Book Review - Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising is a book that is, in theory, right up my alley. It has everything I typically love. Action. Heavy sci-fi elements. A strong main character. Compelling story. A solid premise. I actually started reading this for a couple of reasons, but the biggest one was the simple fact that I've heard great things about it. I like to read popular novels (and watch popular tv shows and movies) because I want to see what the hype is all about. In some cases, it works out (for example, the Dungeon Crawler Carl books) and in some instances, not so much (like the wretched Twilight series).

Red Rising, however, falls sort of in the middle between those two extremes.

Here we go. And, as always, spoilers ahead.

Novel: Red Rising

Series Name: The Red Rising Series

Novels: Red Rising, Golden Son, Morning Star, Iron Gold, Dark Age, Light Bringer

Written By: Pierce Brown

General Overview: Red Rising is a dystopian science fiction novel by Pierce Brown, the first in the Red Rising Saga, about a low-caste miner named Darrow who infiltrates the ruling Gold class on Mars to overthrow the oppressive society from within. The story follows Darrow as he undergoes brutal training at a proving ground called the Institute, competing against the elite to bring down the system that enslaved his people.

This novel isn't bad, by any means. It just took me a really, really long time to actually get into it. About, if I remember correctly, a little more than halfway through. Once I hit the section where Darrow got chosen by Mars and then they were all thrown into that extremely brutal war game, I finally "got it." Got the hype that is. The action really picked up but it wasn't just that. There was strategy. Intrigue. Betrayal. Heartbreak. We get that at his time in the Institute, where he loses friends and allies, but also when he was a Red. That part, although compelling and also heartbreaking, didn't connect with me as much as the events that happened in the second half of the book - during the war game. Eo's death is harsh, but I think that one hits less because it was stated in the blurb. Also, she kind of dies because she is put to death after doing an illegal dance. I am not sure what the dance was, why it was illegal, or what it signified to the Reds. Because I didn't know any of that, it had less impact on me.

After Darrow's Carving and his transformation into a Gold, that is when things started to really heat up. We get to watch as he enters a world wholly unfamiliar to him. A world of excess, pride, and power. The world of the Golds. It is interesting and only gets more interesting once he becomes a part of House Mars and starts to interact with actual Golds. As time goes on, and the war game begins, he must not only live with these people, he must work with them. The interesting part is the fact that he starts to actually befriend these students. These Golds. He feels guilt when he lies to one of them about the fact that he had to kill his brother. He feels affection toward others, ones he fought and bled with. He quickly becomes torn between Red and Gold, who he was (and his mission) and what he's been turned into.

There is a ton of suspense. A ton of intelligent strategies (from multiple sources) on display, including from Darrow. There is internal strife. External strife. Blood and savagery. And underneath it all, there is the mission Darrow was entrusted with by the Sons of Ares. To destroy it all and bring down the Golds.

I enjoyed it. But did I enjoy it enough to continue the series? I don't know if I did. I had the opportunity to get the next book but decided not to. Yet. We'll see. One of the biggest reasons for my indecisiveness with this novel is the way it was written. The writing style, while unique, didn't really flow that well. It had a halting quality to it, like my mind kept tripping up when I tried to read the actual words. It made the act of continuing on with the story somewhat of a chore instead of something enjoyable. It didn't feel easy to read either. It felt hard. It made it that much difficult to actually get through it.

With all that being said, Red Rising was still good. I did, in the end, actually enjoy the story. I can see the hype but would I recommend it? Unsure. Maybe to someone who really, really, loves sci-fi. Well...sci-fi and a bunch of intense, action-packed, fighting and war.

Rating: 3 out of 5.