Red Rising by Pierce Brown

5/5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

Honestly… hell yeah. I'm getting the hype around this book, so thank you to Kelly for putting it higher on my tbr because I really needed a good book to get me rolling again. I also went into this having absolutely not one single clue what this was even about, and I think that definitely helped with the shock factors for me.

Sci-Fi is not my go-to. In fact, this is the first Sci-Fi book I've ever read. It took me a minute to flip my romantasy brain off and really get going with this one, because I was feeling a little bit unsure when it didn't immediately start following the classic path of a romantasy that I'm so accustomed to, and I wasn't sure how to feel about things taking place in space. I wasn't sure I'd be able to suspend my beliefs enough in a way I'm not used to, but once I got myself out of that pre-programmed mindset, I devoured this. Although I do have to admit I have no idea what half of the things in this book are supposed to look like. Like the drill that Darrow operates or the setup of his home under Mars or all of the pulse weapons or ionBlades or whatever that they have? Nothing. My brain does not operate on a high enough visualization level to imagine how these things would look if they were real, so I did a lot of googling art to try to put images to the words. And that did help quite a bit. Still not a clue what the hell a razor is supposed to look like though, if anyone wants to help me out with that one. SlingBlade is pretty much the only thing I'm somewhat confident in. And even then that's only because there's lots of pictures on the internet of Darrow holding one.

The punches didn't stop flying from basically page one. This was so dark and gory and brutally violent from beginning to end, and I just know it only gets worse from here on out and I cannot wait to be hurt. I've been needing a book that makes me feel something, and I will take the pain. I'm ready to be hurt. 

Before I dig into any of my thoughts on the plot or the characters, I want to say that I think this book hits a little extra hard right now with the state of the world being what it is. Obviously something like this will never (hopefully...) happen in our lifetimes, this book takes place like 700 years in the future, but the caste systems and political commentary is as accurate now as it ever has been. 

"Even the nations of Earth grew jealous of one another. The United States of America exacted this idea of equality through force. And when nations united, the American's were surprised to find that they were disliked."

Basically, fuck Trump, fuck fascism, and fuck the US right now! Anyway, moving on.

I absolutely love Darrow. He's such an incredibly dynamic character. There's so much growth that he experiences throughout this book, and he's experienced so much trauma in so little time. Everything about his life as he knew it was basically ripped out from under him in a matter of hours. I was so gutted when Eo died and that was in the first like 10% of the book, if even that far in. And the fact that he had to literally pull her ankles down to snap her neck because there isn't enough gravity on Mars? That was one of the most painful images I've ever read. And then to give her dignity in death by taking her body down, even though it was illegal, to bury her out in the grass she had taken him to, knowing her would be hung because of it, too? As a teenager? Such an insane level of sacrifice right out of the gates. 

"Without me, she would not eat. Without her, I would not live. She may tease me for saying so, but she is the spirit of our people." 

"You think a dream is worth dying for. I say it isn't. You say it's better to die on your feet. I think it's better to live on our knees."

"I live for you." "Then you must live for more."

"Break the chains, my love."

"I touch the haemanthus blossom in my pocket and feel the wedding band around my neck. They didn’t create me. She did."

I could not have even started putting together an idea of where the book would be heading when Darrow woke up after being hung and everyone assuming he died the same way as his dad and Eo and so many others, but I can tell you that I would not have had "entire genetic re-model" on the list. That whole process was so insane to me. It felt like being in the fever dream with him. I also had no idea what the Institute was going to be. I expected like a Fourth Wing style education vibe, but I should have known how far off I was when they paired each kid up with another and forced them to either kill or be killed in order to weed out the weaker students. "Forced natural selection." So ruthless, and so mild in comparison to what happens during the actual game. Also, calling that a "game" is just insane. "A case study in gaining and ruling an empire." The vision I had in my head for the game was more of a Hunger Games vibe. Which I guess it sort of is, if you took Hunger Games and put it on crack and added like a hundred extra players and a really high stakes game of capture the flag. 

