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    Red Rising
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    Red Rising
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    Red Rising
    Audiobook16 hours

    Red Rising

    Written by Pierce Brown

    Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Earth is dying. Thousands of workers, who live in the vast caves beneath Mars, mine the precious elements that will make the planet habitable. They are Earth’s only hope. Until the day Darrow learns that it’s a lie. Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations. Darrow disguises himself and infiltrates their society, intent on taking them down. But the surface is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only one with an agenda.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Audio
    Release dateJul 8, 2014
    ISBN9781471271311
    Unavailable
    Red Rising

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    Reviews for Red Rising

    4/5

    1,648 ratings187 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The story is very well conceived and told with attention to detail and well defined characters. The author obviously borrows a lot from Greek mythology, but does so in a way that's reverential. My main reason for not going to 4 or 5 stars is the amount and level of violence in the book. I suppose that people who are used to computer games and "Game of Thrones" will not find this an issue, but it seemed unnecessarily excessive, bordering on gratuitous.

    • 5/5
      Brilliant. So much so, that Red Rising takes it's rightful spot as my fourth 5-star book of this year. If only I would have known what brilliance was waiting for me, this would have been read much sooner. As my audio book neared its end, and my heart beat started to slow to a more normal rhythm, there was only one word left in my head: DAMN. That, and the need to find out what happens next.

      I was instantly impressed at how easily I was immersed in this story. Darrow was a character that I could get behind, and one I understood. Loyal, loving, and full of a rage that is buried so deep down he doesn't even know how to address it anymore. Here was a character who accepted his lot in life because he felt he had to. Because he was too afraid to fight back. That is, until life gave him no choice. I tell you, his character ate at my heart. So much pain, so much agony, and yet such a brave soul.

      Truthfully, it was the brutal, often gory, way this story was told that really won me over. I think too often in YA violence and gritty topics are swept under the rug. I've read many a Fantasy story where everything was solved in such a simple manner, ignoring the fact that rebellions are often drenched in blood, sweat and tears. This book didn't shy away from that. It was sad at times, dark at others, but full of lessons learned. I was so taken in by all of it. This read like a book that was aimed for at adults, and I ate that up.

      Bravo. Simply, bravo. I have nothing but love for Red Rising. If this is what I can expect from Pierce Brown from now on, sign me up! I'll be waiting in line.
    • 4/5
      I really really liked the opening of the story. And while there were a few 'hiccups', I also found the remaining story interesting, although I found the characterization of Darrow to become very flat/one-dimensional after he is 'carved'.
    • 5/5
      This is the kind of book that does everything right. While it's not totally unique in concept, what is does is masterfully blend an amalgamation of stories we already know into something new. It's the Hunger Games, but it's not the Hunger Games. It's Lord of the Flies, but it's not Lord of the Flies. It's every dsytopia, but it's unlike any dsytopia. Heck, it's even genre defying. But because it's all of these stories and none of these stories, it manages to feel fresh and exciting and new.

      The book you start off with is not the book you end with. The description doesn't even scratch the surface of what this story is, and this is only Book 1. I can't wait to see where it's headed.

      One of the strongest aspects of this book is how utterly ruthless everyone is. Every character is here for themselves and no one else, even if they do all have strong motives and ambitions. Yet, despite being obviously horrible people, you do end up caring for them, and getting upset when they, ya know, die.

      Because there's a lot of death. Oh boy, Pierce Brown is not afraid of breaking your heart.

      Another super strong aspect is the plot twists. There are many of them. Most are great: they come out of nowhere and throw you and the characters off track. But some are the best kind of plot twist: the kind that grows in your gut and you fear that you're right, and the moment it happens you either scream or throw the book at a wall.

      In fact, I can't find anything I disliked about this book.

      It's *that* good.

      Now if you'll excuse me, I need to run to the nearest book store because I need the sequel in my hands immediately.
    • 5/5
      The Red Rising trilogy, composed of Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star, chronicles seven years in the life of Darrow, a sixteen-year-old miner on Mars who rises up the ranks of society in order to topple a corrupt system of government. The society is structured into a tiered-system based on the color citizens are born into. Your color defines who you can become and the level of power you can reach. Reds, the lowest color, are resigned to hard labor and treated as slaves, while Golds, the ruling class, bred into genetically enhanced beings with access to technology that gives them god-like powers, lord over the other colors.

