Red Rising
by Pierce Brown · 6 books
Why this series hooks him
Red Rising is the series people describe as "if The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones had a baby." That's accurate but undersells it. Brown writes action sequences with the clarity of a movie director and plot twists that genuinely earn gasps.
Darrow starts the series at rock bottom — a slave miner on Mars who discovers everything about his world is a lie. His arc across six books is one of the most satisfying in recent fantasy, because Brown isn't afraid to put him through hell and make him pay for every win.
How to start
Book 1: Red Rising is the perfect entry. The first 50 pages are the slowest — push through them. Everything after that is full throttle. The series breaks into two trilogies; the first is self-contained enough that he can stop at Book 3 if he wants.