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Red Rain #1-3.5

Red Rain Omnibus Volume 1

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Would you end the world if it meant saving your family?

The year is 2075. Earth is ruled by a one-world government. In order to maintain unity, all citizens must deny their national, racial, and religious identities—or suffer the consequences.

Stripped of her rights for refusing to assimilate, sixteen-year-old Philadelphia Smyrna has grown up in a religious containment camp. When her father is summoned to work on a remote Martian base, she thinks they may have found a haven of tolerance. That is until she discovers they’re stationed on the same base where her brother mysteriously died two years before. Searching for answers, she stumbles across the plans for a chemical superweapon and must decide whether to return to Earth—or let the planet burn.

Dive into this fast-paced Christian sci-fi series that's perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and LEFT BEHIND. Volume 1 collects the first three books, plus three supplemental short stories:

-Red Rain (#1)
-Project 74 (#1.5)
-Crook Q (#2)
-Prisoner 120518 (#2.5)
-Andromeda (#3)
-Aurelius (#3.5)

531 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 26, 2022

3 people are currently reading
68 people want to read

About the author

Rachel Newhouse

42 books40 followers
Rachel Newhouse is an author, wife, secretary, and Sunday school teacher from Kansas City, Missouri. Her obsessions are sci-fi, dystopian, and kid lit. When she’s not writing, she’s cooking Asian food, growing chilis that are too spicy to eat, and watching wildly age-inappropriate shows like My Little Pony and Gravity Falls with her husband, Joe. She also really likes glitter. You’ve been warned.

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5 stars
16 (53%)
4 stars
10 (33%)
3 stars
3 (10%)
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1 (3%)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Brittany.
1,316 reviews208 followers
February 1, 2026
3.5 Stars ✨

YA Dystopian/Sci-fi

🩸Faith based dystopian
🩸one world government
🩸faith under persecution
🩸off world punishment
🩸forbidden knowledge

Red Rain has been on my TBR for a while, I was scrolling through Hoopla and saw the audiobooks for free!! So obviously- I jumped right on that bandwagon and was pleasantly surprised with how much i liked it, especially with it being partially sci-fi - which usually is NOT my jam.

It pulled me in faster than I expected. The world was unsettling, and watching a teen (Philadelphia aka Philly) stand her ground when belief itself is treated like a crime, gave the story real emotional weight. As a person of faith- I found there to be a real feeling of fear running throughout the book that made the stakes feel personal, especially with the loss, pressure, and constant threat hanging over the characters beliefs.

The story moved quickly and sets the stage for what’s to come in this 10 book series. By the end, I wanted answers, justice, and more time in this world. Good thing they are short quick reads and more books in the series !

Overall, I thought Red Rain was a strong start to the series and an engaging read. I absolutely loved the faith themes, it was my favorite part and thought they were woven in so perfectly without feeling overwhelmingly preachy. Would recommend for those who like dystopian or sci-fi with faith at its core.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
Author 8 books8 followers
October 7, 2023
"What would you do if the Bible was ELIMINATED?"

It hadn't occurred to me when I bought "Red Rain," but this book is a volume of books! Six books, in fact: Book 1 "Red Rain" through Book 3.5 "Aurelius"!

This review (so far!) is just on the first book "Red Rain."

WOWZA! This is the FIRST Sci-fi book that is ACTUALLY Christian (not just talks about God). There are Bible verses, prayers... The first plot point is that the Bible app is deleted -- as in, GONE ... from EVERYWHERE.

If I wasn't convicted then, I was enthralled by Philli's prayers and how God comes through for her ... perfectly. It was convicting and REFRESHING!

Oh, and the names are cute too. If you know the Bible at all you'll recognize them. Philadelphia, Ephesus, Nic(olaitans), (Laodi)Cea, Sardis, Smyrna ... (Love, love, LOVE this idea to put the 7 churches in the Book of Revelation as the characters names! Oh, and the villain too!)

I've said it at the beginning, I'll say it again: A convicting book about honoring God ABSOLUTELY. And what a great privilege it is to have the Bible we can read at any time!

This book needs to get into the hands of 16-year-olds today to watch as Philli holds fast to her love for God despite temptation (think: 17 year-old Daniel!) and fights with faith (think: boy David!). Such an example for young people!!!

