Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising (Red Rising, #1)

by Pierce Brown

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.


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'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

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Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars, generations of people who spend their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that, one day, people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down at Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

Reviewed by Emma (SCR) on

4 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews This is another one of those books that have a lot of hype. I heard a lot of good things so I was excited to dive into this.

I love an underdog. I really do. Darrow was an easy character to root for. He is a reluctant hero who has the rebellion thrown on him without really wanting it. He does, however, throw himself completely into it.

This is only the first book in Darrow's story and this was a great introduction. When Darrow is thrown into the school it is easy to forget who the enemy really is.

Pierce throws you into this world and you have to quickly learn who is who and what their roles are. It's a steep learning curve and this story isn't for the faint-hearted that is for sure. It's brutal and gruesome and will have you in shock and awe many times.

There is so much I could say about this book but it's one of those ones where the less you know the better. I did enjoy this book but I wasn't chomping at the bit to start book two. I will read it but I'm happy to take a little break first.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 June, 2019: Finished reading
  • 14 June, 2019: Reviewed