by Pierce Brown
Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop…
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reviewed Red Rising
Didn't sleep. Just kept reading. The world is dense but Brown never makes you feel lost. He drops you into the deep end and trusts you to figure it out. By the time you understand the full scope of the Society's caste system, you're already furious on Darrow's behalf. Phenomenal book.
reviewed Red Rising
The worldbuilding is the real achievement here. A color-coded society spanning the entire solar system, each caste with its own culture and mythology. It should feel overwhelming but it doesn't. Brown uses Darrow's fish-out-of-water experience to introduce everything naturally. Start this series.
reviewed Red Rising
One of the best science fiction debuts in years. Brown takes a premise that sounds derivative on paper (Hunger Games meets Roman society in space) and builds something completely its own. Darrow is a compelling protagonist because he's genuinely conflicted, not just righteously angry. The Institute section is relentless in the best way.
James Dashner
