that matter). They announce that if Atalantia doesn’t declare the campaign for Mars, they will return home…and when it’s time for someone else – anyone other than Atalantia, it seems – to speak, no one does…and instead Lysander glances at Atlas, who is perched a bit weirdly – but lol of COURSE menacingly – in the rafters.
Unfortunately for Atalantia, this vibe stinks of subjugation…so even when it’s her turn to speak again, at which point she promises that sure, Mars will fall, but only after Luna…well, Diomedes stomps off.
And that’s when Lysander stands and shouts, “Where have all the shepherds gone?” Julia au Bellona tells him to mind his manners, but he invokes his right to interject, because of COURSE a direct descendent of a Conqueror can do that! From there he launches into – let’s be honest – one hell of an amazing speech, reminding them that the Society should be a light in the darkness, and pushing for a Mars campaign with none other than Apollonius at its head!
Now, everyone thinks Apple is beset by the Carthii…but remember that conversation Lysander had with Valeria au Carthii? Welp, turns out she and Lysander figuratively joined hands, because her father is dead and she’s apparently his heir now and they want to work together to help take down Mars!
First Horatia au Votum shouts her assent, with the rest of the Reformers immediately following, as well as all of Apple’s friends and admirers. Atalantia has no choice but to give in, though not without one last dig about Glirastes’ impending death.
However, while Lysander is losing one friend, he gains back another. Because when he mentions his parents, some small tic in Atalantia’s manner gives Ajax pause. When she beckons for him to follow, Ajax merely lifts his fingers in the shape of the Minotaur horns…..
And that’s where Atalantia, Atlas, and we, leave Lysander for now…