      Red Rising hones in on Darrow’s infiltration of Gold society and his training to become a member of its elite forces. It is the most atmospheric of the three novels, effectively introducing the sci-fi setting and establishing its unique dynamics. Brown also provides detailed background information about Darrow and his family, helping solidify his motivations and dreams for a better society, which will play a greater role in the following two books.

      The pacing of the first quarter of the book is much slower than the rest of the trilogy, but that does not make it any less interesting. Once Darrow becomes a Gold and begins his training at the Institute, the book becomes exceedingly difficult to put down. The power plays, betrayals, and brutal displays of violence never cease to entertain, but the appeal comes primarily from the relationships Darrow forms with his fellow pupils. Most of the main characters in the trilogy are introduced in this book, and they become integral players in Darrow’s life. Sevro is the true stand-out. His bizarre behavior and foul mouth lightens the mood considerably.

      Red Rising has the most self-contained plot of the trilogy. If you enjoy books with lots of action, unconventional school settings, and strong protagonists fighting injustice, it will certainly hit the spot. But keep in mind that once you start, you may not be able to stop.
    • 4/5
      (First of 5? SF, futuristic)Overdrive (library) book clubSet on Mars in a future where humans have colonised the galaxy by terraforming the planets and moons with helium-3 mined on Mars. Demokracy (maybe the 'k' refers back to Greek origins?) has been overthrown and Society is divided into tiers with humans genetically colour coded (even down to their eye colour) to their rung in life. The lowest of these are the reds and the highest, who rule Society and enjoy its ultimate luxuries, are the golds, the aureates. Darrow is a lowRed, a miner on Mars and married to Eos. Their life is hard and dangerous; they marry young, at fourteen years and burn out early. Thirty five is considered old for a miner. They are the pioneers, proud to be mining helium so that the other colours can come from Earth and join them once the planet has been terraformed. But then they discover that the planet has already been terraformed. And has been for centuries. But Darrow is a Helldiver, the most daring, reckless, fastest and most dexterous of the miners and he’s quick and clever. Tragedy impels Darrow out of his tier in Society to be physically altered and trained to be a gold by the Sons of Ares, an organisation whose purpose is to destroy the system from the inside. The narrative tells of his training and his initiation into the ranks of those attempting to become the Peerless Scarred - the very highest of the high.There are a few quirks in the writing that I had to get used to; the story is told in the first person and in the present tense. And there are some invented words, like the ‘clawDrill’ that Darrow operates in the mine, that have a capital letter in the middle rather than a hyphen. Darrow did seem to adapt rather easily to things that had me a bit lost, given that his family had lived for generations in only one place - a mining colony under the crust of Mars - and been indoctrinated into believing that technology on Mars was limited to their pioneer lifestyle. For instance, the multi coloured society (pinks, greens, blues, browns, obsidians) each with their different functions. Or flying in a shuttle above the surface of the planet to a different location. He also spent a lot of time in the middle of the book doing pretty much what I would do when thrown into a situation with no instructions - wander around cluelessly making a mess of things. While realistic, it did feel like the narrative lost its way a bit there. But Darrow did seem to learn from his mistakes, eventually.I like the concept that a person’s place in society can be indicated by the way they speak, whether in highLingo or midLingo for instance, although in practice, apart from one or two swear words, I couldn’t tell the difference. There is a lot of casual violence; goats, sheep, horses, humans are dispatched with less than a flick of a sentence even when they are not being used as food. Even a planet is disposed of and barely paid attention to, as though it's in the normal run of things. Small quibbles, however. Overall, well written and compelling. I am not averse to reading the next book in the series. Docking half a star for the casual violence. 3.5 stars
    • 4/5
