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Red Rising Hardcover – January 28, 2014
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“Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field.”—USA Today
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, Shelf Awareness
“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.”
“I live for you,” I say sadly.
Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Praise for Red Rising
“[A] spectacular adventure . . . one heart-pounding ride . . . Pierce Brown’s dizzyingly good debut novel evokes The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, and Ender’s Game. . . . [Red Rising] has everything it needs to become meteoric.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow.”—Scott Sigler
“Red Rising is a sophisticated vision. . . . Brown will find a devoted audience.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
Don’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga:
RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE • LIGHT BRINGER
- Print length382 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDel Rey
- Publication dateJanuary 28, 2014
- Dimensions6.4 x 1.3 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-100345539788
- ISBN-13978-0345539786
- Lexile measureHL630L
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of the Month, February 2014: Look beyond the inevitable comparison to The Hunger Games--Red Rising is the first book of a gritty, complex trilogy that blazes its own trail. On desolate Mars, the protagonist, Darrow, is caught in a class system that thrives on oppression and secrecy. He is a Red, the lowest member of society, born to toil in the bowels of the planet in service to the sovereign Golds. When Darrow suffers a devastating loss and betrayal he becomes a revolutionary, taking on a dangerous role in an attempt to bring about social justice. Questions of fate, duality, and loyalty, evolve in a cruel test of war between the sons and daughters of the ruling elite. By turns brutal and heartfelt, Red Rising is nonstop action with surprising twists and unforgettable characters. --Seira Wilson
From Booklist
Review
“[A] top-notch debut novel . . . Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field.”—USA Today
“Red Rising is a sophisticated vision. . . . Brown will find a devoted audience.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“A story of vengeance, warfare and the quest for power . . . reminiscent of The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Fast-paced, gripping, well-written—the sort of book you cannot put down. I am already on the lookout for the next one.”—Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Shannara
“Pierce Brown has done an astounding job at delivering a powerful piece of literature that will definitely make a mark in the minds of readers.”—The Huffington Post
“Compulsively readable and exceedingly entertaining . . . a must for both fans of classic sci-fi and fervent followers of new school dystopian epics.”—Examiner
“[A] great debut . . . The author gathers a spread of elements together in much the same way George R. R. Martin does.”—Tordotcom
“Very ambitious . . . a natural for Hunger Games fans of all ages.”—Booklist
“Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow: Pierce Brown’s empire-crushing debut is a sprawling vision.”—Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Pandemic
“A Hollywood-ready story with plenty of action and thrills.”—Publishers Weekly
“Reminiscent of . . . Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games . . . [Red Rising] will captivate readers and leave them wanting more.”—Library Journal (starred review)
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Helldiver
The first thing you should know about me is I am my father’s son. And when they came for him, I did as he asked. I did not cry. Not when the Society televised the arrest. Not when the Golds tried him. Not when the Grays hanged him. Mother hit me for that. My brother Kieran was supposed to be the stoic one. He was the elder, I the younger. I was supposed to cry. Instead, Kieran bawled like a girl when Little Eo tucked a haemanthus into Father’s left workboot and ran back to her own father’s side. My sister Leanna murmured a lament beside me. 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 smell my own stink inside my frysuit. The suit is some kind of nanoplastic and is hot as its name suggests. It insulates me toe to head. Nothing gets in. Nothing gets out. Especially not the heat. Worst part is you can’t wipe the sweat from your eyes. Bloodydamn stings as it goes through the headband to puddle at the heels. Not to mention the stink when you piss. Which you always do. Gotta take in a load of water through the drinktube. I guess you could be fit with a catheter. We choose the stink.
The drillers of my clan chatter some gossip over the comm in my ear as I ride atop the clawDrill. I’m alone in this deep tunnel on a machine built like a titanic metal hand, one that grasps and gnaws at the ground. I control its rockmelting digits from the holster seat atop the drill, just where the elbow joint would be. There, my fingers fit into control gloves that manipulate the many tentacle-like drills some ninety meters below my perch. To be a Helldiver, they say your fingers must flicker fast as tongues of fire. Mine flicker faster.
Despite the voices in my ear, I am alone in the deep tunnel. My existence is vibration, the echo of my own breath, and heat so thick and noxious it feels like I’m swaddled in a heavy quilt of hot piss.
A new river of sweat breaks through the scarlet sweatband tied around my forehead and slips into my eyes, burning them till they’re as red as my rusty hair. I used to reach and try to wipe the sweat away, only to scratch futilely at the faceplate of my frysuit. I still want to. Even after three years, the tickle and sting of the sweat is a raw misery.
The tunnel walls around my holster seat are bathed a sulfurous yellow by a corona of lights. The reach of the light fades as I look up the thin vertical shaft I’ve carved today. Above, precious helium-3 glimmers like liquid silver, but I’m looking at the shadows, looking for the pitvipers that curl through the darkness seeking the warmth of my drill. They’ll eat into your suit too, bite through the shell and then try to burrow into the warmest place they find, usually your belly, so they can lay their eggs. I’ve been bitten before. Still dream of the beast—black, like a thick tendril of oil. They can get as wide as a thigh and long as three men, but it’s the babies we fear. They don’t know how to ration their poison. Like me, their ancestors came from Earth, then Mars and the deep tunnels changed them.
It is eerie in the deep tunnels. Lonely. Beyond the roar of the drill, I hear the voices of my friends, all older. But I cannot see them a half klick above me in the darkness. They drill high above, near the mouth of the tunnel that I’ve carved, descending with hooks and lines to dangle along the sides of the tunnel to get at the small veins of helium-3. They mine with meter-long drills, gobbling up the chaff. The work still requires mad dexterity of foot and hand, but I’m the earner in this crew. I am the Helldiver. It takes a certain kind—and I’m the youngest anyone can remember.
I’ve been in the mines for three years. You start at thirteen. Old enough to screw, old enough to crew. At least that’s what Uncle Narol said. Except I didn’t get married till six months back, so I don’t know why he said it.
Eo dances through my thoughts as I peer into my control display and slip the clawDrill’s fingers around a fresh vein. Eo. Sometimes it’s difficult to think of her as anything but what we used to call her as children.
Little Eo—a tiny girl hidden beneath a mane of red. Red like the rock around me, not true red, rust-red. Red like our home, like Mars. Eo is sixteen too. And she may be like me—from a clan of Red earth diggers, a clan of song and dance and soil—but she could be made from air, from the ether that binds the stars in a patchwork. Not that I’ve ever seen stars. No Red from the mining colonies sees the stars.
Little Eo. They wanted to marry her off when she turned fourteen, like all girls of the clans. But she took the short rations and waited for me to reach sixteen, wedAge for men, before slipping that cord around her finger. She said she knew we’d marry since we were children. I didn’t.
“Hold. Hold. Hold!” Uncle Narol snaps over the comm channel. “Darrow, hold, boy!” My fingers freeze. He’s high above with the rest of them, watching my progress on his head unit.
“What’s the burn?” I ask, annoyed. I don’t like being interrupted.
“What’s the burn, the little Helldiver asks.” Old Barlow chuckles.
“Gas pocket, that’s what,” Narol snaps. He’s the headTalk for our two-hundred-plus crew. “Hold. Calling a scanCrew to check the particulars before you blow us all to hell.”
“That gas pocket? It’s a tiny one,” I say. “More like a gas pimple. I can manage it.”
“A year on the drill and he thinks he knows his head from his hole! Poor little pissant,” old Barlow adds dryly. “Remember the words of our golden leader. Patience and obedience, young one. Patience is the better part of valor. And obedience the better part of humanity. Listen to your elders.”
I roll my eyes at the epigram. If the elders could do what I can, maybe listening would have its merits. But they are slow in hand and mind. Sometimes I feel like they want me to be just the same, especially my uncle.
“I’m on a tear,” I say. “If you think there’s a gas pocket, I can just hop down and handscan it. Easy. No dilldally.”
They’ll preach caution. As if caution has ever helped them. We haven’t won a Laurel in ages.
