When it comes to the release of Red God, I’m a little bit torn. On one hand, if I had the opportunity to have the finished version of Pierce Brown’s planned final book in the Red Rising series in front of my eyes right now, I’d be elated. And yet, there’s a part of me that’s sort of happy to wait, not just because the anticipation for Red God is bloodydamn glorious (especially after the greatness that was Light Bringer), or because this era of being a Howler will only last as long as it takes for the book to hit shelves, but also because hearing Pierce Brown talk about writing the book and getting it right is making me feel really ok with being patient.
Am I grasping for a bright side? Eh, maybe? But I also mean it.
When Will Red God Come Out?
Red God does not have an official release date yet, and if you’re hoping it’ll come out at some point in 2025, sadly, that doesn’t sound likely. From what Pierce Brown told TheBookishBanterPodcast (in a video posted on Instagram on May 13, 2025), it’s looking like we won’t see Red God until at least late 2026.
When he was asked when we’d see Red God, he said:
“When I’m happy with it, we’ll see. If I say a date, then I don’t meet that date, that’s not fun for anyone … Rough guess would be sometime late next year? But that’s only if I keep being happy with it, so we’ll see. I’m not gonna put it out if — since it’s the last one, I want it to be perfect.”
Clearly this is not meant to be an official announcement of anything, but it’s a timeframe to go on for now. If I’m interpreting his words accurately, it sounds like things are going well with writing Book 7, but are still ongoing. And if things keep going well, we’re looking at maybe sometime late 2026.
When Pierce Brown spoke with Maude Garrett in a video interview posted in February 2025, he also mentioned next year being the likely timeframe for Red God‘s release, but during that interview, he said “most likely in the summertime.” Summer certainly would make sense, given that Dark Age and Light Bringer both dropped in July. However, his more recent comments might suggest the wait may be a bit longer, if by “late next year” he means later than summer, of course.
What Pierce Brown Said About Revising Light Bringer
I actually think I’d credit some of my enthusiastic patience for Red God to what Pierce Brown said recently about wanting to take the time he needs to get the story right. Not only did he mention that in his recent comments, but in his interview with Maude Garrett, he spoke about the revisions he made — to put it mildly, from the sound of it — to Light Bringer, essentially scrapping 400 pages of what he’d written and restarting:
“…I was 400 pages in and I’m like ‘this isn’t the vibe,’ and had to restart.”
Hearing him say that, my first thought is, well Light Bringer was amazing. So if more time and care is what it takes to make a book as good as that, I hope he takes whatever time he needs to make Red God whatever it’s meant to be.
At the end of the day, I’d rather wait longer if it means this series will stick the landing and be whatever it is the author wants it to be, which I can’t imagine is any kind of easy task. In the meantime, as I mentioned earlier, I’ll continue to enjoy this era of the fandom, as we continue to obsess and eagerly await this book and the ending to this epic saga.
So Mr. Brown, respectfully, take all the time you need!
Howler Life 