Pierce Brown’s Red Rising saga currently includes six published novels, three prequel graphic novels, and a newer serialized story called The Book of Lorn. An upcoming seventh main novel, Red God, will finish the saga.
For a first-time reader, the best way to read the Red Rising books is in publication order. Start with Red Rising and continue through the six main novels before exploring the prequel stories.
Do not begin with the prequels, even though they happen earlier. Both Sons of Ares and The Book of Lorn work better after the novels have introduced their characters and secrets.
This guide covers every published part of the Red Rising universe without spoiling the story.
The Red Rising books in publication order
Here is the reading order for the main Red Rising novels:
- Red Rising (2014)
- Golden Son (2015)
- Morning Star (2016)
- Iron Gold (2018)
- Dark Age (2019)
- Light Bringer (2023)
- Red God (forthcoming)
The first three novels form the original Red Rising trilogy. Iron Gold begins a second story arc set ten years later.
That second arc will contain four books instead of three. It concludes with Red God, which does not yet have an official release date.
The best complete Red Rising reading order
Readers only need the main novels to understand Darrow’s story. The prequel comics and The Book of Lorn add background, but they remain optional.
For the cleanest first-time experience, use this complete order:
- Red Rising
- Golden Son
- Morning Star
- Iron Gold
- Dark Age
- Light Bringer
- Pierce Brown’s Red Rising: Sons of Ares Omnibus (optional)
- The Book of Lorn (optional)
- Red God when it releases
This order keeps the main story moving and protects every major reveal. It also gives the prequels more meaning because you already know where their characters eventually end up.
You can read Sons of Ares immediately after Morning Star if you want a break between the two main arcs. That is the earliest spoiler-safe place for it.
Where do the Sons of Ares graphic novels fit?
Sons of Ares tells the story of the rebellion before Darrow enters it. Pierce Brown and Rik Hoskin wrote the series, which Dynamite Entertainment originally released as individual comic issues.
The complete story now appears in three collected volumes:
- Pierce Brown’s Red Rising: Sons of Ares
- Sons of Ares, Volume 2: Wrath
- Sons of Ares, Volume 3: Forbidden Song
The Sons of Ares Omnibus collects all three volumes in one book.
Chronologically, these events happen before Red Rising. Reading them first would still be a mistake.
The comics build their story around information that the original trilogy treats as a mystery. Starting with them would spoil one of the trilogy’s most important reveals.
Wait until you finish Morning Star. You can read the omnibus at that point or save it until after Light Bringer.
The comics add valuable history, but the main novels never require them. Readers who only want Darrow’s central story can skip them.
Where does The Book of Lorn fit?
The Book of Lorn combines new prose from Pierce Brown with comic art by Giannis Milonogiannis.
Its prose storyline follows Darrow’s secret training with Lorn au Arcos. Those scenes take place between Red Rising and Golden Son. Each episode also contains comic sections about earlier periods in Lorn’s life.
Do not insert it between the first two novels during your first read. It introduces people, relationships, and parts of Darrow’s development that Golden Son reveals in its own way.
The safest placement comes after Light Bringer. By then, you will understand why Lorn’s history and teachings matter throughout the saga.
Brown first released the project serially through his Patreon. He has also confirmed that it will eventually become a physical book.
Can you stop after Morning Star?
Yes. Morning Star concludes the original trilogy and resolves its immediate central story.
However, stopping there means missing nearly half of the planned saga. Iron Gold begins a new arc about the cost of revolution and the difficulty of building something after a rebellion succeeds.
Taking a short break may actually help. The ten-year jump and new viewpoints feel less abrupt when readers approach Iron Gold as the start of another era.
Do you need to read Sons of Ares?
No. The six published novels contain everything required to follow the main plot.
Read Sons of Ares if you want more history about the rebellion and several important figures behind it. Skip it if you want to remain entirely with the novels.
Is the Red Rising series finished?
Not yet.
Six of the seven planned main novels have been published. Light Bringer is the latest, while Red God will complete the saga.
The original trilogy does have a complete ending. New readers can safely begin the series without waiting for Book 7.
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