“Want to make Eo a widow?” Barlow laughs, voice crackling with static. “Okay by me. She is a pretty little thing. Drill into that pocket and leave her to me. Old and fat I be, but my drill still digs a dent.”
A chorus of laughter comes from the two hundred drillers above. My knuckles turn white as I grip the controls.
“Listen to Uncle Narol, Darrow. Better to back off till we can get a reading,” my brother Kieran adds. He’s three years older. Makes him think he’s a sage, that he knows more. He just knows caution. “There’ll be time.”
“Time? Hell, it’ll take hours,” I snap. They’re all against me in this. They’re all wrong and slow and don’t understand that the Laurel is only a bold move away. More, they doubt me. “You are being a coward, Narol.”
Silence on the other end of the line.
Calling a man a coward—not a good way to get his cooperation. Shouldn’t have said it.
“I say make the scan yourself,” Loran, my cousin and Narol’s son, squawks. “Don’t and Gamma is good as Gold—they’ll get the Laurel for, oh, the hundredth time.”
The Laurel. Twenty-four clans in the underground mining colony of Lykos, one Laurel per quarter. It means more food than you can eat. It means more burners to smoke. Imported quilts from Earth. Amber swill with the Society’s quality markings. It means winning. Gamma clan has had it since anyone can remember. So it’s always been about the Quota for us lesser clans, just enough to scrape by. Eo says the Laurel is the carrot the Society dangles, always just far enough beyond our grasp. Just enough so we know how short we really are and how little we can do about it. We’re supposed to be pioneers. Eo calls us slaves. I just think we never try hard enough. Never take the big risks because of the old men.
“Loran, shut up about the Laurel. Hit the gas and we’ll miss all the bloodydamn Laurels to kingdom come, boy,” Uncle Narol growls.
He’s slurring. I can practically smell the drink through the comm. He wants to call a sensor team to cover his own ass. Or he’s scared. The drunk was born pissing himself out of fear. Fear of what? Our overlords, the Golds? Their minions, the Grays? Who knows? Few people. Who cares? Even fewer. Actually, just one man cared for my uncle, and he died when my uncle pulled his feet.
My uncle is weak. He is cautious and immoderate in his drink, a pale shadow of my father. His blinks are long and hard, as though it pains him to open his eyes each time and see the world again. I don’t trust him down here in the mines, or anywhere for that matter. But my mother would tell me to listen to him; she would remind me to respect my elders. Even though I am wed, even though I am the Helldiver of my clan, she would say that my “blisters have not yet become calluses.” I will obey, even though it is as maddening as the tickle of the sweat on my face.
“Fine,” I murmur.
I clench the drill fist and wait as my uncle calls it in from the safety of the chamber above the deep tunnel. This will take hours. I do the math. Eight hours till whistle call. To beat Gamma, I’ve got to keep a rate of 156.5 kilos an hour. It’ll take two and a half hours for the scanCrew to get here and do their deal, at best. So I’ve got to pump out 227.6 kilos per hour after that. Impossible. But if I keep going and squab the tedious scan, it’s ours.
I wonder if Uncle Narol and Barlow know how close we are. Probably. Probably just don’t think anything is ever worth the risk. Probably think divine intervention will squab our chances. Gamma has the Laurel. That’s the way things are and will ever be. We of Lambda just try to scrape by on our foodstuffs and meager comforts. No rising. No falling. Nothing is worth the risk of changing the hierarchy. My father found that out at the end of a rope.
Nothing is worth risking death. Against my chest, I feel the wedding band of hair and silk dangling from the cord around my neck and think of Eo’s ribs.
I’ll see a few more of the slender things through her skin this month. She’ll go asking the Gamma families for scraps behind my back. I’ll act like I don’t know. But we’ll still be hungry. I eat too much because I’m sixteen and still growing tall; Eo lies and says she’s never got much of an appetite. Some women sell themselves for food or luxuries to the Tinpots (Grays, to be technic about it), the Society’s garrison troops of our little mining colony. She wouldn’t sell her body to feed me. Would she? But then I think about it. I’d do anything to feed her . . .
