Morning Star (Red Rising Series)

This is a fantastic finish to an amazing book trilogy. I won't give away any spoilers but will rather speak to the merit of the book. For his first series, the Red Rising Trilogy went so far above and beyond my expectations that I am truly amazed. So many new series and trilogies start strong but face and fizzle as you progress from start to finish. If anything, I would say this series gets stronger as it progresses rather than weaker and by the climax, I find myself wondering if he could have finished it any better. Brown beautifully builds up to the conclusion and leaves his readers satisfied and fulfilled. This series is everything you want the Hunger Games to be but its just so much better. As I worked my way through Morning Star I found myself sharing the book with anyone that would listen. I ended up getting my wife, brother, sister, and sister-in-law to all read the series and not a one of them was disappointed. If you are looking for an amazing new series, this is the trilogy you should be reading. I am a certified English teacher and I have read several reviews of his work that criticize his writing which is just asinine. I love fantasy and science fiction, but I also have a great appreciation for classic literature. I have read everything from Dickens to Melville to Dostoevsky, so I know what beautiful writing looks like. I am not saying that Brown is on the same level as the aforementioned authors, but he is nothing to scoff at. His writing flows well and he also has a knack for developing enthralling characters and intertwining plot lines. There is nothing not to like about this book and if you see people leaving negative comments then just disregard them, fools and less talented people will always find reasons to complain or nitpick the genius of others. Red Rising was great, Golden Son was a worthy successor, and Morning Star is the perfect conclusion. My prediction is that this series will blow up in the next year or two once we get closer to seeing a Red Rising movie. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

(I’m aware that Morning Star isn’t the final book in the series, but at the time I read it, it was. So, this review reflects my thoughts as I experienced them back then.) After the explosive and emotionally devastating ending of Golden Son, my expectations for Morning Star were sky high, and somehow, Pierce Brown still managed to exceed them. This book is a masterclass in payoff, delivering a story that is both thrilling and highly satisfying, filled with the same political intrigue, action, and heartbreak that made the first two books so compelling. The entire series is an emotional roller coaster, but nearly every aspect of the plot is extremely well thought-out. Brown isn't just throwing twists at you for shock value, every reveal, betrayal, turning point, sacrifice, and loss is either earned or makes sense within the wider story. The unpredictability of the story only adds to that impressiveness 🤔. The narrative shifts in directions that are completely unexpected, but at the same time feel completely right. Pierce Brown seems like he's mastered the art of the build-up. As Darrow rises from the ashes, builds his army, discovers what is precious to him, and copes with the weight of losing it, you can just feel that something is coming throughout the book. It has an intensity about it. And the final showdown is one of the best: epic in its implications but deeply personal in its execution. We’d heard for so long how dangerous Aja was, and when we finally got to see what she was capable of, it was every bit as intense and jaw-dropping as expected 💪😲. “You do not fight a river. You do not fight Aja” - Lorn au Arcos. It’s rare for a trilogy to deliver a conclusion that not only meets expectations but surpasses them. So many series stumble at the finish line, but Red Rising sticks the landing and is without a doubt my favorite series. ❤️

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS This is it. The final book in the “Red Rising” trilogy. As such, it’ll be my shortest review (which is never that short) because honestly, if you’ve read my review for the others and are bothering with this one… I don’t know why you are reading this if you HAVEN’T at least started the series yet. Either way, this is the final chapter, final straw, final act for Darrow as he goes about completing his mission of bringing equality and freedom to a society that feels both in the future and also back in time with its views. A bit like Star Wars really, but you know, without Jedi’s and the like. This book starts up where we left off, with Darrow captured. We finally really see the depravity the Gold’s are capable of. It had always been implied before, you saw it through members of the Sons of Ares as they retold their own subjugation but mainly we saw it through how Golds treated other Golds in the academy which was never all that good to begin with. Now, they have broken Darrow and he has to be rebuilt, again, in order to finish the job he set out to do. The story gets a bit repetitive in this. While Brown is amazing when it comes to putting a twist on the Roman culture and military tactics he’s borrowed so heavily from (and which this mythology geek always appreciated), he does tend to have the same instances repeat themselves. In every one of his books, Darrow goes through the hero’s journey each and every time. While his story is compelling and I adore Sevro as a character, it does make each book following the first a little slower for me to get through. They are fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but with each book, it becomes just a bit less of a page turner. Some of that comes with the “easy outs” Brown tends to give Darrow and how “soft” he makes Darrow at times. In the last book, Darrow forgets to tell us that he’s been training secretly with the best Gold warrior of their time. I understand why he did it, to illicit a feeling of surprise, but it still comes off as a bit of an unwelcome twist because it felt too convenient. That happens again in “Morning Star”. There is a moment where you believe so fully someone dies only to have it be all part of a plot twist. Which is fine except our narrator never hints that he has this plan, never even subtly shows us that this betrayal was all part of an act. Again, I know why he did it, but some hints about it would make the twist feel satisfying rather than overly convenient. Honestly, this is the most troublesome thing because it happens so often, even in the epilogue! I won’t lie, the epilogue made me roll my eyes a bit… Also, Darrow also really, really loves his people. Which is awesome because a leader should love his people. But he loves them to the point in this last book where I am wondering if Darrow is bisexual or something. Which kudos if he is but I don’t really think he is. Which is why it felt a bit weird when he went on and on about how beautiful both the male and female Golds are. In addition, Darrow is broken so much mentally and generally does not feel as strong mentally as he once was. It shows that Darrow is changing and evolving which is great, but it does feel a bit as if he is mentally incapable of doing what’s necessary. He does them anyway so no big deal, but it felt a bit whiny at times. My only other real “complaint”, if you can call it that, is with the villain. He always seems to be two steps ahead like he’s psychic into all of Darrow’s plans. No matter how clever Darrow and friends are, the jackal and crew are expecting exactly what they do. You can only chalk that up to spies so much to where it just feels unbelievable. The Jackal is formidable on his own but he felt too smart, too clever because he just seemed to know what Darrow and team planned for every mission save one or two. The Jackal is a scary bad guy all on his own, this seemed to lessen that in its mild un-believability. All in all though, I am a big fan of this series and Brown as a writer. His research and the “colorful” characters he’s created are marvelous. I recommend this series to anyone who likes a sci-fi fantasy steeped in old Roman culture and who also enjoy a good YA series. Like the rest of his books, I’m giving it a solid 4 out of 5 stars and the series as a whole a 4.5. Definitely worth a read!

