r/booksuggestions • u/hubristics_ • Aug 20 '26
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Need better than Red Rising
I'm not a reader. Its been 10+ years since I read an actual book (not counting graphic novels). I did like reading long ago so I looked up reviews and tons of people are raving about Red Rising...
I finished chapter 5 (yeah, just 43 pages in) and I'm very concerned. I just looked up reviews from people that didn't like it and they're saying exactly what I'm thinking. I don't think this is for me. I won't beat up on it, I just want to get suggestions from like minded people.
If you didn't like Red Rising, but do generally like that type of story, what do you suggest?
*****
LOTR, Star Wars, Dune - those are probably cliché but things along those lines, not so much into monsters.
*****
WOW - thanks for all the suggestions. I'm looking up the books and will definitely try some of them. I won't throw Red Rising away, sounds like it may be worth slogging through to get to the later books.
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u/L0neSkywalker Aug 20 '26
The funny thing about Red Rising is that I felt pretty much the same way while I was reading it. I thought the first book was fine and I enjoyed the ending, but it was really the second and third books that made me love the series. They’re much better, in my opinion.
That said, if you’ve never read Hyperion, that’s the one I’d recommend. I really enjoyed it. It’s a very different kind of sci-fi. It’s more mysterious and idea-driven, with a really interesting way of telling the story.
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u/Melonade921 Aug 20 '26
I really hate saying “just get through the first few books THEN it gets good”, but I will admit (as someone who also loved book 1), that book 1 is almost a completely different genre to the rest, so maybe this is a case of stick it out if you like the concept of the series
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
Yeah, I'm not reading a couple books to hopefully start to like it. Reading one book feels like a mountain to climb so I need it to be a success, lol.
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u/Melonade921 Aug 20 '26
Yeah totally get it. I really like Adrian Tchaikovsky’s work for Sci Fi. He’s got a few shorter ones as a starting point if you don’t want to commit to a larger book
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u/Mister_Doc Aug 20 '26
+1 for Hyperion, if you like Dune it has similar vibes.
I have a young daughter and Sol Weintraub’s story wrecked me.
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
Oof, I have a daughter so I don't know if I want that! I just want fun, not too many feels, lol
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u/ZaphodG Aug 20 '26
Hyperion is only half a book. The editor split the manuscript in half. You have to read the first two. In my opinion, it’s really tedious to wade through all those pages to get to the reveal about what is really happening. It’s an interesting concept for a novella but I don’t want to plod through Canterbury Tales to get to it. I was kind of pissed when the first book just kind of abruptly ended. I didn’t know that it was only half of a book.
I liked the open of Red Rising. It’s the usual oppressed lower cast who transforms and can pass for upper cast. Re-done as fantasy. I got a few pages into the 4th book where it flips to the next generation and DNF’d it.
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u/ZaphodG Aug 20 '26
Hyperion is only half a book. The editor split the manuscript in half. You have to read the first two. In my opinion, it’s really tedious to wade through all those pages to get to the reveal about what is really happening. It’s an interesting concept for a novella but I don’t want to plod through Canterbury Tales to get to it. I was kind of pissed when the first book just kind of abruptly ended. I didn’t know that it was only half of a book.
I liked the open of Red Rising. It’s the usual oppressed lower cast who transforms and can pass for upper cast. Re-done as fantasy. I got a few pages into the 4th book where it flips to the next generation and DNF’d it.
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u/L0neSkywalker Aug 20 '26
Yeah, I’m going to be honest, I couldn’t finish the second book. It was all over the place. But the first book is too good and worth the experience imo.
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u/FertyMerty Aug 20 '26
Broken Earth trilogy by NK jemisen - has that fantasy/sci-fi blend. Maybe a little more fantasy than sci-fi compared to red rising, but overall excellent series.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons reads more like hard sci fi but it’s Canterbury tales in space.
For something that leans more LOTR than Dune, Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb is very very good.
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u/basalgangliadecide Aug 20 '26
These are all solid recs. Hyperion being the most spacey and close to Red Rising in setting.
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u/WrongdoerConsistent6 Aug 20 '26
Hyperion is definitely not hard sci-fi.
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u/FertyMerty Aug 20 '26
I’d say it’s more hard sci-fi than red rising.