I look down over the edge of my drill. It’s a long fall to the bottom of the hole I’ve dug. Nothing but molten rock and hissing drills. But before I know what’s what, I’m out of my straps, scanner in hand and jumping down the hundred-meter drop toward the drill fingers. I kick back and forth between the vertical mineshaft’s walls and the drill’s long, vibrating body to slow my fall. I make sure I’m not near a pitviper nest when I throw out an arm to catch myself on a gear just above the drill fingers. The ten drills glow with heat. The air shimmers and distorts. I feel the heat on my face, feel it stabbing my eyes, feel it ache in my belly and balls. Those drills will melt your bones if you’re not careful. And I’m not careful. Just nimble.
I lower myself hand over hand, going feetfirst between the drill fingers so that I can lower the scanner close enough to the gas pocket to get a reading. This was a mistake. Voices shout at me through the comm. I almost brush one of the drills as I finally lower myself close enough to the gas pocket. The scanner flickers in my hand as it takes its reading. My suit is bubbling and I smell something sweet and sharp, like burned syrup. To a Helldiver, it is the smell of death.
Product details
- Publisher : Del Rey; First Edition (January 28, 2014)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 382 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0345539788
- ISBN-13 : 978-0345539786
- Lexile measure : HL630L
- Item Weight : 1.35 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.4 x 1.3 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #11 in Science Fiction Short Stories
- #98 in Dystopian Fiction (Books)
- #170 in Science Fiction Adventures
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
Pierce Brown is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of the Red Rising Saga. He spent his childhood building forts and setting traps for his cousins in the woods of six states and the deserts of two. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he scribbles tales of spaceships, wizards, ghouls, and most things old or bizarre.
www.PierceBrown.com
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Customers find the story engaging and immersive. They appreciate the descriptive writing style and lyrical language. Characters are well-developed with a range of personalities. The book has many twists and turns, making it an excellent dystopian tale with high stakes. Customers describe the series as great and thrilling.
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Customers find the plot engaging and entertaining. They describe it as a good quality story with a few twists and turns. The writing is well-done, and they appreciate the high-lingo used.
"...He’s brilliant and strong but not infallible; a leader, but one who must trust and rely on others for his ultimate success...." Read more
"...out there, told in many other books, somehow I still find this compelling to read...." Read more
"...to build up a fantasy of the whole Mars and all its complexity, it was dead awesome. Bloodydamn...." Read more
"...Pierce Brown crafts a masterful narrative that hooks readers from the very first page and refuses to let go until the final, heart-pounding..." Read more
Customers find the book's pacing engaging and immersive. They appreciate the fast-paced story with diverse characters and varied motivations. The time passes quickly without being excessively detailed.
"...I prefer it that way. Pacing is pretty good. There is a period in the middle of the book where not much happens for months...." Read more
"...With its richly imagined world, unforgettable characters, and heart-stopping action, it's a book that deserves every bit of its five-star rating...." Read more
"...you experience the brashness and cynicism, you also see tenderness, wonder, and vulnerability. His evolution as a character is believable...." Read more
"...This book is unapologetically clever, thought-provoking, ruthless, cunning, captivating, scary, and most importantly, it makes you reevaluate a lot..." Read more
Customers appreciate the descriptive writing style and well-developed characters. They find the language gorgeous and lyrical, with an easy-to-read style that balances elaborateness and clarity. Readers describe the book as clever, thought-provoking, and epic.
"...I found myself describing it to friends as “epic,” “spectacular,” and “out of this world,” and it's become one of my favorite books...." Read more
"...Present-tense, first person POV, someone from the lower echelons of society challenging (or attempting to challenge) the established social order...." Read more
"...I super loved the details about Mars, how separate the life of each colors there...." Read more
"...Brown's prose crackles with energy and intensity, drawing readers into the heart of the action and never letting up until the final page is..." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-developed characters with a range of personalities. They find the main character engaging and memorable. The author portrays the emotions and points of view of many characters effectively.
