Red Rising By Pierce Brown Book Review & Reaction | Shows Flashes of a Budding Sci-Fi Epic

[@jcdenton616]

It is remarkable how much the production quality has improved over time. Great work, Mike!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you think so!

[@kingzzz6509]

I read the first Red Rising book this month. I couldn’t put it down, and I finished it in a few days. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Yes!!!

[@reneenospam]

Red Rising blew my mind when I first read it back in 2014. I’ve been a faithful follower of the series since, grabbing each book on publication day. Thanks for hosting this reread. It’s my first time since these books were published. What gory damn fun!

[@YaFeya13]

I’m with you!!! It’s an only series, sorry, no, the song of ice and fire as well, that I’ve collected numerous editions of. Now we just have to survive until July 😢 To me so far(and I’m not young) it’s the best story ever told, simply incredible

[@mikesbookreviews]

Doing my part as a Howler.

[@BoraLinda]

Red Rising was good, but it got SOOOO good further along in the books omg, I couldn’t believe what I was reading, his writing is absolutely amazing.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Right?!

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

Just finished this one 2 days ago and thought it was really good. I'm currently 14% into Golden Son

[@mikesbookreviews]

Love to hear it!

[@Knowinghours]

Prime, my Goodman! I was thrilled when you said you were doing the re-red. I read the first trilogy a year ago based on your recommendations and blasted through them. Picked up 4 and 5 hard copy just so that I have them on standby. 70% through my second Golden Son now and it’s been a gory great time!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hail Reaper.

[@johanngonzalezmunoz6035]

Love this book, I'm almost at 1/4 of Golden Son right now and I cannot put it down. I really hope this series gets adapted into a show. There is no way a movie can do this book justice.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I fear how much they'd butcher an adaptation, but done faithfully and it could be amazing.

[@waynevantonder252]

It's my first read, and I loved this book. I really didn't mind the fantasy elements in it. I mean, why not, it's his world. Then again, I'm still new to SciFi and Fantasy series, so it's all new to me. But I am soooo looking forward to Golden Son now, it's waiting on my shelf for Feb! Thank you for introducing this series to me.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Yeah I can see that side of it.

[@BoraLinda]

Like, how does one make me HATE a character so much, but LOVE them towards the end? His characters feel so REAL, GODDAMN, I can’t wait for Light Bringer

[@mikesbookreviews]

Pierce excels at writing characters you hate to love and love to hate. And flip flop back and forth on.

[@speedotheguido1014]

Your commitment to supporting this series is what convinced me to read it. I'm on Iron Gold now and thank you for bringing me into this world, loving it.

[@ellefit5564]

I’m so excited to continue this book! I’ve picked it up a few times each time I go to the book store and always ended up putting it down. After watching your other Red Rising review on here I actually read more pages of it on my phone and got HOOKED!!! I am LOVING this first book! If the first book is this good to me I can only imagine how the other books are going to be! I am super excited!

[@andrewking9439]

Thanks for setting up the read together! Halfway through Morning Star now.

[@mikesbookreviews]

My pleasure!

[@heidi6281]

So happy you are starting to do spoiler discussion panels for popular fantasy trilogies. I find the best videos are: 1) why you should read with no spoilers: then 2) spoiler panel discussions. The best of both worlds! I get the recommendation & the awareness of a series then afterwards, the book club experience when I finish.😊

[@mikesbookreviews]

I love doing spoiler discussions over just me alone.

[@DaleBEATBOX]

I can't help feeling that as good as this series is and as much as I have re-read it over the years we need one more book at least, to give this series a completed feel, and that said I also feel that there is room for at least one book based in between this series also. But that's just me, it's still one of my favourites!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Well you're in luck. 6 more months!

[@DaleBEATBOX]

@@mikesbookreviews 🤯 how am I just finding this out! YES!

[@joshjered6462]

I'm so stoked that I read this book after your recommendation, absolutely phenomenal!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

I'm so glad!

[@normavillarreal8061]

This is by far the best intro ever!!!❤👏🏽👍🏽🫶🏽

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thanks!

