Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.
Finally, the time has come.
But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied – and too glorious to surrender.
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Page Count: 518
Morning Star is the third and final book in Brown’s trilogy. If you haven’t read the previous installments, Red Rising and Golden Son, I highly suggest you stay far away from this review!!! Like far, far away! In the following there will be a spoiler-free and a spoiler section (clearly marked), but Brown’s books are best experienced when you are clueless in my opinion.
Have you ever had a book hangover while reading the book? This is sort of what reading Morning Star felt like. I was so excited to finally get the book, to read more about Darrow and his friends and foes, however, as soon as I turned to the first page, I dreaded the story coming to an end. My mind was split between wanting to know what happens next and not wanting to finish it at all. So, for my standards, it took me forever to read it! Like always though, Pierce Brown knows how to crush your feels and I felt like nearly having a heart attack a couple of times.
Throughout the series our characters turned from rash teenagers to wiser adults. We plowed through Greek, Roman and now Norse mythology. There were betrayals that felt like a knife in the back and people so fiercely loyal, they warm your heart. War is a nasty business, something I rarely like to read about because of obvious reasons I think, but somehow Brown has managed to captivate me with this tale. It was an epic journey, spanning over the course of several years. He always managed to surprise me, gave me the most bookish trust issues, yet also made me feel deeply for all of the characters. I loved experiencing this world, but that is all that I can say without spoiling you. Pierce Brown is truly writing King!
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***SPOILERS FROM HERE ONWARDS***
There are some things that need to be discussed and that is only possible with people who’ve read the book, so if you are still reading this, without having done so – don’t be a Pixie and return after reading! Believe me, you don’t want to be spoiled! I am just going to straight out say things that you shouldn’t know, so go!
A lot happened, there was so much more war talk and strategising in the past two books than in the first one. Some of it was overwhelming at times, but what I really want to talk about are the relationships in Morning Star! Pierce promised us a love interest for Sevro and he delivered! I would have liked to see a tiny bit more of Sevro and Victra together before they got married, but I do feel that they fit perfectly. They both have a weird sense of humour, are tough with a soft core and they would do anything and everything for Darrow. I am so happy they found each other.
Then that bombshell at the end!!! I bet little Pax is the cutest child in all the worlds. How could she not spill that secret? Mustang is truly the master at this game. I am glad it was her on the throne in the end, because as Darrow has realised himself, he couldn’t have done it.
As always, a lot of people died. No one will be surprised by the fact that I was devastated at Ragnar’s demise, but I was a little astonished with myself at how deeply I felt for Roque. I think it was because I was like Darrow, wanting him back as a friend, being sad that we lost him during the journey. Ultimately, I am glad that at least Cassius was redeemed. I won’t even talk about how much I hate Aja and Jackal … that’s just a given.
And lastly, I still can’t believe he “almost” killed Sevro twice. Like WTF?
***SPOILERS OFF***
Fazit: 5/5 stars! It was truly an epic conclusion to an epic tale! However, I am glad we will get to stay in that same universe with Brown‘s follow-up trilogy.
Have you read Brown’s books? Are you as smitten as me? Did you think this was the ending the story deserved? Are you yearning for more as well?
Life and Other Disasters 
Okay, I haven’t read any of those books, but seeing this 5-stars rating and your love for it, certainly makes me want to try! 😀
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It’s one of those books I love without bounds! BUT and that’s a big but, I don’t want you to expect too much. The beginning was weird and stressful and with a ton of emotion. It has a lot of war-talk and violence, which usually really isn’t my thing. The characters and twists won me over though. Still, it takes time. It wasn’t insta-love hahaha
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Oh, thank you! I have to say, lots of war-talk and violence isn’t usually my thing. I would love to try and read the beginning to see how I could like it -I always do that when I wonder which books I should get, at a bookshop, ahha-. I need to find it maybe on Amazon or something 🙂
Thank you ! 😉
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Sure, no problem! I feel like I hyped it so much that sometimes people have different expectations. The book is divided into different parts, and it’s just so cool, because basically everything you learned in part 1 will be proven wrong and stuff like that. SO many twists! The characters are amazing as well!
