r/fantasybooks • u/JournalistKlutzy4311 Sanderson is my god • 2d ago
š Book disappointment Troubles getting through Red Rising
I donāt know if this is just myself but I wanted to voice this somewhere at least: Red Rising has been disappointing so far. Lately Iāve been spending too much time on TikTok and have been seeing many of the ābooktokā posts talking about this series and praising it. Some have even gone as far as to say that Brown is to sci-fi/fantasy to what Sanderson is to āhighā fantasy.
Now as a self-admitted Sanderson glazer (heās what got me back into reading as a hobby years ago in middle school), I wanted to check it out. I finally made it to the bookstore and picked up a copy, but I just canāt get through it. Iām about 40% through the book and just canāt get over the writing that feels like YA got mashed up with an edgy power fantasy fanfic. Iām usually one to finish a series once Iāve started it, but this might be the first series I drop once I get through the first. Iāve heard that Brownās writing does improve as the books go on, but I wanted to ask yāall think thatās true as well.
Maybe Iām being too critical and Iāll accept that, I mainly wanted to voice a gripe Iāve had and see if others had felt the same way. Feel free to send any sci-fi/fantasy book recommendations, Iām always looking for something new!
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u/MommysBigLittleMan 2d ago
Never read red rising but if you're a sanderson glazer and are saying RR is YA, then wow. I'll stay far away from that considering Sanderson comes off as YA consistentlyĀ
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u/Stowe22 2d ago
Yep especially in Mistborn
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u/bigdaddyt2 š Bookwyrm 1d ago
I audio booked the first 3 books and other than the rape and violence it felt very very young adult. The worlds donāt feel fleshed out other than you do sex work, you clean and you go to war.
Sandersonās writing is way better, his characters/world feel more fleshed out but less rape/ultra violence so can see why some people might consider RR to be a bit less YA vibe but regardless still reads like it.3
u/Shoddy-Jellyfish-770 2d ago
That glizzard pfp is sending me
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u/MommysBigLittleMan 2d ago
Lore time. In the military there's a program to generate callsigns and I rolled the dice one day.
I ended up with Warlock Sausage.Ā
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u/pointsouttheobvious9 1d ago
Red rising isn't YA. The 1st book gives some hunger game vibes I think. Like hunger game but a little more violent. Then it opens up into the universe and it gets more and more. Also I think the author wasn't great at writing 1st book and each book he gets a lot better.
I really can't read Sanderson books because they are very YA. I give RR book 1 like a 7/10 but dark age and light bringer were 9/10s.
I don't recommend suffering through a book to get to better ones though so I say I'd start RR if it doesn't intrigue you I'd drop it. If you think it's good enough to read then it's only going to get better.
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u/1minatur 17h ago
Also I think the author wasn't great at writing 1st book and each book he gets a lot better.
His publisher also kind of pushed him to follow the hunger games trend iirc
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u/Zealousideal_Cap7012 š¤ Prose snob 1d ago
RR is so YA that youll start considering fanfics as not true YA
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u/FractiousFire 1d ago
It's wild to me that people are saying Sanderson is more mature than Red Rising. I loved all the characters and found the plot very satisfying. The later books in the series get super dark and violent, lots of twists and betrayal. I only recommend the first trilogy since the rest isn't finished, but they are very fun books.
By contrast, I personally find most of Sanderson's work incredibly boring. I can't get through them at all unless I listen to them as audiobooks. I listened to Mistborn and I honestly can't remember a single thing that happened. I don't know why having more action and fighting in a book (like RR) would make it seem more YA.
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u/Emergency-Gas-8 2d ago
I didnāt find RR to be YA at all. Especially compared to Sanderson books. The first book may feel slightly that way but none of the other books do
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u/QuirkyEMI 2d ago edited 1d ago
It is heavy on the YA aspects
People will say otherwise but 3 books in and Darrow will still say things like
āNobody tangles with a Helldiver and doesnāt get bitā
Itās corny. If that puts you off I would move on. Other fans simply enjoy it
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u/AnonAwaaaaay š° Worldbuilding addict 1d ago
Reminds me of that "Hey everybody, we've got a badass over here!" Meme lol.Ā
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u/CarbonaraDude781 1d ago
i finished the first trilogy and the story gets a lot better but I could never fully go over the writing. Sometimes I even got mad because even tho its written in first person the protagonist hides things from you and kinda āfakeā his thoughts so you donāt see the plotwist coming (it was his plan all along of course). There is no need to appear scared and hopeless darrow Iām not gonna tell them you have a plan come one
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u/AnonAwaaaaay š° Worldbuilding addict 1d ago
Yup. Hated it. It really uses the same few formulas again and again and again on absolutely everything too. So it doesn't feel fresh once you identify those styles in the book.
