February 2017 Book Club - Red Rising

Discussion in 'Reading Pad' started by Karen, Feb 2, 2017.

  1. bellbird

    bellbird Pollywog

    Messages:
    16,979
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2010
    So questions/comments on some plot points: (in white - drag mouse over to read)
    Did you see the twist coming of the Jackal being the twin of (i can't think of her name right now...she was the House of Minerva one that took care of Darrow).... & did you think she would turn her twin over to Darrow at the end?
    I could see something coming but it wasn't the twin thing, but then after it was revealed, i wasn't at all surprised, it made sense; but i thought family ties being what they are and with the twin thing everyone talks about, that she would have joined Jackal's 'team', i still thought when they both returned that there'd be another battle with her and Jackal against Darrow - felt like Darrow won too easily in that respect after everything else.
     
  2. Karen

    Karen Wiggle it, just a little bit!

    Messages:
    30,368
    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2008

    (Spoilers in white - highlight to read)I didn't see the plot twist coming with Mustang being the Jackal's twin, but I was pretty sure she wasn't going to betray Darrow (mostly because of how much there was left in the book. I also agree that with all the build up to how big of an opponent the Jackal was supposed to be, that his defeat was a little to quick and easy. I have a feeling that there's going to be lingering bad blood between the jackal and Darrow. And it's going to be weird if the romance between Mustang and Darrow continues because he basically just got adopted by Mustang's dad.

    Another note... I'm sad that Cassius can't get past the fact that Darrow killed Julius in the Passage and that he started a "blood feud" with him. I get it, but I wish they could have patched things up too. I'm sure that'll be interesting in the next book too.

    So how many are going to read book 2? I am! I already requested the audiobook from my library and really hope it comes soon!
     
  3. bellbird

    bellbird Pollywog

    Messages:
    16,979
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2010
    the problem with writing in white seems to be the quoting but anyway - (written in white)
    Oh yep Mustang. I guess letting her live that first time they battled really earned her loyalty/love/something. Who did Cassius slay during the passage? did we ever really find out or did he just keep claiming it was various highly skilled people? i think ?Severo figured it out but i can't even remember now (and there were so many ensemble cast members in this book and with audio i never know how things are spelt/spelled!) Cassius would have understood surely that 'The Reaper' was obviously a superior ?warrior than Julian when the Proctors were known to pair weak with strong as part of their rigged kinda game?? I think he would be more mad that 'Darrow' didn't tell him straight out when there were plenty of opportunities to (not that that would be a fun or anything less than awkward conversation). Darrow being more his friend/frenemy where as Reaper was more his respected equal...

    i think i was sucked in enough for book 2 - i'm queued as well, glad not to think about society structure and revenge for a bit
     
    Karen likes this.
  4. Lindzee

    Lindzee Aging gracefully

    Messages:
    5,217
    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2013
    I finished awhile ago. Not my genre particularly. And I worry about novels aimed at the younger set which take violence so casually. That's all I'll say. I enjoyed the Hunger Games series, - seemed there was more strategy less violence in that one.. I do not think I would pick up another in this series.
     
    Karen likes this.
  5. sm_amber

    sm_amber I learn from the best..

    Messages:
    5,183
    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2010
    Okay - I've had this tab open for almost a week planning to come back and respond and just haven't.. I finished the third book in the series on Sunday and it was by far my favorite of the three.. I actually got pretty emotional at a few parts - tears, swelling of my heart, the whole shebang.. (Clearly he was writing with a movie in mind, because those parts specifically were very cinematic in style, and he's admitted to being heavily influenced by film in his writing, and apparently there is a film in the works for Red Rising, though I doubt it will do as well as others in this genre, simply because it's been done so much, and the real meat of the story comes throughout the trilogy as a whole, and there's no way it could be successful enough to warrant three full films, and they totally couldn't cover it all in less.. anyway... Tangent - sorry..)

    As far as the violence goes - it was pretty disturbing for me in the first book, as was the [what I thought] unnecessary crudeness in some parts. Actually just with one character, but now I don't remember who.. maybe Titus? With these types of books I always prefer the growth in the characters over the strategy and political nature of the story, so I did enjoy seeing Darrow struggle with his "assignment." I don't think this comes out until the second book, but I did take issue with how little direction he was given after the Institute and how long it took for "his people" to get in touch with him. I feel like his journey and his flaws are addressed better in the later books, which was nice to see.

