Red Rising

2007. I remember when I first started reading Games of Thrones, the first book of George RR Martin’s epic Song of Fire and Ice series. It took me a few chapters to understand and fully follow the style and language, but as soon as I got to that point, I WAS HOOKED. Since, there hasn’t been a book, or series, that has captivated me as quickly or as intensely...until Red Rising, the first book in the Red Rising trilogy, by Pierce Brown. I. Couldn’t. Put. It. Down. No, seriously. It was bad. Not the book! I'm talking about my total lack of interest in everything else. I wasn’t gaming with my husband or hanging out with my friends...all I wanted to do was read. EVERYTHING about the book was incredible, especially the setting, the characters, and the writing. I think the book is best described as a Sci-Fi/Fantasy hybrid. It takes place in the far future (Sci-Fi), where the planets of the solar system have been colonized and each are governed by powerful families (Fantasy). They are all ruled by Octavia au Lune, who lives on Luna, also known as Earth’s moon. The story’s setting starts in the depths of Mars’s core, where our lead character is mining for helium-3 to support planet colonization. We also travel to the surface of Mars, into its slums, and into the society’s top educations institution, where the young elite are trained to rule. Each location is depicted beautifully. The storyline follows 16-year-old Darrow, a Red, who lives a simple life with his wife and family. In Darrow’s world, people are classified by color (and I'm not talking about the color of their skin). The Golds are the rich and powerful, whereas the Reds are the poorest with the least desirable jobs. Between, there is a whole spectrum of color, with each representing a different skill and station in life. Pierce does an excellent job of introducing the reader to characters of all colors and stations. And all shortcomings. The characters are very realistic, very believable, and very flawed. They are wicked, yet redeeming, sultry, yet vulnerable, beautiful, yet deadly. They are complex, which makes them real and relatable. Finally, Mr. Brown’s writing is absolutely incredible. His use of slang language is so thorough, so fluid, that I was instantly drawn into Darrow’s ruddy world. Sure, it took some getting used to, but that’s what made my brain tickle. I just HAD to make sense of this incredibly intricate language and dialect. He also does an incredible job of describing the complicated settings and characters. My imagination danced along with this text, creating vivid imagery and emotional attachment. I felt like I was a part of the story - the writing knew how to draw me in and keep me there, in the throws of the story. I don’t want to give too much away...the book is just so good and I want everyone to experience every little bit of it… Like I mentioned, the story follows Darrow. He is poor, and lives underneath the surface of Mars along with huge colonies of fellow Reds. One day, Darrow and his wife, Eo, are caught breaking the rules. The punishment? A public whipping. At the display, Eo, in rebellion, decides to sing a forbidden song, a crime punishable by death. On orders from the ArchGoverner of Mars, a Gold, she is hung on the spot, in front of the underground population, including Darrow. Red Rising is a story of his quest for vengeance...a quest that turns into an incredible journey. I CAN’T RECOMMEND THIS BOOK ENOUGH. I didn’t even mention the plot...which is by far the best quality of the entire book. But how do I discuss the plot without giving it away?? My favorite since Game of Thrones, I know I will be reading Red Rising one over and over again. AND THEY’RE MAKING A MOVIE! Details are a bit muddied, but it’s definitely listed on IMDB as “in development.” WEEEEEEE!!!! Pierce Brown is a screenwriter and novelist, currently residing in Los Angeles. He moved around quite a bit while growing up, due to his mother’s successful career. He received his degree from Pepperdine University in 2010 and sold Red Rising in 2012. Red Rising, his debut novel, was #20 on the NY Times Best Seller List. The sequel, Golden Son, rose to #6 on the same list, and the last installment of the trilogy, Morning Star, reached #1. Mr Brown has received the 2014 Goodreads Best New Author award, as well as the 2015 Goodreads Best Science Fiction Novel.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown 5 Stars!! I'm not going to recap the plot because the book's summary does a great job of explaining what the book is about: The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope. Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labor, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought. Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda. I'm sure by now it's obvious I love romance novels. I wasn't originally going to read this book because it's listed under science fiction. I was going to have a friend read it and do a guest review (he still is going to review), but somehow I found myself intrigued by this book and all the praise that it has received. It is compared to Hunger Games and I really liked Hunger Games so I decided to give it a try...why not? Well...I'm so happy I decided to read this book. I'm not sure it does this book justice to compare it to Hunger Games. While I can see some similarities, Red Rising has added layers of depth. The writing and story is so good. You will be sucked in. First, it is quite obvious the Pierce Brown is well read. He created his own unique story but managed to borrow and weave the concepts of some great works. The first thought I had was that this book reminded me of Golding's Lord of the Flies with a twist on Homer's Iliad. There's a lot of references to Greek mythology in this story. The Golds like to play God and they interfere a great deal. It was interesting how I would forget this novel is actually set into the future. The school is basically set up to imitate ancient times where Darrow and the other students have to learn to conquer but also learn to establish order and civilization. This is where I see many similarities to Lord of the Flies. The books incorporates major themes about the conflict within human nature: civilization versus savagery. It highlights Nietzsche's concept that the driving force behind human nature is the "will to power, " or the long standing question of "does the end justify the means?" This is what I love about the novel...it's not just entertainment; it's entertainment with layers that question morality and the true nature of humanity. It has all the entertainment of Hunger Games, but the depth of the some well know classics. It's interesting to think about how this book is futuristic and technology has advanced far beyond what we can imagine, but no matter how advanced the world becomes, human nature is constant: our drive for power and our inclination for savagery always exists; it is a fine balance to keep civilization and morality in the forefront. This book has a lot of action in it and it is INTENSE. I was so stressed reading it, which is crazy since it's a trilogy and I automatically know Darrow will live through to at least the last book. I'm terrified that Pierce Brown will not give me a happy ending. I'm a happy ending girl and I want it SO bad for Darrow. There is love in this story and love is the major driving force for all of Darrow's actions, but this is not a romance story. It's a story about many things: love, war, survival, redemption, strength, fear, humanity, etc. I LOVED this book. If you are looking for a good book that has it all...love, action, science fiction, philosophical principles, something you can learn from...then READ this book. I hear it's going to be made into a movie. So READ this book before the movie comes out!! Onto book 2...here we go.