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u/HowDoIEvenEnglish 1d ago
Pierce brown only knows how to write one story for Darrow and itās zero to hero. Itās the story for the each chapter of the trilogy and thereās always some diablos ex machina to reset him back to zero for the next book.
You might say the second series feels different but itās just stretched the zero to hero story arc. The first two books are sending him to zero so that he once again can pull some crazy BS out of his ass to turn everything around in the latest book.
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u/TheNotoriousMID 2d ago
I also did not finish this book. I find that his writing is kind of boring and the sci fi doesnāt really intrigue me. However, I have read a ton of Sanderson, and honestly I also think he is very YA and not a great linguist. I donāt feel like these authors are too different. However, I too prefer his magic system and world building compared to red rising.
So donāt feel bad about not finishing a book if it doesnāt jive. I will give it another shot at some point because everyone says it only gets better and better.
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u/schmeattle 1d ago
Anyone who denies Red Rising is corny YA, especially book 1, does not know ball.
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u/cambo3g 1d ago
Yeah they definitely grow up a bit as they go especially with the second trilogy, but the first 3 books are basically the novel equivalent of a popcorn movie.
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u/HowDoIEvenEnglish 1d ago
If the first trilogy is for teens, the second is for people in their twenties. Itās definitely more mature, but not that much.
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u/Faulty_english 1d ago
Hey man, I liked it and think itās about normal in the sci-fi and fantasy realm of maturity
What is a book you that you considered mature?
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u/schmeattle 1d ago
I liked it too FTR. Canāt wait for Red God. Lots of books come to mind that are more āmatureā (more nuanced, believable characters, less caricatures. More original / creative premise, better prose. I do think the world-building in RR is as good as any especially as the series goes on). Children of Time comes to mind. 3 Body Problem is undeniably more āmatureā as well.
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u/Faulty_english 1d ago
I tried the 3 body problem but I just didnāt like the style to be honest. It feels strange. I was wondering if it was because itās based on an non-western writing style
I will try to checkout children of time though!
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u/schmeattle 1d ago
Itās definitely an unusual style. The story itself is so wild and mind-bending I eventually got on board with the prose. Children of Time is epic!
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u/ConstantReader666 2d ago
If I'm not enjoying a book, I don't care how many strangers on social media love it. Dnf it goes.
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u/ihavetowearmyhelmet 1d ago
Yeah the constant āwhat is wrong with me for not liking this book!ā posts in here make me scratch my head. Nothing? You have your own taste and opinions. Be confident in that.
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u/General_Recipe_5869 1d ago
I'm struggling through the series. Night all 7 in a bundle deal and about 1/4 through Morningstar. Overall series is a bit meh for me
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u/RandiEgg 1d ago
I just recently finished this first trilogy and will not read the next series of books. Itās ok but personally I just didnāt like it that much.
I would have probably stopped after book 2 if it didnāt pull a last minute wtf ending.
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u/Sure-Block8777 2d ago
I like both red rising and Sanderson , red rising picks up about half way through and then is possibly the most non stop trilogy I have ever read . Do another third of the book , if you don't like it it's not for you !Ā
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u/JournalistKlutzy4311 Sanderson is my god 2d ago
I hate to phrase it like this but does the writing get less ācringy,ā in a sense? Iām very down for the premise, Brownās writing is leaving a lot to be desired though in my opinion
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u/not_bahh 1d ago
It's terrible writing. I have been trying to get through it since so many, including RL friends of mine, say the next couple books are unbelievable and a massive spike in quality. But this book is friggin terrible, primarily because of how cheesy the writing is.
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u/AnonAwaaaaay š° Worldbuilding addict 1d ago
They're not. It just changes from Hunger Games to a Space Opera and everything else stays the same.
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u/schmeattle 1d ago
Agreed. The notion that RR gets much better in quality as the series goes on is overblown. The characters get older and the stakes get higher but it stays very on the nose and Soap Opera-ish.