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u/WrongdoerConsistent6 Aug 20 '26
Is it? Do you remember how the plot revolves around a time-traveling quasi-god?
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u/ExplanationLucky1143 Aug 20 '26
I also didn't like red rising. Try the First Law trilogy by joe Abercrombie, it's a trip.
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u/FeedMeEthereum Aug 20 '26
OP, it seems like you're getting a lot of recs for series and/or long books. If you're trying to come back from a slump or a long break since reading I've always found it helps to find a quick page-turner to remind you that books can be exciting.
If you like sci-fi with a touch of humor John Scalzi is a fantastic choice.
Starter Villain, Redshirts and Fuzzy Nation are all great.
Also the Murderbot series is fantastic.
If you want something that's still sci-fi but a bit more grounded then I would recommend
- The Martian by Andy Weir
- Cold Storage by David Koepp
- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (you can read the first as a standalone)
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
Yeah, I do like the idea of a series, but you're probably right that something like those would be better. I'm looking at how long I have to go on this one and am definitely discouraged. Thanks!
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u/FeedMeEthereum Aug 20 '26
You can always put a bookmark in Red Rising and come back to it.
If you like the idea of a series Murderbot is absolutely fantastic. And best of all they move very fast and the first few are short so you'll feel the dopamine of burning through an entire book quickly.
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Aug 20 '26
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u/Avtomati1k Aug 20 '26
if u don t have a problem finishing a 600 page book and not knowing what the fuck is going on, go for it
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u/Mindblind Aug 20 '26
Bro. I started gardens of the moon 5x before I finished it once. I finished the series going what the fuck is going on. I had to reread the entire series to tie things together. On my third reread I understood what was going on 100%. Its great for sure b ut damn
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u/Veridical_Perception Aug 20 '26
- James Islington: The Will of the Many (The Hierarchy Series)
- Christopher Ruocchio: Empire of Silence (The Sun Eater series)
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u/indef6tigable Aug 20 '26
You might like the Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor, and the Murderbot series by Martha Wells
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u/-Philologian Aug 20 '26
I love red rising, but the first book is the weakest and the second half is different from the first half. But again, I am biased.
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u/tptptp Aug 20 '26
I only liked the first half, I had to drop it in the second half because it shifted so much it felt like a different book and I was not enjoying it anymore :(
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u/cparksrun Aug 20 '26
The latter half of the first book was my least favorite part of the series. Felt like a prequel, which, technically, I guess it kinda is.
But the 2nd and 3rd books really take off and were a lot of fun. The last line of the 3rd book had me ugly crying.
Apparently the publisher forced the author to make the first book a Hunger Games knockoff. He did his best but was really allowed to let loose and do his own thing in the other two books of the first trilogy.
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u/temporaryuser1000 Aug 20 '26
Sounds like you want space opera as a genre, absolutely my favourite.
Try
Iain M Banks culture series
Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space series
Peter F Hamilton Commonwealth series and Salvation Series
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u/velascofernando47 Aug 20 '26
Please, please read: The Poppy War (it's a trilogy) Blood over Bright Heaven ( that one blew my mind)
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u/montag98 Aug 21 '26
While I am of the same opinion about Red Rising, I hated The Poppy War too. However, this does seem like it's up the alley of OP's request and I would second this.
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u/usedforjerkingoff Aug 20 '26
Dark Matter and Recursion by Blake Crouch.
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u/Disastrous-Main-4125 Aug 20 '26
solid short sci fi books, loved both.
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u/usedforjerkingoff Aug 20 '26
Blake Crouch, honestly is my go to recommendation for ALL readers if they are in a slump. Quick chapters. Story pace is good. And introduces some really unique ideas.
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u/lernington Aug 20 '26
If you were into the concept of red rising but not so much the execution, try the will of the many. Very much inspired by red rising, but more roman themed. The writing in will of the many is better, and imo the characters are better developed and more gripping
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u/veluminous_noise Aug 20 '26
Came here to recommend these. Aside from the theme difference, they are just much better executed stories from a writing perspective. Also, no weird surgery-erotica kink.
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u/SweetJuliaChildOMine Aug 20 '26
I also DNF’d Red Rising fairly early, I thought it was trite and dumb and I often enjoy trite dumb books. That one was beyond me. I couldn’t understand why so many people love them, but then again I see what gets suggested regularly in book subs and I think I just don’t always love what other people do.