      [Cross-posted to Knite Writes]My TakeFinally! A YA dystopian novel worth the trouble!I have read so many awful YA dystopian novels in the past few years that I was starting to get convinced there would never be another good one. And Pierce Brown has just proved me wrong!Let me count the ways this book was awesome.1) World-buildingWhere 99% of all YA dystopian stories fail, Pierce Brown succeeded. The world-building in Red Rising is incredible. Well thought out. In depth. Rich.There’s a caste system that actually makes sense and isn’t ill-defined, that actually affects in innumerable ways the lives of those who live in it. There’s an entire set of linguistic differences that Brown consistently uses throughout the book — it gives the novel a flare that even the average Adult sci-fi novel lacks. A sense of “cultural authenticity,” if you will.There’s advanced technology that is well integrated with the plot and the world. There’s a setting with an awesome backstory — Mars — and that is described in a way that periodically reminds you of what is so that it never fades into a generic Earth-like setting.Brown nailed the world-building of this book. It’s on a level so high that 90% of the YA I have read in the last 5 years can’t even touch it. Can’t even come close.The sheer amount of thought (and thoughtfulness) that went into designing the world of this book just blows me away.2) CharactersHere we go! At last! A large, diverse caste of characters with a range of personalities, who are all fully fleshed out even when they have little screen time. My dream has come true!Let me start with Darrow — I have lamented the generic nature of YA protagonists for years. I’m so tired of seeing the same people with the same personalities and the same general life experiences in the same situations trying to achieve the same exact goals. Darrow is, in many ways, the exact opposite of the typical YA protagonist. And not just because he’s male. His personality is fantastic — it perfect matches his culture and his personal life experiences. You can see the causes and effects that have shaped Darrow over the years, and you can see him change in the face of new experiences while still remaining the same character at his core.Now, the rest of the cast — Just…great. There were so many GREAT characters in this book. And despite there being so many, none of the recurring secondary characters blended together. There all managed to remain distinct individuals who were clearly identifiable throughout the book. And with a cast so large and a book so long — man, that is difficult. Bravo, Pierce Brown!3) The ContentAnother one of my issues with the average YA is how little impact most of the events have on the characters and how what is supposed to be violence in a desolate world falls flat because the true nature of it all is rarely described in the kind of detail it needs to be. Brown avoids that issue in spades. There is grim-dark, brutal violence in this book. Kids being slaughtered by the handful. Rape and assault. All-out warfare — framed with cold and downright cruel battle tactics in order to win.I have never read another YA book that throws such realistic hyper-violence in your face. Brown doesn’t skirt around anything. Not language. Not violence. Not sex or mentions of sex. This is the true depiction of how horrifying it would actually be to have teenagers murdering each other.On the flip side, everything runs with this undercurrent of moral questioning — right or wrong, bad or good — and the answer is never given. Because there isn’t one. Justice is left to the interpretation of the individual — and injustice is suffered and perceived by the characters differently throughout the novel.All round, this book is just…excellent in its depiction of a dystopian society and the real brutality that such a regime would force upon its people.However, all that being said, there were a few downsides to this book…1) PlotI think Pierce Brown’s grand ideas got away from him a bit in the execution of the story. Not to say it was bad. It wasn’t. It was a very well-written book and excellent on many fronts. However, the book was, for my taste, too long, and I thought it could have shed some content in several places without losing anything important. There are lulls in the action that are too drawn-out, and Brown could have tightened those sections more quickly lead into the next major event. In other words, the plot could have used a little careful editing, and the book could have shaved off quite a few pages.Other than that, though, the plot was excellent as well. Compelling throughout. Always gave me a reason to keep reading, even in the parts that lulled a bit. There was a never a point where I didn’t want to know what happened next, and that, right there, is a huge success for any author.2) Writing StyleI think my biggest issue with the book was the writing style. Though I loved the terminology Brown created for the book, I just…didn’t quite like the way the book was written. There was something in the way Brown phrased things, the way he structured his sentences and paragraphs, the way he wove introspective moments into the text that just…read as “tedious” to me and often heavy-handed. As I read further into the book, it bothered me less, but it was always there hovering in the background. I just don’t like his writing style. Which is a huge pity — because it certainly is a great book.At the end of the day, though, I always cringed a bit when thinking of the style this book was written in.So, overall, Pierce Brown has created an excellent YA dystopian tale that stands out above the rest and has A LOT of potential for its sequels.A great read!
    • 2/5
      Actual rating: 2.5/5

      I really wanted to like this book. After all, I did enjoy Hunger Games, even if I'm not enthralled with most YA. This book, however, seems really too much like a "dark" (Games of Thrones-level life-doesn't-matter darkness) Hunger Games.

