“Red Rising” is a science fiction series written by Pierce Brown. The storyline follows follow the story of Darrow, a red who is a member of a society with a color-coded caste system. The golds have oppressed the other colors for centuries and it is time someone rose to stand against them.
So which book is the best and which book is the worst? Here are my takes.
6. “Iron Gold”
“Iron Gold” kicks off the second series within the “Red Rising” saga taking place 10 years after the events of “Morning Star” (3 red rising book). While in my opinion every book in the series is above an 8/10. “Iron Gold” lacks the same ability to make me not want to put the book down. This is seemingly because Pierce Brown has to rebuild the world, we already know so it seems initially slower than the rest of the series.
5. “Red Rising”
“Red Rising” starts the series off with a thrilling story of one’s self-overcoming tremendous adversity but when compared to the other books in the series it seems to fall short of the high-octane excitement the later books tend to exhibit. This book is often compared similarly to the “Hunger Games” but in my opinion, it is only similar in the idea of a competition, the world and rest of the story feels very original.
4. “Morning Star”
“Morning Star” closes the first trilogy off with a bang. An exciting adventure and war story that left me in tears at times of sadness as well as times of pure joy. I found this book to be a perfect finish to an incredibly entertaining story. An entertaining thrill ride that keeps you locked in.
3. ‘Dark Age”
“Dark Age” is a non-stop thrill ride that will not relent. The book starts off with 150 pages of some of the most insane, exciting, thrilling scenes of war I’ve ever read. Giant mech suits, swords, an army eating desert and devastating storms all combine to make this book truly shocking.
2. “Light Bringer”
I was not sure whether “Dark Age” or “Light Bringer” should be No. 2 because both books are great. But “Lightbringer” is a more a story of finding oneself after losing so much of themselves in the previous book. The personal connections the characters make, bringing the story full circle to things they experienced while they were young and how it shaped who they became, is truly what makes this book stand out.
1. “Golden Son”
“Golden Son” is the second installment of the Red Rising series. We follow a hell-bent Darrow on his mission to seemingly want to burn the world to the ground. This book is nonstop action from page one. While most of the book is action packed it also is our first glimpse into the political landscape and the scheming that takes place behind the scenes. This book makes the No. 1 spot for me because out of all of them truly could not put it down and finished it within two days. The way “Golden Son” ends, you will want to have Morning Star next to you so you can immediately continue Darrow’s adventure.
