The Marked: Crimson Rising

by Olivia Paisley Troy

187 pages, Paperback

Published October 4, 2025

Reviews

[Select Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Olivia Troy’s YA dystopian fantasy, “The Marked: Crimson Rising,” follows the adventures of Elia Dareth who, at the age of thirteen, had a crimson mark burned into her wrist by her world’s controllers, The Dominion, as a predictive indicator of her life and death. Green marks so placed by The Dominion predicted the person was to obey; amber marks, the person would hide; blue marks, the person would enforce the Chancellor’s rules; but crimson marks predicted the person would die violently at a young age.

When Elia attends Recount Day to have her mark rescanned at the age of seventeen, irregularities are detected in her mark- irregularities that make her begin to question if a violent death at a young age will really be her fate. As she tries to leave town, two Dominion enforcers prepare to kill her, but she is saved by Cassian, a rebel who takes her to a forest where she is treated by other rebels as an untrusted anomaly because of the irregularities in her scan.

A series of events cause Elia to further question what the crimson mark on her wrist really means. As she gains a better understanding of her mark and her destiny, she joins the rebels in their fight to overthrow The Dominion.

“The Marked: Crimson Rising” is written as a flight of ideas, but the message is generally clear. The characters are well developed – some more than others, and the book’s plots and subplots are interesting, but would profit from further development.

The purpose of certain rituals and procedures employed in the book are never really explained in detail. What’s more, the book’s ending leaves readers with unanswered questions.

Despite a few shortcomings, the book is interesting and reasonably well executed. It will undoubtedly be well received by fans of YA dystopian fantasy.

[JM Saner · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this dystopian story, each child is marked at age thirteen with a color implant that determines their future within the Dominion. Citizens are counted annually, and their movements are monitored by drones that record everything. Children who display red are labeled “Crimsons,” considered dangerous, and are often killed or “disappear” before reaching seventeen. However, seventeen-year-old Elia Dareth is different.
Known by many names—Elia the Crimson, the Cursed, the Anomaly, the Unpredictable, the Key, the Catalyst, the Seed—Elia challenges the system designed to control her. The color marks were originally intended to preserve order, and ancient texts speak of a Crimson Seed who would disrupt the Dominion’s algorithm. As rebels work to expose hidden truths, Elia becomes central to their cause when her unique code interferes with the Dominion’s control system.
Cassian leads the ground resistance, Lucien makes difficult decisions for the rebel group, and Lennox, a skilled coder, works to undermine the Dominion’s programming. Together, they challenge the foundation of the Dominion and reveal long-hidden information to the public. With that revelation, choice becomes possible, and Elia earns a new title: Elia the Choice.
While the premise may feel familiar within the dystopian genre, Troy’s strong character development and clear writing style create an engaging and impactful story.

[Edmond Thornfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Marked: Crimson Rising is a gripping and original YA dystopian tale that had me hooked from the first page. Olivia Paisley Troy’s control of first-person POV brings Elia Dareth vividly to life—fearful, determined, and desperate to claim her own future. The suspense never slackens, and the world-building is both inventive and immersive, from the Dominion’s color-coded death sentences to the underground rebel networks. Cassian and Elia’s evolving relationship adds emotional depth without overshadowing the relentless tension of the plot. I was particularly impressed by how the story balances high-stakes action, political intrigue, and personal stakes. The novella would benefit from careful proofreading and formatting to address minor errors, but these are minor quibbles against an otherwise compelling and well-crafted story. Fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games will find much to admire here, though this story holds its own in sheer uniqueness. A must-read for lovers of rebellion, courage, and destiny rewritten. I highly recommend it.

[Vijay Kerji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Olivia Paisley Toy took me into a beautiful fantasy world of Elia Dareth in this book, The Marked Crimson Rising.

Elia is etched with a crimson mark on her wrist at the age of thirteen which supposed to end her life before she turns nineteen.

But her determination combined with fate makes her survive, proving everything wrong. She finds a perfect partner, Cassian of Dominion Capitol, even though he obeys the orders given by his superior which might prove detrimental to Elia.

The author has upped the tension in the second half when everyone tries to dismantle Breakers Towers.

Ultimately Elia finds that the Crimson is not a curse but a key for her survival. She realizes that blade is not for blood but for severing fear.

The characters in the story are well developed and story flows with a good pace.

Highly recommended for the readers of the genre who like a page turning fantasy story!

[Peter Killey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Marked: Crimson rising is a gripping faced paced YA dystopian book, that punches well above its very compact size. The book follows 17 year old Elia Dareth, who has been branded for death. What could have been a Grim countdown becomes a powerful story of defiance and self discovery, Elia's courage to reject a fate destined for her is a very strong story.
The actual book is written very well, I love the short punchy sentences, no words wasted, no filler just to make the story longer, just my type of book. I read the book in under 24 hours, which I normally never do, but with the pace of the book and the short size, just felt right.
Overall I would say the book is perfect for the YA, and highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a short sharp read.

[Michael Shank · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Marked: Crimson Rising was an exciting story about a girl, Elia, who was marked by a crimson marking which was said by their controlling government, the Dominion, that it foretold her fate. But throughout the book, she discovers this is not the case and there are many secrets she unveils about the marks in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the action and the characters; I only wish there had been a little more to it and that the ending had been a little less easy. I am excited for what the rest of this series has in store. This is a must-read for all dystopian readers!

[C.I. DeMann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dystopian YA is a pretty popular genre and if you're into it, you'll like this novel. The writing's solid, the characters are good, and the action keeps you moving. I liked the premise of everyone being marked with their fate. Reminded me a tiny bit of that book 'Logan's Run,' especially when the main character, Elia, decided not to accept her fate. And who doesn't like someone running for their life? Recommended.

[Pafel Dubois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quietly Disturbing and Hard to Put Down

I didn’t expect to get this invested this quickly, but it hooked me. The Mark system is disturbing in a quiet, believable way, and the fear hanging over everyday life feels real. A few moments lean on familiar dystopian beats, but the story has enough tension and heart to push past that. By the end, I cared about what happens next. This is a good read.