All men are not created equal. History has shown that life is a survival of the fittest, and in the futuristic world of Pierce Brown's Red Rising that fact is as true as it has ever been, the implications of which have been repeated in power struggles through human history. But is it a case that all men are not created equal or a case that there is just not a level playing field?

Pierce Brown's stunning SF Red Rising trilogy took mankind's propensity for power to the stars, to the colonisation of the planets and moons of our solar system, where the inequalities between the social classes is even more apparent. In this society each individual belongs to a colour caste, with the Golds the ruling aristocracy at the top and the working class miners of the Reds on Mars at the bottom. One's colour is built into one's genetic make-up and there is no way of rising between colours. Everyone knows their place, and in case they don't the rules are ruthlessly enforced. One man however, Darrow, a Mars Helldiver mining helium from deep beneath the surface of the Red planet, decided that it was time things changed.

But one man does not make a revolution and there were others who paved the way and provided the means for Darrow to infiltrate and attempt the violent overthrow Gold dominance. We already know that the revolutionary group known as the Sons of Ares where behind Darrow's carving, transformation and rise to a position of influence, and in this graphic novel prequel Red Rising: Sons of Ares, Brown looks back at the origins of the Sons of Ares and the man behind them, Fitchner au Barca. Combining SF ideas with space opera action and an in-depth knowledge of political history, it's not surprising that Brown is easily able to establish a solid and exciting background to the first stirrings of revolution.

Not born to one of the influential aristocratic houses, Fitchner has had to rise to a respected position - and survive - through merit and ruthlessness. It's much the same as Darrow had to do in the Red Rising trilogy, but as Brown has shown, history has a way of repeating itself and mankind continue to make the same mistakes, so when his family is targeted and threatened (Fitchner illegally married to a Red and giving birth to a son who will be an important figure in Darrow's story), it turns him against this corrupt society. Also much like Darrow, the path he sets out on takes him far away from the man he was and Fitchner risks losing sight of who he is, or maybe it's a case that he must be broken before be can be remade.

As a prequel to Red Rising, there's no need to have read Pierce Brown's three-volume epic (which is currently being expanded upon into its 5th book in the series). That might mean that you don't get the later significance of the Sons of Ares story, but it does give you enough of an indication of inequalities of the rigid class system and the reasons it has to be broken. It also gives you some idea of the huge difficulty anyone has doing that, which is the same thing that makes Darrow's journey in the novels such a compelling, bloody and breathless read.

The visual element of the Red Rising: Sons of Ares graphic novel is certainly helpful in making the nature of the society immediately apparent, but the structuring of the narration also helps introduce personal and social background. Working to Brown's story, Rik Hoskin's script clearly breaks down the backstory of Fitchner au Barca's struggle and rise in Gold society and runs it alongside flashback sequences that run parallel to the first operation of a small group of proto-revolutionaries the two stories dovetailing beautifully to a rationale that will lead to the formation of the Sons of Ares.

Eli Powell's artwork itself is not particularly refined, looking rough and sketchy (other than being uncoloured a gallery at the back of the collection doesn't look any different from the finished artwork), with no great accuracy or detail in facial expressions or body posture, but it captures the corrupt ugliness of the society and the grittiness of a violent underworld that gives rise to thoughts of revolution. Figures however are defined and recognisable, and even if you don't really get a sense of the hierarchical position of the different colour bands, the coloured speech-bubbles at least make their status apparent when they speak. Most importantly of all the narrative flows beautifully between past and present, heading inexorably towards a thrilling showdown.

I had an issue with the DRM on this book and was unable to open it on my devices. I reached out to Diamond Book Distributors with no response for 2+ weeks so unfortunately have been unable to complete this ARC. I'll happily edit this review if that changes.

I am a huge fan of Red Rising Saga and couldn't resist the opportunity to review this prequel set in the same world. After this, I will not be reading any more graphic novels in the near future. I didn't get the depth and details I experienced with the novels. Perhaps it's more of a "It's me, not the author" because I've devoured everything else Brown has written. I wouldn't recommend reading this as a stand alone but as a compliment, if you enjoy graphics.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for my review copy.

In the future, mankind lives in outer space. People have now a caste system. The caste system has evolved into colors. Gold is the highest caste and red is the lowest caste. You cannot get married in different castes -- it is forbidden. In this graphic novel, the impossible has happened. A gold and red are in love. What will happen to them?

