Red Rising

    What happens when you cross Lord of the Flies, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars? Well, you get Red Rising by Pierce Brown. The real question is, why did it take so long for me to read it? I only came across it earlier this year, even though it was published back in 2014. And while there are plenty of books that get published without my noticing them, this one won the "Winner for Best Debut Goodreads Author" for that year. So it was critically acclaimed at the time. And it checks every possible category that I could like. Sword play among knights? Check. Advanced societies colonizing the Solar System on giant space faring frigates? Also check. Social commentary about power dynamics within an unequal society and the struggle for power and relevance? Massive check. Historical references to the Roman Empire and their pantheon of gods? Yet another check mark.

    This is a captivating tale of a struggle for justice in the face of oppression, one love, terror, and perseverance, and the bonds that we make. Family, loyalty and friendship make up the base for a story of survival. It is a thriller that's nearly impossible to put down. 

    There is a simple elegance to the language - very accessible, yet detailed to an incredible degree. Both the world and characters came to life for me. From Sevro to Mustang to the main character, Darrow, there is a real human hidden in the words, one that springs from the author's pen and into my mind. Without a doubt, this is some of the strongest world-building that I have seen recently. I'd rank it up there with the greats. Perhaps the greatest world-building in science fiction that I've ever seen. 

    And most impressively, Brown manages to create such vivid worlds and people without smashing the reader over the head with blocks of exposition text. It is organically woven into the narrative, masterfully implementing the show, don't tell, approach to writing. 

    Yes, there are flaws to it. It's written for a slightly younger teen audience, so I'm sure that it would have been possible to add more complexity to it. But don't let the YA designation stop you. It is definitely a worthwhile book for an exciting, yet moralistic, look at society through the lens of space faring feudal lords and their subjects.