Picked by Red Rising fans

Here are 72 books that Red Rising fans have personally recommended once you finish the Red Rising series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of Ender's Game

Christopher Farrar Author Of By the Waters of Babylon

From my list on fantasy and scifi about ethical and moral growth.

Why am I passionate about this?

My dad raised me on science fiction and fantasy. At first, it was enough for me to be entertained by stories of spaceflight, of rescuing maidens in distress, and of fighting bug-eyed monsters. But over the years, as I read more, I realized that I wanted stories with a moral or ethical center, stories where murder, mayhem, and war were to be avoided if possible, and where, if they couldn’t be avoided, the protagonists struggled deeply with the moral dimensions of the actions forced upon them. I wanted to see characters growing into their ethical consciousness.

Christopher's book list on fantasy and scifi about ethical and moral growth

Christopher Farrar Why Christopher loves this book

I love this book because although it seems at a casual glance to be written in the mold of 50s and 60s science fiction, with earthmen fighting bug-eyed aliens, it’s, in fact, a profound exploration of the morality of war, of chances, lost and motives misunderstood and of the ruthless use of children as combatants.

The training regimen of the children is gripping, as is the climactic space battle, but it’s the ending of the novel that gives the story its deep spiritual resonance.

By Orson Scott Card ,

Why should I read it?

22 authors picked Ender's Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Orson Scott Card's science fiction classic Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut―young Ender is the Wiggin drafted…


Book cover of Project Hail Mary

Brian Guthrie Author Of Rise

From my list on science fiction that you should definitely read.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since reading Heir to the Empire (Timothy Zahn), I’ve been fascinated by science fiction stories with amazing characters and intriguing concepts. I love finding a new story, especially one that isn’t being talked about, and falling into that world. I still get lost in the worlds of the Deathgate Cycle and Rose of the Prophets because they introduced me to concepts and places I’d never imagined or thought to imagine before reading them. I crafted a world and characters both familiar and alien because of these influences and I’m still drawn to them when I start a new book no one is talking about, like those on this list.

Brian's book list on science fiction that you should definitely read

Brian Guthrie Why Brian loves this book

From the moment I first began listening to the audiobook, I fell in love with this story. I was all in the moment Ryland Grace stumbled through answering the question “What is 2 plus 2?” The layering of the story, the threat to Earth concept, the educational presentation of very high-level scientific concepts to an audience of all ages, and the way Andy Weir made this reader feel so many emotions over a rock just keep drawing me back to it.

I literally just finished another listen less than a month ago and already want to go back to a story. I still don’t see many people talking about it. And the ending? Every story has its own perfect dismount landing, and this one nailed it.

By Andy Weir ,

Why should I read it?

98 authors picked Project Hail Mary as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through…


Book cover of This Is How You Lose the Time War

Christian Hurst Author Of Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander

From my list on flawed heroes who rewrite their own destinies.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a science fiction fan for as long as I can remember. As someone who never quite felt like I fit in, these stories became a kind of refuge and revelation for me. They taught me that being on the outside looking in can be its own kind of superpower—the ability to see the world differently, to question it, and to imagine something better. I’m drawn to characters who are flawed, searching, and human, because they remind me that courage and belonging are choices we make, not gifts we’re given. That’s the heart of every story I love and the kind I try to write.

Christian's book list on flawed heroes who rewrite their own destinies

Christian Hurst Why Christian loves this book

From the first page, this story felt intimate and infinite all at once.

It’s written like a love letter and a battlefield, all at once. What I loved most was how it turned connection into an act of defiance, how two people trapped by duty and ideology choose to reach across time anyway.

Every line feels deliberate, like poetry disguised as science fiction. I was completely undone by how much humanity could fit into such a small space.

It reminded me that love, friendship, and understanding don’t need to make sense to be real; they just need to be chosen, again and again.

By Amal El-Mohtar , Max Gladstone ,

Why should I read it?

