Red Rising
Page turning
Intense
Surprising

Red Rising Red Rising Series 1

Pierce Brown2014
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, BUZZFEED, GOODREADS AND SHELF AWARENESS Pierce Brown's heart-pounding debut is the first book in a spectacular series that combines the drama of Game of Thrones with the epic scope of Star Wars. ********** 'Pierce Brown's empire-crushing debut is a sprawling vision . . . Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow' - Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Pandemic '[A] top-notch debut novel . . . Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field' - USA Today ********** Darrow is a Helldiver. A pioneer of Mars. Born to slave beneath the earth so that one day, future generations might live above it. He is a Red - humankind's lowest caste. But he has something the Golds - the ruthless ruling class - will never understand. He has a wife he worships, a family who give him strength. He has love. And when they take that from him, all that remains is revenge . . .
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Reviews

Photo of Aims
Aims@aimz
3.5 stars
Mar 14, 2025

I read this last year and HATED it, but having seen no one slate this book, I realised it must have been me and not the book. And so I gave it another go. This time via the graphic audio version. It was definitely me that was the problem. I really enjoyed it. Still got a bit lost, there are so many characters, but enjoyed the experience. Will absolutely be continuing with the series…….. where possible via graphic audio!

+3
Photo of rebecca
rebecca@rebeccamaree
4 stars
Mar 1, 2025

Ngl guys i got the audiobook version for when i was driving down to Hawkes Bay and got so confused on where in the story I was - good book though

Photo of Pedro Rodarte
Pedro Rodarte@perodarte
4 stars
Feb 4, 2025

Por muito desse livro eu achei que as pessoas tavam mentindo pra mim falando que esse livro era ótimo, mas do nada fui surpreendido com o fato delas estarem completamente certas. Estou completamente capturado pela história de Darrow e o “jogos vorazes no espaço (para homens 🧔🏻‍♂️)” e não vejo a hora de ver o que me aguarda no restante dessa série.

Photo of Panisa Sed
Panisa Sed@parpar
4.5 stars
Jan 6, 2025

This was a great book! Very much like Hunger Games in space. It does a great job of illustrating the main character’s inner struggles about the morality of both himself and the society in which he lives. My only critique would be that the world building can be tough to keep up with; you’ll often find yourself wondering what that random new word is.

+3
Photo of deacon
deacon@deacon
3.5 stars
Sep 24, 2024

a bit predictable but still a fun sci fi read

+1
Photo of Nina
Nina@ninbean
4.5 stars
Sep 5, 2024

world building is 10/10. felt like the writing got “better” as we went further, i think it was intentional. half a point off because the violence was a little tedious at points, not overly graphic or anything but just not super useful to the plot. but - not a big deal!

Photo of Rachel Stratton
Rachel Stratton@uhhh-stratton
4 stars
Aug 20, 2024

I LOVED this book! The writing is on par with other YA dystopian books, but the plot and the characters are so compelling. Darrow is our hero, but is not a flawless archetype. He experiences the depths of love, grief, outrage, and fear as he faces various tests (with differing degrees of success). I can’t wait to continue this series.

+2
Photo of Eva Ströberg
Eva Ströberg@cphbirdlady
3 stars
Jul 19, 2024

Pierce Brown - Red Rising . ⭐️⭐️⭐️ . Red Rising is an interesting YA novels, a mix of Hunger Games and Dune, with a dash of sci-fi as everything is set on the red planet, Mars. . The 16-year old Helldiver (some sort of advanced miner in Mars), poor and belong to the Red caste was the main protagonist. His young wife Eo wanted him to lead the revolution, to break free from the slavery and to contest Gold caste - the highest caste, prime humanoids in the solar system . I can imagine how enchanting all this for YA perspective, but I was not patient enough to learn all the details, the names of characters, the places and so on. It was too much details at once and I found myself having to flip the pages back and forth trying to remember who’s who. So three stars from me. (I read somewhere that they’re going to make Netflix series out of this series) . #redrising #piercebrown #yanovels #currentlyreading #2023reads #bookstagram

Photo of fris🐝
fris🐝@lfrisbee
5 stars
Jul 12, 2024

YOU ALREADY KNOOOOW THIS IS FIVE STARS!

okay I have so many actual thoughts about this book so here is a rare Real Review:

I love how this book shows not tells, like the writing is direct and not at all purple, but it really makes the most of its words from the get go. The opening scene is crazy good, and lets you know right away who exactly your main character is and what he does. He’s brash, smart, and not afraid to take it to the next level.

