Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


☆☆☆☆☆

No Spoilers! Definitely colorful language!




This is me. I have finished Red Rising, I don't know what happened, I don't know how I got here. I have too many words and none of them seem to be the right ones. Red Rising is not something you will see or feel coming, but there it is suddenly fucking up your entire 2014 reading year. I'm not even sure what this book even is . Mr. Brown debuted his first installment of what promises to be formidable trilogy with a no holds barred approach to this genre, as in he made his own rules. He never once coddles the reader, but instead keeps a rhythmic onslaught of emotional pandemonium and you will follow him willingly.



We are introduced to Darrow, a young miner living in a colony beneath the surface of Mars. He is a son of the Reds, a caste of pioneers charged with transforming the uninhabitable red planet, paving the way to save humanity from the over-crowded Earth. It is a hard and fast life, with few luxuries beyond the simplicity of love, loyalty and laughter. Darrow has managed to find himself just that, a great love in Eo his wife who shines so brightly she transcends that of her caste, see's beyond what they have been told and speculates they have been misled. She is courageous, she is fierce and she is instrumental in Darrow's path to truth. He soon learns that an entire civilization rests of the backs and labor of the Reds. Deceived, enslaved, and ignited by truth he transforms into the face of the enemy and infiltrates the highest caste, the Golds.

Darrow is one of the more gratifying protagonists to read for the simple fact his transformation is ceaseless . He crosses lines, he makes terrible choices, he self reflects, he grows, and he is relentlessly focused. Eo is the coals to the fire that propel him forward no matter the task, no matter how the odds are stacked against him.

Red Rising is a harrowing tribute to both the overwhelming resilience of the human spirit and the depravity it is capable of. It is an intricately imagined universe, a dystopian future with it's inherent social commentary and disturbing plot twists. It is one hell of a fucking ride, get your book, buckle in and don't let go!

P.S.




THIS.FUCKING.BOOK.


P.P.S.

There are truly so many notable and complex characters but one I forgot to mention needs to be addressed. Sevro is possibly my favorite of them all. His insanity, his heart, his wickedness, his humor. Without him this book would not hold the same sparkle. You little miscreant you, can't wait to see you again!




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