Red Rising Review

Red Rising is a book I've owned for awhile but didn't pick up until very recently.  I probably bought it on sale because I've consistently seen it come up on lists of really good sci-fi.  Now I see why.

The world of Red Rising is in a caste driven future where humanity has expanded to all around our Solar System.  The main character is a "Red", basically the lowest caste in the whole class system.  He's a helldiver on Mars that mines for minerals required to terraform planets.  His caste is being oppressed by the leader caste, the Golds.  You can see where this is going, right?

I thought I could... and the first quarter of the book was predictable yet interesting.  But after that things get really shaken up.  So, if I've sold you on my slight info and two thumbs up alone... go buy it now and stop reading.  If not, I'm going to drop some spoilers to get you more interested.

It turns out that Mars is already terraformed and so are most planets.  The Reds have been led to believe that Mars is in it's early stages and no one could possibly live on the surface.  Instead, the surface is thriving and they are just being exploited through misinformation.

Darrow, the main character, joins up with a resistance group and is convinced to try to become a Gold.  His body and mind are reshaped through an arduous process and then he's set to infiltrate their ranks.  The book really picks up around here and doesn't let up until the end.

I loved this book.  I'm definitely going to pick up the second one and start reading it soon.