The author has written an excellent story and the illustrations are expertly done including the color used. I enjoyed reading this volume as it was my first introduction to the Red Rising series. I will be reading the novels now!

Book Review
Title: Red Rising: Son of Ares
Author: Pierce Brown, Riki Hoskin, Eli Powell
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: *****
Review: So, I read Red Rising a while ago and am planning to re-read the series with the impending release of Iron Gold and when I saw there was a prequel graphic novel available I had to request it. So, as this story takes place long before Red Rising I was eager to see what Pierce Brown would show us, Son of Ares starts with a high-ranking member of society being kidnapped by an interesting group consisting of the different factions including a gold. This gold isn’t like the others we see in this series as he was left to die and a child and even though he survived it became his mission to spite all the golds. I am only 10 pages into this graphic novel and I was completely hooked especially since the premise gives the impression of a Romeo and Juliet like tale between I think it was a red and a gold.
The gold leading the group is called Fitchner Au Barca who is outcast among the other golds despite surviving the passage he is placed into House Mars or the house of madmen until he can stand it no longer and runs away only to be cornered by members of House Diana although one comes to his aid. We also learn that the group is attempting to rescue someone but before they can do anything with the information they have gathered bigger problems arrive.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the graphical novel, the gang are cornered by crows and the only way out is to run and while they are trying to escape we learn more about Fitchner who was rescued and trained by Arturius the primus of House Jupiter and he was taught to survive. Despite all of Arturius’ pleading Fitchner will never be accepted and for the sake of his own reputation he has to sell him to a silver, and we get the first hint of the romance when Fitchner states even golds can fall in love and the opening image of chapter 3 is a girl with flowing red hair.
It turns out when Fitchner was sent to terraform Triton and through an explosion is made head of the colony there he meets a red called Bryn and falls in love. However, when his contract is complete, and he must leave they get married so she can come with him along with Bryn’s sister Ryanna, and she is the one they are trying to rescue but they encounter devourers and Fitchner must save Ryanna. However, we get further backstory about his double life on Mars and how he and Bryn went to a carver so that they could have a child, who would look like Fitchner, a gold and they have both been kidnapped because they want to know who the father of the child is since Bryn is a red and what they have done violates so many laws.
The final scenes of the novel the group enters the facility we Bryn and her son Servo are being held and interrogated but are overwhelmed by the amount of guards they are facing. However, we get to see Bryn in action to save her son and as she is heading to meet Fitchner she is cornered. In a stunning twist she throws the baby to Fitchner, but it doesn’t help as they are surrounded. Fitchner is given the choice between saving his wife or his son and he chooses the baby the way Bryn wanted him to do and even though we don’t see it we know Bryn was killed. Fitchner briefly returns to Triton to introduce his son to his grandmother but he plans to return to Mars as he has unfinished business and is to become known as Ares. Having read Red Rising this backstory is integral to the story and I felt it made the story that much more real.

“Red Rising: Sons of Ares” is a must for any diehard Red Rising fan. The backstory of how it all began is interesting, and I hope it continues. One of my favorite touches was that the text bubbles matched the color of whoever was speaking. Anyone who hasn’t read the books first probably won’t find it enjoyable, so please read the wonderful series first!

From the publisher: From the world of the best-selling YA series Red Rising comes a story of love and loss and rage! In the future, when mankind has spread across the stars, the hierarchy of man is dictated by the color of one's caste. The Golds rule all, but what will happen when one falls for a lowly Red? See how a forbidden love will set the course of events for the future and lead to the formation of the formidable Sons of Ares!

Written by author Pierce Brown (The Red Rising Trilogy) and Rik Hoskin (Heroes of Skyrealm, Brandon Sanderson's White Sand), with art by Eli Powell (Yakuza Demon Killers, The 13th Artifact), comes the in-continuity story of revolution and Red Rising!

A couple of years ago, I was clued in to Pierce Brown's novel Red Rising. I flew through it, and then read the sequels when they were released. Brown has succeeded in creating interesting characters, a fantastic political system, and a believable expansive universe. So, I was excited to see that there would be a prequel of sorts, only as a comic book. When the opportunity came to read and review Red Rising: Sons of Ares, I jumped at the chance.