"...players in this book, and they each feel like real, distinct, memorable people...." Read more
"...I like Darrow as a character. I think part of this is the emotion the author is able to put into his writing...." Read more
"...The author did characterizations to each character very well. Darrow was my top favorite...." Read more
"...With its richly imagined world, unforgettable characters, and heart-stopping action, it's a book that deserves every bit of its five-star rating...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's twists and turns. They find the story engaging with an epic fantasy quest and thought-provoking characters. The combination of dystopian and sci-fi elements works well for them. Readers appreciate the Roman and Greek mythology twists.
"...I found myself describing it to friends as “epic,” “spectacular,” and “out of this world,” and it's become one of my favorite books...." Read more
"...So the book is predictable in its overall arc, but you are still surprised by the reading experience...." Read more
"...Darrow is a protagonist for the ages, a complex and deeply flawed hero whose journey from oppressed miner to revolutionary leader is nothing short..." Read more
"...This book is unapologetically clever, thought-provoking, ruthless, cunning, captivating, scary, and most importantly, it makes you reevaluate a lot..." Read more
Customers enjoy the series. They find the story interesting and thrilling, with a good start to a thrilling series. The trilogy is unique and a fantastic update to the Princess of Mars series.
"I think this book was overall quite interesting, a good start to a series, but not without some flaws in my opinion...." Read more
"Great introduction to the series, gives you just what you need in terms of politics, action, romance and that anarchy revolution that makes it so..." Read more
"You don’t need my review because you’ve already heard this is the best series ever or you wouldn’t be here...." Read more
"...So if you’re are looking for a good series that will get your blood pumping then you need to get this book...." Read more
Customers enjoy the world-building in the book. They find it insightful and well-balanced with the pacing of the story. The social hierarchy is complex, relatable, and original.
"...For one thing, he’s self-aware and able to make sacrifices and tough decisions because he knows they are required...." Read more
"...is meticulously crafted, with its own customs, traditions, and societal norms, creating a vibrant tapestry that is as immersive as it is..." Read more
"...- ALL the betrayal, high stakes, very much of the Adrenalin, very much of the kill-kill and some stab-stab(okay, a lot)...." Read more
"...a good book that has it all...love, action, science fiction, philosophical principles, something you can learn from...then READ this book...." Read more
Customers find the book emotionally engaging. They describe it as heartbreaking, suspenseful, and action-packed. The characters are lovable and the losses hurt. The antagonists have a human feel to them, and friendships tear their hearts out. The story is raw and painful, yet tender and vulnerable.
"...And though you experience the brashness and cynicism, you also see tenderness, wonder, and vulnerability. His evolution as a character is believable...." Read more
"...The plot is deep and unpredictable, the writing style is fast yet emotional. This is a series I know I will read again and again." Read more
"...The loss and the betrayal and the realization of a society that is corrupt, as many are, and then when the trials were done and our brilliant little..." Read more
"...imagination danced along with this text, creating vivid imagery and emotional attachment...." Read more
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One of my favorite books of all time
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2015Red Rising is definitely one of those books that improves with re-reading. It’s been touted as the next big thing, a book that will knock you off your feet and fill the void left by The Hunger Games. When I finished my first read of the book, I couldn’t decide whether the hype was justified or not; Brown blew me away in the first few chapters, failed to wow me in the next few, and then alternated between “pretty good” and “outstanding” for the remainder of the book.
There were times when I struggled with the believability of Brown’s world, when I felt he wasn’t being consistent with his characterization or was losing the thread of his story. At other times, though, there were moments of true greatness, where I glimpsed the tremendous potential of this trilogy.
When six months had gone by and I still couldn’t stop thinking about Red Rising, I decided to buy a copy and read it again. The second time, I was blown away. I found myself describing it to friends as “epic,” “spectacular,” and “out of this world,” and it's become one of my favorite books.
Red Rising takes place on Mars hundreds of years in the future, when a person’s station and function are determined by the Color they’re born into. The Reds, for example, are tasked with toiling in the underground mines of Mars to collect the elements that will be used make the planet inhabitable.