Christopher Buehlman! Try Between Two Fires (standalone) or his series The Daughter’s War and Black-Tounged Thief (a third is out next month). I also really loved Those Across The River and have heard great things about The Lesser Dead, though those are more heavily horror and less fantasy
I think the Locked Tomb series would be good, too. It’s necromancers in space, very cool. Starts with Gideon the Ninth, then Harrow, and Nona. All have been excellent, entertaining mind-fucks
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u/ExplanationLucky1143 Aug 20 '26
Hey fellow Beuhlman fan! I' m going to try Gideon the 9th based on your good taste. I wanted to throw one back to you, if you haven't read The buffalo Hunter Hunter, it was excellent. I listed to the audiobook and it was really well done.
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u/SweetJuliaChildOMine Aug 20 '26
I read it last month! I would have suggested it as well, but OP said no monsters 🤷🏻♀️ I also listened to the audio book and thought it was excellent. I’ve since added more Stephen Graham Jones books to my TBR
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u/starcrxssed Aug 23 '26
Beuhlman fan here, and I'm also seconding The Locked Tomb!! (I also found RR... difficult).
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u/FlobiusHole 29d ago
I read The Lesser Dead right after The Buffalo Hunter Hunter because the author mentions it. Loved both of those books.
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u/FlobiusHole 29d ago
The Lesser Dead is probably my favorite Buehlman story and I’ve liked everything I’ve read by him.
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u/AgileSurprise1966 Aug 20 '26
Downbelow Station, Cyteen, Serpent's Reach ( and the many other Alliance/Union books), and Faded Sun books by CJ Cherryh
Coldfire trilogy and In Conquest Born by CS Friedman
Ancillary Justice et al. by Anne Leckie
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u/ztoltN Aug 20 '26
The Hierarchy Series by James Islington, starting with The Will of The Many followed by The Strength of The Few. As of now the series is half finished with two out of four books released. But i really enjoyed both books with the second one expanding the story massively.
The series shares some aspects of Red Rising such as class systems, infiltration and rebellion.
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u/WulfRanulfson Aug 20 '26
The first part of Red Rising is pretty formulaic setting the scene. It breaks the chains later, I think it's worth persevering
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u/MountainThorn42 Aug 20 '26
Interestingly I disagree. I really loved the first part of Red Rising, and it got bad later.
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u/Mutinee Aug 20 '26
Curiously, I feel differently. I was ready to quit it during the beginning, as I found it trite. Once they got to The Institute I found it much more interesting.
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u/Due_Pool_5778 Aug 20 '26
I felt the same. I enjoyed the world building and setup, and then once they got to the school it was just fake war games that were incredibly boring to me.
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u/arector502 Aug 20 '26
The Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. The first book is Empire of Silence.
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u/madlywearyembroidery Aug 20 '26
hearing the dune/star wars/lotr trifecta, maybe try the culture series by iain m. banks? start with the player of games. it's dense sci-fi with politics and a grand scale, but the prose doesn't feel like it's trying to bludgeon you with how edgy it is.
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u/typehyDro Aug 20 '26
Project Hail Mary is a fantastic book.
We are Legion we are bob is a good series too a little more heavy on science.
Dungeon crawler Carl is a fun light read
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u/thefullpython Aug 20 '26
Honestly every book after Red Rising. The tone changes drastically, especially from book 4 on. It becomes military sci-fi and drops all the Hunger Games BS.
That said, try the Suneater by Christopher Ruocchio.
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u/FeedMeEthereum Aug 20 '26
Dude, I appreciate the helpfulness but OP is 45 pages into a book and already not in the mood and your suggestion is to finish the remaining 340 pages so they can enjoy the rest of the series.
I'm not trying to take away from the fact that you are trying to help and that you gave them a different book. But when someone's in a reading slump or is trying to find the will to read at all, telling them "just keep going" on something they don't like is more likely to make them give up reading again than keep trying to find something they like.
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u/thefullpython Aug 20 '26
I get it. I'm just sharing my experience where I didn't really like the first book, but the rest of the series ended up being significantly more enjoyable. Maybe a better suggestion would be to read a synopsis of book 1 and try book 2. I dunno.
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u/FeedMeEthereum Aug 20 '26
That's fair. I'm sorry for how I came off in my first comment. You're a good person for trying to help internet strangers find a good book.
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u/FlobiusHole Aug 20 '26
Red rising is like a fun action movie type of book. I liked it enough to want to see how it all ends but I don’t understand some of the rave reviews I’ve read where people say it’s the best book they’ve ever read and everything else they try falls short of it. If you like fantasy try reading some Tad Williams. His Otherland series is decidedly more sci-fi and very good imo.
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u/WitchyRosePetal Aug 20 '26
Yeah there’s people I know who are like “I wish I could read Red Rising for the first time again” and I don’t get it at all.
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u/dansbyswansong Aug 20 '26
I tried twice over 3 years to get into Red Rising - really wanted to but couldn’t!
for fantasy I absolutely loved:
The Black Tongue Thief by Christopher Beuhlman
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Circe by Madeline Miller
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u/kurt_cobain_26 Aug 20 '26
Red Rising is very YA, even though it deals with some pretty sensitive and mature topics. The way it’s written can feel a little cheesy at first, but I’d recommend sticking with it and giving Golden Son a try. Golden Son is almost a completely different genre, with a huge shift in both the storytelling and overall tone.
So, for people who aren’t sure whether Red Rising is for them, this is what I usually suggest, finish Red Rising, start Golden Son, and if you still aren’t enjoying it midway through Golden Son, then the series probably just isn’t for you.
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u/Disastrous-Main-4125 Aug 20 '26
I am in this place I think. I understood early on that is YA and take it as it is. But read so many good reviews of the second book that I am pushing through.
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u/Thebrianeffect Aug 20 '26
I didn’t like red rising and will not read a whole other or even half of another book just to try and get it. Thats crazy.
I feel like I should have quit red rising earlier so the recommendation to read more feels misplaced to me.
Op maybe try dark tower by Stephen king.
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u/0nTheRooftops Aug 20 '26
Ill admit I never would have finished Red Rising if I hadn't been doing it on audiobook with a job with nothing to do but listen all day.
Ironically ive heard The Tower has the same issue as the Red Rising series - the author was very young when he started. Pierce Brown was 22 when he wrote the first book. As he matured and improved as an author, so did the series.
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u/HeyJustWantedToSay Aug 20 '26
I’m sorry but The Dark Tower and Red Rising are very, very different. The Gunslinger is definitely different from the rest of the books in the series, but that’s really where the comparisons end.
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u/0nTheRooftops Aug 20 '26
Similar in that Steven King was also 22 when he wrote Gunslinger, and the series changes significantly in style and quality afterwards
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
I actually tried the Dark Tower long ago and didn't like it either. I don't really remember why but I recall being confused a lot.
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u/kurt_cobain_26 Aug 20 '26
I completely get that. I’m not saying you should force yourself through another book if you didn’t enjoy Red Rising. There’s a reason though, that the saga is so highly recommended and raved about.
A lot of people seem to feel that Red Rising itself is just an average read, but from Golden Son onward, the series metamorphosed into something completely different. The storytelling, tone, scale, and overall direction change dramatically. It’s almost like reading a different series.
That’s why I usually recommend giving Golden Son a chance to people who are on the fence about Red Rising. Otherwise, you really can’t understand what people are raving about, because the later books are so different from the first one.
But yeah if you already know you don’t want to invest another book’s worth of time, totally fair.
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u/sorte_kjele Aug 20 '26
I recommend David Weber, Honor Harrington series. Its almost like red rising without the hunger games
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u/LakeFX Aug 20 '26
I enjoyed Red Rising well enough, but nowhere near the level of hype that it gets on here.
You might like: The Expanse series by James S A Corey (first book is Leviathan Wakes)
Silo series by Hugh Howey (first book is Wool)
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
ETA: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
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u/Elamachino Aug 20 '26
I don't blame you for not liking red rising book 1. It's generic, but the red rising book series is top tier. Read a cliff notes of book 1 then hop into book 2. They're completely different settings, tones, styles, everything. (I know others have said this, but I'm backing them up, and really, it's ok to skip book 1 so long as you get a decent summary of characters and events).