      The protagonist was not really that likable. He's 16, I know, but he's overly sure of himself and a borderline Gary Stu -- he is somehow super intelligent and can solve puzzles with ease, despite being a risk-taking driller with no formal education. He takes on the mantle of a revolution because his wife cared about it? It really was just hard to believe.

      The Hunger Games section was pretty boring, I felt. I got the purpose of it, but after reading Hunger Games series, it really felt like a cheap clone. Proctors vs donors, a rigged game, etc., and the ending felt like a weird let down. A lot of the violence just felt like it was there to shock us and didn't really add much to the plot.

      I'm not sure I'll continue with the next one, though I hear the story does get better.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this one. I liked that it didn't just follow the usual clichés of this type of book, with an underclass rebelling against an upper class. There was plenty to keep me guessing about what was going to happen next. The characters felt well constructed and believable. They were well rounded and neither too good or too evil, with believable motives. The only gripes I would have would be that the main character was 16 at the start of the book. This felt a little unnecessary, and although I appreciate that reason why, it just didn't feel that part. Will look to finish the trilogy and find out what happens next in the story.
    • 4/5
      While the pace is a touch off in several sections, the overall power of this Mars-set, dystopian, rebel with a cause story continues to grow over the course of the book. While perhaps derivative of other recent YA rebellious books, there is a wide range of originality here. Brown does a good job of jamming together at least 3 genres and avoiding what could have been written off as novelty. Clearly written as a trilogy or multi-book story from the start, the denouement may be obvious for some but it's the beginning of an intriguing epic.
    • 2/5
      I was really excited to finally get to read Red Rising, I was in the queue for like a month. I loved the description, but the book doesn't live up to it. The main story is Darrow is a red that mines Mars to prepare it for other colors from Earth to move there. He discovers that Mars is already fixed up and that the other colors are living there, the Golds living the glamorous life because they are at the top of the caste system. He gets asked to pose as a gold to start the revolution, he goes to a institute that lets the golds do mock wars so drafters can watch and choose them for positions. Ok, the description describes the caste system and wanting to overthrow it, I liked that part, I did not like the "school". This is your typical YA sorting, but to the extreme. You got colors and houses. I accepted all this, but what made this book just okay is the writing. It is very gritty and just kinda jumps from one action packed event to another without much build up or explanation so a lot of it didn't make sense. It was just too much going on at a fast pace and let the plot kind of weak. I don't know if I will continue the series, I kind of want to give the author a chance since this was his first book and it is an interesting plot, but just needs to be written a little better.
    • 3/5
      I think it is telling that I started this book over a month ago by listening to it as an audiobook on a car trip, and even though I was only forty pages from the end when I pulled into my home driveway, I proceeded to not bother reading the ending for weeks. The story is okay, but it just seems to be a mishmash of every YA dystopian novel for the past couple decades. And the protagonist is so pathetic at the start and much of the middle, that he is sort of hard to warm up to. I highly doubt I'll read the other books in the series.
    • 5/5
      I have had a pre-published copy of Red Rising for several years and just wasn’t interested in reading it even though I’ve only heard great things about it. Our tennis coach mentioned wanting to read the rest of the trilogy. Intrigued, I pulled the book out to read. I Loved It! I read the trilogy in a few days. Then, I discovered it NOT a trilogy. There’s a fourth book and a fifth one about to come out. Stress!It took me a while to get into Red Rising, so here’s a warning. On page 60, I was finally fairly interested, by page 100, I was hooked! There are many castes, called colors. Darrow is below ground on Mars as a Red, lowest of the low. He is preparing Mars for habitation as his ancestors have done for a very long time. It’s a hard life with death always looming and no rights for anything but it’s worth it. The future will be a better place. When his wife is sentenced to death, Darrow vows revenge. He discovers everything is a lie. Mars IS inhabited. He is recruited by the Rebels to help change society. To do so, Darrow must join the enemy--become them and destroy them from the inside out. He becomes the highest color--a Gold. It’s here where he learns, fights, and plans.Red