I love how I knew nothing going into this book, because at about the 50 page mark it not only shifts plots but tone and almost genre. You, like our main character, kinda get lost in the smaller plot of this book and forget the roots.

This book has taken inspiration from so many influential classic books, it’s Plato’s Republic, Goldman’s Lord of the Flies, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, and Homer’s Iliad all set in space. Like what’s not to love???? Darrow is so Achilles-coded. You really can’t help but root for him. It also has so many other references to classical myths but like I thought it was the coolest thing how this book translates so many things directly from Plato’s Republic in particular and puts them in such a unique sci-fi world.

MILD SPOILERS BUT if i had a nickel for every sci-fi dystopian book set in the distant future about a sword-wielding hero with references to the iliad and classical mythos in which different houses must compete in a trial game I’ve read in the past year, I’d have two nickels. which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice (not really weird though bc that is My Type)!

in conclusion I’m obsessed. brb picking up golden son now.

Photo of Shohini Gupta
Shohini Gupta@shohini
4 stars
Jul 7, 2024

great plot; bad writing but make do bc plot is great

Photo of Patrick Book
Patrick Book@patrickb
3 stars
Jul 5, 2024

Saga is right!

Photo of Ryan Mateyk
Ryan Mateyk@the_rybrary
5 stars
Jul 4, 2024

I'm actually blown away by how much I ended up enjoying this. It starts a bit slow, but after about 50 pages I was hooked. It's an awesome story that definitely has elements of other similar novels (it gets the Hunger Games comparisons a lot), but I found it to be very original and well-written. In a way, I'm glad I waited so long to read this book because I can now binge my way through the rest of the trilogy. Perks of procrastination!

Photo of Daphne Li-Chen
Daphne Li-Chen@daphne
4.5 stars
Jul 1, 2024

such an immersive world - i blasted through this book in one plane ride. clever and thrilling

+4
Photo of Jenny Engel
Jenny Engel@jennifer975
4.5 stars
Jun 26, 2024

Really enjoyed this. Liked that the MC made mistakes and learned from them. Also liked all the Roman references.

Photo of Jordan
Jordan@jrstos
4.5 stars
Jun 25, 2024

A Percy Jackson house war gone brutally violent and political. So many twists and turns and expert strategies that only the most depraved and ambitious can come up with. Questions of morality and dismantling a system so intensely ingrained that it seems incredibly infeasible. It leaves me with the burning question of whether Darrow will become a Paul Atreides or a Katniss Everdeen.

+3
Photo of Camron Swartzendruber
Camron Swartzendruber@cam_ra
3 stars
Jun 14, 2024

Very well written but I bit too much Sci-fi for my taste. I enjoyed it but was confused at times. I don’t know if I will continue the series or not but if you’re into science fiction/ fantasy you will like this, it had aspects of both.

Photo of Jeremy Mano
Jeremy Mano@jeremyma
4 stars
Jun 7, 2024

Großes Science Fiction Spektakel mit gewissen Längen.

Braucht etwas um reinzukommen. Viele Charaktere und Häuser, die an Game of Thrones erinnern...

Wer gehört jetzt nochmal wo hin ... ?

Photo of Anjorin Molayo
Anjorin Molayo @bookishtems
5 stars
Jun 1, 2024

perfection. just perfection.

Photo of anya
anya@anyasrvn
4.5 stars
May 23, 2024

oh roman based systems how you enthral me

Photo of claudia alford
claudia alford@claudalford
3 stars
Apr 19, 2024

Only as high of a rating because I liked the general concept and plot. But most of the characters felt very 2D and obviously written by a man. Book also felt needlessly long, almost considered DNFing. Will not be continuing with the series. Would have been much better if written by a woman or at least had more than 2 female characters!

Photo of Valentina Williams
Valentina Williams@valentina99
3.5 stars
Apr 11, 2024

think of it as a bro fantasy book but in the best way

Photo of Christine
Christine@definitelynotskittles
3 stars
Apr 2, 2024

3.5 stars First half of the book was only about 1.5 stars. I hated the characters in general. Flat, boring. (view spoiler)[Was I supposed to feel something when Eo died? Idk. (hide spoiler)] 2D. Also, a lot of impossible stuff, even with the strange sci-fi But then I hit the mark where he starts the battle against Mustang & House Minerva and everything got way better. 4.5 stars, I guess. I still didn't like Darrow but...Mustang and Milia and Nyah and Sevro and Pax and the Howlers and everybody else, they were real, amazing people. I forgot they were Golds, and all I could think of was destroying Apollo and Jupiter. But yeah, I anticipate something between Mustang and Darrow later *shrug*

Photo of Monji Bat-Erdene
Monji Bat-Erdene@monjib
4.5 stars
Mar 13, 2024

Great book, lots of character development and action.

