Yet another novel about a guy infiltrating a government to take them down from the inside. I guess this is just my genre as of late because I really enjoyed this, enough to immediately head out and get the second entry. The depth of character and the constant unsurety really makes this a gripping read. It’s not easy for me to be unable to guess the next move, but this one kept me engrossed in a way that I wasn’t trying to predict what would happen, just allowing my eyes to devour the pages.

The story centers around Darrow, a man born into the mines of Mars as a Red. Their society is governed by color, the highest being Golds. It’s a caste system in the most basic sense, but genetic superiority is a fact, not a fabrication. Hence, it’s basically impossible to improve one’s station. Darrow and his family mine helium-3, an essential component of terraforming that the human race needs to make Mars and the other planets suitable for life. It’s an important job and one that Darrow does diligently. His wife, Eo, wants him to hope for more, but he’s a simple guy. He has a wife and loving family, and though they are heavily malnourished and treated as slaves, they are together and that’s enough for him. After some truly tragic events, Darrow discovers his entire life was a lie. Humans already live on the surface of Mars, and a group called the Sons of Ares want him to infiltrate Gold society, posing as one of them, to take the whole system down. This involves him becoming a Gold and posing as a student at the Institute, which is essentially a war battleground facility where Gold children must prove their worthiness to rule above one another. The hardships he faces in the Institute shape him and though he still wishes to burn the society down, he can’t help but feel like he’s made real friends. It’s a difficult position he’s in and the story never allows the reader to forget what he’s fighting for. The other Reds in the mines have no idea what’s above them, and the betrayal of his people should be his main concern, however, his loyalties waver. This balancing act made me eager to read the story. I sympathized with both sides of his internal struggle and that’s because of the people he meets in the Institute.

Cassius is one of Darrow’s first friends. He’s charismatic and chivalrous, the best attributes for a future ruler. (He doesn’t remain unscarred by his time in the Institute, no one does.) Titus is an immediate threat to the group and his actions are truly despicable, though there was some reasoning behind his madness. Pax, a monster of a man, purely just wants to fight, but he does have a comedic side in his downtime. Sevro, Roque, Quinn, Mustang, Tactus, Jackal, all of these characters are important and unique in their own ways. Their interactions with Darrow help him realize that not all Golds are self-entitled tyrants, though many are groomed to be that way. In getting to know his classmates and forge bonds over life and death, he blurs the lines of enemy and friend. It makes for a dynamic that sees more friction than not and I really loved how it built on the story and relationships herein.

Red Rising is the first book in this long series, and I’m most likely going to be in it for the long haul. The setup here makes it seem as though the big fight is yet to come and while I thought the first book wouldn’t be focused on a school battleground, it sets the stage as a miniature version of what’s to come. The Golds are cutthroat and many will take drastic actions to ensure victory. It’s no different outside the Institute, and the insight this gives Darrow should prove useful. This story will be one that excites the sci-fi/ fantasy crowd and anyone that wants to dive into a world full of corrupt politics and betrayals with a little bit of hope on the side.