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Books like Red Rising
Rigged hierarchies, brutal academies and heroes who burn the system down.
The Will of the Many by James Islington
A rebel infiltrates the academy of a Rome-like empire where power is literally drawn from those below.
+ Ambitious dark academia with a cool magic system, morally grey characters who all have agency, and a wild ending.
− Leans on school tropes, training montages and philosophising; not for readers who dislike those. (summed up from Grimdark Magazine)The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
A war orphan tests into an elite military academy, then war arrives. Grim and powerful.
+ A strong, ambitious debut that refuses to look away from the moral cost of war.
− Its victories are matched by horror; heavy, grim reading. (summed up from Publishers Weekly)Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
A gifted child is trained for war through brutal games. A classic Red Rising fans often mention.
+ Ender outsmarts increasingly difficult battles and opponents, and a larger cast makes the enclosed Battle School feel real.
− The child-genius ages never feel believable, women are marginal, and Ender never loses, which makes him hard to root for. (summed up from Lair of Reviews)Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
A huge interstellar empire, gladiator fights and a narrator with a tragic destiny.
+ Rich, detailed space opera with a strong character focus, for fans of slow-building stories.
− Heavy description and flashbacks sap momentum, and there is little action. (summed up from Publishers Weekly)Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
A furious heroine pilots giant mechs to take revenge on a corrupt system.
+ Original, action-packed mecha story with queer themes and cathartic feminist fury.
− Gaps in worldbuilding and relationships make some events feel random and forced. (summed up from Kirkus Reviews)
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