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Red Rising Books in Order
Pierce Brown's Red Rising is a strictly sequential sci-fi series: read it in publication order, starting with the original Darrow trilogy and continuing into the second saga that begins with Iron Gold.
Red Rising Books in Order: complete list
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Why this order?
Red Rising is one of the rare series where the "best order" question has a single, clean answer: read it in publication order. Pierce Brown wrote the books to be experienced sequentially, each one building directly on the cliffhangers and revelations of the last, so the order they were published in is also the order the story unfolds. There are no prequels, no out-of-sequence spin-offs, and no companion novels to complicate things.
The series breaks into two connected arcs. The original trilogy (Red Rising (2014), Golden Son (2015), and Morning Star (2016)) follows Darrow of Lykos, a lowly Red miner who infiltrates the ruling Gold caste to ignite a revolution across a color-coded Solar System. It is a complete, satisfying story on its own and the natural place every reader should begin.
The second saga picks up roughly ten years later and is darker, denser, and told through multiple perspectives: Iron Gold (2018), Dark Age (2019), and Light Bringer (2023). These books assume you know exactly what happened in the trilogy, so jumping in here would spoil the first three and leave you lost among the politics and factions. Treat the six books as one continuous read.
The one real gotcha is patience: the saga is unfinished. A seventh and final novel, Red God, is forthcoming from Pierce Brown to close out the second arc. If you start now you will hit the end of Light Bringer before the conclusion lands, so weigh whether you want to wait. Fans of grimdark space opera like Dune or the brutal politics of A Song of Ice and Fire will feel right at home.
Timeline 2014-2023
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2014 Red Rising
- 2015 Golden Son
- 2016 Morning Star
- 2018 Iron Gold
- 2019 Dark Age
- 4-year gap
- 2023 Light Bringer
Where to play it today
- Amazon (print, Kindle, Audible)
- Barnes & Noble
- Bookshop.org
- Local libraries and bookstores
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Red Rising.
Frequently asked questions
How many Red Rising books are there?
There are six published Red Rising novels: Red Rising, Golden Son, Morning Star, Iron Gold, Dark Age, and Light Bringer. A seventh and final book, Red God, is forthcoming to conclude the series.
What order should I read Red Rising in?
Read in publication order, which is also the story's chronological order: Red Rising, Golden Son, Morning Star, Iron Gold, Dark Age, then Light Bringer. The series is strictly sequential with no prequels or spin-offs.
Is Red Rising a trilogy or a longer series?
Both. The first three books form a complete trilogy following Darrow's rise. The series then continues with a second saga starting at Iron Gold, set roughly ten years later, with Red God still to come.
Can I stop after the original trilogy?
Yes. Morning Star wraps up Darrow's original arc with a satisfying conclusion, so the first three books work as a self-contained trilogy if you want to stop there.
Is the Red Rising series finished?
Not yet. Six books are out, ending with Light Bringer (2023). Author Pierce Brown has announced a final novel, Red God, to close out the second saga.
Who wrote Red Rising?
Red Rising was written by American author Pierce Brown. His debut novel, Red Rising, was published in 2014 and launched the bestselling science-fiction series.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, Wikidata
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