Red Rising 3-Book Bundle: Red Rising, Golden Son, Morning Star, and an exclusive extended excerpt of Iron Gold

Red Rising Saga #1-3

by Pierce Brown

Witness the war of the galaxy as a rebel fights for the freedom of his people in the first three novels of the bestselling Red Rising series—and a bonus extended excerpt of the fourth, Iron Gold !

From the New York Times bestselling author Pierce Brown, the first three books of the Red Rising series, and a free preview of the fourth book in the series, Iron Gold .

Darrow is a Red, born under the heel of the elite Golds. After tragedy reveals to him the truth of civilization and the enslavement of his people, he seeks retribution. And he will stop at nothing to bring down the Golds who took everything from him—even if it means becoming one of them.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult

Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

Hello. I'm Pierce Brown, the author of the Red Rising Saga, a NYT #1 bestseller.
I figured I'd write you myself than have corporate copy pasted below my totally natural author photo.

In my books you'll find stories of men and women finding their inner strength when all seems lost. You'll also find me exploring themes of love, violence, hope, and power--what it means, why people seek it, and how they hold onto it.




IG @piercebrownofficial
Twitter @pierce_brown

Reviews

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I have finished the first trilogy in the Red Rising Saga, I thought I would give my overall thoughts here.

Overall, I would say that the strength is the characters. Right from the start Pierce Brown makes the clear the fickle nature of the lives of his characters, through killing many at surprise moments throughout the story. No one is safe, and that dramatically changes the experience for the better. Ut makes you cherish every interaction between your favourite characters, and elevates the tension when they are thrust into danger, as they often are.

Regarding plot, I would say that this is great, beyond the first half of Red Rising, which I felt was full of quite heavy exposition, but in a way that worked to set up the rest of the story at a breathtaking pace. Golden Son hits the perfect pace and plot progression in my opinion, but Morning Star was also great, achieving Pierce Brown's ambitious goals in a satisfactory conclusion that I was beginning to doubt possible to finalise in just Morning Star.

I am not the most widely read in the genre of science fiction, but from what I have, this is one of my favourite series, and I would say that this appears to be a series for beginners and veterans of the genre alike, with the core cast, characters and establishment of the world allowing for clear visualisation of this space opera, but without much of the heavy details that may put people off.

The first three books in the Red Rising Saga are most definitely worth a shot, as overall I loved them. Whilst Red Rising had a weaker start, I still thought the last third was absolutely brilliant, and the next two instalments take up that baton and improve on its weaknesses and strengths, making this overall a fantastically balanced and entertaining initial trilogy.

HAIL REAPER!

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

O serie fascinantă, complexă, plină de suspans, emoții, adrenalină. Cu personaje amplu dezvoltate, cu puteri deosebite, care se pot schimba de la o răsturnare de situație la alta în bune sau rele.
O serie pe care o citești cu sufletul la gură!
Impresiile mele despre serie le găsiți aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....

[Arc888 · Rating 3 out of 5]

this trilogy is to the 16 year old man what Babel is to the 18 year old woman.

[Kemery Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

For the trilogy's individual book reviews, check out: essentialreadingsandreviews.blogspot....

If you're reading the reviews of the trilogy, you already know the premise of the story for the most part. Simply put, you should definitely give this series a try. It is my favorite science fiction triad of books and is a wild adventure that doesn't slow down until the end. Brown, in my opinion, showcases the most essential elements of storytelling to a perfect degree in these three books: I felt emotionally invested in all the characters, despaired when they experienced loss or were lost, Darrow felt alive and brutally real, the universe Brown created is precisely well-detailed without being overbearing, the twists and turns surprised and shocked, and it all truly felt like an incredible journey that changes your life after experiencing it.

If there is one area of weakness that needs to be detailed, it's that the beginning of Red Rising (book 1) takes some time and patience to get in to. The story takes a little while to progress, balance the world-building, and establish the plot before things really start developing in an interesting way. But after the first twist hits, it's a nonstop thrill-ride to see how everything works out. Separately, I will say that this series is character-focused, so if you're a plot person, I don't believe it will appeal to you as deeply. Nonetheless, highest of recommendations for this trilogy.

[Vita (Booksdramaqueen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚠️LA SEGUENTE RECENSIONE RIGUARDA SOLO IL PRIMO VOLUME, NON HO ANCORA LETTO GLI ALTRI, AGGIORNERÒ LA REVIEW QUANDO LO FARÒ ⚠️

3.7⭐

"Red Rising" è il primo volume dell'omonima saga fantasy distopica di Pierce Brown.
Se avessi letto questo libro nel lontano 2014, anno della sua prima pubblicazione, probabilmente me ne sarei innamorata. Ad oggi, dopo aver letto una quantità spropositata di libri, "Red Rising" non è riuscito a convincermi del tutto, ma resta comunque un libro che ho apprezzato, e che secondo me è invecchiato benissimo.