It’s a page turner. It adds a necessary layer of complexity to the overall story, and all the dilemmas that arise when you play the “change the world” game. Are heroes pure? How does a hero rise?

Great

Inhalt Darrow hätte in Frieden gelebt, doch seine Feinde brachten ihm den Krieg. Als Roter war Darrow dazu bestimmt, sein Leben in den Minen von Mars zu verbringen. Doch die Hinrichtung seiner große Liebe führte dazu, das Darrow als Goldener wiedergeboren wurde. Erfolgreich infiltrierte er die goldene Gesellschaft und gewann schließlich die Schlacht um Mars. Doch der Moment, der Darrows größter Triumph sein sollte, wurde zu seiner schrecklichsten Niederlage: Verraten von ehemaligen Freunden, befindet er sich in der Gefangenschaft seines grausamsten Feindes. Doch trotz des vernichtenden Schlages, der Darrow und den Söhnen von Ares zugefügt wurde, lebt die Revolution noch immer. Als Darrow endlich frei ist, findet er die Revolution im Zerfall vor, während seine mächtigen Feinde gnadenlos und ohne Skrupel handeln. Um zu gewinnen muss Darrow einmal mehr die im Dunkeln Gefesselten dazu bringen, ihre Ketten zu sprengen und die Welt umzustürzen, die ihre grausamen Meister geschaffen haben. Kann Darrow die Revolution hinter sich vereinen und zum Sieg führen? Meinung Was ich schon an den vorherigen Bänden mochte, wird hier nun ganz deutlich: Es gibt keine strahlenden Helden, an ihrer aller Händen klebt das Blut. Zudem ist der Grat zwischen Revolution und Terrorismus ein nur zu schmaler. Darrow beweist sich im dritten Band als Realpolitiker und schreckt nicht davor zurück, seine eigenen Leute zu opfern oder „false flag“-Operationen durchzuführen. Es gibt Führungskrisen und Meutreien, die ungewöhnliche Lösungen erforderlich machen. Und natürlich immer wieder wunderbar ausgebuffte Pläne, die für einen Plottwist nach den nächsten sorgen. Im Vergleich zu den vorherigen Bänden werden hier verhältnismäßig wenig neue Charaktere eingeführt, dennoch hat Pierce Brown auch dieses Mal einige faszinierende Figuren geschaffen. Während Darrow in den ersten beiden Bänden die Verbündeten scheinbar nur zu zuströmten, muss er zudem in diesem abschließenden Teil hart dafür arbeiten, Neue für sich zu gewinnen und Alte an seiner Seite zu halten. Denn je größer die Revolution wird, desto fragiler wird das Gleichgewicht zwischen den Lagern. Insgesamt gibt es auch im finalen Band wieder all die geschätzten Zutaten, die schon die beiden Vorgänger so groß machten, genannt seien halsbrecherische Aktionen, wagemutige Diplomatie und epische Weltraumschlachten. Was ich besonders an der Trilogie liebe, ist der Realismus: Statt eines einsamen Helden ist die Zusammenarbeit vieler nötig, um das Imperium zu stürzen – und mehr als einmal scheint Darrow alles um die Ohren zu fliegen, bevor es zur finalen Schlacht kommt. Auch der Schluss gefiel mir gut: Es herrscht nicht eitel Sonnenschein, sondern es ist allen bewusst, dass dies nur ein Etappensieg war. Ich verbeuge mich an dieser Stelle vor Pierce Brown, denn mit dieser Trilogie hat er aus meiner Sicht ein Meisterwerk geschaffen. Ein Meisterwerk, dass Krieg in all seiner Grausamkeit zeigt und was der Kampf für eine gerechte Sache kostet. Diese Trilogie ist am Puls der Zeit. In einem Satz Der epische Abschluss einer fantastischen Trilogie, die selbst auf den letzten Metern noch immer wieder Plottwists vollführt. 5 Sterne

Sin dua una de las mejores sagas de siencia ficccion, una historia epica espacial, recomendadisimo.

This series was recommended by a friend. Book one was great but I felt the story drag a bit. Not a problem with book 2! The pace of progression keeps you on your toes and easily gets you lost within the pages of the book. Great character development and an exciting ending that leaves you yearning to know what will happen next! This is a great page-turning series, and one that will easily leaves you saying "just one more chapter"