Blog: irenadams.com Caution, mild spoilers ahead. "Funny thing, watching gods realize they’ve been mortal all along." I was going to leave for a trip for 3 weeks and couldn’t bring physical copies of the books with me. At least not as many as I would want to. So, for the first time in years I bought kindle versions of a few books. I decided to clean my want-to-read and owned-to-read shelves and this is one that’s been on one of those lists for a long time. I don’t think the synopsis really convinced me and I wasn’t sure the book would be worth buying. I regret that I formed an opinion before giving it a real chance. I think I might want to have it on a shelf of my bookcase so I can re-read it or just flip through the pages to savor the good passages. This is one of those books that really surprised me. There was action, a bad-ass character, suspense… Everything you want in a good novel that takes you in its grip and doesn’t let go before you flip the last page. The future that this book is painting is simple but evil. It has been compared to The Hunger Games, and I thought the same by the middle of the book but P. Brown created something new. It may be another dystopian future, another example of our flaws and habits, but it is also an example of what we might become if a handful few can grab the seats of power and impose their will, hiding the rest of us in the dark for the next centuries. If I only knew that there would be Greek and Roman mythology involved I would have picked the book sooner. P. Brown used the names of the gods and their characteristics and attributes to show the different battling houses of the Golds, but at the same time mentioning the differences between Greek and Roman mythology. The main character is not perfect, but deep and easy to connect to. He might be above average in his skills or strength, but then again, it was all built for him. And throughout the pages P. Brown shows us the change in the protagonist, his doubts, his fears, but also his never ending will to push forward.We get to presence his evolution and the adjustment to his new role in the society. The story is gripping and full of twists. Even though some of the turns of the events are easy to foresee, the story is ever changing. The fluid relationship between the characters and the protagonist is sometimes surprising like with Tactus, Servo and Pax, other times not so much as with Mustang. But the author is not afraid to kill one or several of the characters you liked or started to like, leaving you on the edge of the seat to see what will happen next. It was a good ride and I hope you will take it too.

I'm so glad that I got this book as the introduction to my first reading spree in years. The first maybe 100 pages can feel a little bit slow, as usual with in-depth stories that need foundation, but then it's just amazing. I was mindblown by the environments that is showcased and, being on the 4th book now, I still think about this first one a lot.

Red Rising is een spannend, goed geschreven verhaal wat lijkt op The Hunger Games, maar dan volwassener. Een aanrader voor iedereen!

Red Rising é uma obra impactante que explora profundamente temas como opressão de classes, hierarquia social e desenvolvimento pessoal. A trama acompanha Darrow, um Vermelho cuja visão de mundo é desmantelada ao descobrir verdades ocultas sobre a sociedade em que vive. Motivado por essas revelações, ele inicia uma jornada de ascensão e rebelião contra a estrutura vigente. A construção de mundo é imersiva e detalhada, povoada por personagens complexos que evocam reações genuínas, variando da empatia à aversão. A narrativa possui um ritmo consistente e a escrita em primeira pessoa cria uma conexão real, permitindo que o leitor experimente as emoções e dilemas de Darrow de forma intensa. Vale ressaltar que este é apenas o primeiro volume de uma saga, servindo como uma porta de entrada explosiva para este universo. Leitura altamente recomendada.

A visceral, high-octane introduction to a dystopian universe that feels both hauntingly familiar and grandly operatic. Set on a terraformed Mars, the story follows Darrow, a Red laborer mining helium-3 for a future he believes he is building. The narrative begins with a crushing revelation: the surface has been habitable for centuries, and Darrow’s people are enslaved to support the decadent Gold caste. This betrayal sparks a revenge-driven mission as Darrow undergoes a grueling transformation to infiltrate the Golds and dismantle their Society from within. The novel’s strength lies in its relentless pacing and brutal world-building. Once Darrow enters the Institute—a proving ground where young Golds wage war to earn their status—the story shifts from a "chosen one" trope into a savage study of leadership and survival. Brown doesn't shy away from the horrific costs of war; the stakes feel lethal, and Darrow’s internal conflict is palpable. He must adopt the cold, calculating traits of his oppressors to defeat them, risking his own humanity for the sake of justice. While drawing inspiration from The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies, it distinguishes itself through a rich Roman-inspired aesthetic and philosophical weight. The supporting cast is equally compelling, featuring the enigmatic Mustang and the volatile Sevro—the kind of loyalist who proves you haven't lived until you get yourself a friend that will hide in a dead horse for you. These allies challenge Darrow to look beyond vengeance toward a new social order. 🍵Final Verdict A gripping exploration of power, sacrifice, and the morality of revolution. Red Rising is a rare debut that manages to be both a page-turning epic and a thoughtful commentary on class struggle. It sets a formidable foundation for the series, leaving readers eager to see if a man born in darkness can truly bring the dawn.