"Red Rising" è ambientato in un mondo futuristico. Darrow, il nostro protagonista, vive su Marte, è un Rosso, ovvero un componente della casta più bassa, ed il suo compito è quello di scavare nelle profondità del pianeta per cercare i materiali che possano rendere la superfice di Marte abitabile. Quando però Darrow si rende conto che il mondo che lo circonda è completamente diverso da quello che gli è sempre stato raccontato, si infiltra tra gli Oro e si iscrive all'istituto, un luogo in cui sarà costretto a scontrasti, ma soprattutto ad allearsi, con quelle stesse persone che hanno reso la sua vita un inferno.

Ammetto che lo stile di scrittura dell'autore non è riuscito a coinvolgermi al 100%. La storia in realtà è parecchio scorrevole e la trama avvincente, ma fin dall'inizio veniamo catapultati in un world-building molto ricco ma su cui ci vengono date pochissime spiegazioni. Mi sono sentita sopraffatta dall'enorme quantità di nomi elencati all'inzio di questo volume, e nonostante andando avanti con il libro ovviamente alcune alcune cose siano state chiarite, avrei preferito la presenza di più descrizioni.

A sorprendermi invece sono stati i personaggi di cui non avevo sentito parlar benissimo, e che io invece ho molto apprezzato. Darrow è un protagonista originale, un personaggio moralmente grigio che si ritrova immischiato in una guerra che non avrebbe mai pensato di dover combattere. Ho molto empatizzato con lui e col suo tormento dovuto al fatto di essere un Rosso tra gli Oro.
I personaggi secondari non sono molto approfonditi, ma Cassius, Pax e soprattutto Mustang mi sono piaciuti moltissimo. Spero che almeno alcuni di questi possano avere più spazio nei volumi successivi, perché hanno davvero molto potenziale.

Questa storia ricorda per diversi aspetti Hunger Games, ma resta comunque un'opera originale. Ci sono tantissime scene d'azione, alcune anche molto crude e Pierce Brown ha prestato parecchia attenzione all'aspetto politico e bellico della storia. In certi momemti ho trovato il libro un po' ripetitivo, ma nel complesso "Red Rising" si lascia leggere con facilità.

Sono molto incuriosita da come potranno andare le cose da qui in avanti, non so proprio in che modo Pierce Brown riuscirà a sistemare tutto, e spero di riuscire a leggere al più presto anche il secondo volume.

[Stellasotherworlds · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4⭐
La prima trilogia della saga di Red Rising di Pierce Brown è un concentrato di azioni testosteroniche di un ragazzo che dal basso proverà a scalare le vette più alte di una società gerarchica che gli ha tolto tutto. Numerosi i temi trattati: vendetta, rinascita, rivoluzione, sopravvivenza, amore, amicizia, famiglia, dovere.
Il protagonista della storia si troverà ad affrontare gli "Dei" che tanto odia, riuscirà a distruggerli? E se non fossero tutti dei mostri?
Il percorso di Darrow nasce da un desiderio di libertà e di uguaglianza, ma la rabbia, la vendetta, potrebbero macchiare questo proposito bianco, e creare qualcosa che oscurerà tutto.

Bello, adrenalinico, intrigante. Un ottimo inizio di saga. Darrow è un protagonista difficile da apprezzare, troppo adulto per la sua età, fomentato dalla rabbia e dalla vendetta, non sempre riesce a prendere la decisione giusta. I personaggi secondari vengono approfonditi poco ma alcuni di loro sapranno conquistarvi pagina dopo pagina.

Nota dolente della saga, secondo me, è il worldbuilding. La storia è ambientata in un futuro distopico in cui l'umanità ha conquistato il sistema solare ed è divisa in una gerarchia serrata di colori e poteri. La storia si sviluppa sui vari pianeti ma sono descritti in maniera troppo blanda, non si capisce com'è l'ambiente circostante e alcuni termini vengono inseriti senza contesto o spiegazione. Peccato perché l'idea aveva un grosso potenziale.

In conclusione, posso ritenermi decisamente soddisfatta di aver recuperato una saga che volevo leggere da tanto tempo, e soprattutto che si sia rivelata all'altezza delle aspettative. Se volete immergervi nelle atmosfere distopiche dei primi anni duemila, allora non potete perdervi questa storia cruenta e intrigante che vi lascerà, libro dopo libro, la voglia di andare avanti e concludere la saga.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting, brutal and graphic. I haven't gotten so engaged in a sci-fi dystopia since hunger games. This is far more violent and far more emotional. I felt like the protagonists were gaining ground when all of a sudden the hope gets ripped out from right under your feet. People you thought wouldn't die, do, but don't. I had to take breaks. Also, be prepared for a lot of beheadings in combat. The ideas are definitely intriguing and unsettling to imagine for the future. If this ever makes it to film, I will be skeptical. Even a miniseries might not be able to contain the whole saga. There are twists and turns right up to the end. Highly entertaining.

[Chiara Cilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come si suppone che io riesca ad andare avanti con la mia vita, dopo aver letto questo capolavoro? Voglio sposarmi con Darrow e non accetto un no come risposta.

[Mahdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

precise ratings for individual books in the first trilogy of Red Rising Saga.
-
1. Red Rising— 2.5★
2. Golden Son— 3.75★
3. Morning Star— 4.0★
* overall trilogy— 3.5★

it's a wasted potential at this stage. 1,300 were more than enough to push either the narrative or the main character far beyond expectations. but unfortunately, this isn't the case.
I even ended up liking Sevro and Cassius more than Darrow lol.

archive: 25th may, 2025.

[Matteo Calvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trilogia emozionante, ricca di azione, scene epiche, colpi di scena al cardiopalma e una trama studiata alla perfezione. I personaggi sono vivi e unici ed il world building é costruito con coerenza ed è tutt’altro che banale. Spero che la seconda trilogia non tardi ad arrivare in Italia perché non vedo l’ora di tornare a leggere le vicende del Mietitore di Marte.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal series

[Alessandro Casaburo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darrow è un Rosso. Ciò implica, nella Società organizzata per colori in cui ognuno ha un suo ruolo, che occupa il fondo della gerarchia. In quanto tale, lavora nelle miniere di helium-3 e conduce una vita di quasi stenti insieme alla famiglia in attesa che la terraformazione di Marte termini e consenta di vivere una vita migliore. Basta a poco a stravolgere la sua vita, un pizzico di verità, che lo porterà sulla lunga, dolorosa e sanguinolenta via della ribellione.
Pierce Brown scrive una saga fantascientifica i cui eventi avrebbero potuto svolgersi in un qualsiasi setting, per cui la parte di fantascienza è solo uno sfondo e, per quanto vi siano battaglie spaziali tra astronavi gigantesche o con armature ed armi futuristiche, la verità è che la fantascienza in sé non aggiunge niente alla trama, i dilemmi dei personaggi vanno oltre la tecnologia o le possibilità che offre.
Lo stile è veloce, rapido, scritto in prima persona attraverso gli occhi di Darrow, cosa che favorisce l'immedesimazione con il personaggio e negli eventi. I personaggi al contorno, per quanto un po' "gonfiati", sono ben caratterizzati e hanno tutti un loro ruolo ben preciso negli eventi raccontati (cosa che forse li fa sembrare un po' posticci, come costruiti ad hoc per il loro ruolo e senz'anima). In generale, l'approfondimento psicologico è portato avanti bene.
Purtroppo, a queste note positive si accompagnano una serie di difetti che affossano quasi completamente la trilogia. Di seguito qualche commento più specifico per ogni capitolo della trilogia. Il voto finale è una media.

Red rising: **
Il primo libro è un mix tra "Hunger Games" e "Il signore delle mosche" poco riuscito. La prima parte, che serve a dare il via al tutto, è abbastanza prevedibile. Una storia di paria e reietti deve puntare per forza al riscatto e alla rivoluzione. Non appena il lettore inizia a sentire la puzza di menzogna capisce subito verso cosa si punta - l'evento scatenante, cioè la morte di Eo. A risollevare parzialmente la prevedibilità c'è la caratterizzazione dei personaggi: già si intuisce che Darrow è un impulsivo la cui rabbia diventerà la futura guida. Eo, nonostante sia descritta in poche parole da Darrow, rimane impressa quasi bucando la pagina, complice il contrasto tra la sua esile e scarna figura, la massa rigogliosa di capelli rossi e il suo fortissimo carattere, da portarla addirittura al sacrificio.
La seconda parte inizia con un non-colpo di scena che Brown userà più volte nel libro e in quelli a seguire, una transizione che non emoziona e nel lungo termine infastidisce appunto perché poco credibile: Darrow che sembra morto. Il contatto col mondo reale è interessante, così come lo sono alcuni personaggi nuovi (spiccano il Viola Mickey ed il Rosa Matteo, Dancer e Harmony sono abbastanza bidimensionali).
A regnare nel resto del libro è il contrasto tra la vita da Rosso e la vita da Oro. Se la vita da Rosso era dura, di stenti ma ricompensata da una vita familiare sentita vivamente, quasi un rifugio, la vita da Oro è una vita di ostentazione, sangue, tradimenti, intrighi, conquista. Gli Oro sono avidi, narcisisti, violenti ed inaffidabili, ben lontani da ciò che ci si aspetta da persone che dovrebbero governare la Società. Ciò non impedisce a Darrow di trovare e dunque innescare profondi dilemmi morali - dopotutto, queste persone lui vuole distruggerle - ma saranno comunque fortemente influenzati dalla natura profondamente suscettibile al potere degli Oro (con qualche rara eccezione).
La terza parte, ovvero il "gioco" di conquista tra case, è un po' sfilacciato, sembra scritto a casaccio, e per trovare una direzione chiara deve trasformarsi nella quarta parte. Nonostante ciò, una cosa è certa: non c'è niente, nella vita degli Oro, che accada secondo le regole. Così come l'assegnazione del Lauro a Lykos era guidata e il Passaggio era organizzato secondo logiche di potere dominante, lo è anche la simulazione, nient'altro che l'ennesima dimostrazione di potere.
La terza parte è debole e derivativa, l'unico interessante colpo di scena (Titus è un Rosso) non ha nessuna conseguenza in questo libro o nei seguenti. Finisce col solito non-cliffhanger: Darrow che sta per morire (ma si sa che non muore). Come si diceva poc'anzi: fastidioso.
Nota positiva: Brown non ha propinato il classico luogo comune delle accademie fantasy/fantascientifiche con le tipiche amicizie e rivalità (qua ci si scanna o si è supercompagni finché conviene).
La quarta parte è la migliore: ha una direzione chiara, ci arriva senza sfilacciamenti, e Darrow finalmente incanala la sua rabbia verso un attacco all'Olimpo. Peccato che - in "Red rising" - l'antagonista costruito, lo Sciacallo, si riveli essere un mezzo spauracchio che brilla in una scena e poi viene sostituito da Apollo (che non è stato costruito per niente, ad un certo punto compare, solo che è un grandissimo infame e dunque ruba le luci della ribalta allo Sciacallo).
"Red rising" avrà delle premesse interessanti, ma sono sviluppate male, risulta troppo derivativo. Tre quarti di già visto, brilla per l'ultimo quarto.