One of these Reds is Darrow, a young man respected and loved by his people for his quick hands and sharp mind. Working conditions may be hellish, living conditions bleak, but Darrow is proud to do his part for the good of humanity. His wife, on the other hand, views the Reds’ toil as slavery and urges Darrow to use his reputation and talents to free their people. Darrow, head-over-heels in love with his wife and unwilling to risk her safety and the life they’ve built together, resists.
It’s only after tragedy strikes that Darrow is forced to rethink his world view and realize his wife’s dream is one worth fighting for. Transmuted by grief and rage, Darrow joins a rebel force in a plot to bring down the Golds, the elite who rule all the other Colors. Darrow undergoes an extensive and painful transformation to pass as a Gold, the plan being for him to fight the Golds from within and rise through the ranks to a position of influence where he can start a revolution.
The first step in this ascension is to enroll in the Institute, a training ground for young Golds. Unlike traditional schools, the Institute is less of a college, more of an immense, high-stakes game of Capture the Flag or Risk. The students are divided into 12 houses and thrown into the wilderness, the objective being for one house to conquer all of the others.
This is where most people begin comparing Red Rising to The Hunger Games. While there are definite similarities, such as the fact that young people are fighting one another in an arena-like field, there are key differences between the two. The principle way Red Rising differs from The Hunger Games is that the game of Capture the Flag is not a free-for-all where only one can be left standing at the end. To succeed in the Institute you need allies, an army. You need to become a leader, bring people to your side, rally and unite your troops. You need strategy and inspiration. Watching Darrow figure out how to become not just a victor, but a leader and a legend, is one of the biggest selling points of the book.
I would say Red Rising feels more reminiscent of Braveheart than The Hunger Games, mostly due to the setting and to Darrow himself. The game of Capture the Flag is played out in a land of castles, highlands, forests, and vales. There are battle cries, ferocious warriors galloping around on horseback, animal pelts, and war paint. And like William Wallace, Darrow is fighting against oppression and has an inner fire and charisma that win people’s hearts and loyalty.
Darrow is everything you could ask for in an epic hero. For one thing, he’s self-aware and able to make sacrifices and tough decisions because he knows they are required. He regrets some of the things he must do in order to get ahead but recognizes that those actions must be taken in order to realize his wife’s dream. He’s brilliant and strong but not infallible; a leader, but one who must trust and rely on others for his ultimate success. His victories are epic, but so are his failures. I’m in awe of him and can’t wait to see his meteoric rise continue in the rest of this series.
The supporting characters in the Institute also played a huge part in winning me over. Darrow may be the grand hero, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the rest of the story's cast are lesser beings. There are some serious power players in this book, and they each feel like real, distinct, memorable people. They’re not just characters, they’re titans, and without them Red Rising wouldn’t be half so successful.
Were there problems with Red Rising? Certainly. It can be overwhelming at times, slow at others, and there are moments when it feels like Brown is writing not a story, but Ideas, with a capital "I." Ultimately, though, this is a brilliant book. It wowed me, moved me, and left me stunned, and I am rabid to know how the trilogy will proceed.
This review can also be found on my blog,http://AngelasLibrary.com.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2015I have read a lot of books like this one lately. Smashing elements of the first two Hunger Games books together, for example, you'll get something rather like Red Rising. Present-tense, first person POV, someone from the lower echelons of society challenging (or attempting to challenge) the established social order. Naturally, the established social order is unjust -- extremely so. We're supposed to want it to be overturned. And so the protagonist has our immediate sympathy. (Essentially, people are identified by colors: Red, Brown, Obsidian, Gold, Gray, Silver, and several others. People of each color are assigned specific roles in society -- Golds rule, Reds are basically at the bottom of the ladder, Pinks are forced to work in brothels, Violets are artists, and so forth.)
In this case, our protagonist is Darrow, a young (Red) man who mines helium-3 under the surface of Mars. This is his family trade; they've been doing it for years, eking out an existence on scraps thrown to them by their Gold masters (and the Golds' functionaries of "lower" color classes). Something happens (don't want to spoil it) and Darrow's life changes forever.
