What is Red Rising about?

Darrow is a Red miner on Mars who discovers his people are slaves to the Golds. He is remade to pass as one of them and sets out to bring their world down from within.

Is Red Rising suitable for younger readers?

It is written for adult readers and contains bloody, brutal violence, so it suits those who enjoy darker science fiction.

Does Red Rising draw on real history?

Yes. Pierce Brown borrows from Roman history and classical myth to build its colour-coded empire.

Red Rising

A Martian miner discovers his world is built on slavery and sets out to bring it down from within.

Reading guide

Start here. No earlier reading is needed to follow Darrow's story from the first page.

Darrow, a Red Helldiver on Mars, believes his labour is building a future for his people. When he discovers the truth about the surface and the Golds who rule it, he is remade to pass as one of them and begins a campaign to bring their society down from within.

Description

Darrow is a Red, a Helldiver born to the lowest caste on Mars, drilling for helium-3 deep beneath the surface in the belief that his toil is making the planet habitable for those who will come after. When he learns that the surface was settled long ago and his people are slaves to a society ruled by the gleaming, ruthless Golds, he is remade to pass as one of them and sets out to bring their world down from within.

Pierce Brown writes with fierce momentum and a taste for brutal reversals. Borrowing from Roman history and classical myth, he builds a colour-coded empire that feels both ancient and futuristic. It suits readers who like their science fiction bloody, political and fast.

Books in this Series

Red Rising

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