Golden son: ***
Col senno di poi, il miglior libro della prima trilogia, nonostante sia ancora derivativo in quanto un "Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco" sotto steroidi.
Subito le cose buone: trama veloce, cambiamenti repentini, narrazione sopra le righe.
I contro: tanti, e il problema è che Brown questi contro se li porta fino alla fine del terzo libro.
Primo problema: il libro è nient'altro che una serie di tradimenti e doppi giochi. Se all'inizio sono dei colpi di scena che funzionano, a lungo andare il lettore ha capito il gioco e non si stupisce più di niente. Piani dentro piani dentro piani, false verità, alleanze che si creano e si rompono nel giro di tre pagine. Anche il ritmo veloce a lungo andare viene a noia: tantissimi combattimenti, duelli e battaglie spaziali, si parla poco per dire frasi ad effetto, ad un certo punto ci si abitua.
Secondo problema: Brown e i tempi sono nemici. Sia i tempi della storia - il tempo, variabile fisica per andare da un punto A ad un punto B, è pur sempre un libro di fantascienza e le distanze sono spaziali - che i tempi nel senso del ritmo narrativo sono completamente sballati. Brown non sa gestirli.
Brown confonde la quantità con la qualità. "Golden son" diventa godibile dal momento in cui si spegne il cervello e non ci si pone troppe domande su una serie di buchi di trama [c'è ad un certo punto un piano in due parti esposto da Darrow per catturare navi e studenti su Ganimede, ma poi non se ne parla più. Segue una scena con Lorn au Arcos (altor personaggio introdotto quasi all'improvviso, si scopre che Darrow è stato allenato da lui segretamente, sembra una cosa un po' comoda) seguita a sua volta da due colpi di scena: tutto bellissimo, ma il piano di prima?]
Non c'è costruzione della tensione, la storia esplode così come esplode la rabbia di Darrow e, proprio come rischia di fare Darrow, è una lettura che divampa subito lasciandosi per dopo solo cenere.
Il cliffhanger finale è costruito bene, ma il lettore conosce ormai Brown e non rimane stupito. Anzi, è un finale richiesto: se non ci fosse stato avrebbe deluso le aspettative, ma è grave che il soddisfacimento delle aspettative lasci comunque un po' di insoddisfazione. Notevole ed emozionante, invece, il ritorno a Lykos, con le consapevolezze che seguono.

Morning star: *
"Morning star" avrebbe dovuto essere, ed è in certa misura, il libro della consapevolezza e della maturità. I personaggi abbandonano gli estremismi e gli assolutismi - come Sevro - e finalmente Darrow, dopo la caduta, la rovina, la sofferenza, raggiunge la chiarezza di pensiero. Capisce Eo, chi lo circonda, affronta i problemi di petto senza rimandarli. Ma soprattutto capisce la sua missione: non distruggere, devastare, annichilire, bensì risvegliare le coscienze, convertire e costruire.
Brown fa anche un po' il furbo, traveste da messaggio di un futuro migliore la spiegazione del motivo dell'esistenza della Società nella sua forma attuale. Gli Oro, da che dovevano essere protettori e garanti di giustizia e libertà, sono diventati un manipolo di narcisisti assetati di potere che si assimilano a dei per soddisfare il loro ego. Una furbata apprezzabile.
Ciononostante, "Morning star" cade sotto il peso dei difetti che Brown non ha saputo rimuovere e dei punti di forza non sfruttati. La trama è sfilacciata, i protagonisti vanno in giro a fare cose, seguendo piani (idee geniali dell'ultimo minuto) che saltano sempre per qualche motivo. Piani nei piani nei piani, personaggi che pianificano immaginando che il nemico prevedrà i loro piani, piani organizzati ma poi dimenticati, spostamenti e battaglie confuse.
Il finale è la fiera della inverosimiglianza, dei buonismi travestiti da scelte dolorose. Il piano finale si capisce dall'inizio (anche perché, se fosse andata come sembrava, sarebbe stato un finale di una stupidità desolante) e i personaggi da abili pianificatori quali sono prevedono quasi tutto ma dimenticano un attimo quattrocento testate nucleari e l'imprevedibilità dello Sciacallo, al centro di "Morning star".
Una nota positiva è lo sviluppo dello Sciacallo, che tra "Golden son" e "Morning star" viene portata avanti bene: non si può dire che Brown non sappia costruire i suoi personaggi (Victra, Sevro, Ragnar e molti altri). Peccato che è dipinto come un furbacchione temibile e poi, comparendo poco e niente e venendo fregato, alla fine sembra un povero cretino.
Quel po' di buono che c'è, quella consapevolezza sviluppata dai personaggi non salva "Morning star" dall'essere un disastro completo ed il peggior libro della trilogia.