Rising takes place at the Academy some selected Golds attend--it’s a brutal place, prepping these Golds to be the fighters and leaders of the future. Golden Son (book 2) goes to the next phase. Darrow is now placed with his Gold and learning to exist in the Gold Society. Bear in mind, his life is one of the military, so to speak. He learns combat, strategy, the value of power, and what it takes to stay on top. Can you sacrifice yourself and others? Of course, he made enemies in book 1 who reappear in each novel. Morning Star is the ousted Darrow trying to change society. I’m avoiding saying too much, but I was hooked! I thoroughly enjoyed reading these. They are not for the faint-hearted. There is violence, but it is science fiction. Every planet and moon in the solar system is inhabited. It’s hard to keep that many people and cultures happy. If you like science fiction (which isn’t a genre I choose often) or adventure, read these books.
    • 5/5
      am an idiot for not reading this novel sooner! It is absolutely fantastic in its rendition of life on other planets. The depravity of humanity is combined with a scenario similar to that of the Hunger Games… except that I actually like Darrow a LOT more than Katniss (which I honestly did not think was possible). Darrow knows pain and he knows revenge and he is intelligent. He has problems with ego and rage and mourns for all that he has lost. He is both human and other, making him a force to be reckoned with, and the champion of all who read this novel! I actually found this novel to be a lot more intense than any of the books in the Hunger Games trilogy and every subterfuge that was used in this novel had me biting my nails and whooping with joy (when it worked, of course)! This story was a lot more graphic and a lot more compelling; I literally could not put the book down for a second and find myself being moved by the plight of Darrow. Suffice to say, I will be grabbing the next book as soon as possible and will devour this series. I will work hard to no longer be a book snob and to have more of an open mind when approaching novels so that I never again miss out on such an amazing book. If you haven’t read this novel, then I highly urge you to do so! This isn’t just for teens, adults can enjoy it as well because the emotional pulls in this novel are just that intense.
    • 2/5
      Beneath the surface of Mars human mine gases that will eventually lead to the terraforming and colonization of the red planet, but they have been lied to. Red Rising by Pierce Brown is a dystopian young adult novel following a member of the lowest caste in humanities future attempting to position himself within the highest caste to lead a future rebellion for the betterment of all.Darrow, a member of the lowly Reds, within days sees the end of his dreams of family and success in mining in his colonial town underneath the surface of Mars and is ready to die only to be dug up and shown the surface of Mars full of cities and vegetation that was said to be centuries away. Feeling betrayed by his society not only for the injustice against himself but his people as well, Darrow agrees to undergo numerous surgeries to appear as a member of the highest caste in society, the Golds. Through training and education he is able to pass the entrance exam of The Institute of Mars where young people of the caste compete to prove their potential as leaders so they can govern the Society in the future. Darrow makes friends only on the first night is forced to kill one or be killed himself in The Institute’s first test. What follows for the rest of the book is not only Darrow but every Gold at The Institute learning what it means to rule the Society that has lasted for centuries, but through he makes mistakes Darrow learns and is able to become a leader amongst the students and eventually is able to emerge as the competition’s victor in an unorthodox manner especially as outside forces attempt to have another student win for personal pride.After waiting years to read this book, it was about 40% into the book that I realized that Red Rising was essentially “The Hunger Games in space” with elements of Divergent and other young adult dystopian series thrown in for good measure by the time I finished. I realize that authors borrow elements from other authors, but Brown rips off of The Hunger Games is so blatantly bad that it hurt. Frankly the mixture of so many things from other series could have worked if they were written well, but in this book it wasn’t. On top of that, what Darrow goes through to appear as a Gold seems to be stretching credibility especially since the Society’s “Quality Control” performs tests on him, including blood which has DNA that should show he wasn’t born a Gold. Though the action in the book was the best feature, the plot just didn’t live up to the hype especially after realizing how much is borrowed and not written in an interesting way from a new angle.Red Rising might be enjoyed by numerous readers, but I’m not one of them and frankly while I got through the book I’m not interested in seeing what happens next. So I’m selling this book and the other two books in the first trilogy to a friend who is really into young adult dystopia and hope he enjoys it more than myself.