In the original Red Rising trilogy, society is based on a caste system that is represented by colors; red is the bottom (manual laborers, etc.) while gold was at the top (political and physical elite). A rebel group (or terrorist group, depending on your point of view) known as the Sons of Ares was in conflict with the ruling classes. They did not like the oppression of the various groups of "low colors". It is this group that recruits Darrow, the hero of the original trilogy. In this Sons of Ares graphic novel, the origin of the group and how their leader becomes Ares is revealed. For the sake of readers new to Red Rising, I won't reveal Ares's real name, but his story is really interesting.

Ares is a gold who is never considered quite good enough. Think of "old money" families not accepting "new money". However, he is relentless and loyal to a fault, until his best friend turns away from him. Out of spite, Ares signs on with another family, which leads him to meet his true love; the only problem is she is a red. Ares's story shows how he very delicately maneuvers the rigid political system while trying to keep his family a secret. When he is betrayed again, things get personal, and the Sons of Ares are born.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are fascinating, especially Ares. And while I knew who he was already, having his story told and his motivation for rebelling revealed was really satisfying. Brown has done such a wonderful job of creating three dimensional characters; their actions, decisions, loves, and consequences all ring true, and their is a depth to them that just adds to the overall engagement with, and enjoyment of, the story. Rather than an afterthought or an add-on, Sons of Ares just feels like more of the Red Rising trilogy. The tone and mood are seamless, and this book just adds to the mythology and history Brown has already established.

I highly recommend Red Rising: Sons of Ares by Pierce Brown. If you're a fan of the original trilogy, this is a must. If the premise sounds intriguing to you, then this is a fine place to start; although, starting with Sons of Ares will spoil one of Brown's reveals in the trilogy. Anyway you slice it, Sons of Ares is a great book.

I received a preview copy of this book from Dynamite Entertainment and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first time to read a graphic novel.

I really enjoyed reading it and was overwhelm how gorgeous the arts are. It is such a fast paced read. I highly recommend it to those who love a action pack and lightweight read.

Really intriguing graphic novel here for someone who doesn't read a lot of graphic novels but wants to read more.

Obviously what makes this novel great is the Red Rising connection of course and that was my reasoning for requesting this in the first place, I wasn't disappointed by it in the slightest.

Sons Of Ares is a great glimpse into what happened in the years before Red Rising and the rise of The Sons Of Ares, boy, did this make a great stepping off point for Red Rising and makes things that happen in the Red Rising series make a lot more sense as you have a better idea of why The Sons Of Ares do/did the things they did, why they believe what they believe and why they say what they do.

It really is fun and interesting read that I personally loved!

I just wasn't a fan of this at all. I do like graphic novels but this one just couldn't keep me interested.

I have been a fan of the Red Rising series, reluctantly. I don’t like Sci-fi. It isn’t my thing. I even had a falling out withe the friend who got me into this series recently. So I might be a bit overly critical.

This is a prequel to the Red Rising books. If you haven’t read those books, this one will not make sense. While it is a prequel, you will not be able to follow some of the basic plot without having read at least the first book. If you have not read the first book, the flashbacks to the Fitchner going through the academy will not make sense. The first book is a long detailed description of that event from the eyes of Darrow. Everything is explained. If you have not read the second book, there will be spoilers. You learn in this book who Ares is. There is no going back once you know that. You learn the truth about Sevro’s parents. You learn so much that would ruin a lot of twists and turns of the novel series.

The art was interesting, but I didn’t enjoy it. It was just slightly off. It was pretty and in the context of another series I might have been all over it. In this series it seemed too rough. The Golds are supposed to be otherworldly pretty, but in this their faces were so muffled. No one had a face that stood out, they were all like after thoughts. The gore was done well. It was bloody and not over the top. Seeing the razors for real was incredible. They looked exactly like I imaged them, outside of the handle (I somehow always imagined them without handles). So outside of my issues with the people and how background character EVERYONE looked, the artist did an amazing job bringing this world to life.

