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alambros's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
missvengeanz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
friedrich_chiller's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
4.75
natashaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
crazyfugazi23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brittney_tyler's review against another edition
5.0
Star Rating: 5 stars
Re-read Star Rating: 5 stars
When Red Rising by Pierce Brown came out, I assumed it was like all the other dystopian reads that were coming out around that time so I didn’t pick it up and read it. However, recently my favorite booktuber, Sam from Thoughts on Tomes, picked up this series and started reading it so I decided to give it a second look, and I am so glad that I did because Red Rising caught my attention from the 1st page and I was hooked all the way to the end. I was right when I thought this book was a dystopian, but it is different in many fundamental aspects from the other dystopian reads that came out around the same time.
Re-Read Notes: I decided to re-read this book because I found out that book 6, Lightbringer, was coming out this year. As it is one of my all-time favorite series and it had been a few years since I read it, it was the perfect time. I stand by the fact that comparing this book to other dystopian series that came out at around the same time was a bad idea, especially since although this series is dystopian at its core; it quickly deviates into more complex territory since as space opera.
This novel tells the story of Darrow, a Red, who mines the depths of Mars in preparation for terra-forming the planet to make it livable for a long-lasting colony. He is trained to be obedient above all else, he and his wife, Eo, barely surviving on the scraps that he is allotted from the leaders of his supposed colony. One night, him and his wife find a broken ventilation shaft and climb to the surface where he realizes that the planet isn’t as barren as he has been led to believe. For their crime, they are punished severely, but they also draw the attention of the Sons of Ares, a group of rebels who know the truth and are trying to bring the truth to the masses. In order to achieve their goal, they have come up with a daring plan and now that they have Darrow, they just might be able to succeed. Darrow is not your average Red as he is the strongest and brightest one to come out of the mines in generations, but can he succeed where so many others have failed or will he burn out like a wildfire?
Re-read Notes: Darrow being the only one who can accomplish the aforementioned plan was even more apparent in this re-read. I picked up on so many more nuances of his character when I did this re-read.
When it comes to most dystopian scenarios in books, we are not given any indication as to how the society formed, just that it has gone bad and needs to be brought to heel. However, in this book, we do get that information, but even if we hadn’t, the scenario that Brown develops is very believable and it is very easy to see how a society like this could develop. With our space race, our potentially dying planet, and our advancements in gene manipulation, the possibility of a civilization like this becoming the norm becomes an even more alarming prospect, and this fact makes the book so much engaging. The fact that this could step out of fantasy and become reality makes the book 10 times better than it would be otherwise.
Re-read Notes: Again, during this re-read, I noticed a lot more nuance surrounding the world-building and the different representations of it.
Throughout this entire book, there is a complex allusion to the storied history between Greece and Rome, which Brown uses to display his writing prowess and skill. For those who study history, you will know that when Greece was the world power of the day, they had many territories and a system that resembled our modern democracy, but then one of those territories, Rome, came out of nowhere and conquered Greece, establishing what would become one of the strongest empires ever to exist on planet Earth. In this book, Earth creates a myriad of different colonies across the stars, but one of those colonies rebel against Earth and becomes the world power. The fact that Brown uses Greek and Roman terms, names, and strategies to show that history does repeat itself and is more of a circle than a line is absolutely brilliant and makes this book stand heads and tails over others in its genre. He even draws parallels with his main character’s development to the great generals and leaders of the aforementioned Greece and Rome, proving he is an expert at his craft and has found his true calling.
Re-read Notes: Upon re-read, the allusions aren’t just to Greek and Roman military heroes, but ones from multiple different cultures across time, which was really cool, I had a lot of fun looking all of them up cause I love learning new things. There were even some allusions that I missed the first time or didn’t understand the full complexity of until this re-read.
