Red Rising, Pierce Brown, Four Stars

A really excellent start to what promises to be a terrific series. I actually played the board game first and became intrigued enough to seek out the book. While the intended audience may be teens or young adults, even grown-ups can enjoy this dystopian look at the future. The characters are real and endearing (or vile, as the case may be), and the plot keeps a fast, page-turning pace. Brown could perhaps include a bit more physical description, especially of settings, but his style of writing is generally concise, easy to follow, and impactful. While the initial lay-out seems to parrot Marxist tropes (exploited "Reds," anyone?), Brown quickly makes his characters and his story a good deal more nuanced and complex. I can foresee any number of plot twists in the books yet to come, and am interested to see which of the possible paths Brown takes me. I highly recommend it, a very good read indeed!