Red Rising Series Thread (Red Rising, Golden Son, Morning Star). thread may contain book 3 spoilers

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by laxjoe, Feb 26, 2016.

  1. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    Truman didn't see a thread on this series and rather than keep bumping the other threads on here, i figured we could move discussion over here. considering there should be additional movie info coming out over the next few months/years, I figured there's enough discussion to justify a thread.

    anyway, i started red rising a few days ago. i'm now 40% through morning star (red rising #3). fucking loving these books. as I posted in another thread, from about 60% through book #1, i haven't been able to put these down. will probably be done tomorrow
     
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  2. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Nice. Been waiting to discuss with someone and talk about The Reaper and Howlers shit.
     
    #2 Truman, Feb 26, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2016
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  3. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
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    I read the trilogy, and I enjoyed them quite a bit.

    The books are definitely a quick, light read, and the backdrop/history of the universe is unique and interesting.

    They're definitely tailor made for a film trilogy. No question.
     
  4. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    Morning star 88% through

    Sevro :Tebow:
     
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  5. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    laxjoe is mowing through this series like a hell diver through the mines.

    He's definitely going to finish tonight. No way he stops now.
     
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  6. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
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    Are we doing spoiler tags in here, or is it going to be expected you've finished the series?
     
  7. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Well, so far just you and I have read as far as I know. Let's let laxjoe finish then we can discuss openly.
     
  8. TheGrifter

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    What do you think about the film adaptation?

    I think they could be huge (I'm looking at you Steve Rogers pre and post Super Soldier Serum when it comes to Darrow), but the first film is going to look incredibly similar to Hunger Games to the general audience.
     
  9. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Yeah, the first book kind of flirts too closely at times. I saw they're taking their time and it will probably be a good 3 years before the first comes out. The Director for World War Z is doing the first one as of now.

    This is one of my favorite series of late. Im really excited for the movies, but as I said - it will be a few years. The first book is a little YA but it's not really a YA series. I hope they dont fall into the same trap as these other YA movies.
     
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  10. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    !
     
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  11. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    And I did spoiler bc this one only came out a couple weeks ago, didn't know how we wanted to handle that. I figured I'd spoiler in case anyone wanted to come in having only read the first two :idk:

    But if we want to do no spoilers, I'm about 30 minutes away from finishing so feel free to discuss everything. I'll update the thread title
     
  12. TheGrifter

    TheGrifter It's a trick. Get an axe.
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    I agree they need to wait 3-4 years before they release the film adaptation. I've honestly never read Hunger Games, but these books absolutely blow those films out of the water. The history and culture created in Red Rising alone makes Hunger Games look like a kiddie pool when you compare the depth of the world building and characterization.

    I certainly don't think they decide to go Rated R with the films (they certainly could based upon the source material), but, if films like Divergent can succeed, then whatever studio holds the rights is sitting on a monster franchise as long as they put the right people in charge creatively.

    Like I said, outside his world building, I thought Brown did a fantastic job with his characters. My suspension of disbelief at Darrow surviving some things or a particularly pragmatic and ruthless character not just finally killing him when they had the chance stretched a little thin at times, but you could see Brown had sown the seeds of their motivation for not doing so throughout the novels.
     
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  13. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    Damn. I loved that
     
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  14. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Good shit, right?

    This left me wanting more. Not because it was unsatisfying, but because it was so awesome I wanted more.
     
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  15. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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    It really did. I was fully in that universe for about a week, but I could have easily kept going.

    Like TheGrifter said, there was a couple times you had to suspend disbelief that someone wouldn't just kill darrow, but he did enough to lay that foundation so no one actions ever seemed out of character.
     
  16. ukcats8

    ukcats8 smugapari
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    Started this one a few months back, and forgot about it. I'm guessing it gets better? (I was only at the part where his boot got stuck in the machine thingy. Having trouble remembering). I bought it for my wife, but she never got into it either. Any comparisons you could give me?
     
  17. jkun

    jkun UGA, United, Falcons, Braves, Tennis, Chelsea
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    finished the first 2 books and am on the 3rd one now... can't put it down, love the story.
     
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  18. ukcats8

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    Started this one again yesterday and I'm 150 pages in. Holy shit, the universe created in this book is amazing. I can already tell I'm going to love it.
     
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  19. Damion

    Damion Fan of: Firing Butch Jones
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    Blew through these in a week

    great series
     
  20. One Knight

    One Knight https://www.twitch.tv/thatrescueguy
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    just starting Red Rising, so far it is excellent, looking forward to reading the whole thing.
     
  21. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
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    I'm 47% through Morning Star.

    Fucking Ragnar just got killed. I'm pissed. I'm sad. This sucks.
     
  22. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Impossible to put down? Will look into it.

    Edit: Downloaded book 1
     
    #22 Gin Buckets, Apr 5, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2016
  23. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    It's an awesome trilogy. So full of holy shit moments.

    Not to pat myself on the back, but Im so glad I got people to read this.
     
  24. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Started the first book and have listened to about an hour. I went into this blind because the ratings were great and I trust everyone here. However, I should have read a little bit of a synopsis that might have helped me subconsciously fill in some gaps.

    Here's what I understand, and I'm not spoilering this because I'm only like 5% in. Tell me, am I right?.

    *He's a red and he digs on Mars to prepare it for human life.
    *He does the most dangerous type of digging.
    *He's 16 and loves this girl (Eos?)
    *Whites (?) killed his Dad for acting out

    Questions:
    *I get the Totalitarian aspect, but don't really understand why or how? Any insight?
    *Seems like whites are aristocracy? What made them whites? Born into it, but how'd the separation happen?
    *How long has this community been on Mars?
    *What's the deal with dancing?

