Red Rising series from Pierce Brown is a Sci-Fi space war saga that has been drawing a lot of attention since it was first published back in January of 2014, earning Red Rising, his first in the series book, top marks with over five thousand reviews. Six years later, there are five books in the series as a new addition was being published every year. Obviously, we are not the only ones enjoying it as all of his books are in top 10,000 bestsellers on Amazon, earning the author a spot among top twenty best-selling Sci-Fi authors as of January, 2020.

In the fast paced self-publishing marketplace, many may wonder why publish only one book per year. But in reality, each book is at least four hundred pages long and the series is long enough to satisfy even the most demanding Sci-Fi fans.

There are a number of reasons why we like this series and are determined to follow it. First of all, it is the craftsmanship of Brown’s writing that got our attention. He mixes up vivid descriptions and engaging conversations and fills it with the whole barrage of emotions before packing it all up and sending it down the rapids for some fast page-turning adventures.

Also, the book deals with a lot of interesting ideas, including the segregation of classes where the rich get richer while the poor stay nailed to the bottom, the situation that mimics the present expanding income inequity. The books portrays what might happen if such situation progresses onward and how that may play out once we colonize and populate the cosmos around us.

Additionally, Red Rising suites us because we do not like highly-predictable scenarios, and even though the series might not be the most original out there, it still sets itself apart from the rest. Maybe that is due to the fact that there are a lot of interesting and unexpected turns inside the story, and all of those turns push us onward to read the next page and page after that.

And, unlike many of the current Sci-Fi series, it’s not about shootouts and space ship combats as much as it is about personal conflicts in its micro focus that leads to the questions of the future of humanity at its very core.

The books are written in first person using present tense which the writer facilitates to make the fast action and emotional engagements even more real.

The series is classified as dystopian but is not dark and depressing, and it actually leaves a good and positive vibe. It’s not about how low we humans can fall but what may become of us under the certain circumstances.

It’s about passion and hatred, the thirst for revenge and and need of redemption, the greed for power and the determination to protect your own family. Needless to say, to play all of that out, the author uses a lot of interesting characters throughout the books, and most of them are painted with a rainbow of colors, including the main protagonist. You will not find many black and white characters here.

The basis of the book is the future where humans have colonized our solar system and have. in the meantime, split into a caste system, each one being labeled with the color. On top are Golds who consider themselves gods themselves and run politics and business, generating wealth and power that orbits anything we know of today. At the bottom are Reds who mine for minerals on Mars and other planets. The series is centered on this class struggle and a fanatic determination of one red to raise above and break the system of oppression and injustice. It is his drive, his pain, his fears and his desires that we follow on this exciting journey.

The series is not centered on some spectacular new technology, so you will not find that here. Atomic bombs are still considered the top planet-busting ordnance. There are also no alien species or one evil person who needs to be destroyed. But still, this is a master storytelling and will catch your interest and attention from the first pages you dive into.

The series is not centered on some spectacular new technology, so you will not find that here. So, no in-detailed description about how the propulsion works or how the space ships are constructed or operate. Atomic bombs are still considered the top planet-busting ordnance, and they are used repeatedly. There are also no alien species or one evil person who needs to be destroyed. But still, this is a master storytelling and will catch your interest and attention from the first pages you dive into.

First three books form a closure and answers a lot of questions. We like that as well. We do not need to read thousands of pages without having the answers to some of the questions that were asked through the first couple of pages. Naturally, the story flows on and new situations develop with its own problems and solutions. Things change inside the book and so do the characters, evolving and developing along believable and often unexpected paths.

What is that we did not like about Red Rising series? Well, the forth book in the series starts rather slow and, although that might be expected after finishing of the first free books, it sort of steps out of balance for us a bit. And it takes us quite a few pages to dive back in the story and continue to roll with it. Also, there are a lot of other questions that we might have wanted asked and see how the author can answer them, especially concerning the extend of human colonization.

Still, Pierce Brown’s narrative style keeps us hooked on, and we are patiently waiting till he rolls another book of his.

So, is Red Rising a true Sci-Fi masterpiece that is to become a classic in years to come? We believe it is. Not because of the description of the future tech. Many authors do a better job at that. It’s more about the power of author’s voice and emotions it evokes while portraying the same struggle we humans faced since our down.

All considered, we greatly enjoy reading this series, and thus, we highly recommend it. It’s one of the rare Sci-Fi books that might be worth rereading again.

Other books in the series: