Peps' Reading List: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

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It was a whim that led me to Red Rising. I had read previously that it was an underrated piece of fiction, even though it was superior to its YA distopian fiction counterparts in many aspects.  I had meant to read it later in the year. My plan was to finally embark on my re-read of The Wheel of Time series and attempt to write accompanying blog posts for each of its fourteen titles.
But after reading Barbara Hambly's Dragonsbane, I felt the need to read something that's relatively new. With that particular prerequisite in mind, I had several excellent titles to choose from. Yet, it was Red Rising that I kept gravitating to and eventually settled on.

The future of humankind rests on the hard work of the Reds, a population of people tasked to mine beneath the surface of Mars for precious gases and to prepare the planet for future habitation. The talented sixteen year old helldiver Darrow works with his clan and competes with others in order to create a better life for his family, particularly for his wife Eo. Despite the hardships that they face, Darrow tries to be content with their life, but a chance discovery shared by Eo would change everything. He learns what it means to receive judgement from the powerful Golds, a consequence of witnessing something that Reds apparently have no right to enjoy. Darrow takes his punishment, but his wife decides to cross the line and perform an even more unacceptable act that can only lead to death. As Darrow's world falls apart, the rebel group Sons of Ares offers a chance to take revenge on the almighty Gold, who hides a secret that's meant to forever enslave those who exist in the underworld of Mars. 

I am, admittedly, not quite as enthused to write posts when it comes to sci-fi titles in my reading list, since I feel like I always fall short when it comes to descriptions and reactions when technology is involved. It's the reason why I never wrote a post on Ender's Game, as much as I still ponder over its indelible impression I was left with (which in turn sort of ruined my viewing experience of its relatively decent film adaptation).  Yet, at the end of Red Rising, I couldn't help but feel the need to write about it, because it deserved more than the initial scant attention it garnered and more people should be aware of it prior to its own in-development cinematic adaptation (which I fervently hope they don't shortchange for filming convenience).

It's always refreshing to encounter YA titles that don't involve the supernatural (because really, it seems that they're all vampires, werewolves, witches, or some other magical/mystical thing), but much like the Hunger Games, the only YA element of note in Red Rising is the fact that the protagonist is still in his teenage years. This particular fact does lend weight to the extremes of Darrow's experiences, but Red Rising does well to remind us time and again that young is a relative term for the reader and the subject of the book.

Darrow is only young in years, because in Mars, sixteen is old enough to marry, and, in Darrow's case, old enough to perform the dangerous task of a helldiver. Life is harsh under the surface of Mars and Darrow knows this well enough. They live in poverty despite their hard work and people can easily lose their life at the whims of those who are higher colored. And in Mars, every other color is higher than the Red. Darrow's version of youthful innocence and the sometimes gradual, sometimes abrupt shedding of that innocence would be the basis for Red Rising's narrative.

Author Pierce Brown creates a future existence for mankind that is no longer confined to planet Earth, with the Golds leading the various lesser colors in colonizing or inhabiting the other planets or moons in the solar system and beyond. He paints an intriguing sci-fi landscape that touches on politics, warfare and social structure that you can still understand or relate to, though his world building could use a little bit more fleshing out, but I figure he's got two more books to remedy that particular niggle.

The primary strength of Red Rising is in its lead character Darrow and Brown's deft handling of his character growth. It's an understatement to say that Darrow goes through the wringer in the course of the book. While I'd rather not delve into many of the things he experiences because they would be major spoilers to the best parts of Darrow's journey, I can at least say that his eventual decisions and allegiances would mean leaving behind many of the aspects that make him Darrow the helldiver from Mars. Transforming oneself is a given when one is on a journey of revenge on a grand scale, but Darrow's transformation is harrowing, requiring him to possess strength and motivation equal to the goal he set for himself.

Darrow has always been intelligent, enough to say that he probably would have flourished more had he been born a different color. But even his quick wit and strong ability to adapt, especially when properly motivated, are traits that sometimes verge on falling short because of the new world he finds himself in and the new role he finds himself playing. Despite the obviously far off future setting of Red Rising, Darrow works as a character because he is, ultimately, human. While the Reds ceaselessly toil underground without voicing their unrest and the Golds look at themselves as superior or even god-like in certain cases, Darrow reacts in a human manner. He makes intelligent decisions, but he is also capable of making emotional ones, especially when it matters the most. Author Pierce Brown succeeds in making him a character worthy of empathy. Characters who tend to start out superior among their peers aren't quite as compelling in most cases, but the author was able to balance Darrow's natural abilities with conflicts or challenges that are equal to them. The struggle feels real, despite the rather futuristic or extreme situations Darrow finds himself in, and you root for him every step of the way.

Red Rising surrounds Darrow with a motley of supporting characters, indelibly shaping him into a man who might not have existed had he and Eo not been caught that fateful night. It's interesting to note that the characters he does end up meeting or making connections with aren't always clear cut in their roles in his life. His recruiters from the Sons of Ares might seem like allies, but some members also have other plans that Darrow have a hard time agreeing with. The Golds he would eventually interact with are initially deemed as enemies, but there are those he would consider friends if the circumstances were more favorable, thus complicating his once clear plan for revenge against the Golds. The constant shifting of Darrow's impression of these characters and how they influence him create yet another intriguing layer to the already rich storytelling featured in Red Rising.

Red Rising reads like a blockbuster film, with one challenge after another thrown at Darrow. It helped immensely that the pacing was fast, but not frenetic. A lot happens to Darrow in the book, but none of those events are ever rushed unnecessarily. There are books that you enjoy but can't quite detail which parts are exceptional in leaving an impression, but in the case of Red Rising, scenes of Darrow's physical transformation and certain trials he endured with the Golds would always be conversation points that I can easily turn to.

There's much to look forward to in the rest of the Red Rising trilogy, as Darrow takes on an even larger role in the galaxy under the patronage of the very man he wishes to destroy. His work is far from over, despite the monumental success he would achieve by the end of the first part of his rather arduous adventure.

Considering all that Darrow goes through in Red Rising, one can't help but hope that he catches a break. Just long enough to get his bearings or find peace with the decisions that he had to make.

But the most deserving heroes never actually do, at least not until they reach the end of their journey. And I guess, given my anticipation for the sequel Golden Son, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy reading!!

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