The final thing that makes this book so amazing is the gritty tone that Brown utilizes in the writing of it. This is a brutal society where everyone has to fight for position and power so he uses grittiness to convey the brutality and power plays that go on in this society. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything as he understands what his characters have experienced would lead to them being more crass, rough, and mature than they would be otherwise. Children grow up fast and hard so they wouldn’t be full of angst, like modern-day teenagers, and Brown shows his writing prowess again by using the gritty tone and making his characters believable by making them seem like adults.
Re-Read Note: Although our characters start out as teenagers, they are over 18 for the most part by the end of this book. Due to this and the gritty tone, this book is not meant for children, and I am kind of concerned that it was recommended for them initially. This note is mostly for parents, libraries, and educators, please do not give this to underage people unless they are mature for their age and I would recommend it being put in the adult section of your library. (This is what I told my mom who works at my local library.)
All in all, I was really impressed by this book as Brown writes like an expert in his field when this is only his debut book. I can’t wait to keep reading! 5 stars!!
Re-read Note: This book is even more amazing after re-read and I am so glad I bought my own copy so I can do many more of them. I will be re-reading the rest of the series in the very near future in the hopes I will either get to the new book when it comes out or shortly after.
Re-read Star Rating: 5 stars
When Red Rising by Pierce Brown came out, I assumed it was like all the other dystopian reads that were coming out around that time so I didn’t pick it up and read it. However, recently my favorite booktuber, Sam from Thoughts on Tomes, picked up this series and started reading it so I decided to give it a second look, and I am so glad that I did because Red Rising caught my attention from the 1st page and I was hooked all the way to the end. I was right when I thought this book was a dystopian, but it is different in many fundamental aspects from the other dystopian reads that came out around the same time.
Re-Read Notes: I decided to re-read this book because I found out that book 6, Lightbringer, was coming out this year. As it is one of my all-time favorite series and it had been a few years since I read it, it was the perfect time. I stand by the fact that comparing this book to other dystopian series that came out at around the same time was a bad idea, especially since although this series is dystopian at its core; it quickly deviates into more complex territory since as space opera.
This novel tells the story of Darrow, a Red, who mines the depths of Mars in preparation for terra-forming the planet to make it livable for a long-lasting colony. He is trained to be obedient above all else, he and his wife, Eo, barely surviving on the scraps that he is allotted from the leaders of his supposed colony. One night, him and his wife find a broken ventilation shaft and climb to the surface where he realizes that the planet isn’t as barren as he has been led to believe. For their crime, they are punished severely, but they also draw the attention of the Sons of Ares, a group of rebels who know the truth and are trying to bring the truth to the masses. In order to achieve their goal, they have come up with a daring plan and now that they have Darrow, they just might be able to succeed. Darrow is not your average Red as he is the strongest and brightest one to come out of the mines in generations, but can he succeed where so many others have failed or will he burn out like a wildfire?
Re-read Notes: Darrow being the only one who can accomplish the aforementioned plan was even more apparent in this re-read. I picked up on so many more nuances of his character when I did this re-read.
When it comes to most dystopian scenarios in books, we are not given any indication as to how the society formed, just that it has gone bad and needs to be brought to heel. However, in this book, we do get that information, but even if we hadn’t, the scenario that Brown develops is very believable and it is very easy to see how a society like this could develop. With our space race, our potentially dying planet, and our advancements in gene manipulation, the possibility of a civilization like this becoming the norm becomes an even more alarming prospect, and this fact makes the book so much engaging. The fact that this could step out of fantasy and become reality makes the book 10 times better than it would be otherwise.
Re-read Notes: Again, during this re-read, I noticed a lot more nuance surrounding the world-building and the different representations of it.