[Alex Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the omnibus book, which had 3 large books within this omnibus… it took me a good week and I usually go through a book a day, so be warned that it’s a big read.

Enjoyable book - nice concept but I felt a little let down by the way that the main character was thwarted as it was always the same method… he’s apparently a great planner/problem solver but is always out-thought in rather obvious ways. Then we have the usual ‘people judge him for trying to do his best and he refuses to explain himself or justify his actions in a way that would actually resolve the disagreements within his friend circle’ narrative… or ‘the refusal to actually speak to people when he needs to speak to them, putting it off for later, which then bits him in the backside’ narrative.

But there’s only so much ‘railing against the establishment without an actual end-game idea and continually falling short, and yet, miraculously not dying when the enemy could have killed you’ that I can put up with.

Could have benefitted from some wider world explanation and minor character development… we only have minor interactions with copper/grey characters, for example. One silver character. One pink character. Lots of ‘skipping ahead’ from chapter to chapter, which means you’re forced to assume a lot of things and work a back-story out yourself, including character relationship development. Lots of things go on in the background that we aren’t told but have to accept because the writer suddenly starts talking about things that you’re otherwise unaware about.

Very anticlimactic ending which, let’s be honest, falls short of an epic finale against the evil tyrant - there’s been almost 1500 pages of ‘getting to the final showdown’ and it’s over within 3-5 pages… then, the story ends without any sort of resolution to the main point, which is a removal of the tiered society system (which everyone just seems to tolerate btw - all billions and billions of them). Life just sorta goes on, with mentions of potential changes in the future.

I enjoyed it for a days or so and then by the end, I was tolerating it and hoping it would just finish. Tbh, reading this review makes me wish I’d put three stars.

Edited to reflect the three star review.

[Urso · Rating 5 out of 5]

few times have I been taken so much by a book , I think maybe I will even reread it another time .
I can only say that I have never seen so many unpredictable twists in a book and that I liked it so much that even though there are in Italian only the first three after reading a few books I think I will read all the others in English .

[Antonina Bednarkiewicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit it's partly my fault, long ago should I stopped letting booktok recommend me books.
I have read the whole trilogy mostly because it's exam season and I wanted a distraction from all my essays but God....
There's been a lot said about Darrow- the communist Mary Sue, strongest, smartest, Red holding a sickle. But I don't want to talk about poorly written characters because I would have to list them all, and they all had such stupid ass names and nonexistent character traits that I forgot most of them.
The most jarring was the prose that so many people praise. Sure it was easy to read but does it mean it was good? People please.
In every book Brown mentioned "piss" around 30 times. The only quotes I actually remember weren't even his. I get mad every time I think about Darrow's crisis at the beginning of Morning Star " no man is an island". You are so smart babes wow. Darrow apparently knows the whole of human literature because when they were sculpting him to look properly Aryan, he drank the Smart Juice and learned everything about culture, literature and history from the dawn of time. I am not joking, this is literally one of the plot points explaining how he manages to fool everyone that he is Gold. He drunk *ucking Smart water.
But back to the stolen quotes: Cassius tells Mustang "we'll always have Luna". B*tch what do you know about Casablanca I'll kill you.

They also got Good Will Hunting. It's not your fault, it's not your fault, it's not your fault. I couldn't help but while reading this scene I had only the scene from Family Guy in my mind.

For the love of God think of something original.

This is so chaotic but I just finished the trilogy and I want to stop thinking about these books as soon as possible.

The plot is basically what if we put Ancient Rome in space. Or rather what if everyone in the ruling class (in space) gets a Roman name. And it does nothing else with that. Like ok classicism is great and undying and as humans we just can't stop coming back to Corinthian columns but culture does not stop, it evolves. The human trait is to take the *ucking column and add something to it, in every era it's something slightly different. In Brown's world, which is supposed to be ours just hundreds of years in the future, the culture apparently stopped evolving. They have the Violet class who's sole role is to make art but somehow we do not hear anything about any new plays, books or artworks. And there is no better muse than an oppressive and divided society, trust me. God I hate this.
Instead he chooses to say that Jeff Koons baloon dog is ugly. We know, Pierce. This is not what your book is about tho.

So much telling instead of showing.
So much time jumps.
So much sudden info dumps about Very Important parts of culture that have never been shown before and will never be shown again.

Xd I just remembered, Pierce, babygirl. The lowest of the low are the Reds right. They have red eyes and red hair. And suddenly we have this one Gold, the highest of the high, who paints his beard red. Oh sorry, blood red because he is so scary. This must be the equivalent of doing a black face in the XVIII century. Yet nobody comments on this, he is just this scary powerful Gold.

Anyway, enough of that. It was bad, the characters were boring, plot was nonsensical.
It could have been executed better.
As a society we love feudalism in space, but it must be done well. Dune, my beloved.

Servo was fun but also not the best written character.
Goodnight

[Aiden Fuji · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is undoubtedly one of the best trilogies in the genre, maybe in literature, and I'm told it gets even better.

Red Rising

Rare is it that the first book in a trilogy is by far the weakest of the 3, but Red Rising is a solid full star below both Golden Son and Morning Star for me. Its strongest point is definitely the characters; from our protagonist, Darrow, to all the side characters (Pax, Cassius, Mustang, Sevro, even the Jackal), each character feels competently fleshed out, motivated, and realistic in a way that is impressive for a novel set thousands of years into the future. Although written well in terms of prose and characters, the plot and various tonal shifts throughout just don't fully work for me. The "academic" setting and young age of the protagonist give Brown's first work a very YA impression, but with adult action and violence. It conflicts, but its biggest warrant for praise is that it gives us a great lead into Golden Son. 3.8/5

Golden Son

Holy sh*t. I had been informed about the jump in quality in several ways between Red Rising and Golden Son, but I still severely underestimated just how large this jump was. Brown both fixes the weaknesses of Red Rising and vastly expands on the strengths. The characters remain exceptional, even when we add new ones (I love Ragnar so much) and shift the old ones to completely different settings. The short "time-skip" is done in a fantastic way that feels like time has passed and the characters have changed, but we haven't been defamiliarized with them. The change from a violent medieval-esque between teenage "students" to massive-scale political warfare elevates the stakes and makes the plot more complex and interesting without making it harder to follow. Writing from a present first-person perspective is challenging, but Brown's prose and dialogue allow for deeply intense scenes and palpable tension throughout all the action. And the ENDING. I couldn't decide between doing nothing for the rest of the day, just to process, and immediately starting Morning Star. 6/5

Morning Star

The biggest question for me after Golden Son was how Brown could possibly top Golden Son. Although I would not say that he does, Morning Star is still a near-perfect ending to a near-perfect trilogy. One of the few things that Morning Star does better than Golden Son is the large-scale space battles. The conflict that is deemed the "Battle of Ilium" between Darrow and Roque is quite possibly the best battle sequence I have ever read in any book. It truly feels like we are with Darrow as he struggles, makes decisions, and chooses what to sacrifice to keep the Rising alive. Everything great about Red Rising and Golden Son is maintained throughout their concluding book. The characters somehow get even better (Sefi <3), ESPECIALLY the villains (Aja!!, the Jackal, Octavia, Roque). One of my pet peeves in books is when we don't understand the villains and they feel disconnected from the story. However, every villain in Morning Star feels like a genuine person, to the point where you almost start to wonder who the villain truly is. A fantastically satisfying ending that gives us great closure, while still allowing for more to come. The biggest crime of Morning Star is that it follows Golden Son. 5/5

Simply cannot wait for Iron Gold and the rest of what Brown has to offer.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of the second book:
"Best Characters:
1. Lysander - Adorable and wise, should be an interesting case of nature vs. nurture for the finale of the series.
2. Victra - Very upfront about who she is, stands up for herself whenever people try to press her down, fun, strong.
3. Ragnar - Reminds me of this one Mistborn character who struggled with the concept of finding a life for himself outside of what his kind are made to be. Also a certain Dresden Files fallen angel.

Unfortunately these people aren’t around nearly as much as lessers.
I never really warm to Darrow. He’s okay, if overpowered, but he doesn’t stand out at all from the sea of action-ish heroes in popular fiction.
Roque is mildly annoying for much of the book; sometimes he’s pretty sympathetic, so I guess it’s a wash.
Augustus is too power-hungry to feel like an actual person. Same with Octavia. And Jackal.
I don’t see why Darrow’s so obsessed with Mustang. She’s awfully huffy, though it’s nice that she’s smart and diehard protective of her fam.
Tactus...mmm, I didn’t find believable.
Lorn, I suppose the character development is in the first book, as I was just like “oh, that’s nice” at best when it came to him.
Sevro, he’s fine. He has this one strong scene when he confronts Darrow; otherwise not too memorable.

The plot is uneven, but I suppose it has a high amount of action and death to satisfy most. I didn’t find myself emotionally engaged often; the strongest chapter is probably 49, or at least it’s when I feel closest to liking Darrow. Which I think I’m supposed to anyway. Oh, and I don’t really like how it feels like each chapter’s beginning is supposed to have an in medias res thing going on. Still, I’m pretty sure I’ll read at least the last chapter of the last book..."

Now read the books at either end.
Too bad Lysander barely exists. Victra is still pretty nifty, and elevates Sevro with her presence. Ragnar makes a nice symbol, at the very least.
I'm not generally a fan of books centered around waging war, which would be the main thrust of #1 and #3. But there are exciting enough moments. I can see how the series would appeal to those who like warfare.