+2
Photo of Zugzug
Zugzug@zugzug
4 stars
Mar 4, 2024

Darrow, Servo, Pax, oh where to start. Martyrdom, sci fi, world building, consistent fast paced action scenes, if any of these sound good to you this may be a worthy read for you. To me this felt like Hunger games meets Warhammer 40k if that gives any reader of this something to work with. For a basic synopsis the existing descriptions do it fair justice but I would say be prepared to stick with the main character Darrow through some transformation, plot twists, and some crazy adaption to changing circumstances. My one critique is hopefully resolved later in the series but aside from Darrow many of the other characters could be fleshed out more. I enjoyed my time here and from what I have heard the series only gets stronger as you move further into the series. So guess I am in for quite a ride.

Highlights

Photo of Hannah Dee
Hannah Dee@hdo0823

I am the Reaper and death is my shadow.

Page 257

cunty

Photo of Hannah Dee
Hannah Dee@hdo0823

I am Darwin’s scythe. Nature scraping away the chaff.

bars

Photo of Hannah Dee
Hannah Dee@hdo0823

All this for a little adventure. All this for a night under the stars with the man she loves. Yet she is calm. If there is fear, it is in me, because I feel a strangeness in the air. Her skin prickles as they lay her across the cold box. She flinches. I wish my blood had warmed it better for her.

ouch

Photo of Jordan
Jordan@jrstos

I look down at my hands. They are what Dancer called them-- cut, scarred, burned things. When Eo kissed them, they grew gentle for love. Now that she is gone, they grow hard for hate.

Page 70
Photo of Jordan
Jordan@jrstos

“I live for the dream that my children will be born free" she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"Live for you" I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Page 34
Photo of Noah Cross
Noah Cross@noahwcross

She's almost right. But she thinks like a Gold. Someone. scream as they see Sevro and his Howlers cutting their way t of the stitched-up bellies of the dead and bloated horses that litrh mud up to the gate.

Photo of Brandon Liew
Brandon Liew@poryhedron

Amani

Photo of Kesar Varma
Kesar Varma@kcv4

"You do not follow me because I am the strongest. Pax is. You do not follow me because I am the brightest. Mustang is. You follow me because you do not know where you are going. I do,"

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

I had thought it would be over, but not all scars heal. Not all sins are forgiven.

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

I miss the small cot I used to share with Eo. She's been dead now longer than we were married. I'm surprised how much it hurts to realize that.

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

Mars and Jupiter can battle it out for all I care. I'll come back for both later.

we luv an unhinged mc

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

"I know you cry in your sleep for a girl named Eo."

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

"Now you're looking at me and you're realizing that we don't bloodydamn like it down there. Red is rising, Mickey."

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

My dreams are cruel things to wake from. In them, Eo comforts me, but when I wake, she is nothing but a fleeting memory.

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

"Dreamers like your wife are limited, little Helldiver. The only power they have is in death. The harder they die, the louder their voice, the deeper the echoes."

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

My beautiful wife shone too bright to live long.

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

If only I could save her from this. If only I could protect her; but the world is cold and hard to me. It does not bend as I wish it to bend. I am weak. I watch my wife die and my haemanthus fall from her hand.

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

Then they are dragging me to the side. They leave my blood. I’m sure I screamed, sure I shamed myself. I hear them bring out my wife. Her skin prickles as they lay her across the cold box. I wish my blood had warmed it better for her.

:(

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

"I live for you,” I say sadly.

She kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

"All ears yearn for a voice to lead them through darkness.”

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

Stars glow soft and graceful in the slick black sky, like the lights that dangle above our township. Eo looks as though she could join them.

Photo of raia – inactive
raia – inactive@raieuh

In her eyes, I see my heart. In her breath, I hear my soul. She is my land. She is my kin. My love.

Photo of bookmole
bookmole@bookmole

I just watched and thought it a shame that he died dancing but without his dancing shoes. On Mars there is not much gravity. So you have to pull the feet to break the neck. They let the loved ones do it.

I instantly knew after reading this from the first chapter that the Red Rising Series was going to be my new binge-worthy obsession.