    • 5/5
      Amazing!!
      No other words for it.
    • 3/5
      Really about 2.5 star for me. I can see why a teen would like it but for me there was nothing really original about it, the writing was a little dry and most of the plot has been done better in other teen dystopian books. I just kept waiting for it to get better because there were things I liked but in the end I knew I wouldn't be reading the next book.
    • 4/5
      I thought this was good but not great; leant a little too heavily on Ender and Hunger Games, though to an extent also on Homer, and was frankly turned off by the violence (not all of which was plausible). Readable enough but I won't be pushing it.
    • 5/5
      This is the most ridiculously rewarding read I have ever encountered. Each time I had to put the book down, I found myself more than a little upset. Brown has a magnificent voice, the characters are well crafted, and each time I think I may know what's about to happen, I'm proven (pleasantly) wrong. The book felt like a mix between Brent Weeks and Neil Gaiman and was a great read to escape into!
    • 2/5
      I have a soft spot for YA dystopias, and this is certainly an enjoyable page-turner. Alas, it succumbs to the problem of so much SciFi -- worse as it goes on; and by the end is fairly cinematic in the negative sense.
    • 4/5
      A good start to the series. A compelling read...
    • 2/5
      I did not enjoy this book. I found the characters to not be interesting. I certainly was not rooting for the lead character and I found no reason to dislike his opposition. The premise and the plot made little sense. I suppose there are some statements about class, but they rang hollow.
    • 5/5
      Take a pinch of Hunger Games, add a dash of Game Of Thrones, stir in some Divergent, and ship the entire concoction to the planet Mars and you get the idea of the setting for this novel. Darrow, a lowBorn Red (all citizens are classified by color, from the peasants right up to royalty), is a miner in search of the element Helium 3, the substance that makes terraforming planets, specifically Mars, possible.Darrow's wife, Eo, has grand designs for a better life for the slaves down in the mines, becomes rebellious and is ultimately hanged by the upper class Golds for her actions. Darrow follows as he breaks rules as well, being hanged as well.Upon waking later, Darrow learns he has survived the execution with the help of the group Sons Of Ares, bent on overthrowing the current class structure, as it becomes apparent that the Red slaves have been kept in the mines permanently, unaware that Mars has been terraformed and thriving for decades. What follows is Darrow's transformation (physically) into a Gold as he infiltrates the Society and becomes part of the test to survive and conquer all the other incoming Golds as they are divided up into houses after being drafted by said houses.This is one of the more original novels I've read in a while. The author takes parts from many past tales and weaves them together very well, making for an enjoyable read that paces really well. Being a huge science fiction fan, I love that element that Brown brings into this story. This really sets up for many tales that can branch out from this origin. I also love the revenge tale that permeates throughout the story as Darrow is focused almost solely on getting even for Eo's death. I will be tackling the next book in this series very soon.
    • 4/5
      Darrow, a Red, is a miner. He and his people are low caste and have little to aspire to, only to survive the harsh mines of Mars. But there is an underground who hopes to overthrow the Golds who control the human worlds. And one day Darrow finds it. Many folks compare this to The Hunger Games, but the world Darrow occupies is much harsher and less clear. Lies and controls and madness seem to be mixed together to hold the society where it is. Darrow's struggle to survive, and to find a way to destroy this society is harrowing and appalling in its violence and cruelty. But then, the Golds haven't had to deal with a Hell Diver and they have no idea the chaos one wild uninhibited young man can wreak.
    • 4/5
      Like a Harry Potter - Hunger Games - Ender's Game mashup. I enjoyed reading this though did not find it particularly thought provoking or original.
    • 4/5
      Darrow has watched his life be treated as disposable, now he has a chance to be a member of the ruling class and fight for the rights of all. In a world where the elite fight for the power to be in charge, now they're in a battlefield and it's a fight for survival.It's interesting, there were times when it didn't quite work and the start was quite slow, but once I got into it it flowed quite quickly.
    • 3/5
