Earlier I
posted a review of Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I have now finished the trilogy
(well, the first three books of the series). While the first book had the feel
of The Hunger Games, the series as a whole feels more like A Song of
Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) by George R. R. Martin. There are lots of
houses vying for power and a lot of shifting loyalties. Politics as well as
battles. Unlike A Song of ice and Fire, The Red Rising series has more of a
space opera feel to it. But whether the events are happening in space or on the
firm ground of a planet or moon, there is lots of action: battles, duels,
strategy, and tactics.
Just when you
think you know where the story is headed, it takes a jarring twist in a new
direction. This is a good thing. I don’t like books that are completely
predictable. But there are sad twists too. Just like Game of Thrones, no
character is safe. It is at times heartbreaking, but it is a good kind of
heartbreak, the kind that adds weight to the cause they are fighting for. Also,
knowing who to trust is unpredictable. We start second-guessing every character
we meet. Are they a good guy, a bad guy, or somewhere in between?
In The Red
Rising series, humanity has conquered the Solar system. The Moon, Mars and
other planets and moons have been terraformed and colonized. We follow a society defined by class. Each
class is identified by color: Reds, Blues, Violets, Silvers, Yellows,
Obsidians, Pinks, Golds etc. Reds are at the bottom of the strata, little more
than slaves. Golds are at the top. Golds run the government. The head of
government resides on the Moon as is referred to as "the Sovereign." Nominally
elected, she is in fact an empress with very little check on her power. No
dissension is tolerated. All the members of the society are conditioned to this
state of affairs.
We see the main
character Darrow and his followers building coalitions. They try to reframe the
narrative that placed the Golds in power. At the same time, they are not trying
to just overthrow the Golds, but to make the whole power structure fairer. It is a
difficult pill for many who are accustomed to the status quo. A good argument
for joining Darrow’s side is the conquering of territory and ships. With each
victory they become more legitimate. But the path to the top is not a straight
one. Victory can be followed by failure.
This is a story
about rebellion. Rebellion is always seen differently depending on which side
you are on. Each side starts out believing they are in the right. Each side
views the other as villains. The truth seldom survives unscathed in any war,
let alone a rebellion. Each side has their own truth. Each side calls the
other, liars. To the Golds, Darrow is not just an enemy but a traitor.
The series is
well worth the ride. Lots of action, lots of characters to latch onto, and lots
of surprises.
Comments
Post a Comment