"Red Rising", a book recently gaining popularity, is the first of three books by author Pierce Brown, though he has made it clear that he has a fourth book in the works. Fans call the series the Red Rising trilogy. It’s a sci-fi dystopian story unlike any other.

Hundreds of years in the future, humanity has left Earth going throughout our solar system. After unlocking the ability of advanced genetic manipulation Society has formed into a hierarchy around what tasks you’re assigned to based on your color. With Red being the lowest on the pyramid; made to do menial labor. And Golds at the top; with strength, senses, and intelligence that dwarf almost every other colors, this race of superior humans were made to do one thing: conquer.

The story follows Darrow, a Red of Mars, who after the death of his wife finds out that he and all the Reds of Mars have been lied to. He gets inducted into an organization that surgically alters his body to match Golds, and plans to change society.

If you wish to read the story yourself without spoilers of any kind, stop here and go get a copy. I won’t give away anything that greatly ruins the book experience. If you wish to press on then by all means.

Pierce Brown's writing is smooth in this fast paced story. The actions and events that progress the story are described with eloquent, almost poetic language, but not to the point where it becomes useless. The strength, the pain, all the sensations he expresses are never lost in depth of his language. He puts characters in impossible, heart wrenching situations and portrays their emotions, or sometimes lack thereof, beautifully. The story is told is first person that of Darrow's perspective, his inner thoughts and feelings are the largest source of emotional turmoil throughout the series.

The chapter where he sees his wife hanged yet powerless to stop it, is what really sets the tone to this book. The hopelessness that comes with oppression, to see truly cruel things and knowing that nothing within your power can do anything to stop it. He describes her hanging in almost disturbing detail, noting what in hanging causes death (the neck breaking or asphyxiation) and that is what breaks the heart of the reader. On Mars there isn’t much gravity (about 38% of Earths) so to make sure his wife doesn’t suffer he has to pull on her ankles to break her neck.

Brown shows a realistic development of cultures in his work, from what is considered fancy, rude, taboo, and admirable. At the start of the book, Darrow considers himself to be a grown man and is already married at the age of 16. He also considered foods like coffee and cinnamon fancy, hoping to one day win them for his wife. But when he gets to the world of Golds he sees that he is but a boy. The language also has its own unique twists; names of things will have a start with lowercase and the second part of it will be uppercase: such as gravBoots or ripWing. Lower colors like Reds use the term “Bloodydamn” whereas Golds use “Gorydamn.” The small things like this is what makes for effective world building.

Not only does Brown craft a full world beyond his story, but he creates full three dimensional characters. Ones with lives, flaws and strengths, personalities, and relationships that exist outside the main character(s) agenda and perception. The story may revolve around Darrow but the world he’s in continues to spin regardless of what he does or what happens to him. There are many moments throughout the series where time will advance months at a time and not every little detail is written. Characters fall in love, fall out of love, and get a tattoo or two in those times. It makes for a more real feeling world since Darrow cannot notice everything that happens around him.

Pierce Brown doesn’t let the fiction part of the story corrupt the science part. He’s done his research and never lets the reader forget it. He keeps it grounded within the rules of physics and biology even when delivering the hard hitting action that the superhuman Golds can dish out. He talks about how the differences in gravity on different planets and moons would look and feel in everyday life.

In one scene a character explains that if you get sucked into the vacuum of space you shouldn’t hold your breath, since the air in your lungs will expand and you’ll explode. Rather you should breathe all the air out of lungs and hope for the best. There are lots of examples like this in which the laws of physics still apply, but I won’t bore you with them. Making the story realistic adds a sort of gravitas to it, that for all the technology their world has; there are certain things that are inescapable. That there are no magic solutions or quick fixes.

All in all the book series is a one of substance. It takes in the physical, emotional, and psychological toll of all that happens and never lets the reader have a break. If you like books with fast-paced brutal action, drama, twists you’ll never see coming, and insane plans, then I highly recommend "Red Rising."