[Matteo Calvano · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if Dune, Game of Thrones, Divergent and Hunger Games had a baby and he was a fan of Heavy Metal? Well, that kid would be Red Rising. The incredible thing about it is that it transcends this definition, because it is the best Young Adult I have ever read. Let’s clear up what it could give to passionates.
Red Rising is a Pierce Brown trilogy which mixes in a splendid way the epic space operas with the Roman Empire culture, adding lots of different inspirations in the middle. One of my main struggles with the YA category of books are the excesses in romanticism, with lack of coherence and realism and the most beautiful thing about Red Rising is how it deals with love inserting it inside the story, as a matter of Honor but also of feelings and sensations, never trivializing it. Since this marvelous idea, what perfectly works inside Red Rising is the construction of the legend of Darrow of Lykos, from the grounds of Marth to an epic trial of saving its similars. Because inside Red Rising’ society the hierarchy of humans has changed completely, with the rise of the Golds as a role of prestige. Under them, lots of other people, divided by Colors, see the head of this organization as Gods in the Solar System, now completely colonized. The Reds, specialized in the risky mining of Mars, represents in a certain way the highest force among men, for the events they need to overcome, and for this reason they are maintained in a state of ignorance. As soon as one of them discovers the truth, the rules of the entire world start to fall apart.
Red Rising is a trilogy of powerful strength for the evolution given to its characters and its worldbuilding. Forcing the plot twists to make enormous changements, Pierce Brown is capable of increasing the bar at every sequel of his original story, giving it always a larger sight. The first book focuses on Mars, and on survival in terrible lands and situations, giving us the sense of cruelty of a world in which even a brother or sister can become the target for a climb through success. The second publication instead makes an expansion to the whole system, in which everything it's around households, trying to conquer power while fighting the laws of a dying world. The third iteration, instead, follows an incredible pacifist path all around the universe, struggling with the nonsense of the war and on the force given by friends and dear people in the moments needed. All these three different souls perfectly embrace the same matrix, the one of the exaggerations of modern elegance instead of the popular grounds. Because Red Rising is a story pivoted around pop culture, with all the quotes and inner references which elevates the events of Darrow onto the level of the epic actual productions. Red Rising shows the beautiful creativity of humankind, trying to convince us that we are also exceptional in giving life to new things instead of only destroying and creating disparities.


FINAL VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Yaroslav Zarorovskyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Дочитав, чи то пак, дослухав першу трилогію Red Rising (Червоного сходження / Піднесення Червоного) докінця:
- Перша книга все одно найсильніша, та найцікавіша. Друга найслабша та найповільніша з трьох.
- Справді самобутній всесвіт, у який твердо віриш, не зважаючи на усю його (спершу) показну абсурдність.
- Політична система, культура, відсилки та переплетення із міфологією давніх культур Землі - моя повага.
- Червона ниточка про маніпулювання свідомістю мас, питання першості та вищості по крові, привілеї рідства та спроби розкриття природи божественності - потрійна повага.
- Головні герої прописані та продумані чудово і лише деякі з другорядних шкутильгають на мотивацію, тому часом їх вчинки видаються вкрай нелогічними.
- Іноді автор надмірно накручує градус емоційності і в окремих місцях мені цього було забагато, зате може непогано зайти молодшій аудиторії.
- Ще мені було замало дорослішання ГГ. Дерроу напрочуд швидко вчиться на чужих помилках і дуже тугий до усвідомлення власних, зокрема, коли ті буквально загрожують його життю та справі.
Тож чи читати цикл? О, так - фор шур! Навіть не сумнівайтесь, бо це точно краще за +- ваші 10, а може і 20 книг, які ви останньо прочитали. + @nebo.booklab.publishing якраз готують реліз українською.
Від мене усій трилогії Пірса Брауна однозначно 8 червоних із 10ти можливих ;)

[Trevor McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown
“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.”

That line sets the tone for what this trilogy is: operatic, brutal, and intensely personal.

Red Rising starts as a dystopian underdog story and quickly explodes into a galactic chess match where loyalty, identity, and revolution clash at every level. What I expected to be another Hunger Games–style rebellion became something so much deeper, smarter, and more emotionally devastating.

Brown doesn’t just build a world—he constructs a caste system so mythic and ruthless that every choice Darrow makes feels like a blade to the ribs. The politics are cutthroat, the action is cinematic, and the betrayals hit harder than they have any right to. It’s Game of Thrones in space—but with a better heart.

What makes it exceptional, though, is the emotional core. Behind the war cries and space battles is a story about grief, purpose, found family, and the cost of becoming the monster to kill the monster. The highs are euphoric. The lows are soul-breaking. And by Morning Star, I was holding my breath on nearly every page.

If I had to put in order in terms of Favorite I would say - Morningstar, Red Rising, Golden Son but all 3 books are 5 stars and should be read by everyone.

