Many ideas come to mind when one thinks about science fiction. For some, it consists of hard sci-fi with lots of technical terms they can’t understand to save their lives. For others, its images of laser guns and traveling to far off planets and meeting alien species.
Red Rising, however, is a different type of sci-fi. While we still get the element of space travel, there’s also an element of fantasy to this book. For some it could be seen as Hunger Games in Space, due to events that happen later on in the plot.
Darrow, a Red, is our protagonist in this novel, having to witness as his wife is killed right before his eyes. He then discovers there is an underground movement dedicated to ending the rule of the dictatorial Golds and creating a society in which all colors can be equal. The world we are thrown into with Darrow is different than your standard space opera adventure. You get a few elements of sci-fi before setting foot in a world that’s much more primal and with echoes of the Roman Empire. Pierce’s Brown’s writing is at the top of his game and this quickly becomes a story you want to return to again and again.
If you’re looking for something darker when it comes to your sci-fi stories, than Red Rising is one that is certain to entertain. You can borrow it as an ebook from eLibraryNJ and eBCCLS or a digital audiobook from Hoopla.
Lauren Lapinski
Circulation Assistant
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 