    As for plot twists.. These ALL kept me totally surprised. I was pleasantly surprised by Mustang's actions at the end and even at the very beginning after Darrow was killed and buried I wasn't sure how the story would possibly continue. But those types of things just keep coming and coming and they always took me by surprise throughout the whole trilogy.

    This is absolutely NOT my typical type of book, but I just could not put them down. I've been dreaming about it, thinking about it constantly, and apparently there's a follow-up series called Iron Gold releasing in January that I may or may not be super excited for.. :) So - whoever recommended this, thank you!! :D
     
    Karen likes this.
  6. sm_amber

    sm_amber I learn from the best..

    Messages:
    5,183
    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2010
    Oh - a favorite quote from the third book..

    "Maybe that's just the nature of us, ever wishing for things that were and could be rather than things that are and will be. It takes more to hope than to remember.

    ... [later] ...

    "We're each robbed and broken in our own way. That's why [**spoiler**] formed this army. Not to piece us together, but to save himself from the abyss his wife's death opened in him. He needed a light. And he made it. Love was his shout into the wind."
    I think this page, a good 2/3 into the third book, really sums up the whole story of these people. Despite the violence and the terrible things they saw and did, in the end, it all came back to love, and the way the author wrapped everything up and shed a bit of light into their lives going forward, it really shows that..

    Okay - enough gushing - sorry! :hide
     
    Karen likes this.
  7. bcgal00

    bcgal00 Say, "birdseed!"

    Messages:
    9,136
    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2010
    I am really enjoying this. I love books that are an easy read and this one is. I am just flying through it. I read half the book in the last few days. It started a bit slow but was interesting enough to keep me reading and then it started to pick up. Now I am totally immersed in it. I love this genre and don't mind at all that is very reminiscent of other books in this genre. If there is a movie coming, I'll watch it. I'll be looking forward to reading the other two books in the series but will take a break from them to read what the April book will be.
     
    bellbird, Karen and sm_amber like this.
  8. bellbird

    bellbird Pollywog

    Messages:
    16,979
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2010
    So i'm about half way thru book 2 and must admit i was sceptical at first but i kept what @sm_amber said in mind and it's better than the 1st book, IMHO - less Hunger Games-brute attacks-ish and more calculating i guess and i'm enjoying that aspect (it's by no means rainbows and puppies now and it's still underhanded but i guess the means to the end, if the means can be justified by the end...i dunno - carry on)
     
    sm_amber likes this.
  9. bellbird

    bellbird Pollywog

    Messages:
    16,979
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2010
    ok i finished book 2 and all i can say is bloody damn (it may have crept into my vocab...)
     
    janedee and sm_amber like this.
  10. janedee

    janedee Is a craft project ever really finished?

    Messages:
    2,427
    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2016
    OK - I think you've hooked me, off to reserve book 2!
     
    bellbird likes this.
  11. bellbird

    bellbird Pollywog

    Messages:
    16,979
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2010
    i'm about 80 pages into book 3 - it's one of those series, y'know, gotta see how it turns out but it's probably gonna take me most of the month and i dont know that i can get thru our May book club book too (not enough hours ... esp. with iNSD in the mix!)
     
  12. bestcee

    bestcee In love with places I've never been to

    Messages:
    19,369
    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2013
    So, I should go back and finish reading it?
    [​IMG]
     
    bellbird likes this.
  13. corsicar

    corsicar Dinner tonight? Something chocolate I'm sure!

    Messages:
    802
    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2015
  14. bellbird

    bellbird Pollywog

    Messages:
    16,979
    Joined:
    Oct 10, 2010
    I dunno if anyone still looks at this thread but i f.i.n.a.l.l.y finished book 3, after so many twists and turns, and i can say i dont think i've ever felt so exhausted from just reading (and mostly listening this series) a book!
    yes, it was years in between the start of the events in Red Rising and the end of Morning Star and it was only technically a few months for me but i feel like i aged a few years just observing everything that happened and trying to follow along with the plot! there are so many ways it could have gone and at one stage i wondered if this would all be a wild goose chase and [that everyone would have died by the end] - i had the same thoughts as Amber about whether the book could continue after some events [ Ragnar! ] and after the end, i wonder whether knowing what i know now would i read it again and i'm not sure.
    I am curious to see what life looks like in Iron Gold but glad i have to wait a while for that at this stage.
     
    sm_amber and Karen like this.
  15. sm_amber

    sm_amber I learn from the best..

    Messages:
    5,183
    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2010
    Congrats on finishing - and you're right.. totally exhausting! But also exhilarating!
     

Share This Page