Dark Age

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, graphic violence, emotional abuse, child abuse, child sexual abuse, and gender discrimination.

Darrow, a point-of-view character and the singular protagonist of the series’ early installments, remains the emotional and ideological nucleus of Dark Age, navigating the divide between revolutionary idealism and the brutal cost of leadership. In this installment, his arc examines The Consequences of Power and Its Abuse and The Complexities of Leadership and Loyalty. Darrow’s strategic acumen remains unmatched, but his decisions are increasingly shadowed by isolation, guilt, and the psychological toll of warfare. The losses of Alexandar and Orion, the deployment of the Storm Gods, and the moral ambiguities of Operation Tartarus reflect the increasingly high stakes of his leadership. He is both a revered symbol and a deeply confliction human—someone who sacrifices endlessly yet questions what remains of himself. His longing for a simple domestic life with Virginia and Pax contrasts with his present reality, underscoring the novel’s exploration of war’s dehumanizing effects.

Darrow’s refusal to abandon Mercury despite overwhelming odds is framed as both heroic and tragic. His decisions are grounded not in ambition but in loyalty—to his friends, to the Republic, and to a future that may never happen.