The story had no twists, no turns, no excitement. I have read the books, I have gotten past the part where Darrow learns everything that happens in this book. This was like a fanfiction where one part of plot is expanded out of love. It didn’t feel like its own work. It can’t stand on its own. It didn’t feel done. It did not fill in any gaps in the plot. How did Fitchner got from Fitchner to Ares? Where did that come from? Not explained. There was so much more that could have gone on. I am hoping for a sequel or a novel adaption so the plot doesn’t feel as weak as it does.

Despite all of that complaining, if you are a fan of the series you should read this. It is a whole new way of experiencing one of the best characters.

“Omnis vir lupus”

I received an advance copy via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel provided some background as to how Ares became so and started the Sons of Ares. It was dark and gritty in True Red Rising form. The story was good however I found the artwork to be a bit lacking. The characters weren’t as clear or detailed as I would have liked, but the battle scenes were on par.
Definitely worth a read for any Red Rising fan though I’d recommend reading the novels first before reading this otherwise it won’t make much sense.

This 6 issue series fleshes out the backstory of the titular Sons of Ares, the fringe group orchestrating the chain-breaking rebellion that plays out in Red Rising. The concise graphic novel doesn't have nearly enough of my favorite thing about the books, Pierce's sweeping prose, but the chance to learn more about these characters and this world, combined with artist Eli Powell's knack for battle scenes, kept me riveted. A must for all Howlers -- as fans of Pierce Brown's Red Rising series are known -- who can't get enough of the author's worldbuilding and epic storytelling.

A graphic novel prequel to the Red Rising series? An interesting concept executed wonderfully. It was really cool to see the world in color even if the art wasn't my favorite.

I have not read the Red Rising Trilogy. I hoped that the graphic novel would set the stage for me. I was incorrect. I think I need to revisit this after I read the novel. I did like the gloominess of the art style. Its grittiness matched the storyline. I would recommend this to fans of the series.

This comic is a backstory to one of my favourite series of all time Red Rising. This comic focuses on Ares and his backstory before he formed the Sons of Ares. It was really great to see his story and why he started what he did. I wasn't a huge fan of the art style but the more I read the more I got used to it. I really enjoyed the storyline. It makes me want to reread the series. I gave it four stars instead of five just because of the art style was a bit messy but it was cool to see the ships and weapons of my favourite series come to life. I look forward to seeing the rest of this comic and what's to come.

I downloaded a copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley

This was fun, but I have to say I was a little underwhelmed. While it was great to get a visual on the Red Rising universe, as well as a background prequel tale, this somehow lacked the magic that made the main series so memorable.

It's a good treat for Pierce Brown fans, but I probably wouldn't recommend to someone that hasn't read his work. Besides what I mentioned above, the material would spoil some of the good stuff in those books.

A fun prequel to the Red Rising series (it focuses on a specific backstory of one character) in a different medium, graphic novel. The text flows well and it's pretty easy to follow the artwork as well. I wouldn't mind another one with a different character's background to follow up. For graphic novel fans and readers who loved Red Rising.

Net Galley Feedback

For the past couple of years I've seen Pierce Brown's books everywhere, so when I saw this on Netgalley I went for it. I have to be honest, I hadn't read any other book in the series before I started this graphic novel. Probably not the best decision, but I like to think that I did pick up enough to be able to follow the storyline.
I love the world that is created and I am definitely am reading the other books somewhere this year. The artwork in this graphic novel isn't my favorite. I like it to be more clean and clear, but I guess it did fit the story and the world it was set in.
All in all a very solid graphic novel, which is probably better and more enjoyable if you've read any of the books by Pierce Brown.

As a huge fan of Red Rising series I was grateful for every new insight into this fictional world created by Pierce Brown. I did enjoy reading this graphic novel, yet I have to admit that I had expected so much more from it... More depth, more feels, more everything. Guess I have been spoiled by Pierce Brown’s prose and storytelling in this format was not enough for me.

However, I really liked artistic side of this graphic novel. Art in Sons of Ares is enigmatic and gritty. It has this gloomy quality to it which fits the mood of the story perfectly.

Fair warning: In my opinion, it is required to read Red Rising trilogy first before starting this graphic novel. Not only you would be a bit lost without prior knowledge of Red Rising universe, society and history, but you would also find spoilers for huge twists that take part in Golden Son (book #2). So if you haven’t started Red Rising novels yet but you plan to read them, do it before diving into Sons of Ares.

Recommended for all true fans of Red Rising trilogy!