Okay, now I'm off to read the other 5 books... [End of Review on 2/11/2023]

Edited on 10/1/2023: BOOK 5.5 ... is NIC'S POV!!! ... and it's actually heart-breaking! *sigh!*

The wait is soooo worth it!!! It's like these half-novellas are those free chocolate-mint candies you get after a crazy delicious meal at an expensive restaurant. Just such a perfect addition you don't want to miss it!

FINAL EDIT on 10/7/2023:

I FINISHED THROUGH BOOK 6 ... and the action never lets up, never disappoints! Waiting (not so patiently) for the rest of the series!
Profile Image for Jonathan Lovelace.
Author 2 books40 followers
April 30, 2023
Dystopia is a SF genre I do not like ... but somehow, the Red Rain series by Rachel Newhouse is an exception. This is an omnibus of the first three novellas and first three "side stories" in this series, each of which has a very different "feel" ... yet all of which have the same "can't-put-down" quality running through them from beginning to end. Even the ones I felt ambivalent enough about to give three or three-and-a-half stars to---and since her return to the series in 2022 with "Prisoner 120518" everything has, in my opinion, tended to both be masterful to start with and get better with each new installment. I fully expect to give the "Omnibus Volume 2", once Mrs. Newhouse writes Books 5.5, 6, and 6.5, an unreserved full five stars.)

See my reviews, here and on my blog, linked below for more details of what I think about these books and stories, but if you're a fan of this series or interested enough to keep reading, this is probably the cheapest way to get these three novellas and three stories, the only way to get these stories in print, and even so probably the most compact hard-copy format (in terms of shelf space, which has been at a premium in my family for years).

My reviews of the books and stories that are included in this omnibus:

Red Rain (GR, blog)
Project 74 (GR, blog)
Crook Q (GR, blog)
Prisoner 120518 (GR, blog)
Andromeda (GR, blog)
Aurelius (GR, blog)
355 reviews4 followers
January 3, 2023
Good books!

I'll preface this with the fact that it's sorta a cliff hanger, but I got the five books for $.99, so I didn't care. It's a lot of enjoyable reading. You can also get it in Kindle unlimited.
Each book comes from a different point of view, most from the female teenager, Philadelphia. The books are very well written and hold your attention. There are surprises and lots of action. You'll wonder what makes each person respond the way they do. As you see it from their point of view when they're telling it, it really rounds out the story.
I'm hoping the author continues writing the series.
Profile Image for Jessica.
15 reviews1 follower
July 5, 2024
Ya’ll, it’s really hard for me to find books that fits into my standards. I absolutely LOVE sci-fi/dystopian books, but add Christian themes into it, Phil roaming and praying to God and reading her Bible, well let’s just say I am a happy girl!
The writing pulls you in, and even though it’s a shorter book, it doesn’t FEEL like it. Everything is well thought out, and the description in the book makes me feel like in standing with Phil. I love that it’s on Mars for half the book!
Also, for anyone like me, or anyone who has kids and is trying to find a CLEAN story, this does NOT have ANY cursing, or sexual content. That made my heart extra happy!
I can’t wait to finish this series!💜
Profile Image for Rebekah.
23 reviews
January 31, 2025
I thought I didn't like sci-fi; turns out, I just needed Rachel's sci-fi.

The story is engaging, I love the characters, and the pacing is spot on. The author does a great job including enough detail to really set the scene and build the characters without slowing down the story. And, for me, it's got just the right mix of dystopian and sci-fi while still feeling like our world. I also enjoy the faith element and the way it's used to naturally raise questions of what we stand for and what/when we're willing to compromise. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Favour Creative.
138 reviews8 followers
August 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Rain pulled me in from the start intense, thought-provoking, and full of heart. Philadelphia is a brave, relatable heroine, and her fight for faith, freedom, and family in a hostile world kept me turning pages late into the night. A must-read for fans of dystopian YA with real depth.
Profile Image for Polly.
12 reviews
March 22, 2025
This was a very interesting book. I enjoy a lot of Science fiction by Christian authors and this took on a unique perspective. Very well written and I am looking forward to the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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