[@paulcain548]

Great timing. Just finishing Wrath by John Gwynne. Great recommendation, Mike. Red Rising is next 👍🏻🇬🇧

[@mikesbookreviews]

Let's go!

[@CharlieM99]

I absolutely loved this book when I read it last year - it hooked me very early and just held on until I finished and then I read the second book recently and it blew me away. Will be starting book 3 very very soon as I'm hoping to be current for Lightbringer. Also glad to hear your Gary Stu criticism has softened on a re-read as I remember hearing it in your old review and being like 'wait Darrow fucks up quite a bit, doesn't he??' Another excellent review Mike, keep up the good work.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I admittedly struggle with unreliable narrator. But I like to think I'm always growing as a reader.

[@MichaelRSchultheiss]

Hey, a big thank you for helping to convince me to give this series a try: I picked up Red Rising a few days ago, and I'm at 34% and loving it! Such a fantastic story, one I can't put down. Seriously, thank you!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad I could help!

[@VampGirlPrague]

Hello Mike, I am usually a fantasy reader, but thanks to you I tried red rising. I fall in love and read the whole original trilogy in a week and half. It´s so good. Thank you for convincing me to read out of my comfort zone. 🙂

[@ObiWann90]

I just got this book series for Christmas, excellent timing for your video! Just started, can't wait to get to book two.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Enjoy!

[@Thxlbx]

Read this based on your recommendation and really, really enjoyed it. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

[@kerstinharold5420]

I've had planned to read Red Rising this year, but without any specific time schedule. I watched your video on Sunday and as I had finished my other book right that day, I decided to pick up Red Rising now. First I felt a bit confused but now, 120 pages in, I'm hooked and so curious about how the story continues. Thanks God, I've book 2 and 3 already at home. Thanks a lot for your awesome video an effort 😊

[@andrewbeccarelli7613]

very excited for the re-read. Red Rising and Stormlight are my two favorite ongoing series right now; and the only I have merch for too

[@mikesbookreviews]

Two excellent series.

[@aldan7812]

Youve convinced me Mike. I'll put this to the top of the TBR

[@mikesbookreviews]

Awesome!

[@adamborst]

The intro quotes make me want to pick this book up again right away. I did audio for all of the existing books, but I'm now collecting all hardcovers. The audio was fantastic. I know he's not in this book, but I think one of my favorite characters is Ragnar, but honestly I could pick out probably at least 5-7 favorite characters. I'll need to look back at your character video. Now I just need to figure the ins and outs of discord to get loaded into the read along.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Do it.

[@dphunk87]

Red Rising was the first series that I truly fell in love with when I started getting into reading in 2016/2017. Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of IronGold and that took a lot of the wind out of my sails for book 5. I plan on doing some rereads when the last 2 books come out.

[@mikesbookreviews]

A shame. I loved Iron Gold.

[@WarMaker160]

Finished the first book the other day and I loved it, good man!! It was gorydamn brillant!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@spencercorpuz]

Amazing intro, Mike! As always

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you like it!

[@Alps-23]

one of the best book series Ive ever read. they get better and better with each book. Omnis Vir Lupus!

[@andrewjones7800]

I’m very much relying on yours (and everybody else’s) promise that the second book takes this series to new heights. Enjoyed the first one decently, but seemed very much Hunger Games been there/done that to me. Looking forward to the next one! Edit: wanted to add I enjoy your channel immensely. So many new books I have on my TBR!

[@CharlieM99]

Trust me, Golden Son just takes off - enjoy!

[@jellevanbreugel325]

@@CharlieM99 what Charlie said!

[@MaryamPlays]

It gets better after each book

[@caj10__13]

You’ll have to report back once you finish dude. It’s so good

[@mikesbookreviews]

Golden Son is epic AF.

[@musicgenius1948]

So glad to hear the classic epic reading at the beginning of the video

[@mikesbookreviews]

They're fun!

[@FreeLatveria]

I really liked this book and am glad I decided to jump onto the readalong. I've seen you polling and asking "What to read after the Expanse?" I finished the Expanse last year and was looking for something to follow it. For me, this was it.

