The Red Rising Trilogy is our favorite book series of all time. It’s filled with constant action and unforgettable characters. We are starting Red Rising week here at Two Thirds with our Top 10 Moments from the series. There was almost too many to choose from, but we finally managed to narrow it down. First, though, let’s start off with an uncommonly large amount of honorable mentions.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Truth Revealed (RR)
In this moment, like Darrow, our eyes open to see how much more there is in the universe. We see that Eo was right and that the Reds are indeed slaves to the system. While they work tirelessly day in and day out trying to survive, others are living it up. Their eyes have been shut and Dancer wants Darrow to help open them. This is a moment I can picture very vividly and while the city seems beautiful the harsh reality sets in for Darrow.
Eo’s Hanging (RR)
This wasn’t the moment that reeled me all the way in on this series (that moment comes later in this ranking), but this was the moment where I first realized that the author wasn’t going to pull punches and nobody was safe. This is also what started it all off. Without Eo’s hanging, there would be no Reaper of Mars.
Sevro Saves Darrow and Cassius (RR)
Up to this point Sevro hadn't done much of anything, other than splitting off by himself and living in the woods. It was a nice surprise to see him come to the aid of his teammates. To me it was the perfect introduction for Sevro. He’s reliable but also insane as we quickly learn.
Titus is a Red (RR)
Titus is a terrible person. He had no redeeming qualities and his downfall was inevitable. It’s not until Darrow and Titus are talking that Titus let’s the cat out of the bag. We find out he’s a Red and this in turn causes Darrow to question his own color. Titus was given the chance to take out his frustrations on the Golds and he took it. As the reader I also questioned how long Darrow would be able to keep his cool before living amongst the enemy caused him to go crazy.
Howlers Hide in Horses (RR)
There is something to be said about how much trust and loyalty you have gained for your classmates, if you are willing to hide in dead animals. Darrow had more than enough when he had the Howlers hide in dead horses to set up a surprise attack against Mustang. This also showcases the Howlers as insane people willing to do whatever is necessary to win.
Pax Whipping Darrow (RR)
This was a moment for me that not only showed the strength of Darrow, as the gigantic Pax with a whip in hand is a terrifying thought, but also the creativity of Darrow. There seemed to be no way of coming out of that situation without losing the loyalty of at least some faction of the house, but he managed to come away with more loyalty and respect from all parties.
Cassius Stabbing Darrow (RR)
This couldn’t have been more obvious while it was happening, but that didn’t make it any easier to read. Cassius leading Darrow out, in what was clearly a ruse, only to end in a duel where Darrow had no hope. As he stabbed into Darrow’s gut, I felt a tug at my own gut and grief at the ending of this union of giants.
Storming Olympus (RR)
Darrow constantly blew me away with what he was willing to do to accomplish his mission. There was no way the Proctors were going to let Darrow win, and as I was expecting a final show-off where Darrow overcomes insurmountable odds, he instead took the fight to their overseers. The fact that this act impressed the most powerful leaders on Mars really demonstrated the madness and ruthlessness of this world.
Darrow gets Beaten in the Garden (GS)
The opening of Golden Son shows Darrow and crew taking a huge lose. After his defeat, the Bellona siblings come to add insult to injury beating him and by peeing on him. It’s refreshing to see the hero at their lowest, and to see how they will climb back up from the pit. This might not be Darrow’s lowest moment, but it’s one of great importance to him and his mission.
Bacon and Eggs (GS)
This is one of those perfectly placed chill moments. We get to enjoy the peace and quiet while Darrow and Mustang hash things out. Also the name of the chapter is Bacon and Eggs, what could be better?
Lorn Killing Tactus (GS)
Tactus deserved to be given the chance to show how good and loyal he truly was. He showed glimpses of it, but it was always overshadowed by the reckless choices he ended up making. Lorn took that chance away just as Tactus was making the choice to go against his orders to do what was right.
Mustang finds out Darrow’s a Red (GS)
I was on edge while Darrow and Mustang first interacted after she saw his carving. This tenseness was furthered more by the fact that Ragnar gave off incredibly strong implications that Mustang may not have many breaths left. I was as relieved as Darrow when Ragnar laid down his razor and gave Mustang her opportunity to decide her own future.