29 authors picked This Is How You Lose the Time War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF The Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novella, the Reddit Stabby Award for Best Novella AND The British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novella

SHORTLISTED FOR
2020 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award
The Ray Bradbury Prize
Kitschies Red Tentacle Award
Kitschies Inky Tentacle
Brave New Words Award

'A fireworks display from two very talented storytellers' Madeline Miller, author of Circe

Co-written by two award-winning writers, This Is How You Lose the Time War is an epic love story spanning time and space.

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It…


Book cover of Divergent

Lyndi Alexander Author Of Windmills

From my list on fantasy with female underdogs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love to cheer for underdogs, and young women who are in this category have my special devotion. As a child of the 1960s, I remember a time when women didn’t have the same rights and opportunities as men, and we still seem to be fighting it today. Coming from a trauma-based childhood myself, I find myself comparing and contrasting coping mechanisms. Luckily, I haven’t found it necessary to kill anyone with dragon stone or jacked-up hornets so far. It delights me when these girls win, whether they game the system or fight their way with guns and knives.

Lyndi's book list on fantasy with female underdogs

Lyndi Alexander Why Lyndi loves this book

I loved these books. The mystery of this society and its strict divisions fascinated me. I related to Tris immediately and her need for more excitement than her Abnegation family could provide. The detachment felt by so many of the characters in their daily roles resonated in my soul as something I have felt as well when confined by societal definition.

As I reflected in our own society, those at the top scheme to gain power for themselves, regardless of the effect on the rest of the people. I was proud of Tris and her colleagues, who joined together to create a better, more just society.

By Veronica Roth , Nicolas Delort (photographer) ,

Why should I read it?

17 authors picked Divergent as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The explosive debut by No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

DIVERGENT - a major motion picture series.

For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.

Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead....

A debut novel that will leave you breathless.


Book cover of Mistborn: The Final Empire

Wayne Kramer Author Of Heroes of Time Legends: The Healer

From my list on unlikely heroes in magical worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved creating and writing stories since childhood, and my ambitions started early. I started one of my largest and longest writing endeavors back in middle school—novelizing a popular video game called Chrono Trigger—and even into adulthood, it stretched into a serious effort. I used it to hone my writing craft for years, constantly bouncing feedback off others. Eventually, people started to tell me that the best parts of that story were the scenes I added to enhance it, and I finally decided that I wanted to pursue the creation of my own fantasy series. 

Wayne's book list on unlikely heroes in magical worlds

Wayne Kramer Why Wayne loves this book

This particular book/series by Sanderson is a quickly-paced fantasy heist with a very cool magic system involving different metals. The main character, Vin, is a lowly commoner who ends up navigating the complex social web of nobility. It’s a fascinating progression with a fascinating and satisfying result.

This book has loosely inspired some aspects of action, nobility, and the gem-based magic system found in my Heroes of Time series. One review of my book Murdoch’s Choice called it “Mistborn on a Boat.”

By Brandon Sanderson ,

Why should I read it?

38 authors picked Mistborn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Brandon Sanderson - the international phenomenon who finished the Wheel of Time sequence - introduces a fantasy trilogy which overturns the expectations of readers and goes on to tell the epic story of evil overturned in a richly imagined world.

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash…


Book cover of The Hunger Games

Lizzie Fry Author Of The Coven

From my list on dystopian worlds that rival our own binfire planet.

Why am I passionate about this?

As well as being a novelist, I am also a script editor for film and TV. I specialise in thriller narratives and big themes in screenwriting, so it's no accident I am drawn to them in fiction too. Dystopian worlds offer such a rich backdrop for the BIG questions and observations. By putting new societies and threats under the microscope in stories, it can hold a mirror up to what's going on in real life. I think of dystopian novels as being akin to the canaries in the coal mine: they are not only cathartic, they sound the warning bell on where we are going as a society ourselves.