[@laurac56]

I’ve read the first two so far (Red Rising twice). While I liked the second quite a bit, Red Rising is my favorite of the two. Golden Son IS quite different, and the end!! 😳 On to book three!

[@mikesbookreviews]

That ending floored me.

[@robertgrendell1325]

Just bought Red Rising because of the why i should read it video. Thanks for video on this book. Looking forward to getting into it.

[@charlyts_]

What an amazing book, I haven't been so thrilled for a series in a long time, I finish the book in two days and I really enjoyed if this is the worst in the series this is gonna be quite a journey.

[@darrow74]

Just finished this book wow. In love and I only hear it gets better.

[@grnberet9401]

Prime! An absolutely prime review of this fine novel, my goodman. If they don't like it, they can gory-well slag off.

[@cmeeki4]

2014, where have I been? Why am I just hearing about this book? Guess I better start reading this book asap, because it sounds amazing. Great exciting review.

[@Arpurin]

I read the first trilogy in 2021, and just binged Iron Gold and Dark Age these oast two weeks, so i'm watching these cause I'm not ready to leave this world yet. Can't wait for Light Bringer.

[@musicgenius1948]

Glad to see you talking this incredible series once more

[@mikesbookreviews]

Never gonna stop.

[@Uppernorwood976]

That intro was epic! I’m reading this series because of you Mike, book 2 is about 10x better than book 1.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Golden Son is on another level.

[@texaspipeman8973]

Best intro to a review ever!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thanks!

[@OtherTheDave]

The audiobooks are fantastic. I’m blanking on the narrator’s name, but IMHO he did an S-tier job.

[@MichaelWayne13]

New York Times Bestseller my ass. I'm looking for covers with Mike's Book Reviews on them.

[@mikesbookreviews]

LOL Pierce Brown doesn't need my endorsement to sell books. But I think one of my ultimate goals is to get a cover blurb for a major author.

[@clairemeehan7250]

I actually enjoyed this the first time round and appreciated it even more on a re-read. Once started I had to keep going and I'm half way through re-reading Morning star. I haven't read any of the next trilogy yet, but I'm going to start it once I've finished this one.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Excellent!

[@egusisoup1826]

That introduction was gorgeous. Felt like I was listening to the trailer of a AAA film

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you liked it!

[@Ulmo90]

Great intro & review Mike! I just reread Red Rising and enjoyed it a lot once again, looking forward to Golden Son

[@mikesbookreviews]

Can't wait!

[@supernorry3847]

Great review and the art you used in the Excerpt is freaking amazing. I recently finished the second book i freakin loved it. After the book i am reading now i will get into book 3

[@Giggra]

So happy I joined the Red Rising readalong. It sat on my shelf for over a year. It was the first read for me and I really enjoyed it. Gave it a 4.5 because the beginning didn't stick it for me. So far this year, I have read RR, The Lost Metal, Mrs Death Misses Death, and Spare (🙄). I'm currently reading G.O.T. and cant put it down. Great reading year so far. 👍

[@mikesbookreviews]

Sounds like 2023 is going to be epic.

[@matthadfield1675]

Reading it for the first time now. Very early in the story but enjoying it so far. Great vid Mike

[@davidpo5517]

Agreed, one of the best trilogies there is.

[@RLX5201]

Love the intro to this one Mike! Smashing it as always!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thank you!

[@Michael_L_Morrison]

Don’t be too hard on your original review. It convinced me to give this book a try. I’m now a huge fan of the series.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Excellent!

[@kingzzz6509]

Anyone else get chills from that intro?

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ha ha thanks, my friend

[@MaryReadsToLive]

What a great video you really have a talent!! I got this book for Christmas and I can't wait to read it!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thank you so much!

[@scottlewis8039]

I read this based on your recommendation. I finished last night. Thank you so much, it’s an amazing book.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@juanmorales9738]

Looking forward to reading it.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hope you like it!

[@gator7082]

Excellent series, one of my favorites. Thanks for the Howler Pod recommendation, I can't do a re-read, but I was looking for a good recap/discussion.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Yeah, they're fantastic.