Finding out Fitchner is Ares (GS)
I spend a book and a half wondering who Ares was. At no point did i think Fitchner had the organization, intelligence, and ability to hide in plain site that was necessary for the role of Ares. I was truly taken aback by the discovery.
Darrow Breaks out of the Jackals estate (MS)
After a FANTASTIC ending in Golden Son, Pierce Brown follows it up wonderfully. A defeated Darrow is held captive by the Jackal. He’s spent a lot of time in a deep dark hole. He’s been outed as a Red and his death was staged. However, the Reaper is needed so much that people are willing to risk their lives over just the possibility that he may still be alive. In all this chaos Darrow also has the wits about him to help save Victra from her cell. Also, we are introduced to Trigg and Holiday, but unfortunately Trigg's introduction is a short one. Once again reminding us that no one is safe.
Breaking into Quicksilver’s meeting (MS)
Seeing Sevro take on the role of Ares wasn't something I would have predicted back when this all began, but here we are. His mission is to kidnap Quicksilver in hopes of sticking it to the Sovereign. However, his inability to listen to reason, and his power trip, nearly cost them everything. Also seeing Mustang and the Telemanuses in the room with the enemy put a lot of questions on the table.
Howler Initiation (MS)
Anytime we get to see a glimpse into the insanity that is Sevro, I’ve enjoyed it. He’s a person who doesn’t care what others think, but also cares deeply about those around him. Initiating Darrow, Holiday, and Victra into the Howlers is among the greatest compliments he could give them.
Darrow Recruiting the lowcolors (MS)
This gave me chills during the most recent time I read Morning Star. Darrow standing in front of all the lowcolors that he is fighting for, as the live feed of an Obsidian leading a bloody charge against Gold was an inspiring recruiting pitch.
Meeting with Roque on Io (MS)
The is the last time that we see Roque and Darrow together before their final standoff. I wanted nothing more than to have the two sit down and be able to talk without any agendas or plots. Alas, this meeting on Io was the closes thing we got, and though it was mostly a planned out plot filled with lies and deceit, we were able to see one glimpse of a real moment between the two before Roque leaves the moon.
Sevro and Victra’s Wedding (MS)
While Victra may not be front and center on a lot of my moments, I really like her character. She’s done a lot to prove her loyalty to Darrow and friends all the while being subjected to murmurs of her disloyalty. Her acceptance into the family by marrying Sevro is a touching moment, and another time where we get to see what these soldiers are like when they are not in battle or prepping for one.
Sevro Comes Back to Life (MS)
This was amazing in two regards. First it confirmed that there was more to be seen from the Goblin in the future of the Red Rising Universe, and the more Sevro we get, the better. It also redeemed Cassius (my favorite character) by showing him turn on the life he’s always known in order to do what was right.
THE LIST
10. Mud
Golden Son
For me this wasn't so much the moment itself but the way it was described. It's not just your typical “buried alive” scene. Darrow and company were caught off guard. They are now sinking down in the mud unable to move, just awaiting their death.
The pain in this chapter is so brutally written that I can feel Darrow cut himself to get free. On top of that, this is the moment where we see Ragnar cry. The big brute is letting out tears as he thought he might be dying. Seeing this great man even be fearful of death was a little eye opening. Up until this point, we have not seen even a glimmer of fear in his eyes.
Ragnar gets his chance to shine later on though. After being saved, Ragnar is given a razor. This weapon is meant for Golds only, but Ragnar wields it wonderfully. Him and Darrow take turns carving up enemies left and right. Ragnar and Darrow didn't get a lot of solo moments in the series, but it's nice that one of them is an action packed murder spree. It's followed up by bittersweet resolutions as Sevro and some Howlers are found alive, but others have breathed their last breath.
