Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Red Rising

Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

jenmarie11's review

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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rumpixel's review

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adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The beginning of this book relies a little too heavily on some tired tropes. The second Eo was introduced, I knew home girl was going to be used as the crutch for Darrow's 'call to adventure'. It doesn't wholly detract from the impact and shape Darrow's grief and rage take, but she does become the manic pixie dream girl whose only story purpose was to love Darrow and thrust upon him a moral quest he otherwise had no interest in.

Once you get past that, the book becomes far more interesting. Nothing truly came out of nowhere in terms of plot twists, it's more like multiple plot points sit on a steady simmer on the backburner and you keep a wary eye on — which overall makes it a satisfying read. The world building was integrated throughout, I never felt bogged down with details. The game is brutal and fascinating. The relationships are what makes this book strong against my criticisms.

At the core of it, Darrow is a bit overpowered but he's also our conduit to engage with the wide cast of characters. All of them shine in their own way, even the deplorable ones. Sevro quickly became my favourite, the real MVP, and if he were the main character I think that would have diminished just how great he is to experience through Darrow's perspective. Darrow also fails enough times, either through his own hubris or miscalculated trust, that it offsets any feeling that he is invincible — in my opinion.

All in all, I'm definitely going to continue the series. I'm a sucker for a Greek/Roman God class system, and in the current age of late stage capitalism I'm particularly hungry to eat the rich >:3

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byrdies's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is the third time I've read this book, so there is some charm to it that keeps drawing me back. Some of that charm might be high school nostalgia, as many books I found myself reading in that time of my life I return to. So take what I'm about to say and know that I do enjoy this novel, and from what I remember of the rest of the series, I enjoy that too. That being said, I find some of the political tones in this book unsatisfying, and the prose to be rather simple and repetitive in a way that is sometimes effective but often somewhat annoying. There is a hefty serving of telling and not showing throughout the book, and a lot of what is told and not shown is intended to be taken at face value. This, in my opinion, weakens a lot of the character development and the political messaging.

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zanazy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was the first male main character lead story and sci-fi fantasy I’ve ever read. The setting is a dystopian society sometime in the future. Earth is dying/has died, and humanity has found a home in other planets. Darrow the main protagonist is a strong and complicated character. The book takes a few early chapters to set the setting of the story and the "caste" like system, and then quickly introduces the conflict and sets Darrow up for his story arc. Very early on, you get a sense of how far humanity is willing to go to survive, at the cost of others, and how the governing leaders silence those who dare to speak up.

There is a mystery around the death of

Eo. Right away I want to know more about her song and what her last words were. The impact her death has on Darrow influences him and stay with hin throughout the story. I have a feeling we will learn more about Eo as the story continues.

The supporting characters in this story are all complicated and complex characters that add to the storyline and make you invest in their fates. Darrow finds himself in a world where everyone should be his enemy, and where despite his new status he is still a lower ranking than his peers, but he rises above and is a natural leader. He is a great example of someone who was born to lead. His leadership growth and the way he adapts and learns from his early mistakes in being a leader humanize him and make him relatable. No character in the story is without flaws.

There is very little romance in the story, which I thought I would miss, but it fits the setting. There are hints of characters becoming more, and the gradual build-up to this relationship is realistic, due to Darrow's early loss in the book. I look forward to seeing how this relationship evolves.

My favorite relationship is that of Sevro and Darrow. Brothers, loyalty, pride, and overcoming misconceptions and status. Sevro and the Howlers are the best, and their loyalty to Darrow, the Reaper is a highlight. I can't wait for Darrow to prove everyone wrong and show that loyalty was not just confined to their trial, some bonds truly cannot be broken and are for life.

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aschmitttyy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Listened to the audiobook although it was LONG (took me 12 hours on 1.5x speed!). Not my usual genre but came highly recommended, and I absolutely loved it. I was rooting for the main character, Darrow, the whole time throughout his quest. I was shocked by the ending considering his feelings towards the powerful families throughout the book, so I would be curious to continue reading the series.

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qgg's review against another edition

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4.5

What I find interesting about reading YA dystopian fiction in my 40’s is the parallels that can be drawn to systemic failures in today’s society. I might not pin all of our hopes on the shoulders of one teen, but the passion and desire to shift the paradigm is pretty universal in new generations.

The story in Red Rising is far more complex than Hunger Games (the book this one seems most often compared to) if you ask me. Darrow has grown older than his actual years in hunger and want, but the betrayal of reality is sharp. Eo’s dream cut deep and it’s felt through the writing. He’s not confused in a love triangle for 3 books. And the systemic imbalance of power spans not a continent but a freaking solar system. The body modifications and technology are not for fashion but for brute force (plus unattainable beauty standards).

And the institute or “school” that is referenced is unlike any seen before in YA books. This is closer to Game of Thrones—gore, piss, filth, and r*pe off scene. When “students” sometimes wear animal carcasses before battle, you can’t compare the book to others out there.

The audiobook is truly excellent.

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bookfulthoughts's review

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Magnetic and captivating ✨

“I am the spark that will set the worlds afire. I am the hammer that cracks the chains.”

I really liked this one! The story was extremely well written and interesting. The world building was excellent and extremely detailed. I was able to visualize exactly what was happening and what everyone looked like! I like that the plot was never lost in the storytelling and this book sets up for the rest of the books in the series perfectly. I do believe that I can see this book becoming a classic in the near future. I loved the concept of the color classism and how that was presented. In my opinion, that was a unique aspect of the story. I also loved that Darrow wasn’t perfect! I he has many flaws but that’s what makes this book good. It gives his character room to grow and develop in complexity.

My reasoning for not giving it 5 stars. Personally, in certain parts of the book it was very reminiscent of the Hunger Games. Having inspiration is fine and I have no problem with that. I’m not sure if it's just me but some scenes felt too familiar. Another thing I took points off for was the fact that I felt like I should have been more emotionally attached to certain characters but I didn’t feel much when things happened. I felt like it was a little cold at times with other characters. Besides these issues, I really liked this book and I do plan on reading the rest of the series in the near future.

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