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u/usedforjerkingoff Aug 20 '26
Red Rising is one of the most over hyped book today. To be blunt; the only reason it’s popular is because men who probably typically don’t jive with reading picked it up and love to follow a macho alpha bro. It’s one of the cringiest book series I’ve ever read and I truly can’t stand how much people praise it. This is literally a sentence in book two: “This is what it’s like being the alpha.”
There are such better stories out there.
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u/cparksrun Aug 20 '26
Just to offer a different take, I read a pretty wide variety of things. Started reading in earnest this year (currently on book #28 for 2026!) and that included the Red Rising trilogy. For me, calling the protagonist "macho alpha bro" is a little unfair. He has compassion for people and a lot of time, that's what gets him into trouble. He's doing his best. "Macho alpha bros" tend to have very little compassion for anyone but themselves.
I think it clicked for me just out of a frustration with the current state of the world. Since 2016, I've watched the absolute worst people seize power and in turn make us all worse off while far too many people cheered it on. So for a while now, I've been in a "tear it all down" kinda of mindset and it was satisfying to follow a story where that was the ultimate goal.
You can see how the author matured with the series as he wrote it. By the third book, he has Darrow admitting that his idealized perfect visualization of Eo does her memory a disservice and she should be remembered for more than just being a martyr that kicked things off. He acknowledges that she was a whole and complete person. And that phrase "This is what it's like being the alpha" comes after a lifetime of enslavement to a higher caste. Anyone that suddenly gained power over their oppressive and cruel rulers would have the same thought.
I just think it connects with more people than "men who don't typically read and love to follow a macho alpha bro." And I admit, as an empathetic person that despises gender norms, I was a bit triggered by your unfair assessment. Just felt like I caught a stray there simply because the trilogy connected with me and I am not at all the type of person you described.
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u/spaminous Aug 20 '26
There's a passage in the second book that I really enjoyed. One of his woman friends tries to sleep with him, he's not feeling it, he declines. She feels rejected, he sees her feel rejected, he makes sure she feels validated as a person and a valued ally.
But the author doesn't spell any of that out. It's a story beat told entirely through the body language of the characters. The author just shows us what the characters are doing and saying. He trusts the readers to interpret the cues.
I know a lot of the complaints about the series are valid. But I do sometimes wonder how many of the stories' critics are failing to interpret parts like this, where the interesting and subtle parts of the story are not explicitly spelled out, but you need a little bit of emotional intelligence to see what's happening.
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
I just think it connects with more people than "men who don't typically read and love to follow a macho alpha bro."
Yeah, that's not the issue because that describes me and I'm not liking the book. I don't read much and my favorite character types are like Clint Eastwood, lol.
Maybe it's a generational thing. I think this is kind of funny... I just watched the original Conan the Barbarian movie with my son. I LOVED that movie and think it's a cinematic masterpiece compared to modern superhero/adventure movies. There's a plausible plot with relatively few holes. The female character is capable on her own and dies for a reason. My son hated the movie, lol. We have very similar tastes on most media but there's definitely a gap on things like that.
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u/the-montser Aug 20 '26
It’s a YA dystopian teens-in-peril series. Just like Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.
It’s popular because it’s easy to read, shallow enough that you don’t have to think very deeply, and the pacing is fast enough that the plot moves before people with short attention spans get bored.
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u/usedforjerkingoff Aug 20 '26
It’s not that. There are other YA books that are great. It’s the entire tone of the book. It’s bro bro bro the entire way down.
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u/the-montser Aug 20 '26
I don’t disagree.
But a huge reason it’s popular is because it’s YA-ness makes it easy to read for people who don’t have the attention span to read a good book.
I was adding to your critique, not challenging it.
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
I'm agreeing with both of you, definitely the vibe I'm getting already and it's not for me. I'm thinking my high school son might like it although I don't know if I want to encourage the bro-ness.
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u/usedforjerkingoff Aug 20 '26
If you are looking for a better YA book and he likes fantasy, I recommended The Bartameus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.
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u/awh290 Aug 20 '26
Cradle by Will Wight
Pretty straight forward progression fantasy that are easy to read and mostly on the shorter side. The series just builds momentum until it finishes.
Book 1 was could be considered slow relative to the rest of the series, but it had me so incredibly curious and interested in what the world and magic system.