Lizzie's book list on dystopian worlds that rival our own binfire planet

Lizzie Fry Why Lizzie loves this book

I love this book because of Katniss Everdeen's depth. She’s not just another “kickass hottie”, she’s complex, with a powerful character arc driven by a deep sense of responsibility.

The book’s commentary on mental health and Katniss' parentification resonated with me personally. The story world of all the districts and President Snow's iron grip on them is well-drawn and has parallels to our own, too. 

By Suzanne Collins ,

Why should I read it?

59 authors picked The Hunger Games as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before - and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...


Book cover of Dune

L. S. O'Dea Author Of Escape

From my list on create new worlds and unique fictional characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was sick as a child and bedridden for several months. This was before 24/7 TV and computers. I began to read A LOT. I read everything and anything that I could find, but my favorite topics were animals and nature. I also read science fiction and fantasy. It’s not a surprise that those topics merged into my writing and life. I currently live on five acres that I’ve left mostly for the wildlife. My nephew calls me his aunt who lives in the forest with reindeer. That is way cooler than my real life, so I’m good with that. All my books have nature and friendship as main themes.

L. S.'s book list on create new worlds and unique fictional characters

L. S. O'Dea Why L. S. loves this book

This entire series was amazing. Okay, a few of the books were a bit slow, but overall, it was great. The new worlds, the political intrigue, everything about this story was great. There were histories that drove the characters that were only hinted at or mentioned in passing, but they brought life to them. Just like we are all shaped by our past, our countries, and our places in society, so are all the characters in this book.

My favorite character wasn’t Paul, though; it was Duncan Idaho. I was so sad when he was killed, but I was fascinated when they brought him back from the dead in the second book and others because Herbert made it so interesting. The bodyguard programmed, created even, to kill the one he once died to protect. Now, that’s some drama right there. 😊 

The twists, turns, and world-building were amazing. I learned…

By Frank Herbert ,

Why should I read it?

76 authors picked Dune as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Before The Matrix, before Star Wars, before Ender's Game and Neuromancer, there was Dune: winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, and widely considered one of the greatest science fiction novels ever written.

Melange, or 'spice', is the most valuable - and rarest - element in the universe; a drug that does everything from increasing a person's lifespan to making interstellar travel possible. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world of Arrakis.

Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe.

When the Emperor transfers stewardship of…


Book cover of The Calling

Lydia Ruanna Author Of The Goddess Binding

From my list on fantasy set in divided worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

My reading habits came from my mom, a voracious reader. Every book she enjoyed she would leave on my bedside table. I’d read them after school until I fell asleep and finish them up in the morning before breakfast. All of that reading allowed me to hone in on my preferred genre. If you haven’t guessed by my list, it’s dystopian. No matter the story, it will never get old because it will always have three things: Self-discovery, hope, and an intriguing world to explore. In the rare lull between books, when I can’t find a world I like, I write one for myself.

Lydia's book list on fantasy set in divided worlds

Lydia Ruanna Why Lydia loves this book

I loved reading this book for the same reason that I loved reading Divergent; the idea of splitting a society up into factions makes this story ripe for dystopian themes.

I’ve always been drawn to this genre for its common themes of self-discovery and hope, and this does an amazing job of checking off those boxes for me.

By L.C. Pye ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Calling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Answering the calling may be the last thing she does.

For thirty years, the people of Landore have been segregated by the five callings, living in disunity and isolation.

But for 18-year-old Talia Caffrey choosing one of the five is her hope at finding a place in a society that has rejected her. When her best friend, Jules, is kidnapped on the eve of her calling ceremony, everything changes. She walks away from her chance at belonging, becoming a fugitive who must hide her true self.

Talia’s life becomes even more complicated when she encounters seven strangers who challenge everything…


Book cover of Dhampir: Part Vampire. Part Human. Perfect Hunter

Brandi Schonberg Author Of The Gate

From my list on hopeful unlikely heroes who change their fate.