9. Cassius and Darrow Away from War
Morning Star
Pierce Brown is a talented writer and one of his best traits is how he makes characters feel so real. We get plenty of examples of this throughout the series, but a favorite of mine is at the tail end of the trilogy. Cassius and Darrow have been through a lot together. While in the Academy the two were like brothers. Once Cassius found out Darrow was the one who killed Julian though, nothing was the same. A lot of our top moments are when Darrow and Cassius are at each other's throats, razor in hand. It'd be a shame if we didn't mention the moment where, while they still are at odds, they have a moment of clarity.
This moment feels so good to read. It's a glimpse at maybe what could have been had Julian not fallen to Darrow in the Passage. Cassius and Darrow play off each other so well, and regardless of their dissolved friendship, they have a lot of respect for each. They are admirable men but on the flip side of the coin. Both fighting for family, but in order to save their family they have had to constantly try to one up each other.
This is the resolution I didn't know I needed. I figured in the end, one of them was going to kill the other. Presumably Cassius dying to Darrow since the story is from Darrow's perspective. It was a wonderful twist that instead of death we got to see two former friends hang out and talk about the old days.
8. The Taking of the Vanguard
Golden Son
The Red Rising trilogy makes a habit of putting our characters into situations where the possibility of survival and victory seem unreachable. This usually leads to our hero, Darrow, doing something batshit crazy that ultimately leads to their escape, though a trail of bodies always seem to be left behind. In this case, however, instead of someone we loved being ripped away from us, we were instead introduced to someone we would all come to love: Ragnar
My favorite thing about this sequence is the fact that Darrow refuses to vent the ship, and instead, lets the lowcolors fight for their freedom. I’m always concerned when our heroes have a chance to succumb to mass murder for the sake of the greater good. I understand it has to happen in the long run of the story, but I enjoy the creative ways that are sometimes found around it. When Darrow and Sevro landed on the bridge of the Vanguard, I assumed that they would do what they needed to in order to make it out alive. I thought this would ultimately lead to the sacrifice of most, if not all, of the ship’s crew. Instead, by letting the crew fight for Darrow and the cause, we are able to acquire personalities like Orion and Ragnar. Reading that bold, thunderous text for the first time was such a welcome sight.
7. Ragnar's Death
Morning Star
While bittersweet, Pierce Brown is good at killing off characters you love. Their deaths are moments of tragedy that stick with you after the book is done. Ragnar’s death is no exception to this. Ragnar, to me, was a beacon of hope on Darrow’s squad. He was the big, loveable muscle, and was truly the heart of the team. We probably could have made a top ten Ragnar moments because, to me, he truly was a scene stealer. The scene where he’s playing with the kids or talking to Darrow about his upbringing. We got to know Ragnar very well and to see him go was awful.
The backdrop of Ragnar’s fall is another reason why this stick in my mind. The crew are on his home turf in hopes of gathering the help of his Obsidian people. It’s cold, and cannibals are lurking around, and then they are forced to deal with Cassius and Aja as well. You think this fight is well in control of Darrow and company, Cassius has taken an arrow to the throat and Ragnar is seemingly at least fending off Aja’s attacks. That is until Darrow notices that Aja had Ragnar right where she wanted him. He now laid bleeding out in the snows of his people. Another friend of Darrow died right in front of him and there was nothing he could do but watch.
Ragnar’s hope was to have a good death and while I was hoping he would stick around to the end, I can at least cope with the fact that he got a great send off. He got to see his sister, Sefi, one more time and be around friends until his last breath. I personally think this death was one of, if not the hardest, for me to swallow in the Red Rising series and that’s why I’m glad we at least got it in our top ten.
6. The End of Pax and the Jackal's First Impression
Red Rising
I can’t decide whether this scene makes me think more about Pax or the Jackal. Pax was our lovable warrior. He showed a fiery loyalty to Mustang which translated to a respectable loyalty to Darrow. He was kind and thoughtful when the swords were put away, and as fierce as they came when a battle came calling. He had the potential to steal the show if he would have managed to last through the whole trilogy, and it seems cruel that we never got that chance.
