Book · 2014
Red Rising
by Pierce Brown
A low-caste miner surgically altered to pass as the ruling elite infiltrates the academy that killed his wife, planning to burn the system down from inside.
What does Reddit think of Red Rising?
Red Rising is the John Wick comparison, verbatim, in the ↑991 r/Fantasy comment: nothing wrong with it, you're there for fight scenes and power fantasy, not subtlety. That's not really a criticism in context. The same comment credits Brown with reaching for more nuance in later books, treating the first one as a deliberate choice rather than a failure to grow up. The character shorthand is Darrow going apeshit, per the ↑447 comment, which claims nobody in the genre does it quite like him. r/Fantasy carries more recognized mentions than any other tracked subreddit here, running positive, but the ↑583 comment is the more interesting data point: friends who don't read fantasy at all have gotten through the whole series. Adaptation talk shows up unprompted, the ↑735 comment imagining it 'super cool visually' if handled right. Mention volume is not proof of quality. It is proof that this book gets brought up constantly, by name, whenever the topic is action-forward science fiction.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · The John Wick comparison: style and spectacle over subtlety, especially book one
- · Darrow 'going apeshit' as the character's whole signature move
- · Crossover pull with readers who don't normally read fantasy
- · Unprompted adaptation speculation
Common praise
- + The ↑583 comment says multiple friends who don't read fantasy at all got through the series anyway.
- + The ↑991 comment credits Brown with reaching for more nuance in later books, framing book one's simplicity as a choice rather than a limitation.
- + The ↑735 comment says it would be 'super cool visually' if adapted, unprompted enthusiasm for a series nobody asked it to defend.
Common criticism
- − The ↑991 comment is upfront that you're there for fight scenes and power fantasy, not subtlety, even if that's framed as fine rather than damning.
- − A lot of the top-voted comments, like ↑1454 and ↑438, are just a title or a pull-quote, padding mention volume without argument.
Who it's for
Fight scenes and power fantasy are the pitch, not a bug, per the ↑991 comment, at least for book one. Hand it to the friend who claims not to read fantasy, since the ↑583 comment says that crossover already happens in practice. Prefer quieter, introspective science fiction? The ↑447 comment's whole case for the protagonist is that he goes apeshit better than anyone else in the genre, and that's either the appeal or the dealbreaker depending on what you came for.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
- r/suggestmeabook 6,496
- r/Fantasy 5,441
- r/booksuggestions 3,504
- r/printSF 1,182
- r/YAlit 655
- r/RomanceBooks 75
- r/horrorlit 31
- r/TrueLit 6
Which Reddit comments matter for Red Rising?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Red Rising is the John Wick of sci/fi novels; there's nothing *wrong* with it, but you're there for the fight scenes and power fantasy, not the subtlety. Brown does reach for more nuance in later books, but... yeah, that first one in particular is pretty straightforwardly just giving the people what…
“Red Rising might have the potential if adapted well. It would be super cool visually and the story is just insane action and hype.
“Try the Red Rising series, the first book is very captivating and there are plenty of books to keep him busy for a while.
“Pierce Brown and his Red Rising series is pretty huge. I have multiple friends who don’t read fantasy that have read them.
“I know it's more sci-fi than fantasy, but Darrow/Reaper in the Red Rising series is the king of going apeshit. That's like his whole thing. Nobody goes apeshit like he does.
“I mean for just pure adrenaline and addictivity I’d say the Red Rising Trilogy is up there at the top. Great books, lots of momentum.
“I always tell people Red Rising doesn’t do anything new. But it does a lot and it does it well.
“I burned through the Red Rising series and the First Law Trilogy. Couldn't put either down. The RR series especially has a petal to the metal pace.
“Red Rising is essentially Hunger Games on Mars. I agree. Hell, I wrote that in my Bingo write up. However, the series does get better after that. The story opens up to the full solar system in book 2 with all of the adults, not just kids fighting.
“I just read the first three books. Red Rising is one of those series I would have loved as teen / young adult. Alas, I read it in my late 40s and I found predictability and lack of originality hard to overlook. Even so, it was engaging and page turning and I'm glad I read it.
“Honestly, both are good for what you want. First book of Red Rising feels very similar to hunger games. The series is pretty fast paced and you feel like you’re on an emotional roller coaster. It will fill the hunger games, political intrigue, and plotting aspects. It’s sci fi and written in first p…
“For me, it was definitely Red Rising. The first trilogy is entertaining. Starting with book four, the series soars to another level. I will absolutely concede that the first Sun Eater book is a mash-up of Dune, Kingkiller, The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold, and the movie Gladiator. …
“Since you liked _Song of Achilles_, check out _Circe_ by the same author! I also recommend the _Red Rising_ series. It walks the line between YA and Adult fiction, where it appeals to a wide age range. In the beginning it feels a little bit Hunger Games-esque, but it develops to become soooo much m…
“Red Rising starts off as decent Hunger Games esque to become a pretty great Dune/40k esque sci fi epic.
“I found the Red Rising Trilogy so addictive. I felt like a little kid reading all day again.
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Readers also mention
All books like Red Rising →Books that share discussion threads with Red Rising — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring Red Rising
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
Red Rising — frequently asked
Is Red Rising like John Wick?+
That's the exact comparison the ↑991 r/Fantasy comment makes: nothing wrong with it, you're there for fight scenes and power fantasy, not subtlety. The same comment adds that Pierce Brown reaches for more nuance in later books, so the comparison is aimed mostly at the first one.
Does Red Rising get better after book one?+
The ↑991 comment says yes, that Brown 'does reach for more nuance in later books' even though the first book is 'pretty straightforwardly just giving the people what' they came for. That's the only displayed excerpt speaking to the series' trajectory.
Is Red Rising science fiction or fantasy?+
The ↑447 comment calls it 'more sci-fi than fantasy,' despite living in r/Fantasy's recommendation threads, where it also carries more recognized mentions than any other tracked subreddit. The genre lines in these threads are looser than the subreddit name suggests.
Will non-fantasy readers like Red Rising?+
Per the ↑583 comment, yes: it specifically cites multiple friends who don't read fantasy getting through the series, calling the book's reach 'pretty huge.' That's a single account, not a fleet-wide guarantee, but it's the exact claim the excerpt makes.