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Red Rising is the name of a series of science fiction novels that took the publishing world by storm when they debuted in 2014.
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Order of Red Rising Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Rising | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Golden Son | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Morning Star | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Iron Gold | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Dark Age | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Lightbringer (Short Story) | 2023 | Description / Buy |
Written by Pierce Brown, Red Rising is also the name of the first novel. The story it tells takes place hundreds of years in the future. Mankind left the earth a long time ago. They spread out through the stars and colonized a multitude of planets.
For Darrow, a 16-year-old member of the Red class, Mars is the only home he knows. Life on Mars is difficult. Society is arranged in a color-based structure, with the Gold caste standing at the top of the pyramid and ruling with an iron fist while the Reds work tirelessly at the bottom.
For the longest time, Darrow was content with his existence. He knew that the work he did with the rest of the Reds would build a future for his wife Eo and their children. He understood that the helium-3 the Reds mined from beneath the planet would eventually terraform Mars, turning it into a warm, welcoming world.
Darrow was more than willing to give his blood, sweat, and tears for that dream. But then everything went wrong. First, the boy and his wife were arrested for committing a minor offense.
Then, during her public whipping, Eo dared to sing a forbidden song and that got her executed. In choosing to cut her body down and then bury it, Darrow got himself hanged.
That should have marked the end of his existence. But then Darrow woke up. A rebel group called the Sons of Ares had saved his life. They revealed to him the horrible truth; that Mars had been successfully terraformed hundreds of years earlier; that the surface was littered with sprawling cities; that the Golds had kept the Reds in the dark so that they could remain in a place of servitude.
Darrow’s spirit broke. But then his despair gave way to anger, and his new friends provided him a target against which he could channel it.
Darrow was exposed to painful surgical procedures, transformed into an elite Gold member and then injected into the upper echelons of society. His mission was simple: to infiltrate the halls of power and to break the very foundations that kept the Golds and society at large intact.
The Red Rising novels chronicle Darrow’s mission of revenge. However, his story isn’t nearly as straightforward as some people presume.
At first, Darrow’s primary objective is to prove his worth as a member of the Gold class and then use the resources and tools he acquires to burn everything to the ground.
But once he actually infiltrates the Gold caste, his loyalties begin to fray. Darrow understands the plight of the Reds and he will do everything in his power to free them. That being said, he is also confronted with the fact that there are decent people among the Gold class.
Not only does Darrow form long-lasting bonds with members of the Gold caste but he also finds love, a development that forces him to reevaluate his entire mission.
Red Rising Awards
The first novel was nominated for a Nevada Young Reader’s Award in 2016. It was also a 2016 Audies Science Fiction finalist.
Morning Star won the Goodreads Choice Award in 2016. Golden Son also won this award in 2015 in the category of Science Fiction.
Red Rising Books into Movies
Universal acquired the film rights to the first Red Rising novel. Pierce Brown, the author, wrote two drafts for the potential adaptation.
Best Red Rising Books
These novels have been described as The Hunger Games but in Space, with some of the best books in the series including:
Red Rising: Darrow, a member of Mars’ lowest caste, would have sacrificed anything to secure the future of his home. But then the ruling Gold caste killed his wife and he learned that they had lied to him.
Now Darrow has infiltrated their legendary institute. He intends to rise to the top of the Gold Caste and then use their own power to destroy them from within.
Golden Son: Darrow became a Gold. He infiltrated Mars’ privileged Caste so that he could destroy them. But things in his new, cruel world are far from simple. Not only has he found love and friendship but the forces arrayed against him are far greater than he could have imagined.
Other Book Series You May Like
The “Kingkiller Chronicles” by Patrick Rothfuss is another good read. These novels tell the story of Kvothe, a talented musician who is orphaned at a young age. Forced to survive as a beggar on the streets of Tarbean, Kvothe discovers his magical gifts, gains admission at a prominent institute of higher learning and begins a journey that will make him a legend.
You may also like the “Breeds” Series by Lora Leigh. These Urban fantasy YA novels follow six monsters, genetic experiments, and the women who seek to tame their hearts and minds.
What Is The Next Book in The Red Rising Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Red Rising Series. The newest book is Lightbringer and was released on May, 2nd 2023.