[Ravenbergin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series! This is not your classic dystopian caste system story. Yes, there is a caste system (identified by color levels) and the people at the bottom are fighting for basic rights and a better life. However, you really get to see the good and the bad in each layer of the color caste. All the reds aren't good and all the golds aren't bad. Pierce Brown's characters were so well thought out. They didn't always do what you thought they should do, or what you wanted them to do. Brown is great at leaving you little surprising plot twists. Every book leaves you wondering what could possibly happen next. Even though good things do happen along the way, I am still waiting for my happily ever after. I'm not sure Brown is ever going to give it to me though. Happily Frustrated!!!!
P.S. To all my teaching friends out there, this is not one of those dystopian stories that can be appropriate for uppper elementary kids. I would probably recommeded it to my high schoolers, but it contains a lot of crude language (which works for the st0ry line because it is mostley a bunch of guys running around fighting all the time). Also, the people in the pink caste level are basically sex slaves.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was very compelling, you care about the characters, and it was well-written. It is a lot darker than the hunger games, for instance. But a lot more nuanced with many more characters and a lot more going on. The books have a much darker feel, and although the characters have triumphs throughout there are so many losses it seems hopeless most of the time. Also lots of violence that is described in detail and too much swearing. But the story and characters make you think about a lot of things more deeply, which I appreciate( ie: Freedom, peace, war, doing the right thing, love and friendship, moving forward in the face of hopelessness, etc.) It was exciting but also very stressful to read, but I like knowing the story. Don’t know if I can recommend because of the swearing and violence though.
Oh another thing that I thought was funny is that this whole rebellion hinges on all these 23-year-olds. Why are there no 30-year-olds? All the most important people are in their early 20’s and I feel like that wouldn’t actually be the case but this is fantasy so I shouldn’t be too picky about that.

[Muddysquirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Red Rising trilogy was entertaining, but it never fully clicked for me as a cohesive series. The first book feels almost detached from the next two, with such a different tone and structure that it could easily work as a standalone. The cast is large, and many characters feel similar, which makes it hard to stay invested when new personalities keep rotating in and out.

The story reaches for a huge scale, but that sometimes blurs character motives and makes the overall direction feel scattered. The constant moral ambiguity slows the pacing more than it adds depth. There are also moments of plot armor and a few plot holes that weaken the stakes, especially for the main character.

Even with those issues, the action is fun, the world-building is engaging, and there are some strong character moments throughout. I stayed curious about where the plot was heading even when the execution felt uneven. It is a bold and ambitious trilogy that is worth reading, just not as tight or focused as the hype suggests.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping, dystopian space-opera that paints its worlds in colors and reflects myths from Olympus to Asgard, the Red Rising Trilogy is an emotional rollercoaster ride of a read. The story is told first-person from the perspective of the protagonist Darrow, who comes from the lowest class in the world to inciting revolution. Along his way, Darrow makes friends and allies that are endeared to the reader, but noone is safe. The rollercoaster brings him high and then plunges him into drops where he is compromised, and experiences losses of status and friends, but he rises again, and again. The plot is fast-paced and the books start well and progressively get even better. The depth of world building and the caste system the author develops make this series stand out with some of the best science fiction for both adults and young adults. This trilogy is great for long-time science fiction fans or those who want to take the genre for a test flight.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I closed out 2024 reading this series. I read over 200 books in 2024 and these were hands down my favorite of the year. Quite possibly taking the spot as number one for my favorite series. Pierce Brown does an outstanding job building an intricate world filled with political intrigue, treason, war, and brotherhood. The characters were all complex, well crafted, and had a depth that is missing from a lot of books. While told from the perspective of the main character Darrow I felt I truly understood all of the characters struggles and growth. The plot twists are many and the suspense is palpable. If you enjoy science fiction books I would highly recommend picking this series up as soon as possible.

[Kate H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is some of the best scifi I have ever read. Really really good. I couldn't get into the later books in this series, but these three are a complete story and very well done. Listened almost non stop until the series was done. There were parts where the dialog got a bit cheesy and annoying, I almost knocked it down a star for that. Too much banter. But the rest of it all makes up for those minor flaws.

In some ways, these books feel more like fantasy than scifi, yet there is no magic...

Anyway, read them. You'll like them.

[Stuart Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning story that has gripped me from the beginning and has me waiting for each installment as they come out. Only thing to really scratch that YA into adult itch I have had since I stopped with Skulduggery Pleasant and Percy Jackson type books but this is much meaner, darker and really grows into that Grimdark world with you. Really recommend for those who love massive scale sci fi operas on the grittier side

[Phil X. Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never expected anything like this

My wife's grandson introduced me to Red Rising a few weeks ago, and it sounded like something I would enjoy, and once I started reading it I could barely out it down.

I'm a huge fan of Magic and Mayhem, and while there was no magic here, there sure was plenty of mayhem to go around!

If you enjoy science fiction, a great premise, deep characters and a riveting story, you'll love this series.

[Robert Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time fav series now. I came across it looking up artwork for what I thought would be an original character Karnus. Just typed that in to google to see what random artwork would show up and suddenly theres fan art for this series. Dove into it and it blew me away. Seriously an amazing series that has some slow moments but I am a sucker for it.

Hail Reaper.

[Mindy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunger Games meets Star Wars. Started at a 5 and moved slowly but steadily downhill as I moved through the books. Couldn't get past book 4. Does bring up some interesting ethical questions, and presents a fascinatingly creative society, so definitely worth taking a stab if you can stomach the brutality.