Morning Star: Red Rising Series 3 Paperback – 27 Sept. 2016

The gift that keeps on giving. This series has gotten better and better through each iteration and Morning Star was a fantastic read from start to end. Twists & turns, love, loss, laughter & everything in between. A wonderful clan of characters, who are so strongly written that this book felt as much about them as it did about Darrow.

This is a fitting ending to an excellent series that explores ideas of equity and justice, honour and integrity, love and loss and what it is to be human. I realise it’s not the end- but it was written as if it were and the result is satisfying on every level. I am glad there’s more, but even absent the rest, this is as good as it gets.

I really enjoyed the first two books in the Red Rising trilogy, would this final book continue to engross me? To be honest, it does have a slightly sticky start. Brown’s forthright pacey style stuttered, and I found the opening pages a bit of a trudge as it seems to backtrack, rather than plunge headlong into the galloping plot. However, I persevered as I had really enjoyed the first two slices of this adventure, and was very curious to see how it would all pan out. About a quarter of the way in, the book picked up pace as Darrow was busy trying to stay alive, lurching from crisis to crisis as the rebellion kicked off around him.I like his character. Brown manages to provide the classic, driven alpha male who nonetheless is assailed by doubts and painfully aware of the consequences of some of his actions. I also enjoyed the fact that although there are regular outbreaks of bloody violence throughout the trilogy – this is not one for the squeamish – those deaths continue to impact on the action, both personally and politically. I like the fact that it mattered when some of the characters died – and went on mattering throughout the trilogy.Once Morning Star found its feet, the plot barrelled forward with Brown’s usual explosive energy. There is also a fair amount of humour running through the story and some moving moments as Darrow strives to hold onto the group of people he has befriended during his roller-coaster progress, though those friendships are constantly threatened by the sense of betrayal they feel at his duplicity. I also enjoyed the dilemma Darrow faces as he becomes the poster boy for the rebellion due to a particular piece of film repeatedly shown to inspire the Reds to rise up for justice. How can he move on from his bereavement and invest in another relationship, when he is defined by his heartbreak and grief?Not that Brown breaks his stride when presenting his character this particular problem – he is too busy creating yet another crushing problem for Darrow to endure. So, did he accomplish a suitably climactic and convincing ending? Yes, he did. It was a fitting conclusion to a really entertaining and enjoyable read – and if you haven’t yet had the pleasure, don’t start with Morning Star, get hold of Red Rising. Pierce Brown is One To Watch.

Awesome series of books such depth of characters, books I genuinely can’t put down,can’t wait to start the next book.

This book is the last in a trilogy that holds the attention from start to finish. There are twists and turns throughout. Heroes become villains and vice versa as the rigid class structure throughout the universe flexes then cracks. The violence and horror of war is balanced by love and humanity. Pierce Brown paints a vivid picture of future worlds and you are carried at pace through a thrilling story. A first class read.

What a ride it's been through the 3 books. Looking forward to the next 3.

