By Pierce Brown
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 spends his life willingly, knowing 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 already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks 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.
Since I live in San Diego, last year I went down to Comic-Con to see what free stuff I could do or pick up. Not much, really. But as I was walking, someone handed me a free book from a box. This book in fact. I accepted it, but figured it was some badly-written indie book I’d end up donating. Lo and behold, when I got home I discovered it was this amazing best-seller!
Red Rising was awesome! I’ve been describing it as Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones meets The Martian. I’m sure there are better comparisons out there, but this is what I’m working with.
After about 50 pages in, this book had me hooked and didn’t let go. I started this book the night before I got sick and spent the next day on the couch sick and reading this book. It’s a long one so I probably read 75% that day and then the rest the following day.
It’s gripping, it’s expansive, it’s exciting, it’s violent, it’s heartbreaking, it’s imaginative, it’s a hell of a good time.
I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the second book, Golden Son soon.
And I sincerely hope a movie or tv show is in the works for this series.
