The Red Rising book series by Pierce Brown is a thrilling and epic sci-fi adventure that spans across multiple planets and societies. The series follows the journey of Darrow, a young miner on Mars, who discovers that his entire life has been a lie. Determined to seek revenge and bring down the oppressive society that he once believed in, Darrow becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of political manoeuvring, war, and revolution.
The first book in the series, Red Rising, introduces readers to the world of Darrow, where society is divided into a strict caste system based on colours, with Gold at the top and Red at the bottom. Darrow is a Red, but he soon discovers that the Golds have been using the Reds as slave labour to mine resources for their own benefit. In order to seek revenge, Darrow infiltrates the Golds' society and becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of political manoeuvring and war.
The second book, Golden Son, picks up where Red Rising left off and continues Darrow's story as he navigates the complex political landscape of the Golds and attempts to bring down their oppressive rule. With shocking plot twists and heart-pounding action, this book is a must-read for fans of the series.
The third book, Morning Star, brings Darrow's story to a thrilling conclusion as he leads a revolution against the Golds and attempts to overthrow their oppressive society. With high-stakes battles, political intrigue, and heart-wrenching sacrifices, this book is a fitting conclusion to the series and will leave readers breathless.
One of the standout features of the Red Rising series is its deep and complex characters, who are not simply heroes or villains but are instead multifaceted individuals with their own motivations and flaws. Darrow, in particular, is a complex and morally ambiguous character who undergoes a tremendous amount of growth and development over the course of the series. Readers will be invested in his journey and root for him, even as he makes difficult and sometimes questionable choices.
The series also has a strong focus on themes of power, social justice, and morality, exploring the complex dynamics of power and oppression in society. Brown does not shy away from portraying the brutal realities of war, including violence, death, and the moral complexities of revolution. While these scenes can be difficult to read, they serve to emphasize the harsh realities of power and the need for compassion and understanding.
The world-building in the Red Rising series is also a standout feature, with vivid and imaginative descriptions of different planets and societies. Brown has created a rich and diverse universe with different cultures, languages, and technologies that make the world feel fully fleshed out and alive.
Overall, the Red Rising series is a must-read for fans of sci-fi and epic adventure. Its deep and complex characters, intricate worldbuilding, and exploration of complex themes make it a standout series in the genre. Pierce Brown has crafted an unforgettable story that will leave readers breathless and emotionally invested from beginning to end.
Titles In This Set:
- Red Rising
- Golden Son
- Morning Star
- Iron Gold
- Dark Age
Description from the publisher:
Red Rising
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 and a family who gives him strength. He has love. And when they take that from him, all that remains is revenge . . .
Golden Son
Darrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind's last hope. Until Darrow discovered that it was all a lie and that the Red were nothing more than unwitting slaves to an elitist ruling class, the Golds, who had been living on Mars in luxury for generations. In Red Rising, Darrow infiltrated Gold society to fight in secret for a better future for his people. Now fully embedded amongst the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his dangerous work to bring them down from within. It's a journey that will take him further than he's ever been before - but is Darrow truly willing to pay the price that rebellion demands? A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown's continuing status as one of fiction's most exciting new voices.
Morning Star
Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society's mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within. Finally, the time has come.
But devotion to honour and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them is some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied--and too glorious to surrender.
Iron Gold
He ended centuries of Gold rule, broke the chains of an empire, and now he's the hero of a brave new republic. But at a terrible cost. At the edge of the solar system, the grandson of the emperor he murdered dreams of revenge. In his hidden fortress in the oceans of Venus, the Ash Lord lies in wait, plotting to crush the newborn democracy. And, at home, a young Red girl who's lost everything to the Rising questions whether freedom was just another Gold lie. In a fearsome new world where Obsidian pirates roam the Belt, famine and genocide ravage Mars, and crime lords terrorise Luna, it's time for Darrow and a cast of new characters from across the solar system to face down the chaos that revolution has unleashed.
Dark Age
He broke the chains, Then broke the world... A decade ago, Darrow led a revolution and laid the foundations for a new world. Now he's an outlaw. Cast out of the very Republic he founded, with half his fleet destroyed, he wages a rogue war on Mercury. Outnumbered, outgunned but not outthought. Is he still the hero who broke the chains? Or will he become the agent of the world's destruction? Is it time for another legend to take his place? Lysander au Lune, the displaced heir to the old empire, has returned to the Core. First, he must survive Gold's backstabbing, then Darrow. Will he bring peace to mankind at the edge of his sword? And on Luna, Mustang, the embattled sovereign of the Republic, must save both democracy and her exiled husband millions of kilometres away.
About the Author:
Pierce Brown is an American author known for his popular science fiction series, the Red Rising Saga. Born on January 28, 1988, in Denver, Colorado, Brown grew up in a family of avid readers and writers. As a child, he spent much of his time exploring the Rocky Mountains and developing a love for storytelling.
After graduating from high school, Brown attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where he studied political science and economics. It was during this time that he began writing his first novel, Red Rising, which was inspired by his love of ancient history and science fiction.