Why am I passionate about this?

Escapism is my drug of choice. As a child, I was angry that my existence was confined to this reality, and I did everything I could to find a way out. Stories made it bearable. Whether it was Thor’s Bifrost, the wardrobe of Narnia, or the mirror in Stephen R. Donaldson’s Mordant’s Need duology, I was hooked. Now, I tell my own stories of escape. I create and invite others to find solace, adventure, love, and passion in fantasy realms, outer space, and reinvented parallel realities. This door is always open. 

Brandi's book list on hopeful unlikely heroes who change their fate

Brandi Schonberg Why Brandi loves this book

No matter how long since I entered the world of Magiere and Leesil, I find my mind wandering back occasionally. Perhaps I connected with Magiere’s awareness of her difference to all those around her. Her desire to walk away from life as a mercenary vampire slayer intrigued me because, though she had a hard exterior, the book offered a smattering of opportunities to see beneath her rough surface into the human part of her heart.

Magiere’s emotional dichotomy resonates with me in an unexpected, life-altering manner. In fact, the story might have been a catalytic element in the crucible where the main character for my novel was born. Snarky humor permeates in places that bring levity to long periods of darkness, and a diverse and interesting cast of characters brings depth to the worldbuilding that Hendee crafts through their storytelling.

By Barb Hendee , J.C. Hendee ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dhampir as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She hunts the realm’s most dangerous game.

Her fees are exorbitant.

She’s worth every coin she receives.

Or is she?

 

Magiere has earned a reputation as the most formidable vampire slayer in the land. Villagers far and wide welcome her with both awe and disdain—grateful to her for ridding their towns of the undead menace, but finding themselves made poorer for their salvation. Magiere knows she’s dealing with simple folk, who only wish to have their superstitions silenced, and sees nothing wrong with exploiting them for profit.

 

Now, tired of the game, Magiere and her partner, the half-elf Leesil, are…


Book cover of Beastars, Vol. 1

Jeremy Szal Author Of Stormblood

From my list on SFF books about brotherhood and male friendships.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a young man who deals with issues of loneliness, depression, and melancholy, I’ve always been drawn to platonic male friendships in fiction. Seeing acts of brotherly courage and heroism on the page has always resonated with me, especially when my own friendships in the real world have felt lacking. Men aren’t the best at discussing their emotions, especially not with each other, and I’ve desperately sought out stories where even the most grizzled male heroes are, deep down, in need of a friend. In writing Stormblood, I wanted to have a strong sense of brotherhood and unity between the male cast members as they battle enemies and face their personal demons.

Jeremy's book list on SFF books about brotherhood and male friendships

Jeremy Szal Why Jeremy loves this book

I know what you’re thinking: why is manga series about an anthropomorphic wolf in a school of animals on this list? But bear with me. (No pun intended).

Beastars is a manga series about animals that has a lot to say about humans. Themes include othering, prejudice, nature vs. nurture, et cetera. But there’s also a lot of brotherhood. One of the main characters is a wolf with anxiety, and the other is a red deer with a domineering, arrogant attitude. And yet, they become unlikely allies and brothers as they navigate their own animalistic instincts in a world full of lies, half-truths, and social pressures. 

I found them to be very flawed, very human (animal?) characters. Their unflinching resolve and determination to bring out the best in each other until the very end make this slice-of-life animal drama so compelling.

By Paru Itagaki ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Beastars, Vol. 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

At this high school, instead of jocks and nerds, the students are divided into predators and prey.

At a high school where the students are literally divided into predators and prey, it's personal relationships that maintain the fragile peace. Who among them is a Beastar-an academic and social role model destined to become a leader in a society naturally rife with mistrust?

Last night at Cherryton Academy, an herbivore student was killed and eaten. Among the members of the drama club, the herbivores' suspicions naturally turn to their carnivore classmates... The prime suspect? Legosi, a large wolf. But he wouldn't…