[@SaucySkater]

14:45 I really enjoyed how they didnt really have much of the high tech stuff till later in the game. It kinda put the students back into what the old conquerors would have used. Which to me makes sense because they think so highly of conquerors like Alexander and Caesar

[@burge2695]

I'm going to start red rising next month..very excitedd..1 a month until the release of the new book

[@JessiJackson13]

This is such an awesome series! Thank you for the great review and I love the shirt!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@tymbikamason5444]

Hey I was on it back in like 2015! 👍🏾 I am really hoping they greenlight this 🙏🏾!

[@unlimitedreads]

Absolutely brilliant intro, Mike! I'm intrigued by this and might look at it this year 👍

[@mikesbookreviews]

Please do!

[@JLoveReads]

My books should arrive tomorrow. It's what I have planned for my Friday night 😉

[@mikesbookreviews]

Happy reading!

[@Sactown15]

This is my favorite sci-fi by far. I loved the first book because it was like Hunger Games but better and on Mars. I was sold from the beginning.

[@rodreeses]

Yo Mike I started watching for your Wheel of Time reviews and since I finished A Memory of Light the other day I just picked up Red Rising today simply because you said to.

[@mikesbookreviews]

This is the Way!

[@dinocollins720]

2nd fav sci-fi series of all time for me!!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

It's my favorite sci-fi series, just above Dune. I think those get weaker as it goes along (but still good), whereas these stay consistent.

[@dinocollins720]

@@mikesbookreviews I've watched every video of yours for the last 2 years and I actually didn't know this. I thought it was Dune and then Red Rising, but I guess that makes sense now that I think about it. Dune is your fav as a stand-alone, but falls as a series!

[@jeremyfee]

I love the Red Rising series. I'm looking forward to the new books coming out.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Same!

[@jumachdo]

I read Red Rising a while back and really enjoyed it but I still haven't picked up book 2. Now, after watching your review, I really want to 😅

[@maximus2031]

That has to be the best intro yet

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thanks!

[@willhayes1275]

Great video, my Goodman!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Prime.

[@xcBlackDiamond]

Just finished it. BANGER

[@SgtSgnarf]

Just got my friend into the series last week and he's already on Golden Son! I'm gonna be wrapping up Iron Gold today :D

[@mikesbookreviews]

A job well done.

[@swanshawn_]

I did a reread of the series end of last year and while the first books plot is what i consider just ok on its own, the prose and character growth is amazing. Getting into the rest of the books after is a gorey damn experience boyo. But first book in context of the series I think is still great, you get to see just how scary the golds are, get a close up experience before we dive into the space opera, and get a cool starting point before you see how much they change. But one of my favorite series of all time!

[@72mje]

Massive intro, Mike! I also love the cup - gorydamn! :) I inhaled the book in just three days at the beginning of the month and am waiting for February to start book 2. /Minna

[@mikesbookreviews]

So glad you liked it!

[@SlowBoBods]

Because of you, this has been on my tbr for some time. This will be my sci-fi September, along with an overdue reread of dune.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hope you enjoy!

[@RalphNC09]

Just finished this book. I liked it! The last third especially. It's definitely got a lot of Hunger Games vibes and I'm excited to read Golden Son soon.

[@joycerollins2582]

Great intro !! This is my favorite series of all time, after Tolkien of course!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thanks!

[@Stewart000]

Mike- you were right. I read it for the first time & loved it. I was thinking of it as privileged people volunteering for hunger games / squid game plus political intrigue & revenge. Yay for next week's spoiler discussion. I'm looking forward to February - book 2.

[@mikesbookreviews]

It slaps.

[@RhinoViper]

I really enjoyed the first book...but of course I like the whole hunger games/lord of the flies thing as well. The rest of the series is very good and is very dark and very different....so I can definitely see why some would not like the first but like the rest or vice versa because they are pretty different. But i'm with you, great series.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I totally agree!

[@lukebanks9007]

Hi There, thus is the first time I have watched your video. Great job, I have wanted to read the red rising series, but it was down on my list behind the likes of Alisyltair Reynolds, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Peter F. Hamilton and Christopher Roddichio. But I think you have sold me to move it up to the top or close to it.

[@renzodm6203]

🔥🔥intro

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad you liked it!

