Red Rising

Pierce Brown has created an imaginative future closely aligned with a Roman world, yet existing in our own solar system and filled with characters you will want to root for or despise. I've read all five books and each continues with the original theme of a Roman hierarchy where those who are privileged control the lives and destinies of those beneath them. If this sounds a little like our current society, you have probably hit the nail on the head.

I recommend this book because it is my favorite modern sci-fi series. What gripped me with this was the overall premise of the story.

This story starts with the curtain being dropped for the book’s MC, and he realizes his life is not what it seems and his people are nothing more than slaves for a higher order. He sets out to change that. It is an amazing story that took the battle-school trope that I loved in Ender’s Game to a whole new level. I instituted the trope into my book and feel it has a good balance between… show more.

This book is not a book I thought I would like. It has a male protagonist and threatens to dive deeper into sci-fi than fantasy. Yet, once I got started, it became incredibly easy to root for Darrow.

The world-building was fantastic, dividing people into fourteen colors representing their social class. It was such a unique take, but it wasn’t the only thing. The blending of classic Greek mythology made this book different from any other dystopian I had read. It marked every box on my checklist and more.

This book was a fast and furious ride.

It started with an intriguing plot and then didn’t let me go as I was forced to flip pages until the book was done. The heart-pounding, thrilling pace, coupled with Darrow’s cunning, left me wanting nothing more than the next book. 

The world was a brilliant mix of relatable trials but with a plausible futuristic setting. The clever tech made me want to fly alongside Darrow and I was surprised at how seamlessly I fell in love with the world. Throughout, I felt each of Darrow’s triumphs and I felt my heart… show more.

This is one of those books that sticks with you. It permeates your thoughts; it entangles itself in your psyche. I find myself wandering into the world of Red Rising on the regular because he built his characters to be real and so flawed.

When I read this book, I was in a personal state of turmoil, which drew me closer to the characters and the rigorous trials they faced. I identified with their fierce desperation and often modeled my mindset after Darrow, the main character.

The first in a series of six (but soon to be seven), the story… show more.

I f*cking LOVE this book! It has everything I love: a scrappy underdog goes to extreme lengths to fight those who have wronged him and his loved ones. And he makes friends along the way!

It’s perfectly paced and deftly written. I couldn’t put this down, and I’ve convinced dozens of friends and family to read (and love) it, too.

Red Rising and its sequels have a special place in my heart. They’re about war, violence, terrorism, tragedies, and betrayal, but there’s a stronger thread woven throughout the pages: love. Love of your family, of your brothers, and your kin. It’s this love that drives the characters to rise up against godlike enemies. To fight for a better tomorrow.

The bromance that’s on display between Darrow and Sevro is so moving, especially when either of them fall on hard times (which is often). Whenever I feel lost or depressed, reading about these broken, beautiful, loyal characters helps me to find… show more.

This book took everything I’ve ever loved about sci-fi franchises like Star Wars, The Expanse, and The Hunger Games and somehow managed to jam it all together and turn it all up to eleven. (This one goes to eleven!)

At present, I have three more books left to read in this series (next up for me is Iron Gold), and that thought is just so darn exciting I could dance. (I won’t because I’m currently walking on an under-the-desk treadmill… But I could.)

For me, this book and the books that follow are a collective masterclass in worldbuilding, dramatic… show more.

I need a fun adventure once and a while to distract from the heavy subject matter I usually read. Red Rising is a fight-the-system, battle-royale sci-fi set on a terraformed Mars.

The civilization is fierce and mercilessly stratified into castes based on job roles. These job roles are color-based and affect all people in the solar system down to a genetic level, with cyberpunk-level modifications. Red has been stamped on too long, and it’s time for them to rise.

When they did, I felt like I did as well. If I had all of the money, I would produce it… show more.

This didn’t quite go the way I thought it would. I’d not read anything into this book or the series before starting it, I just knew they were incredibly popular books, and I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about! I am delighted to say the hype is real!

A brilliantly imagined novel told through the voice of a powerful POV. I’m no sci-fi fan, but these books really are extraordinary.