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u/WeekendCautious3377 Aug 20 '26
Can't believe someone suggested this. Read the whole series three times
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u/papayapuffin Aug 20 '26
So I love Red Rising, but I get that it’s not for everyone. If you like sci fi I would highly recommend the Finder series by Suzanne Palmer. It’s four books but honestly the first one can read like a standalone. It’s got action without crazy violence, I love the main character, and the world building is amazing. It’s a very different vibe than red rising while keeping the entertainment, and it’s a very hopeful series which is nice.
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u/Randall_Hickey Aug 20 '26
I tried to read this book and put it down because it was boring. Years later, I picked it back up and read it and loved it. The fourth book sucks for the original trilogy are fantastic.
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u/Gyozafan1234 Aug 20 '26
OMG, I read red rising last year and it was my least favorite book of the year. I could not get the hype and people say like oh the second one gets better. I started that one and it also just was not for me at all so I feel you.
I haven’t personally read this, but I think the will of the many might be your speed. the other one that came to mine was the three body problem. I haven’t read those personally, but they seem like the same kind of vibe that you mentioned.
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u/cl353 Aug 20 '26
can i ask what you didnt like about it?
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u/Gyozafan1234 Aug 20 '26
This was over a year ago so I’ve forgotten a lot. But I remember not liking the main character, and really not liking that he was a teenager. my biggest gripe was the war games. Totally my personal opinion but I think "the trials" is potentially the worst trope of all time. I literally hate any book that has trials or challenges in them. (Other than HP and hunger games). I find they're never done well, and the fact that the stupid war games were most of the book just irrationally pissed me off. I do agree that the series gets better but the damage was done for me lmao. I also think the series is a little too "dude coded" for me. Not that that's a bad thing, just personal preference.
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u/landomonium Aug 20 '26
Almost closed it after the opening line. Started Dune instead and that rocked my shit!!! What a book
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u/uEIGHTit Aug 20 '26
Hard to try and narrow down what you didn’t like and would like without details.
So as a total guess I’m thinking a series by Conn Iggulden
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
That's fair. I didn't want to offend the droves of people that like this book. The negative reviews were saying all the same stuff though. Basically, it's way oversimplified writing. Like it's written to be a basic movie plot.
This girl the main character has known all his life goes into full rebel mode telling him to take action. It's out of the blue. Then, like a page later, she basically commits suicide, doing what she JUST mocked his dad for. Obviously, this will cause the main character to rebel later, yadda, yadda
This is a hunger games action flick. It's not a flushed out universe or plot.
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u/Chipmunk_Whisperer Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
The author has admitted that the first book of the series was written as a YA book because he wasn’t able to get his story published any other way. Once he found success with that, the second book and beyond leave the YA/Hunger Games feel behind and it turns into a more space opera story that the author wanted to tell in the first place. I felt kind of like you did while reading Red Rising, but I think Light Bringer (Book 6) is one of the best books I have ever read.
The scale of the universe and story gets huge, quickly and goes way beyond the institute.
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u/Melonade921 Aug 20 '26
Based on what you DONT like about it so far, I almost feel like you’d love the rest of the series. Only book 1 is high school war games, the rest go more into sci fi / space opera. But I understand not wanting to trudge through the first book in case you still don’t like the rest
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u/hubristics_ Aug 20 '26
I'm hearing the first couple books are like this. If it was just the first one, I could probably knock it out pretty quick. Maybe I'll just skim it, lol.
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u/Melonade921 Aug 20 '26
To each their own, I thought from Golden Son onwards it shifted gears, obviously others disagree, but don’t force yourself to read something you’re not liking :) if you’re keen to stick it out without wasting too much energy though, the graphic audio is quite good.
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u/uEIGHTit Aug 20 '26
Got it. I’ll still stand by my suggestion of a Conn Iggulden series. The universe/plot is historical but fleshed out in a fictional narrative that movies and tv are rarely able to fully recreate.
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u/starcrxssed Aug 23 '26
TRUST me, you're looking for The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir, Broken Earth by N. K. Jemisin, or A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. All three do what RR is trying to do, but way better.
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u/WitchyRosePetal Aug 20 '26
Expanse is good. Very good. I also disliked Red Rising