From the Bookshelf of A Little Bit Of This…

Red Rising (Red Rising Saga, #1)

Pierce Brown

Discussion: Currently Reading

Why we're reading this: Starting February 15th!!! Join us!:)
[close] Starting February 15th!!! Join us!:)

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 2 topics — 140 comments total

Currently Reading

This topic has been closed to new comments.

* ABOUT THIS SECTION
By Valerie · 1 post · 25 views

last updated Aug 06, 2016 04:39PM

* Read With Me?
By JoAnna , The Workaholic · 124 posts · 69 views

last updated Nov 03, 2020 01:58AM

showing 2 of 2 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jun 08, 2017 Suzzie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a brutal book but it is so good! I cannot wait to get to the library next week to get the next two installments! If you like sci-fi, dystopia, fantasy, and mythology this is a series you have to read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

42 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2016 Celeste rated it it was amazing

Shelves: grimdark, sci-fi, favorites

I had no idea I had not already reviewed this book. This is my 3rd time reading Red Rising, and I can’t believe I’ve never shared my thoughts about what is one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time. I wish I could look back and see what I thought of it the first and second times I read it, but I do know for a fact that my opinion of it has improved with each reading. I really liked it when I read it the first time. I loved it the second time I read it, that time with friends. But this third ti I had no idea I had not already reviewed this book. This is my 3rd time reading Red Rising, and I can’t believe I’ve never shared my thoughts about what is one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time. I wish I could look back and see what I thought of it the first and second times I read it, but I do know for a fact that my opinion of it has improved with each reading. I really liked it when I read it the first time. I loved it the second time I read it, that time with friends. But this third time? This time it struck me as profound.

I’m going to discuss very little of the plot, or even the characters, as I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t yet experienced. There are a few very major twists in the first third of the book, and those alter the course of the rest of the story dramatically. So instead, I’m going to discuss largely in broad strokes the things I love the most about this story.

First of all, I love how Brown crafted Darrow, our perspective character. This is interesting for me because I don’t actually love Darrow, or even think he’s that good or noble a person. Instead, we witness a morally gray character from the start of the series who is convinced of his own purpose and heroic nature. I find this utterly fascinating, because I’m invested in the character because of the story being told, not because of the character himself. That being said, there are several secondary characters who I do truly love, such as Roque and Mustang and, most especially, Sevro. I had forgotten exactly how much I love Sevro until he made his entrance into the narrative. I’m definitely a Howler for life.

I love that this is sci-fi, but more believable sci-fi. We have radically altered humans of various castes who have made other celestial bodies in our own solar system habitable, instead of involving aliens and distant space travel. I also love how the Golds model their society after Ancient Rome, and how that impacts the story. It’s tremendous fun to have so many classical names and references mingling with genetic modification and grav boots. I also love how the brutality in microcosm of the battle school not only perfectly showcases the Golds’ mimicry of Ancient Rome, it also perfectly portrays the larger society of all the Colors as a whole.

This is where we get into philosophy and social commentary. Brown does an amazing job of hammering these things home without being either preachy or succumbing to info-dumping. Instead, because we are seeing the failings of society through the eyes of on it has failed the most greatly, we are immediately empathetic and understanding. The caste system in this book, of dividing mankind into colors and having the lives of each dictated by said color, is hideous. And fascinating. I love some of the more philosophical discussions that eke their way into battle tactics later in the book. This, yet again, tied in the Classical aspects of the society brilliantly.

I just love everything about this book. It’s a rare story that gets better and better every time you revisit its pages, and this is one of those rarified few. The balance between drama and humor, heartache and rage, bloodlust and philosophy, is simply exceptional. The character development, the world building, and the social commentary housed within it are excellent, as well. Red Rising is bloodydamn brilliant, and the entire trilogy together is my favorite science fiction story I’ve ever read. ...more

36 likes · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2017 Anna Kalashnikova rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favourites, best-of-2017

I would give this book more than 5 stars, if only it were possible. The plot itself is increadibly paced and those plot-twists sometimes made me close a book and keep addressing to myself "Breath, Anna! This is just a book. Don't take it to heart".