I like Darrow as a character. I think part of this is the emotion the author is able to put into his writing. This is especially true for the first 20% of the book, but you remember that aspect of Darrow throughout the rest of the book. Sometimes he seems heartless, but you know why he does what he does (or why he *thinks* he needs to take certain actions). He's filled with anger and purpose but he also has doubts.
Naturally, this being first person POV, the other characters are not as complex. But in a way, that's necessary. There are quite a few betrayals and double-crossings in this book. Alliances shift. And there'd be much less tension if you knew what every character was thinking, the whole time. There's something of a pattern to this book -- a series of defeats and/or humiliations for our hero and his allies, but these are followed by triumphs. What I do like is that you never know how big the defeat is going to be. Sometimes, you get nervous about something only for it to turn out to be minor. Sometimes, the problem is much bigger. And you never know which is going to be the case until it happens. So the book is predictable in its overall arc, but you are still surprised by the reading experience. So even though there are many parallel stories out there, told in many other books, somehow I still find this compelling to read. I suppose that's the author's skill involved there (pretty remarkable, as I think this is his first book).
The setting is Mars, but this Mars has been terraformed. People live there, on the surface, in great cities. So even though a lot of this book involves low-tech warfare, you know things like space travel are possible. There are tablet computers and holographic video playback devices and boots that alter the workings of gravity. Thankfully, this is not explained in detail -- because many of these things are probably not scientifically possible. However, these elements generally just blend into the background. Usually objects are named such that you can kind of figure out what they do without being bogged down in the particulars. I prefer it that way.
Pacing is pretty good. There is a period in the middle of the book where not much happens for months. But the author doesn't dwell on this; it takes only a few pages. We know what Darrow is doing, and there are a few tense moments and dropped bits of information that further the story. This is a good strategy -- this part builds the relationship between two important characters (not a traditional YA love story, thankfully) but also sets the stage for events later in the book. And it doesn't feel like it's taking too long. It may not be the high point in terms of action, but it works.
There's a lot of violence in this book, so be prepared for that. Most of the swear words are made up, and there are references to sex and rape although nothing of that nature is described in explicit detail. I would hesitate to call this YA because of the level of violence and gore, but the characters are older teens and I think mature young people could handle it, most certainly. (However, you don't *have* to be young to enjoy the book -- I'm in my mid/late 30s!)
In the end, although the type of story was familiar, this was something of an emotional roller coaster. Not many books have been able to make me feel that way lately. I read book 2 right after this and now I have to wait along with everyone else for book 3. I hope it's not too long in coming.
Top reviews from other countries
- Emme SReviewed in Canada on August 21, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal read
Honestly what a read. I love how real the characters feel and you can't help but like a lot of the characters. It's got a great plot and fantastic pacing. I can't wait to start Golden Son!
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Cliente AmazonReviewed in Brazil on January 27, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Um dos melhores livros de ficção científica que já li na vida
Excelente! Personagens bem escritos, com arcos de desenvolvimento interessantes e uma trama cujo avanço não é óbvio! Excelente criação de mundo. A história tem um ritmo acelerado e cheio de ação. Pra se apaixonar mesmo! E fica ainda melhor nos próximos livros da série.
- Viktor DahlbergReviewed in Sweden on December 1, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars This books got me into reading and is still to this day one of my favourite
This books got me into reading and is still to this day one of my favourites. This is the third copy I have bought, to give away to friends.
- XitijReviewed in India on October 20, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Red rising
Grate book to read 5 🌟 book with amazing story
- ValeriaReviewed in Italy on May 20, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars SPEECHLESS
I have no words to describe the beauty of this book. I found it by chance in the booktok among the recommended ones in the Sci Fi genre, I didn't have high expectations, I was hoping it would entertain me, and instead it completely shocked me. I spent days sipping through the pages for fear that the story would end too soon. I felt a myriad of emotions, sadness, anger, despair, but also joy, euphoria and amazement. There are few books that have captured my heart, Red Rising is definitely one of them. I've already ordered the sequel and am eager to start it right away. 100% recommended, it's a masterpiece.