[@ryandberry1]

Joined the read along in spirit (I'm on the discord server but clueless on how to use it lol) Liked the first book. Excited to start the next.

[@mikesbookreviews]

There's a slight learning curve. Took me about 3 tires before Discord stuck for me.

[@mixedbooktape]

I read the first book two years ago thanks to you. And I was very meh on it like most people. And then I didn't pick up the rest. When you announced you were doing the re-read I took it as my cue to re-read this book and read on with everyone else. I will say, I agree that on the re-read of this one it is better. I do agree though about the fantasy elements being . . . out of place a bit in this. But it didn't bother me as much this second time around. Can't wait to read Golden Son next month!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hope Golden Son works more for you like it did me.

[@jctmanu]

I respect your opinions but never understood the objections to book one. I’ve never before or since read a book that gripped me harder. I read it in one sitting. From noon until the middle of the night. And i was 35 years old, not some teenager. I’ve given this book to over a dozen people and only one person hasn’t become a massive fan of the series. However the later books do up the ante by a million percent so there’s something for everyone 💪🏻👽

[@mikesbookreviews]

Like I said, it was probably a me thing. I had dumb expectations the first time I read it.

[@jctmanu]

@@mikesbookreviews ah that’s fair. I read it in 2014 when the only hype was a shout-out in Entertainment Weekly and some Amazon reviews.

[@elaineirving77]

I enjoyed re-reading RR too. Fantastic series and can’t wait for Lightbringer.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Can't get here soon enough.

[@asusminor]

Honestly, I've been looking for something. I downloaded redRising on Kindle, I loved what I've read. I haven been so drawn into a book in a while. I've only read like 6 chapters so far, paper copy comes Wednesday I'm itching to continue. I'd give it 4/5stars. 5/5 doesn't exist, for the record, because the universe isn't platonic.

[@Spartan1312]

Dude have you tried the graphic audio version. Its very good and as big of fan as you are, I promise you will love it.

[@brandonparrott177]

Will the spoiler discussion Thursday be a live thing or will it be posted?

[@gunneratijuf8915]

Love this series a lot! Darrow is a beast.

[@mikesbookreviews]

HAIL REAPER

[@BookmarkedbyWolf]

Is this a spoiler free video 😢😩😩 I’m about to start this series next month…should I come back after reading the first book?

[@mikesbookreviews]

This is spoiler-free. My Spoiler version comes out next week.

[@lucasbertsche3710]

Just ordered the hardcover a couple days ago and will be starting soon! I’m hoping I love it just so I have an excuse to by the Juniper dust jackets lol

[@mikesbookreviews]

Those are nice.

[@BohemianPaul]

Just finished Red Rising. A well told story. Looking forward to Golden Son.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Heck yes!

[@jonfurre]

just read this for the first time and i can’t confidently say it’s the most fun emotion filled book i’ve read so far

[@brentasmith]

Improved for me on the re-read for sure. Hyped to read Golden Son and Morning Star for the second time.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Man I’m itching to get to Golden Son.

[@asusminor]

The "weird capitalization" as you call it is what I'd call camel case. It's used a TON in computer programming, really it was taught to me in my college programming courses. It would be all lower case then the next word in the name would be capitalized at the beginning, for example, this thisExample is one, and it extends to, thisExampleTwo1, mySpecialBook, redRising, etc.

[@Deroxated]

Yes 800 years from now, you're absolutely right. PB is way too optimistic given that terraforming the solar system down to Europa would take thousands of years but it doesn't make this serie one bit less enjoyable.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Maybe. I don't know. I thought video calling was a pipe dream just 20 years ago. And I never could have conceived of what a smart phone could do as a kid.

[@Wanderwilderreading]

When I first red Red Rising I thought it was.. meh. But I'm so glad to be revisiting the first book in anticipation of the ending of the series. Knowing how the series builds into something so much greater, I enjoyed Red Rising a lot more the second time around.

[@isaiahsanchevy9252]

Omygod, this book gripped me. Finished it in two days. I'm sticking to the schedule, but February can not come fast enough.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I get that. I read the original trilogy in about 10 days.