This book is a pearl in my library! ...more

17 likes · Like · see review

Feb 27, 2017 JoAnna rated it really liked it

UPDATE: March 1st, 2017
I forgot to mention I listened to the audio book for this! IT WAS FRACKING AMAZING!!! The guy does a FANTASTIC job:D

This was such an interesting journey..... The beginning may be hard to get through, but once the action starts it just keeps going. AND THE CHARACTERS!!!!! The characters really grow on you. Servo is fucking awesome!!!!!! I hope to have lots more of him in the next books.

So besides the tough start of the book the only other off putting factor, is the immense ...more

14 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2013 Miranda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads, favorites, dynostopian, giveawaywins, feb-2014, reviewed-books

I won this as an ARC. I got it in the mail yesterday and started it today. And let me tell you this was nothing like Hunger Games or any other "dystopian" I've read. It was so much more and it was Bloodybrilliant!. The character development for all of them was amazing.
The main character Darrow, has a lot going on in that you feel as though you, the reader are holding your breath or taking one with him through all his ups and downs or life. It was quite exhilarating.
Eo quaint dreaming little Eo. I won this as an ARC. I got it in the mail yesterday and started it today. And let me tell you this was nothing like Hunger Games or any other "dystopian" I've read. It was so much more and it was Bloodybrilliant!. The character development for all of them was amazing.
The main character Darrow, has a lot going on in that you feel as though you, the reader are holding your breath or taking one with him through all his ups and downs or life. It was quite exhilarating.
Eo quaint dreaming little Eo. how I just wanted to curl in a ball and cry. It was insane how I cared for her that much when it felt like the book just started.
Roque was another favorite...maybe had to do with his weird poet moments and his soft heart. To me he just seemed to nice to be a gold.
Cassius man the boy had me feeling love hate and everything in the kitchen potion moods. In the end strong disliking probably won me over as my final thoughts.
Same with Antonia, I didn't have much of a solid feeling for her either. Disdain maybe? She just screamed "I'm a conniving twit don't like me" lol
Sevro "like some sort of hairy demonchild on hallucinogens."
probably my favorite description of Sevro. He was my ultimate favorite side character and nothing could change that. Hell I'm pretty sure if he was some off the wall villain I'd still think he was awesome that's how much I loved his crazyass.
Mustang was probably the ~~smartest~~ of the bunch. Eh maybe not more like the most likely to handle Darrow. I felt better once those two "hit it off"
And then there was Pax how his big ass fit in my heart with the idea of a giant bear you just want to be around.
Enough of my fangirling of characters >.< lol
This is one of those stories you want to read but have to read all the icky ones first. Its like a diamond in the rough and once you got that first taste of its words rolling off your lips...your done for. You just hole yourself in your house and don't come out till ever last word has run its course leaving you redeyed and blinking around noticing that life does exist. Well at least that's what happened to me anyway. Mr. Browns debut book was BLOODYDAMN is worth everyone getting. He's created a whole other world and lingo and meaning to hard life and different views and how we feel when things happen. And I cannot wait for the other books in this series. I'll be re-reading this one plenty that's for sure.
With that being said once this is out and you find yourself not sure about getting a copy don't hesitate just do it!!

...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2017 J. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: objectivism, dystopia, ya-fiction, young-adult, sci-fi

This beginning of an elaborate tale of revenge draws certain comparisons to The Count Of Monte Cristo, another excellent book; I can say without spoiling much that after tragedy removes the protagonist from his familiar life, he undergoes a physical and intellectual transformation in order to avenge himself to the people who wronged him.

Add in a mainstay of YA dystopian fiction (the inevitable contest among teenagers to establish dominance and impart life lessons) and you have an exciting read t ...more

Like · see review

Oct 05, 2023 Katie Brock rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebooks, netgalley

I remember this book being hyped up years ago on the book socials such as Booktube and thanks to Netgalley I was able to read it and I’m glad I finally got around to it. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I did enjoy the story.

We follow Darrow, a Red, who becomes a Gold and tried to get into a high brow school to become the best of the best. I did have to look up the colour system because I wasn’t quite sure how it worked. It’s not overly clear in the book where each colour sat on the hierarchy.

S ...more

Like · see review