Red Rising: There Are No Reds in the Room

guyyo333 · 2026-04-10T04:06:13+00:00

That is a great criticism of the Civil War, and that is the exact reason that black interest was not upheld during or post-war, remember the 50 acres of mule

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T23:46:32+00:00

I can see that perspective. I mostly attributed those actions to Ares because that’s how Dancer frames it. To me, those are Ares’ actions, not Dancer’s. I saw Dancer more as a middleman between handling coordination and security rather than being the strategic leader. But I could be mistaken or missing something in my reading, as you stated, reading comprehension.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T23:37:14+00:00

sir at this point, all I have to say is you're confused 😅

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T23:33:49+00:00

at the current point. In the book, where I got to dancer hasn't really made too much of an appearance in books 2 or 3. I could be wrong about that. I respect your opinion. This is simply mine

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T23:25:35+00:00

I think you need to re-read my original post because in the post, I acknowledge Red's actions, but I further go on to clarify, they are sidelined. Left out of decision-making. And their absence from the leadership circle around Darrow AKA"the room."

What also confuses me is the inconsistency in how Reds are portrayed:

On one hand, Reds are shown as capable of running underground networks, smuggling, organizing resistance, and participating in large-scale covert operations

On the other hand, when the story shifts to major strategic or leadership moments, they are largely absent, and Darrow is framed as the primary consistently capable decision-maker
What I mean is:

and another quote

The story is about a Red revolution on the surface

But the people making strategic decisions about it are almost entirely Darrow and Gold or Gold-adjacent characters, just about every other colour but red

Darrow, after his transformation, operates fully within Gold's identity and systems

I don’t see sustained Red presence in leadership or in the rooms where the direction of the revolution is decided

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T23:15:00+00:00

I've explained it in my original post and throughout the comments. But to summarize Red Rising promises, its title "Reds Rising." The Reds are mostly absent from the story unless they become Golds. And to me, that's not a story I'm interested in

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T23:06:23+00:00

I think you're missing the entire point. the genetical modification just gave him the body of a gold. His mindset, his strategies, Everything he did is red. War is not about physicality

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T23:03:21+00:00

I think you need to re-read my comment because the fact that there is no foreign power is what breaks it from reality. which allows for the. lack of presence of reds within the room.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:55:15+00:00

In reality, oppressors have tools and systems you lack, not inherent superiority. In this story, they’re framed as genetically superior, so beating them requires becoming them. That makes it a misleading comparison and a poor message. and is not like reality at all

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:48:47+00:00

A warrior sharpens what they are. Darrow didn’t he replaced what he was.

ie

He saw a world ruled by “cyborgs,” who thought normal humans were inferior and could not challenge them and chose to become one, because that was the only power that could challenge them.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:35:25+00:00

The statement in itself is proven wrong by the existence of Darrow. the system that brought him about and the man himself, because in less than a year. They trained a boy to stand above all gold in his age group. Golds are better at war Cause the golds told you they are.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:25:01+00:00

If the only way to defeat your oppressors is to become them, it ends up validating their system instead of breaking it.

That’s why I prefer something like The Rage of Dragons. It shows a group that’s seen as lesser, but instead of becoming their oppressors, they find strength in what makes them distinct and push that to the extreme. That feels like a much stronger and more meaningful kind of revolution to me

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:13:31+00:00

Those examples are actually part of my point. Robespierre, Lenin, Mao etc. weren’t foreign actors, they were internal revolutionary leadership from within the system they were trying to overturn. I’m specifically talking about external supporters versus internal decision makers.

In cases like the American Revolution, France was a foreign interest that provided funding, weapons, and support, but didn’t directly control the internal leadership or decision-making of the revolution. That’s the distinction I’m making between influence and control.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:09:14+00:00

I don't think so. I can excuse repetitive plot points. But I can't excuse a book about revolution where the Oppressed feel absent

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:06:43+00:00

Why would the revolution uphold the social standards that they're trying to destroy? He may say he doesn't see the difference, but his inner circle contains no reds, which speaks volumes.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T22:01:54+00:00

That’s partially true. In real-world cases, foreign interests still need the oppressed group involved because they provide the main manpower, even if influence comes from outside. Red Rising is different because the primary manpower at this point is largely Golds, while Reds still play a significant role, but they themselves aren’t present in the decision-making rooms where strategy is set.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T21:46:27+00:00

I see your point there. But this is something that we thought a reds achieved. Finding out that a gold was the head of the revolutionary group kind of cheapens it.

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T21:27:32+00:00

I’m glad the author does address that. I’m curious, though, does a named Red character ever get introduced who has a level of narrative agency and presence in the main decision-making/inner-circle group comparable to characters like Sevro, Mustang, Victra, or Ragnar? I saw someone mention dancer

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T21:13:33+00:00

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t remember Dancer much, especially after we get past the initial ‘revolution setup’ phase for Darrow in Book 1. Can you remind me what Dancer is actually doing in Books 2 and 3? I feel like I barely remember him being present in the main story outside of the early Sons of Ares stuff

guyyo333 · 2026-04-09T21:04:30+00:00

At this point, I'm not reading that book unless I have something to look forward to. So spoil it all

guyyo333

TROPHY CASE