Dark Age

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of addiction.

How does Brown explore the moral consequences of leadership in Dark Age through characters such as Darrow, Virginia, and Lysander? Compare how each character navigates decisions involving sacrifice, power, and loyalty. What commentary does the novel offer on the ethical cost of leadership when survival is at stake?

In what ways does Brown’s depiction of war challenge traditional heroic narratives? Consider how the novel deconstructs tropes of glory, sacrifice, and victory by emphasizing the psychological, physical, and social toll of prolonged conflict.

How does Brown use shifting narrative perspectives to invite and complicate reader empathy? Explore how alternating points of view allow readers to align with morally complex characters like Ephraim, Lyria, and Lysander. In what ways does this technique challenge the notion of a singular truth or hero?