This article contains NO spoilers from Dark Age.

Though Dark Age has only just released, I doubt I’m alone in being very excited to hear any tidbits Pierce Brown might have to offer about the yet-to-be-titled sixth book in the Red Rising series. Brown has been on tour to promote Dark Age over the past couple of weeks. Naturally, fans have already begun asking about Red Rising Book 6.

Based on what Pierce Brown had to say about Book 6 during an Instagram livestream at Strand Bookstore in NYC, it sounds like he’s already thinking about the sixth book, but he’s also taking some time to replenish his book-loving soul…

I have been brainstorming for Book 6 and developing the plot for it and the themes. Because between every book I try to consume as many books as I can, as many movies as I can, as many non-fiction books as I can so I can fill the gas tank. Stephen King once said, ‘If you don’t read when you’re a writer, then you’re running on empty.’ So the whole point is to kind of refill the canister.

For me, when I’m writing, I don’t want to be influenced by so many things, so I often take time off reading. But reading is part of my soul, it’s why I became a writer. So I’m replenishing right now, then returning to the fray.” 

So, while it seems he’s already begun to brainstorm for Book 6, he’s taking his time between books to read and refresh before digging into the next installment of this fantastic series.

What is Pierce Brown reading to fill up the tank? From what he told the Strand interviewer, he’s currently reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig and Tom Holland’s Rubicon. He describes Rubicon as the transition of republic to tyranny within the realm of the republic, “which may or may not have something to do with the next book.”

Interesting…

You can watch Pierce Brown’s full livestream at Strand here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Strand Book Store, NYC (@strandbookstore)

The Thorne Girl…

I can’t imagine Pierce Brown wants to give up any major details about his plans for the sixth book in the series just yet, however he did drop one potential nugget of a clue about a plot point that’s left some fans curious for quite a while now. During his Reddit AMA, someone asked Pierce what happened to the Thorne girl who survived the massacre at the Gala during Golden Son. Brown’s response:

I’m out here planting seeds for trees, and yall diggin em up like little hungry crows.

You’ll see.

So it seems we may get some resolution to that mini-mystery before this series wraps up.

We haven’t heard any updates about the title of Book 6 or the intended release date just yet. From a recent Tweet he dropped, it does seem like Pierce Brown has an end in mind for the series:

That moment when you just figured out the end of the series.

— Pierce Brown (@Pierce_Brown) August 10, 2019

Yikes. Especially when added with…

I’m tearing up in the lobby of my hotel

— Pierce Brown (@Pierce_Brown) August 10, 2019

Repeat: YIKES.

Seeing as I’m still recovering from Dark Age, I’m thinking he can take as much bloodydamn time as he needs to get Book 6 into our hands.