The long awaited conclusion to the Red Rising trilogy finally arrived in the beginning of February. People all over the world were eagerly waiting to read what had happened to Darrow and the uprising after the events in Golden Son. I was one of those people. I pre-ordered the book as soon as I could and practically screamed when it turned up on my doorstep the day of its release in the UK. I had expected to devour it in a day, but surprisingly I felt better giving it time. Brown has created an amazing trilogy, with Morning Star as a solid end. Well, it’s not really an end is it? Soon after its release, Brown revealed that he is writing another trilogy that focuses on life in Darrow’s world after what happened in Morning Star.But back to this book. Expectations for the final book in a series are always high and it can be very tricky to get it just right. Morning Star picks up more than a year after the end of Golden Son. The end of Golden Son left many gasping for breath and even more impatient for the follow-up. Things weren’t looking good for Darrow and the Sons of Ares. Brown uses these kind of setbacks perfectly to make the characters grow and develop their relationships a bit more. It’s hard to come back from what most of them went through, but it’s defining how they all deal with it. All of them have come a long way since Red Rising. They are not children anymore and they are now so wrapped up in this war, that the only way forward is straight through. As Darrow puts it: “I am not alone. I am not his victim. So let him do his worst. I am the Reaper. I know how to suffer. I know the darkness.”Almost all our favourite characters share Darrow’s spotlight and those that were lost in the previous books have certainly not been forgotten. Readers favourite, Sevro, livens up the whole book again with his foul language, his crazy plans and his unwavering loyalty. But readers of the series know that what happened in Golden Son will have a severe impact on our favourite Howler. I was glad to see Sevro rise to his full potential in this book (with some guidance from Darrow and his friends). Victra’s fate was unclear and I’m really happy with the road Brown took with her character. She is such an interesting addition to the story and I enjoyed reading about her from the very first moment she appeared. Mustang obviously also plays a vital role in this war. She is easily one of the smartest people in this war and her bond with Darrow is one that was tentatively and delicately explored throughout the book. Roque and Cassius’s storylines also get a satisfying end, something I was a bit afraid of in the beginning, but unjustly so it seems.Brown’s signature plot twists are back again and I have to admit that it’s only because I know his writing and I know how the plot twists in his previous books that I didn’t stop reading at one point towards the end. It wasn’t because something was wrong with the writing or the story, but he almost did something to break my heart. It was only my solid belief in the fact that this couldn’t be all, that there was more to it, that kept me reading. But damn, Pierce, you know how to toy with our emotions.Throughout the book, Brown again succeeded in impressing me with his writing. He wrote some beautiful and powerful quotes like this one:“And I wonder, in my last moments, if the planet does not mind that we wound her surface or pillage her bounty, because she knows we silly warm things are not even a breath in her cosmic life. We have grown and spread, and will rage and die. And when all that remains of us is our steel monuments and plastic idols, her winds will whisper, her sands will shift, and she will spin on and on, forgetting about the bold, hairless apes who thought they deserved immortality.”Morning Star is again a powerful mix between an almost lyrical style and the fluid prose that keeps you flipping the pages. As soon as you start reading, time seems to pass by without you noticing.I was beyond excited when I started this book and it definitely didn’t let me down. It delivered a satisfying ending to the trilogy and all the storylines. I’m curious to see what the next trilogy will bring, though at this point I’m quite happy with how things ended. If you’re still wondering if you should start reading the Red Rising Trilogy, here’s me giving you a firm “DO IT!”. The Red Rising Trilogy is one of the best I’ve read in a while and I can’t recommend it enough.

It takes a great author to piece together such a wonderful story with all it's character development. The sacrifices, the love, the twists. You cant get enough. The writing style keeps you reading on and on. Truly impressive piece of work. I have already bought the rest of the books in the series and I am eager to start the next one. Ad Astra Per Aspera!

Wow, an epic series! I'll wait to continue the next part of this series but I really enjoyed this! Such a complex world from the ethics, the politics and relationships. So many twists and turns I didnt see coming. This series hurts in the worst and best ways. I loved the arc of the MMC Darrow and his bestie Severo. Excited to see where this series continues. I really enjoyed how this series included earth history into this incredible futuristic world, it made it feel plausible.

I don’t even have words to describe my feelings for this book. It’s definitely one of my favourite series ever.

Although I would maybe say this was the least exciting read of the three I've read so far in the series, it was still amazing as always and I'm looking forward to the next one. Pierce Brown has built a helluva world and is able to always fill my mind with amazing images of this crazy dystopian future of man-made oceans and creatures on planets exploding with high-technology life and battles.

En cuanto al libro, es de buena calidad, mi única queja es que es un poquito difícil de mantener abierto sobre todo cuando ya estás a la mitad del libro pero nada grave.Es cuanto a la historia, es una montaña rusa de emociones y Darrow, Sevro, Mustang, Victra, (entre otros) evolucionan de una manera muy creíble.El ritmo de la historia es bueno aunque se me hizo un poco más lento que en los primeros dos libros pero definitivamente lo disfruté mucho. La conclusión es una mezcla de cosas que por un lado ya se veían venir pero también trae elementos de sorpresa.No me dan ganas de leer las secuelas porque siento que este final es el final que merece tener la historia de Darrow.

Amazing story and a emotional roller coaster! Love Darrow and his clan! The world building is beautiful done and sometimes you think you are there!