Red Rising Books in Order: 2 Ways to Read Pierce Brown's Books

Ah, Red Rising. It’s hard to think of a better Sci-Fi series. Whether you’re a newbie starting at the very beginning, or an experienced Howler looking for more info on the series, we’re here to help with a list of Red Rising books in order.

Red Rising (to me) is a cross between The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game.

The first book especially has heavy Hunger Games vibes with an arena and competitions to the death along with the house concept of Ender’s Game.

Later books in the Red Rising series develop more of the interstellar war aspects of Ender’s Game or the Halo books even. Just without an alien race bent on annihilating human kind. The humans are happy enough to do that themselves.

Jump to:

Red Rising Books in Publication Order
- Red Rising Books in Order
- Sons of Ares Comics in Order
Red Rising Books in Chronological Order
What Is Red Rising?
Red Rising Books FAQ

Red Rising Books in Publication Order

You may or may not know that in addition to his books, Pierce Brown also has published some Red Rising comics called the Sons of Ares. So this section will be divided into both Red Rising books in order and the Sons of Ares comics in order

Red Rising Books in Order

The Red Rising Saga are the main novels. If you’re not into side stories, this is the series you’re looking for.

Red Rising (2014)
Golden Son (2015)
Morning Star (2016)
Iron Gold (2018)
Dark Age (2019)
Light Bringer (2023)
Red God (TBA)

Are All Books in the Same Series?

Yes and no.

Look anywhere online and you’ll see Iron Gold labeled as Red Rising Book 4.

And it is.

Yet it isn’t.

There’s no doubt that Iron Gold, Dark Age, and Lightbringer continue the story set that began back in 2014 with the publication of Red Rising.

But that doesn’t mean that Books 4-6 directly relate to the story told in the first three books. You need only look at the book description for Iron Gold to see that 10 years have passed from the events of the first three books.

It’s a huge shift in tone from the original series, but I won’t share why to keep things spoiler-free.

For the longest time, I had only read the first three books. Having everything neatly tied off at the end of Morning Star, I had chosen not to continue on. Not because I didn’t like the series.

I love Red Rising!

But because I had felt the story was complete and didn’t wish to change that ending in my mind.

Sons of Ares Comics in Order

If you need something else to keep channeling your inner Howler, check out the Sons of Ares comics. The Sons of Ares follow Fitchner au Barca before the birth of Sevro, everyone’s favorite Howler.

Sons of Ares Omnibus

What’s Different about the Sons of Ares Volumes?

Volume 1 was originally released as six individual comics, then collected into a graphic novel. After that, the story continues in Volume 2 and Volume 3, which are only available as collected graphic novels (not individual single issues).

And then to save you from having to buy them all individually, now everything is packaged up in the Sons of Ares: Omnibus.

If you don’t want to pay for the Omnibus up front, you can test the waters with Sons of Ares #1 and see if you like the comics. If you do, the Omnibus will be your best bet. Not only to prevent your kindle (or bookshelf) from getting cluttered, but also to save you a little money from buying everything separately.

Red Rising Books in Chronological Order

If you read both the books and the comics, you can actually read them in a different order for a totally different reading experience.

I wouldn’t recommend reading the Red Rising Saga this way unless it’s as a re-read of the series.

Here are the Red Rising Books in Chronological Order:

What Is Red Rising?

Red Rising is a high-stakes sci-fi saga written by Pierce Brown that’s set in a future where humanity has spread across the solar system and built a brutal, color-coded caste system. The story kicks off on Mars, where the lowest caste does the dirty work while the ruling class lives like gods, and the whole “order” depends on keeping the truth buried.

What makes the series addictive is the blend of propulsive action and nasty politics. You get secret agendas, shifting alliances, and a constant sense that every victory has a cost, especially as the rebellion side of the story starts colliding with the elite power games.

The scale also widens fast, moving from tightly focused survival and strategy into full-on space opera. As a result, it reads like a revolution story that keeps upgrading its battlefield, from personal vendettas to faction warfare with the future of an entire civilization on the line.

Red Rising Books FAQ

What order should I read the Red Rising books in?

The best way to read Red Rising is in publication order, since each novel builds directly on the one before it. That keeps the character arcs and political shifts coherent, and it avoids accidental spoilers.

How many Red Rising books are there, and what is the latest one?

The main saga currently has six novels: Red Rising, Golden Son, Morning Star, Iron Gold, Dark Age, and Light Bringer. Another novel, Red God, has been announced as the next installment, so the series is not fully complete yet.

Where do the Sons of Ares comics fit in?

Sons of Ares is a prequel spin-off that expands the backstory behind the rebellion without being required reading for the main novels. For the smoothest experience, it usually lands best after you finish the original trilogy (Morning Star) so the context is richer.

Is Red Rising YA or adult?

Red Rising is generally shelved as adult science fiction, especially as the series goes on and the scope and brutality ramp up. Even so, the first book has crossover appeal thanks to its fast pacing and survival-focused structure.

Is there a Red Rising movie or TV show?

There have been adaptation discussions around Red Rising for years, but nothing has landed as a publicly released movie or series you can watch. Until there’s an official studio or streamer announcement with a premiere date, it’s safest to treat most “updates” as speculation.

Looking for more reading orders?

If you want more science fiction authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Science Fiction Books in Order index.

Red Rising Books in Order: 2 Ways to Read Pierce Brown’s Books