Red Rising book cover by Pierce Brown

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The store links use this book's US print edition, ISBN 9780345539809.

Where Red Rising sits

Series
Book 1 of Red Rising. See all Red Rising books in order
The book before
None. This is where the series starts.
The book after
Golden Son
Order checked
Last checked: September 24, 2026, against penguinrandomhouse.com
Place in the series
It is book 1 of the Red Rising series. (penguinrandomhouse.com; read November 6, 2026)
Next book
Book 2 is Golden Son. (penguinrandomhouse.com; read November 6, 2026)

Checked facts about Red Rising

Under each line: where it was read, and when.

Publication
First published on January 28, 2014. (Wikidata; read November 6, 2026)

What Red Rising is about

The setup only, with no spoilers. Each line names the record it rests on.

  • Darrow is a Red, belonging to the bottom caste of a color-coded future society. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026) Darrow is a Red ... the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future
  • He labors all day, sure that his people's work is readying the surface of Mars for later generations to live on. (Library of Congress; read November 6, 2026) believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable

The story behind Red Rising

  1. Brown says the book grew out of the social anxiety of living in eight states before he finished high school. (interview, The Writer, January 25, 2018; read November 6, 2026)
  2. He combined that feeling with the Greek play Antigone and The Count of Monte Cristo. (interview, The Writer, January 25, 2018; read November 6, 2026)
  3. He always saw it as the start of a trilogy. (interview, The Writer, January 25, 2018; read November 6, 2026)

All checked facts about Pierce Brown

Topics in this book

A linked topic opens its page on bookslike.app, with every book on the site that shares it.

Story types

Topics

  • Caste
  • Justice
  • Space colonies

Book type

  • Novel

Reading ages

  • Adult

Other books in Red Rising

6 books listed so far

  1. Book 2: Golden Son
  2. Book 3: Morning Star
  3. Book 4: Iron Gold
  4. Book 5: Dark Age
  5. Book 6: Light Bringer

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