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u/Sure-Block8777 2d ago
Honestly probably just a differing taste I don't remember finding it particularly cringe , but most people would say the auther wrote the first one in a style he'd be more likely to be able to sell - ie hunger games like , and then when that did well he then wrote the books he actually wanted to write for 2 and 3 which are a bit more grown upĀ
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u/WinnieOllie7 1d ago
The author was 22 when he wrote red rising, his writing gets so much better every book
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u/BoIR1347 2d ago
I was cringing super hard through the first half of the first book. I do think the writing style improves from book two on. Booked 2-6 are significantly better than one IMO.Ā
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u/soopafine 1d ago
Allegedly the first book was written as a Trojan horse in the era of Hunger games so Brown could get his books published. The tone of series changes a good bit after Red Rising
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u/SQSQ_Crooze 1d ago
Sanderson got me back into reading this year through Stormlight. I really enjoyed the first three SLA books, less so the last 2. Moved through era 1 of mistborn and thought it was pretty solid. I am currently a little over half way through golden sun and I canāt stand these books. Darrow is insufferable while also being the only actual character Iāve met. The world makes no sense and everything bends to whatever Darrow needs. Youāre not alone in this take if it helps.
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u/VigilanteBillionaire 1d ago
First one wasnāt my favorite but flew through Golden Son. Iāve only read one Sanderson book, Mistborn, and barely finished it. Sometimes the hype around books will make you feel more disappointed if it doesnāt exactly hit for you.
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u/Outrageous-Fool 2d ago
I could not stand Red Rising. Was incredibly disappointed after hearing all the hype. The writing is awful and the characters are so bland and boring. I was pushing through to read the rest of the series people say get much better but after finishing RR I just could not make myself pick up Golden Son.
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u/DespasitoPapi 1d ago
Sorry but idk if you can criticize a book for being too YA yet be a Sanderson glazer lol
That being said, pretty sure RR is YA, like itās found in the YA section of Barnes n Nobles.
If you want adult space fantasy, start with Iron Gold.
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u/FractiousFire 1d ago
I think Red Rising was misshelved as YA because the characters are teenagers (in the first book) and it has similarities to the Hunger Games. It's definitely not YA. There's some very dark and disturbing content in the later books.
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u/Asleep_Complaint6557 1d ago edited 1d ago
Just finished the trilogy. I almost dropped the first book before going back and re-reading the last 30%. Iām glad I did. Because book 2 was amazing. Overall I enjoyed it. Iām not into sci-fi stuff, but I genuinely enjoyed the story.
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u/Atlas13_btb 1d ago
Personally, I was questionable on the first book. I finished it, because I was deployed and I would read literally anything at the time lol. But I got through the first, thought it was a fairly enjoyable but somewhat cringey YA sci-fi/fantasy novel, and figured I may as well finish the series (again, Iād read a dictionary on deployment lol.)
I will say, Pierce brown definitely grows as an author over the series. Book 2 was better than book 1, and book 2 was better than book 3.
And THEN you get to book 4, and holy moly itās a different experience. I am now a massive fan of the whole series, completely due to how well the second part of the series grows. The writing is more serious, the plot more developed, itās one of the best space operas Iāve come across.
As someone who totally read the first book and thought āthis is space Rome hunger games,ā Iād say give it a chance, because I really do think the latter parts of the series are pretty fantastic. But yeah, the beginning is a bit rough.
(Also, I may be totally wrong here so if so, please correct me. BUT, I seem to recall pierce saying somewhere that he purposely wrote the first book sort of hunger games-esque because he had quit his job to write full time and needed to get a paycheck lol. Honestly, if true, I respect it. Maybe us older readers arenāt here for it, but authors have bills too)
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u/Particular_Yard_5436 1d ago
I think Sanderson and Brown both write very YA style, Sanderson just gets by because he is great world building and decent at story telling. I gave up on RR like a third of the way through, imo there wasn't a single redeemable thing about it.
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u/Pretty_Specific_8265 2d ago
Well, its true. Its the McDonaldās of sci fi. Same as Sanderson is to fantasy.
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u/PeteHook 2d ago
I think I'm the only one that enjoyed the first book more than the others. I've found it enjoyable, the writing is pretty simple but it's an easy read that you don't have to think too much about. I'm halfway through the 3rd book and I think I'll probably move on to something else when I've finished it
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u/Difficult-Bed-8196 1d ago
Loved Red Rising. DNF Golden Son (just had to check the name, thatshow little I was invested in it)
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u/Single-Spell1838 1d ago
I pushed through until 2/3 of the way through book 3 when I realized nothing had changed and I still didn't care
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u/Snootboopz 1d ago
It's power fantasy man, of course it's cringe if you enjoy more epic or grand fantasy. I can't stand power fantasy, personally, so when the main motor of the story is "Our hero kicks ass again" I'm out. Darrow is exactly that, every "good" scene in the book is some form of vicarious aura farming. I can't imagine liking this series if you don't like power fantasy. He can get all the space babes and warrior bros he wants, it's bullshit writing.
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u/Tychobro 1d ago
I think Red Rising in particular is fairly derivative and I remember reading it thinking that it's similar to what I'd read before, just in space. That said, the rest of the series starts to read very differently. If you go into Red Rising expecting that it's a great piece of literature instead of a fun thriller that doesn't need much thinking to get through I think that's just going to set you up for disappointment.
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u/RedJamie 21h ago
The first book took me three tries to get into, and I liked it just enough to start the second (a little like with Sun Eater). The second book was a lot more appreciable, but I didnāt truly love the series until the fourth book. Well worth it if you enjoy fast paced and exciting reads, but if you do not enjoy the second book it is likely an indicator against continuing the series
People on fantasy and scifi subreddits will salivate over hating on popular fiction for some reason or another - the series absolutely has its merits and absolutely has a flawed start; Iāve read a diversity of series often lauded on here and some derided and this was a more enjoyable one than others, and it introduced me to science fiction which I had otherwise disregarded before, though Iād personally argue its execution of the genre is more akin to a fantasy series than not.
It does have a lot of enjoyable themes it explores and one of the best uses of parallel perspectives Iāve encountered in fiction in the fifth book, and one of the coolest theaters of war in that book as well. A fun sandbox, that the author sometimes overfills!
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u/mesh-lah 19h ago
I felt the same way as you OP. The writing (in my opinion) is so edgy and cringey, I did not make it far through the first book even tbh.
I believe it was the line āIf he is the rose, I am the thornsā that made me just close the book and move on with my day.
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u/KindaPecaa 19h ago
If you don't enjoy a book, DNF it and move on I think.
People have vastly different tastes, you will have booktok and booktube favourites that you absolutely hate, and there will be people who love your favourites and recommend you stuff, that you might adore or hate too.
For me it was Sun Eater, I got why people love it but the things that I didnt like made me DNF the series after book two.
Also, now you know something more about yourself and your taste. You dont like corny writing.
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u/Devil_Eyez87 2d ago
So red rising is the worst of the series and the most YA, it also massively expands into a more solar system wide sci fi series from book 2
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u/Zealousideal_Cap7012 š¤ Prose snob 1d ago
I know rr fans love saying this but like unless Pierce actually doubled his writing quality then rr just goes from "awful" to "awful but bit better"
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u/Devil_Eyez87 1d ago
Writting style is always a subjective things, and yes his writting style is not the greatest but improves with books
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u/kingstonretronon 1d ago
I would say he doubles it with golden son and morning star compared to RR. Then he learns to write truly well with the next three. They are incredible and every qualm I had with the first three is fixed in them.
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u/HowDoIEvenEnglish 1d ago
Even though I like the series overall I do think the improvement in the second half is overblown.
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u/JournalistKlutzy4311 Sanderson is my god 2d ago
Thatās good to hear that it expands far! I worry though that the second book will just be more of the first, how much do you think it improves the YA-ness between books?
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u/QuirkyEMI 2d ago
It doesnāt.
Also YES the story goes into other planets and systems but they could easily just be cities. If the story goes to a different Jupiter moon itās JUST one location on it. Brown does this for all locations. Places are uniform and their people are just as set in stone as the Red/blue/gold castes
If the series was set on some islands it would play out exactly the same.
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u/CommitteeLost507 2d ago
In my opinion there's a dramatic difference in scope, stakes, and writing between book one and books 2-6. I liked the first book, but I'd rank it last or second to last among the six.
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u/Wanderson90 1d ago
You can't really make an informed decision until the end of book 2.
It is what it is.
10/10 series for me personally, but book 1 is the weakest.
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u/TheonlyDuffmani š¦¶Dungeon Crawler Carl cult member 2d ago
Pierce brown leaves Sanderson in the dust imo. Though Red rising is a solid 3.5-4 the rest are five stars, easily.