The next huge gag came for me when we found out that Titus was a Red. I actually was so shocked, I had to take a moment to stare at a wall. How many others are there? Who else is not actually a Gold? I need to know immediately. I felt bad for him for like two seconds when we got that brief glimpse into his past as a Red, but I was glad when Cassius killed him. Even though it ended up biting Darrow in the ass majorly. 

I hope so badly that Cassius and Darrow aren't mortal enemies for the rest of the series, because I really liked Cassius' character. I don't totally blame him for the hurt he felt towards Darrow after learning it was actually him who killed his brother, but Darrow didn't have a choice. I definitely didn't expect him to leave Darrow to die after tricking him into the woods and stabbing him. Thank God he did though, because otherwise Darrow never would have allied with Mustang and built his own army of slaves. It's also how Darrow really comes to learn the level of manipulation being played at by the Proctors and the ArchGoverner. The last standoff between the two of them, when Cassius essentially gives up, was rough.

"This is a blood feud. If ever again we meet, you are mine or I am yours. If ever again we draw breath in the same room, one breath shall cease. Hear me now, you wretched worm. We are devils to one another till one rots in hell." 

So savage. 

There was a lot of death. Titus? Glad he died. Apollo? No love lost. Julian? Definitely a tough way to start the journey, even tougher watching Darrow and Cassius get closer. Pax? Would have hurt less to rip out my heart. His dying act was literally to throw his body over Darrow while the Jackal stabbed at his back trying to get through him to Darrow. I loved learning that Roque didn't actually die, but all of those left in Mars were in rough shape. Cassius really did a shit job as Primus even though Mars was conquering everyone left and right.

Sevro is a weird little guy. I like him, but he's a strange one. Ruling the wolves, gladly hiding in the belly of a dead horse… Strange, strange little dude. I was gagged again when we found out that Fitchner was his father. I'm excited to see how his character develops in the rest of the books. 

"I killed their pack leader... Don't worry, I wouldn't fit in your skin."

I love Mustang. I'm obviously so sad about Eo and I really liked her spunkiness and bravery and wildness, but Mustang is a badass. She's so tough. I think she and Eo would have gotten along. I was really worried there around the end that she was going to betray Darrow. It was clear there was something up with her, but I wasn't expecting it to be that the Jackal was her twin brother. I didn't think she would betray Darrow for her family, it was clear she didn't care much for them, but something felt, and maybe still feels, wrong. There's more conflict coming for the two of them I just know it.

"Where did you hear that song?" "From the HC. A little girl sang it."

"I want Eo. I wish it were her hair, her warmth. But I don't push Mustang away. There's pain when I hold her, but it comes from the past, not from Mustang. She is something new, something hopeful. Like spring to my deep winter."

"Is Mustang her father's daughter? Or is she the girl who hum's Eo's song? She is what Golds can be, should be. Yet her father and brother are what Golds are."

I love the steady progress of Mustang and Darrow's relationship. From her calling him a Pixie before the Institute when he couldn't ride a horse to keeping each other alive and the progression of their bantering back and forth. I'm clinging onto their relationship because it's the literal only warm and fuzzy thing in the entire book. And one kiss. That's literally all there was, and I'm over here rooting for them like they're childhood sweethearts or something. He literally waged war on the Proctors in Olympus because they took her. What could be more romantic?

That whole switch up was wild. I love the trust that these kids have in Darrow, but man it's gonna be tough when he betrays the Golds. I'm just hoping that some of these kids are either Reds or other Colors themselves and they'll be on board, or they're going to realize how fucked up the system is and stay on Darrow's side either way.

I need to know what Sevro knows about Darrow. He deleted audio of him slipping up and potentially giving away that he's a Red, but how would he know. And I need to know what message they're sending out.

Immediately starting the next one because damn. Like I said... I'm ready to be hurt again. It's gonna be an awkward time in the Augustus household...