The Problem with Red Rising
Red Rising is one of the most acclaimed and bestselling science fiction series of the modern era. Since its debut in January 2014, the series has captured the imagination of readers worldwide. Universal Pictures swiftly acquired the film rights just weeks after the first book's release, and while the adaptation has changed hands between the author and multiple studios over the years, interest in bringing the saga to the screen has only grown with each new installment.
As of this writing, the main series includes five novels. Notably, the first book, Red Rising, is the only one that didn’t debut in the top 10 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Its sequel, Golden Son, entered at #6 and was even nominated for the Prometheus Award, while the next three entries all launched within the top five. The series' explosive popularity has also given rise to a passionate and ever-growing fanbase known as the Howler Legion — a testament to its cultural impact and enduring appeal.
With a massive fanbase, blockbuster release parties, every installment landing on bestseller lists, and multiple studios vying to adapt Darrow’s story for the big screen, it seems like Red Rising should be an unstoppable cultural force. So where’s the catch? Despite its critical acclaim and commercial success, the series still hasn’t broken into the mainstream the way some of its contemporaries have. The question is: why not?
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
I can’t claim that fans are blind to this fact — I’m a fan myself, and I’m saying it outright — but I do think many of us are in denial: the covers are boring.
“They’re elegant.”
“I like the minimalist design.”
— says the defensive fan.
And to be fair, there’s truth in that. As readers who are already invested in the story, we’ve grown to appreciate the covers’ artistic simplicity and symbolic relevance. They resonate after you’ve read the books. But to someone unfamiliar with the series, just browsing for something new, the covers come off as flat and uninviting. They offer little to no context, not even enough to clearly signal the genre. If you didn’t already know these books were science fiction, would the covers give that away? Maybe — but probably not.
We’ve all heard the saying: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But let’s be honest — we do. All the time. And if you picked up Red Rising, chances are it wasn’t because the cover grabbed your attention. It was because of the hype, the buzz, the relentless word-of-mouth from its fiercely loyal fanbase.
Which brings me to the next — and arguably more important — problem.
It Gets Better
While bad cover art is a relatively easy fix with reprints or redesigns, Red Rising’s most significant flaw is, unfortunately, something that cannot be fixed. It’s a point that might spark some debate, but I believe many fans — if they’re being honest — would agree: the first book is the weakest in the series.
Anecdote: I used to work at a bookstore, and one day I had a customer come in wanting to buy a copy of Golden Son. As a fan of the series, I inquired if they had read the first book. To my surprise, they said "no", that they were buying the second book because they heard it was better. While that's true, it's a series, if you don't read the first book you're not going to know what's going on in the second. The interaction caught me off guard due to the fact that I actually had to explain that.
It’s important to clarify what people actually mean when they say, “OMG, I love Red Rising!” They’re rarely talking about the first book — the one actually titled Red Rising. What they’re really referring to is the series as a whole. And that’s one of the biggest hurdles when it comes to growing the fanbase.
People hear the hype, decide to give the first book a shot, and often walk away underwhelmed. The typical response from fans? “It gets better.” And while that may sound like the usual excuse, in this case, it’s absolutely true. In fact, what you just read in book one is the series at its lowest point — because from the very first page of Golden Son, the quality doesn’t just improve, it skyrockets.
Whenever I recommend Red Rising to someone, I always include a disclaimer: the first book can be a bit of a grind. It’s all foundation — introductions, world-building, and character setup. Its scope is limited, mostly focused on the caste system and social hierarchy, and the comparisons to other dystopian, battle-royale-style stories are hard to ignore. It plays it safe and offers little deviation.
But then Golden Son hits — and everything changes.
Few fans would argue against the idea that Golden Son is the best book in the series. Everything gets dialed up to eleven: sprawling space warfare, violence so vivid it borders on poetic, and political scheming that could rival Game of Thrones. The twists are brutal, the stakes skyrocket, and the ending turns everything on its head. It’s the undisputed high point of the saga — chef’s kiss — brilliant.
Of course, I’m biased. But if you read the first book and felt let down, I urge you to give the second one a try. By then, you’ll have experienced both the lowest and the highest points of the series. And if you’re still not sold? That’s totally fair. But at least you’ll have seen what the hype is really about — and just how high this story can soar.
