Above a crowded dystopian field, Red Rising rises. —USA Today

ONE OF THE YEAR’S TOP BOOKS—Shelf Awareness, BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly

She declares, “I dream of my children being born free.” They’ll be what they want to be. that the land their father bequeathed them will be theirs.
Eo gives me a cheek kiss. “So you have to live for something more.”

In the future color-coded society, Darrow belongs to the lowest caste, the Reds. He works all day, just like his fellow Reds, because he and his people think they are preserving Mars’ surface for future generations to live on. But he works voluntarily, believing that his blood and sweat would eventually make the world a better place for his kids.

However, Darrow has been betrayed, as have his species. He soon learns that humans arrived on Earth many generations ago. The globe is dotted with beautiful wilds and vast cities. A decadent ruling elite views Darrow and Reds like him as nothing more than slaves.

Darrow gives up everything to enter the fabled Institute, a testing ground for the ruling Gold caste where the next generation of human tyrants vie for control, motivated by a desire for justice and the memory of a love lost. He will have to face up against the most skilled and vicious members of society’s ruling elite for both his life and the future of civilization. There, he will do all it takes to defeat his adversaries…