Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Blurb:

“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

Review:

Red Rising, the first iteration within the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown, follows Darrow, a Helldiver of Mars and a member of the Reds society's lowest caste. Darrow is driven by vengeance and retribution for what the Golds, the ruling class, have taken from him.

I have been meaning to read this novel for over a year but kept postponing it, partly because my expectations were so high that I feared disappointment. However, I’m glad I finally picked it up. It not only met but exceeded my expectations. From the opening chapters, Pierce Brown establishes the dark and unforgiving tone of the series, making it clear that this is not a light hearted adventure. Hinting that characters that you come to love are not guaranteed a happy ending. Pierce Brown also masterfully builds intrigue, particularly surrounding the colour system which raises the questions on how the society functions and what are roles assigned to each caste. While not every colour caste is explained in full detail at first, the revelations about this structure unfold gradually, adding depth to the world.

Darrow's character is particularly compelling. At the outset, he is a subservient and loyal Red, working tirelessly in hopes of improving the lives of his family and clan. However, after his wife is cruelly taken from him, Darrow undergoes a rigorous transformation both physically and mentally to allow him to infiltrate the Gold elite caste. individual that tries to impress the Golds to improve the life of his Clan and his family. However when his wife is taken away from him, he undergoes vigorous training and transformation to infiltrate the Gold society His evolution into a cunning player within the deadly game of politics and war at the Institute.  Pierce Brown excels in character development, ensuring that even the secondary characters are multidimensional and integral to the plot.

One standout character for me was Sevro. Unlike the tall, beautiful, and powerful Golds, Sevro is scrappy, unpredictable, and unconventional. His unique combat style and unwavering loyalty to Darrow make him an instant favourite. Sevro is the underdog who defies the norms of his society, and the bond he forges with Darrow is both indispensable to the plot and emotionally compelling.

However, one aspect of Red Rising that I was not a fan of was the striking resemblance it has to The Hunger Games. The trials and tribulations Darrow faces, while gripping, felt predictable at times. Knowing that he was destined to succeed in the end took away some of the tension in the high-stakes situations. That said, the path Darrow takes to reach his goal is still engaging, as the obstacles he overcomes and I was eager to see how he would navigate them. 

Overall, Red Rising by Pierce Brown is masterfully written as it draws you into this unforgiving world with vivid detail with fast pacing that makes it difficult to put the book down once the action ramps up. Pierce Brown has only scratched the surface of what this universe has to offer and iI am excited to see what’s in store for the rest of the series. I am particularly interested in watching Darrow’s continued development, how he plans to dismantle the Gold society and what new alliances and enemies he will encounter along the way. I also wonder if Darrow will ever move on from the memory of his wife Eo and find love again.