Throughout this entire book, there is a complex allusion to the storied history between Greece and Rome, which Brown uses to display his writing prowess and skill. For those who study history, you will know that when Greece was the world power of the day, they had many territories and a system that resembled our modern democracy, but then one of those territories, Rome, came out of nowhere and conquered Greece, establishing what would become one of the strongest empires ever to exist on planet Earth. In this book, Earth creates a myriad of different colonies across the stars, but one of those colonies rebel against Earth and becomes the world power. The fact that Brown uses Greek and Roman terms, names, and strategies to show that history does repeat itself and is more of a circle than a line is absolutely brilliant and makes this book stand heads and tails over others in its genre. He even draws parallels with his main character’s development to the great generals and leaders of the aforementioned Greece and Rome, proving he is an expert at his craft and has found his true calling.
Re-read Notes: Upon re-read, the allusions aren’t just to Greek and Roman military heroes, but ones from multiple different cultures across time, which was really cool, I had a lot of fun looking all of them up cause I love learning new things. There were even some allusions that I missed the first time or didn’t understand the full complexity of until this re-read.
The final thing that makes this book so amazing is the gritty tone that Brown utilizes in the writing of it. This is a brutal society where everyone has to fight for position and power so he uses grittiness to convey the brutality and power plays that go on in this society. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything as he understands what his characters have experienced would lead to them being more crass, rough, and mature than they would be otherwise. Children grow up fast and hard so they wouldn’t be full of angst, like modern-day teenagers, and Brown shows his writing prowess again by using the gritty tone and making his characters believable by making them seem like adults.
Re-Read Note: Although our characters start out as teenagers, they are over 18 for the most part by the end of this book. Due to this and the gritty tone, this book is not meant for children, and I am kind of concerned that it was recommended for them initially. This note is mostly for parents, libraries, and educators, please do not give this to underage people unless they are mature for their age and I would recommend it being put in the adult section of your library. (This is what I told my mom who works at my local library.)
All in all, I was really impressed by this book as Brown writes like an expert in his field when this is only his debut book. I can’t wait to keep reading! 5 stars!!
Re-read Note: This book is even more amazing after re-read and I am so glad I bought my own copy so I can do many more of them. I will be re-reading the rest of the series in the very near future in the hopes I will either get to the new book when it comes out or shortly after.
minci0312's review against another edition
5.0
Having read this for a second time, I noticed so many details hinting at events that are about to take place in the following books.
I'm sticking to my opinion: this book is a masterpiece. I love that it's not black and white and I love the way Darrow's struggles and changes are portrayed. They happen slowly, bit by bit, but we see him become a whole new person by the end of the book. And if there's anybody saying they didn't run to the bookstore excitedly to buy the second installment (BECAUSE FRIGGIN DARROW IS ABOUT TO ESCALATE) I don't believe you.
I'm sticking to my opinion: this book is a masterpiece. I love that it's not black and white and I love the way Darrow's struggles and changes are portrayed. They happen slowly, bit by bit, but we see him become a whole new person by the end of the book. And if there's anybody saying they didn't run to the bookstore excitedly to buy the second installment (BECAUSE FRIGGIN DARROW IS ABOUT TO ESCALATE) I don't believe you.
mgwarnstedt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
gege34's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
Red Rising follows the story of Darrow, who is a Red (low class) and lives on Mars, where he lives in the mines. The Reds are told that their mining of (I think) hydrogen will help in the terraforming of Mars. This turns out to be a lie, and when Darrow finds out, he infiltrates the high society of the Golds (high class who's been lying to them) in the hope to destroy them from within.
The premises of the book were good, and it's so hyped online that I decided to start it. Up to "the carving", the book was fairly nice and interesting, but after Darrow enters the institute, everything became extremely slow and boring. The whole book centers on the "war" between the houses, and it becomes more of an action than a fantasy book. Really not for me. I struggled to finish it and I won't be continuing the series.
The premises of the book were good, and it's so hyped online that I decided to start it. Up to "the carving", the book was fairly nice and interesting, but after Darrow enters the institute, everything became extremely slow and boring. The whole book centers on the "war" between the houses, and it becomes more of an action than a fantasy book. Really not for me. I struggled to finish it and I won't be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape