Golden Son
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, BUZZFEED, AND BOOKLIST • With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom.
As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds — and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.
A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love — but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution — and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.
He must live for more.
Pierce Brown
Pierce Brown is an author whose work has reshaped the landscape of modern science fiction, blending brutal action with profound philosophical musings on power, society, and freedom. Best known for his Red Rising series, Brown’s gripping tales of rebellion and survival in a brutal, hierarchical future have captivated readers worldwide, drawing them into a universe where every victory comes with a cost, and every betrayal stings deeply.
Born in 1988 in Denver, Colorado, Brown’s writing journey began with a fascination for the human spirit and the complexities of society. He was drawn to the idea of dystopian worlds not merely as settings for adventure but as mirrors reflecting our own struggles with inequality, power, and oppression. This thematic focus is at the heart of his Red Rising saga, where the fight for justice plays out across a harsh society divided into rigid color-coded classes. The series, beginning with Red Rising, follows the journey of Darrow, a low-born miner who becomes a revolutionary force in a society built on the backs of the oppressed.
Red Rising Saga
Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series is a pulse-pounding blend of science fiction, dystopian intrigue, and space opera, delivering a gripping tale of rebellion, power, and sacrifice. Set in a brutal caste-based society spread across the solar system, the saga follows Darrow, a young miner from Mars, as he rises from the lowest class to challenge the oppressive rule of the elite. With its masterful world-building, morally complex characters, and relentless twists, the series has captivated readers worldwide.
Red Rising Saga consists of six books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.