Before I get in to this review I just want to shout out and thank a few fellow bloggers who HIGHLY recommended Red Rising to me! I owe you guys BIG TIME!! So thank you J.W. Martin @ Storeys of Stories, Ally @ Ally Writes Things, and Frankie @ A Thousand Lives of Frankie Lovely!
Goodreads Summary– “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 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.
- The writing– I just found a new auto-buy author! That says a lot because there are very few authors whose books I will buy no matter what they write. Pierce Brown knows how to tell a story!
- Characters– I loved the protagonist, Darrow, but it was all the side characters that truly made the story for me! I laughed and cried along with them!
- Made me love dystopian novels again– I am sure a lot of you can related to this. After reading the Hunger Games, I read everything and anything dystopian and it started to feel like I was reading the same book over and over again. Red Rising feels original, and restored my excitement for dystopian!
- The action– I will admit, that I often find myself skimming over actions scenes in novels, but I was glued to the action in Red Rising.
“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.”
“Funny thing, watching gods realize they’ve been mortal all along.”
“Sharpened by hate. Strengthened by love.”
Red Rising is everything I look for in a book. It is unique, action-packed, and chalk-full of amazing characters. If this books sounds even remotely like something you would enjoy, please run out in buy it! I do not think you will regret it! Look out for my review of the sequel, Golden Son, because I will be reading it this summer!
YAY! So glad you liked it. I need to re-read it before I move on to the rest of the series.
It was amazing. I’m hoping to read the second book really soon!
I have this weird thing about not reading series too close together. A lot of the time the others books are already out and I could have continued straight away, but then I spread my time around to other things. Only problem with that I don’t feel like I remember everything from Red Rising. What if that affects my enjoyment of Golden Son? I guess we all have a little OCD.
YES!!!! YOU LOVED IT!!!! I AM RED RISING TRASH OMG SO MUCH <3 <3 😀
AND IT ONLY GETS BETTER <3
Yay! I’m obsessed with it! I’ve recommended it to everyone I know- even non readers!!! I can not wait to finish the series. I truly owe you!!! 😍
YES!!! <3 <3
I’m so happy to see a review from this book. I was afraid it would be too much like Hunger Games, which is on my TBR. If you didn’t think it the same plot then I will read it 🙂 Thanks for the review!
I hear it compared to hunger games but hunger games never even crossed my mind while I was reading it! I think you’ll really enjoy it!! 😀
Great 😊😊😊
I’m so glad you loved this book, I recently bought it and after reading your review, can’t wait to start it! Great review!
It was fantastic! I hope you love it as much as I did!
Yay!!! I’m so glad you liked it!! I agree that the side characters were the best
Sooooo good! I love Mustang!
Me too!!!
Ahhhh, this should have gone on my Top Ten Tuesday post this week! I can’t believe I forgot about it. I haven’t heard anyone give Red Rising a bad review though, so I really must read it soon!
It deserves all the love it gets! I hope you love it as much as I did!
One of my all time favorite series. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Golden Son is my favorite book of the trilogy – you’re going to love it!
I’m so excited to read it!! 🎉
I read this last week and loved it so much! I’m so sad I didn’t pick it up sooner, Darrow is an amazing character and I loved all the sides and THAT ending my god so much action and twists I didn’t see coming. I need to run out and buy book 2&3 so I can binge read them together. Great review Kristin ❤
Thank you! It was just an epic book! I loved that it was so unpredictable! I’ve heard the second book is even better!!
Me too, I’ve been warned to have the third book on had so I can dive in right away XD
Awe! I really need to read this. I got in on Audible a while back but haven’t started it. I will have to do that for sure after reading this!! My fiance listened to it last month and immediately started the second one so I need to get on this ASAP! Great Review!
Thank you! I think you are going to love it!!!
Yes!! I’m totally listening to that when I finish what I’m listening to now!!
Great review. This book sounds great!
Thank you!
hahaha I just love your dislikes section- because I felt the *exact* same way about this book!! It’s literally everything I want in a book too and it completely blew me away!!! I was completely glued to this story and I loved every single moment of this book!! It’s just wonderful!! 😀
Haha thank you! I was wracking my brain trying to come up with something I didn’t like and I just couldn’t come up with anything!
hahaha that’s cos it’s awesome 😉
Glad you enjoyed this one so much! I’ve had it recommended to me way too many times too so I’m just waiting to get some more free time to finally read it 😊
You know a book is epic when there’s literally nothing bad to point out haha
Amazing review, Kristin! ❤️
Thank you Sophie! I could not come up with anything bad to say! Hope you love it just as much!
Thank you! 😊
This just reminded me that I need to continue on with this series!!! Glad you loved it!
Danica @ Shelves of Spines
Everyone is saying the second one is every better! Can’t wait to get to it! 😊
AH, that makes me want to pick it up even more!
This has been on my TBR forever… between you and Ally I may have to bump it up the list 🙂
Yes you should!!! I’m excited for you to experience it 😝
I can’t believe I haven’t read this series yet; it seems right up my alley!! Anyways, gr99 review 😀
Thank you! It is awesome!!