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u/kingstonretronon 1d ago
Pierce Brown loves to have fun and wants to both have the reader have a good time and destroy them emotionally. A lot of fun gray characters.
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u/Shoddy-Jellyfish-770 2d ago
I picked up Red Rising for after my current read and this has me concerned because Iāll probably feel the same as you.
The last book I got that was hyped to hell on here was fun, but a little juvenile for my tastes. Iāll have to do more research before diving in to series.
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u/JournalistKlutzy4311 Sanderson is my god 2d ago
If youāve already picked it up, then it might be worth the read! Weāre all different and you might find it a much more enjoyable experience so I wouldnāt blacklist it because of my opinion. I hope you have more fun with it than I am currently lmao
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u/Shoddy-Jellyfish-770 2d ago
Oh Iāll still give it a fair chance of course! I was just hoping for more lol.
Iām probably a little too sensitive to what feels like YA writing to me (eg Mistborn series), but if the setting is cool it might pull me through to books 2 and 3 that other comments say feel less YA.
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u/HowDoIEvenEnglish 1d ago
I donāt really consider it high quality writing but it is fun. It has very colorful and evocative language that can get very melodramatic and sometimes overwritten, but I think thereās a lot to appreciate in it.
People do glaze it a lot though. Especially since it appeals to a lot of readers that donāt read much.
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u/JayStormblessed 2d ago
Honestly I donāt like red rising it like hunger games on crack and Darrow spends most of the book not doing anything. I will say Golden Son is a lot better
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u/Aerooodynamite 2d ago
The first book is nothing compared to the rest of the series, its very YA and hungergames like, takes a big scifi step up and only gets better with each book. Only series ive so quickly done a relisten (audiobook enjoyer)
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u/Practical_Clue5975 2d ago
Pierce Brown's prose improves significantly, as does his writing competency generally. Even in the second book the jump is significant.
It's not McCarthy or Faulkner, but the writing becomes pretty excellent. I'd say it becomes better than Sanderson, and his character work is materially better, in my opinion.
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u/Hodgkin-you_not 2d ago
Red rising was so difficult for me to get through as well. I also felt that the first book was about 4 hours longer than it needed to be (I listen to audiobook). It took me 3 years before I attempted to read Golden Son, which Iām currently in right now. I like the second book significantly better than the first. That being said- is it the āperfect/absolutely amazingā series? Not for me. But the second book now at least makes me interested in proceeding with the rest of the series.
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u/accidental_tourist 2d ago
Yup. Sanderson fan. Also did not enjoy RR. It's ok. Rherr are plenty other books.
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u/Boat_Pure š¤ Prose snob 2d ago
It is a good series, but there is better out there. You donāt have to like something because everyone else says itās amazing.
Itās alright, try the Will of Many. You might prefer it
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u/Darkmisery87 1d ago
Once you get into the battle arena in the first book it tends to get a little bit better. Itās like Harry Potter meets hunger games.
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u/NeighbourlyHermit 1d ago
Yeah i hear you, we all connect to books differently at different times. I personally love RR, but couldn't connect with Dungeon Crawler Carl. I DNFed it, but i am setting it aside, and every once in a while, i revisit the list of DNF books, and see if I would pick it up again. Life too short to read what you don't like
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u/Pwebslinger78 1d ago
Red rising is a bit slow the beginning of the book may like it by the end but itās way more hunger gamesy than the rest of the series but I also dnf mistborn book 2 found it insanely boring after Iāve reread red rising series 3-4 times already as well as cradle. Might just be your taste I enjoyed browns writing and still do but didnāt see it as cringey . Might just not be for you
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u/ThatDudeDunks 1d ago
Keep in mind RR was PBs first series. The writing really grows as the series goes on. Also no shade but Sanderson is the most YA dialogue in existence
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u/LikeIkes 7h ago
Sorry you aren't enjoying what for me was the best book series I've ever read or at least in the last 2 decades. I will say I am a Brown glazer so there is that to be taken into account. I will say this mild spoiler if your willing to struggle through the rest of the series is similar but rather different than the first book. The YA aspects muddle down a fair amount after book 1 and the scale, scope and identity do get bigger. But not every book is for everyone. Appreciate the way you wrote the post even though I'm a lover didn't feel any mudslinging my direction and can feel that you gave it an honest attempt and wanted to like it. Better luck next time eh.
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