Take My Money
Red Rising
Pierce Brown
Ranked #2 of 5 in Books · Reviewed June 2026
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Take My Money — A solid pick. An easy recommendation with no asterisks.
Darker and more adult than most of what gets shelved next to it. This is science fiction rather than fantasy, built on tech and a caste system instead of magic, and the difference matters. The character arc across the series is the real draw, watching someone get remade by the world he's trying to break. It sits below Dungeon Crawler Carl in the field because DCC pulls off both moods at once, but this is the better book on its darkest pages.
Coverage has a shelf life. Top picks get revisited yearly, so this ranking reflects where things stand today.