      Actual rating 3.5 out of 5.Firstly, I'd just like to say that this novel contains a number of things that some readers may find disturbing, including rape and torture. Although some people consider this novel YA, it's actually pretty adult. I wouldn't recommend it for readers under the age of 16.I think that this was one of those novels that was just too over-hyped for me. I went into the story expecting to love it but it just fell short of my expectations. It's not a bad book, not by a long shot, but it's just not what I was expected.The best thing about the story is its world building. That, quite frankly, is staggering. Brown's world is just so vibrant and real. The book really throws the reader in the deep end and so it's initially quite daunting to read but it's immersive. By the time I was 100 pages into the story, I could really imagine what it was like to be on Mars. The story is equal parts Enders Game, The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones and Brave New World, though never really feels derivative of any of them. The author weaves elements of each of these very different stories together to form an original new whole.Yet the book had a few gaping issues that hindered my enjoyment of it. First was the structure of the story. The pacing was a bit all over the place with the early part of the novel deathly slow and the climax just too abrupt. I also felt that it lost itself a bit during the game. The early exposition seems to be forgotten as Darrow's focus is entirely on victory. I also felt the writing was a tad too melodramatic and over-descriptive. Darrow is supposed to be slave-caste but speaks like a poet.I also felt that Darrow was too shallow a character. He's such a blank slate. He felt like a piece of propaganda - more a figurehead of a socialist overthrowing the bourgeoisie than a rounded character in his own right. His transformation into a Gold just seemed a tad too unbelievable. Mickey says that he can't change Darrow's mind - that Reds and Golds are just too mentally different - but Darrow has no problem infiltrating this alien world.Some of the background characters fair a little better. Cassius, Sevro and Mustang all get a lot more development and actually feel like real people (though my favourite character was Pax). I can't wait to see how their relationships with Darrow develop over the next book. All in all, the world building was phenomenal and it raised some interesting ideas but was let down by its shallow protagonist and melodramatic prose. I am curious to see how the story will develop in book two and will definitely read on.
    • 4/5
      There is a very strong flavor of the Hunger Games here: a collection of young adults pitted against each other, with proctors supporting them with extra tools or medicines, etc, to help them win over the other players. All for an audience of rich and powerful people who will pick the strongest from the game for positions of power and greatness. And the key reason behind the main character being there is the same as in the Hunger Games: he is leading a secret rebellion.It is a bit darker but not graphic or gory and, while rape occurs, it is "off-screen" only and is shown to be a very bad thing (unlike a lot of non-YA books where rape is normalized). It is as "lecture-y" as most YA books - there is a clear message here and the action is paused several times throughout the book to allow the main character to rant about how unfair (etc.) it all is. There is a bit of a sense that the author wanted to tell an adult story: for example, we are directly told that the characters are kids and that they are not supposed to be killed, etc, and yet every encounter involves them killing someone. (I'm not clear how there are any people left at the end, with the rates of killings going on.) I think this entire story would have been better if the characters had been adults because the weak parts of the story were those components meant to "teach readers the lesson" and the teen "angst", particularly the love-betrayal component... components that don't usually appear so blatantly in adult novels. I would also have to say there are pacing issues - parts of the story are slow and descriptive and drag on, then a series of back to back action scenes pop up, then it's back to some long meandering activities. I bought the next in the series though....
    • 2/5
      This just wasn't for me, as a friend predicted. The writing style drove me nuts. I kept noticing alliteration all over, as if a teacher had required it in an assignment. There were lots of short sentences in all strung together, presumably to add tension or a "slow motion" effect to the fight scenes, but they threw me out of the moment.I liked Darrow, despite his intentional manipulation of others.I thought the "surprise" at the end was not surprising at all. And Darrow's last decision made me roll my eyes. It seemed like a plot device to set the stage for book two rather than a move in character with Darrow's ethics.
    • 4/5
      Even though almost every element seems to be borrowed from another book (or video game), this is still a fascinating novel with fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action.