With 2019 upon us, Red Rising fans have plenty to look forward to in the new year. But before we look ahead, I wanted to take one last look back on the last year, as 2018 was a pretty good year for Howlers. Not only did we get the first installment in a new Red Rising trilogy, but there were some other truly prime goodies to sink our teeth into.

HowlerFest And Other Pierce Brown Appearances

Those Howlers who were able to get to Los Angeles in January had the opportunity convene with other Howlers at the first — but hopefully not last — HowlerFest to kick off the arrival of Iron Gold. Pierce Brown was in attendance and fans who were there got their copy of Iron Gold a couple of days ahead of everyone else.

HowlerFest would be the first of a number of appearances Pierce Brown would make on behalf of his series. Not only did Brown go on an Iron Gold book tour, but he also stopped in at San Diego Comic-Con and then New York Comic-Con to meet with fans, sign autographs and talk about the books. 

Iron Gold arrives

Just when we thought we were out, Pierce Brown pulled us back in. 2018 marked the return of the Red Rising series with the start of a new trilogy in the form of Iron Gold. More story is surely the biggest thing we could’ve gotten from the Red Rising universe this year. Not only did Iron Gold reopen the story, but it also introduced three new POVs, two of whom are new characters. Iron Gold proved to be the perfect combination of suspenseful, entertaining and emotionally exhausting. Not a bad way to kick off a new trilogy. You can read more of my thoughts on the book here (for spoiler talk) and here (for a non-spoiler review).

Sons of Ares comics released in hardcover

While the Sons of Ares comics came out in 2017, all editions were compiled into a hardcover book, which was released this year. While this prequel story about the origins of Ares might seem a bit like bonus content on top of the original trilogy, it actually leans a bit more toward required reading when we take into account some of the reveals it offers and questions it raises about the leader of the resistance. If you haven’t read it yet, here’s everything you need to know about Red Rising: Sons of Ares. Meanwhile, Pierce Brown also confirmed this year that there will be more comics coming.

Dark Age updates

The original release date for Dark Age (the Iron Gold sequel) was meant to be in September of 2018, however that date was pushed off twice, first to early 2019 and then to July of 2019. While we’re left to wait eagerly for the next installment in the Iron Gold trilogy, we have gotten a few exciting tidbits about it, including a very snaky looking cover, not to mention a description that teased a new POV. Mustang will be joining the narrating voices of the next book. The anticipation or that alone is enough to carry us well into the new year.

A Red Rising TV show Is in the works

For years, we’ve been waiting for movement on the Red Rising movie adaptation. Then, earlier this year, Pierce Brown confirmed that the planned film had been scrapped and that his series was in development for the small screen. Beyond the fact that it’s in the works, not much has been made official about the planned Red Rising TV show. Brown does appear to be heavily involved in its development, which is encouraging. Here’s hoping 2019 will deliver new details about the project, including where it might land and who’s set to be showrunner. Get some of the previous updates on the Red Rising TV show here and here.

Pierce Brown’s new website

PierceBrown.com is now Pierce Brown’s official domain. In addition to hosting an excellent essay from the author, the new site should also serve as a helpful resource for news and upcoming events related to Pierce Brown and his books. 

Red Rising Stuff

2018 offered Howlers quite a few great take-my-money moments. So much so that there’s a whole “Stuff” category to this list. Here’s pretty much all of the great stuff made available to Red Rising fans in 2018. 

Subterranean Press Golden Son And Morning Star

Those of us who preordered Subterranean Press’ signed and limited Red Rising edition received our copies in 2018. Sub Press later made their limited edition of Golden Son available for purchase, followed by Morning Star. Copies of Golden Son are still available for sale. Morning Star won’t ship until 2019, but you can pre-order it here. 

Tommy Arnold prints

As if the Subterranean Press editions of Red Rising weren’t enough, artist Tommy Arnold made his excellent cover artwork available in print form to purchase for a limited time. 

Badali Jewelry

Badali Jewelry created a whole line of Red Rising jewelry, including a House Mars ring that’s a bit pricy but worth every bloodydamn penny. 

Illumicrate’s amazing Howler Crate

Illumicrate offered a whole box full of Red Rising goodies, including a copy of Iron Gold with a signed bookplate from Pierce Brown. Check out everything that came with the box here. 

Barnes & Noble’s exclusive Red Rising edition

As if our bookshelves weren’t already overflowing with limited editions of this amazing series, Barnes & Noble issued their own limited edition of the original book, complete with a wolfy House Mars cover. 

Out of Print Howler tee

And then there’s the nifty Howler t-shirt that Out of Print started selling following HowlerFest. 

Like I said, 2018 really wasn’t a bad year for Howlers, to say the least. And there’s even more to look forward to in the new year.  You can keep track of everything that’s coming up for the Red Rising universe here.