The Jackal, on the other hand, hadn’t shown quite what he was capable of yet. We had heard stories, and there was always a whisper in the wind about him, but of the little we’d actually seen of him at this point, there was a feeling of being underwhelmed. That is until Darrow tosses him a knife and tells him to do what jackals do. That’s when we finally see the crazy that’s been stored up inside the Jackal’s head. He’ll saw off his own hand if it means he can escape and have a chance at his victory. It’s chilling.
5. The Poet's Final Breath
Morning Star
This was one of the hardest deaths for me to accept. Throughout this entire series, Roque au Fabii seems to be the most good natured and honorable of the golds. He was one of the few who showed any respect towards the lowcolors without any agenda. He did it because he was kind hearted and respectful of everyone, regardless of class or color. This is why it was so frustrating that he refused to open up his mind to the possibility of equality across all colors.
The reason his death hurts so much is that there was such a strong love between Roque and Darrow. A love that I found myself constantly believing was strong enough to overcome the hurt and betrayal that came from both sides of this friendship. I thought it was possible after Quinn’s Death. I thought it was still possible after the Iron Rain. Call me naive, but I still think it would have been possible after Roque’s betrayal in the Triumph. If these two stubborn golds would have been forced to be in a room together and be given the chance to talk and mend fences, I believe they could have came out on the same side.
That belief is the reason Roque’s death kills me. It was the death of the chance at reconnection and understanding. It wasn’t until this moment, where Roque gave up on himself and his life, that I gave up on him. He was one of the few golds that would have deserved to be a part of the new life that Darrow was creating, but that chance was cut off by the hands of the Poet of Deimos himself.
4. The Gala
Golden Son
Golden Son is personally my favorite book in the trilogy, but it starts off a bit slow. There’s a couple decently exciting points to start, but for the most part, the first one hundred or so pages is an introduction to the politics that surround Mars and the Society as a whole. It’s a pretty interesting necessity for where the series ultimately goes, but lacks the action and excitement that you are used to by the end of Red Rising. That all changes when Darrow enters the Gala.
This “moment” is two fold for me. As I was starting to adapt to the slower sci-fi political drama that I had been going through, Darrow ripped that image away as he lept and soared and stomped all the way to the seat of his former friend Cassius au Bellona, and with the tipping of wine, set the action back in place. I wondered, as Darrow dueled with Cassius, what the strategy would be. He was, and always had been, clearly outmatched with a razor compared to his rival, and the beginning of the duel ran parallel to that idea. Then, just as I was starting to believe Darrow would lose, he revealed that he had become the final student of Lorn au Arcos. He then subdued Cassius, which led to the Sovereign showing her favoritism toward house Bellona, and as tensions were rising, Darrow ignored all around him and sliced off Cassius’ arm. This began the war that would take center stage throughout Golden Son.
Cassius is my favorite character, so everytime he is in danger and seems to have the chance of seeing the light, I get on edge. I was also ready for the book to step into another gear. Mix that with some Darrow and Mustang unspoken glances, and Bellona and Augustus being eager for blood, this moment has a lot going for it. This is one of my favorite books of all time and in my mind it is bookmarked by two amazing moments. This is when Golden Son got going and this is when I knew that this trilogy was going to get better and better when it was already riding so high.
3. Sevro's Backflip
Morning Star
This is my personal favorite moment in the entire series. I remember exactly where I was and I don’t remember quite where I had to be that day, but I know I was late. This sequence took precedence over anything else. It had so much that went into it.
Cassius is, and has always been, my favorite character in this series. Throughout most of Morning Star, Pierce kept giving me high anxiety about whether or not Cassius was going to make it through to the end of the story. He had already taken an arrow to the throat at this point. I internally mourned his death already, since I still underestimated the might of an Iron Gold apparently (an arrow… to the throat). This moment had him being shoved off by Sevro and dangling by the aforementioned throat. If there was a moment for him to go, then why not this? It could have been the moment that the goblin finally let his demonic madness take over and get the best of him.
Sevro teeters on the edge of “too much violence” throughout much of Morning Star. Sevro had been leader for almost a year and wasn’t used to being contradicted by anyone. This eventually lead to he and Darrow making up and clarifying what the pecking order is, and yet I still never got fully back on board with believing Sevro would give back the power that he lost. This would have been his moment to further encourage violence, while at the same time, claiming justice for his father’s murder. It was enough to keep me unsure of what he was going to do. He was capable of anything, and yet he seemingly did the impossible.