    To me, it sounds like this will be a Mars version of Braveheart... At least comparing the respective stories at the same point.
     
  25. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Hard to answer your questions without spoiling anything. The Whites Golds are aristocracy. That will get explained.

    Think of the dancing like the African slave field songs. A way to express your culture and contempt without blatantly being openly defiant.
     
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  26. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    So the book will give a solid backstory that helps us understand how we got to where we are? How the Golds became the Golds, and the Reds the Reds. I just read the synopsis on audible, so I'm good to go.

    What do they mean by digging to reach the surface of Mars? Are they digging a giant cavern for society or ?
     
  27. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Yes and yes. Their entire existence is under ground because the surface / atmosphere isnt livable/breathable. They're on mars to make it habitable for future generations.

    Just keep reading/listening. It gets to all that stuff fairly quickly.
     
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  28. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Not one person is talking about Red Rising?

    How would y'all rank the 3 books?
     
  29. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
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    2
    1
    3
     
  30. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Lets talk. Although It's been a while since I read RR. Some of the details might be fuzzy.

    Ranking - Each book gets better. I had a few eye roll moments where I thought RR felt too much like Hunger Games and it was going to be a huge rip off, but then it really turned the corner and the rest was awesome.

    Red Rising 3

    Golden Son 2

    Morning Star 1
     
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  31. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
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    So many moments in Morning Star that just made me frustrated.

    How many times did he get captured and get away?
     
    #31 rv12, Apr 8, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2016
  32. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    rv12 spoiler that imo, but fair enough
     
  33. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
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    Did y'all see that he's putting out another trilogy to continue the story? First one is called Iron Gold.
     
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  34. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    I didnt. Big mistake imo.

    At least if they pick up right where he left off
     
  35. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
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    Think it's a 10 year gap iirc.
     
  36. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Fan-fucking-tastic recco, Truman

    This book is great. Huge, huge fan and have told anyone that I know likes this genre (aka everyone) to read it.
     
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  37. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    You jumping right into the next book?
     
  38. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Absolutely. :respek:
     
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  39. brrrrStickem

    brrrrStickem "Well Toby, still want to be bionic?"
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    Jumping in on the bandwagon. Just downloaded the trilogy for my business trip this past week. Could not put Red Rising down. About 20% in on Golden Son. Also, really excited to see what the movie will look like!
     
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  40. ukcats8

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    I honestly don't see this series working as a movie. Scope just seems too large and would need a mega budget to do the story justice. In a perfect world, we'd get an R rated series of movies, but im not sure it could be told in only 3 movies. A tv series would work, but budget would fail some of the massive battle scenes.

    As for my opinion on the plot (at pg 400 ish of Morning Star), I'm just ready for conclusion at this point. Author is George R. R. Martin lite in "shocking" death scenes. Love the series regardless though, and would love to see more of the universe. Perhaps even a POV shift away from Darrow e.g. Enders Game/Enders Shadow?
     
  41. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Loved Red Rising, and love the series. I'm on Morning Star now, but not too far.
    He just got kicked from the governor's services.

    Spoilering just in case, but nothing earth shattering.
    One gripe of the book is how much Cassius' family hates Dar-O (?). It's unbelievably irrational. I almost wish he and Julian hadn't liked eachother, just because I'd buy in a bit more, but it's completely outrageous to me. Especially when you consider how much he helped Cassius at first in the actual game.

    I listen while driving, so I lose my thoughts by the time I can actually post most of the time.
     
  42. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    Damn it, shouldn't have clicked the spoiler... I thought Morning Star was the 2nd one, which I'm wrapping up now.
     
  43. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    Picked this up today (book 1, along with a few other books). Will get to it soon.
     
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  44. Gin Buckets

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    You'll be happy you did. Loved it. Wrapping up Morning Star now.
     
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  45. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    Starting today. Will post thoughts as I go.
     
  46. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    ~80% through Red Rising

    The Tactus whip scene is the best scene in this book so far. Thought it was handled really well
     
  47. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    Finished book 1. I'll post thoughts when I get a chance to let it settle. Rated it an 8/10. Lots of fun and action.
     
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  48. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    Red Rising thoughts spoilered.

    OK, first off--this sucker had a lot of action. So I wasn't disappointed. Books written in the first person tend to be like that (besides the Kingkiller Chronicles, which is picaresque)--it's a restrictive viewpoint, so we're only in one character's head. Limits the amount of places we can be. This book is basically an amalgamation of Ender's Game, the Hunger Games, and Game of Thrones.

    The ending was great. Lots of dynamics in play with the ArchGovernor, with Mustang/Virginia, even with Jackal. No idea what he's going to do there, but I'm assuming it's going to be more of the same.

    I thought the opening of this book was fantastic. The image of Mars' gravity being weak, so the family has to assist in the hanging of their loved ones . . . damn, that's just a dramatic idea--something that, while incredibly depressing to contemplate, really drives home the message. I knew Eo was done for--not sure I expected it that quickly, but I knew there would be a catalyst that would set Darrow off.

    A few small complaints would be the sheer number of short, choppy sentences. Yeah, I understand it's how we think. But I didn't find it to read too fluidly. Lots of three word sentences. Not a big complaint, but just something I noticed. Also, Brown thought up this great world but resorted to standard colors and alpha/beta/gamma designations. Again, not a big complaint but that's a bit boring.

    Still, loved book one. Gave it an 8/10. Looking forward to Golden Son.
     
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  49. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    Starting back up with Golden Son today.
     
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