At this moment in the book, there was a riot that seemed to be uncontrollable. That’s what made Sevro’s decision to go off the rail with the noose around his own neck so shocking. I tried running through every scenario in my head, and there was no coming back from this. We hadn’t yet seen where Sefi’s loyalties lied. We didn’t know the commitment that Kavax truly had to the overall goal. We didn’t even know the lowcolors were truly able to think of Sevro as part of them, as he claimed leadership of a rebellion against Gold as a Gold himself. There were so many variables that kept this moment in a frenzy. It could have gone anywhere, and yet Sevro found the exact combination of crazy in order to keep all madness at bay.
2. Darrow's Triumph in the Garden
Golden Son
This is the perfect ending for a middle chapter. We get a glimpse into the future and right before the book ends, that all gets shook up. I saw something coming but I had no idea it was something of this nature.
My jaw dropped reading as Roque switched sides, Cassius and Aja storm in, and the Jackal murders his dad. Not to mention Lorn, the unkillable, slayed in front of his family. I couldn't believe the amount of swerve that occurs in about two pages.
Darrow's mission to break the chains has gone through so many low points that it might have been nice to end book two on a little bit of a high note. However, Pierce Brown (thankfully) thought it'd be better to use that time to sink Darrow's chances of success even lower. The last order of business is of course to show Darrow the box and when Fitchner's head is inside, you know book three is going to go some places. I had more questions than answers going into the final part of the trilogy and that's just the way I like it.
1. The Passage
Red Rising
The Red Rising series is filled to the brim with action, drama, romance, and laughter. These moments all come together perfectly to form what I consider to be my favorite book series of all time (Sorry Mr. Potter). Of all the moments we've talked about above, picking the number one moment was honestly the easiest for me. It's the moment that sold me 100% on the series and sent chills down my spine.
I remember exactly where I was while I read this chapter. I was sitting in my car before a softball game, having arrived about 30 minutes early I decided to pull Red Rising out. I had no idea that I was about to read one of the, if not the, most memorable moments in my personal literary history. It was more than just a kill or be killed moment. Darrow's entire mission was in jeopardy and standing in his way was a young boy who had done nothing wrong.
By this point in the book we have a lot of world building and that's about it. Soon after, Darrow sets on his way to the Academy we are introduced to many new characters. Of all these students, one really stuck out, Julian au Bellona. He is smart, kind and a little naive, and while Darrow views him as an enemy, he quickly learns that not all golds are monsters.
The night of the Passage changes everything. We hear talks of it coming and no one knows what it is. Well that is until Darrow is beaten and taken to a cold, stone walled room, and his first of many tough choices. In order to be accepted into the academy he must first kill his new friend. He must do so naked in the dark, and without a weapon. Julian, again naive, is hesitant in his attack. Julian is a Bellona, though, and he is proud. He understands that he needs this not only for himself, but as to not let his family down. This pride, while admirable isn’t enough to stop Darrow.
In this moment, Pierce Brown perfectly puts together the chain of thoughts that Darrow has. His quick acceptance of the situation, his regret, his brutality, his willingness to do whatever it takes to keep moving forward. In that moment, and many more to follow, it's not just about him. Eo wanted him to break the chains and in order to do that he will have to make tough choices and play along with the Golds. If they need him to kill one of their own, even one as innocent as Julian, then so be it.
This moment, for me, was getting to see what sort of book this was going to be. As I read Darrow's vicious attack on Julian I couldn't believe it. We not only get a glimpse of what Darrow will do, but also how the Golds think. In order to thin out their numbers, to have the best of the best, they force children to fight to the death.
Julian was on my mind as I read the entire series. What if it was him instead of Cassius that made it through? How would he have accepted Darrow as a red? Unfortunately, he died too soon for us to know and, like Darrow, I was left with tears in my eyes for a young boy gone too soon.
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