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Ohhh, twists. I LOVE twists, even more when it makes me scream madly at the books. I guess that’s weird, haha, but to me it just proves how awesome a book and a writer is 😀
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Twists are the best! I totally agree on it proving the amazingness of the writer.
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I’ll be downloading the first book’s audio book onto my phone later this week.
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I have no idea how it is as an audiobook! Does someone famous narrate it? It’s a lot of information at first, but then BAM! One twist after the other, without rushing it or anything like that.
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Well, I’m listening to a sample now, and the narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds, has an Irish voice (I think that’s Irish, anyway). Don’t know if he’s famous, but he does a lot of fantasy, so maybe he has a niche.
I look forward to listening to it. Should be fun.
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Hahaha I can’t imagine Darrow’s thoughts with an Irish accent.
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What accent do you think he speaks with, if any?
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Well, he’s from Mars … They are hearty people, working class. I probably just thought of something more American?
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Maybe, but does it say what parts of Earth these people come from? Actually, don’t answer that, I want to find out for myself. Anyway, for all I know, these people could come from everywhere and anywhere. Including Ireland.
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Barely anyone is associated with Earth anyway, so I couldn’t really answer it, even if I wanted to.
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Intriguing…
Well, I’ll come to my own conclusions when I listen to it. Perhaps it’s just the narrator’s accent and that’s what we get. I’d go with that.
By the way, I just saw that the movie rights for Red Rising has been bought by Universal. Sounds interesting, huh?
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Oh yeah, I know about the movie. I don’t quite know what they’ll do with it though. Pierce got lucky and found someone who really cares about his story and doesn’t want to rush the process. They are taking their time making the script the best version it can be before they start anything. I have such troubles picturing a cast though.
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I’ll let you know who I think should be in the movie when I read the book.
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Yep! Do that!
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Pierce Brown is an evil/amazing person. Everyone will have trust issues after reading his books
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True! He has a very split personality and to think that part of him can be found in the Jackal as well. That says everything, doesn’t it?
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Yrp. That’s why I’m sure I’ll suffer a lot when I read the last two books XD
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Ahhh I really must read this series!! Seeing your review for this book and your love for the series, I will definitely be trying with double the amount of effort to start the series. ❤ Great review!
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It is one of those books where I am super scared that I am hyping it too much for everyone else hahaha I just love them so much, but it wasn’t insta-love at all. It took me almost 100 pages to really start getting into it. At first I was a little put off, not quite knowing if this was really my thing. It totally isn’t my genre, but Pierce made it work 😀
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I’m so glad you liked it! I feel exactly the same way about this book! (I actually cried more when Roque died than Ragnar.) And I absolutely loved the last chapter. Baby Pax makes me so happy!
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I cried more for Roque too … I think it’s all because of Darrow. He made his friends his family and the way it was written made all the characters my bookish family as well. I don’t know when it happened, but I had that deep bond with those books. I am still sad it’s over …
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I LOVED MORNING STAR SO MUCH!
I get the thing about Sevro though- just why? I was devastated for both of the situations.
Roque was like one of my favourite characters so it was hard to see him opposing something so basic as freedom!
I want to read the next trilogy now!
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I loved it too! I admire you for reading it so quickly. I savored every moment with it, while wanting to read all of it at once.
The Sevro scenes were plain cruel. Maybe it was payback for the #Don’tKillSevro campaign hahaha like he wanted to prove a point, saying that he could do it.
Everything concerning Roque hit me so hard. I cried more than I did for Ragnar
I WANT ALL OF PIERCE’S BOOKS!
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I was reading it slow at the start but then it ended up being 4 AM in the morning with tears in my eyes after reading the last page so…
That was an actual thing! No wonder he tortured us so much!
Yeah, his death was probably the hardest for me. I don’t know why but I kind of felt that Ragnar was going to die.
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I never really knew what Ragnar was all about. I respected him, but I don’t think I ever loved him as much as the others. He was always a little bit of a brute in my mind, like Sefi. Like someone they had no control over, which is so dangerous!
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Trust no one in the Red Rising trilogy.
It’s reminding me of Red Queen a bit, or is it the other way around?
I can see where you are coming from but if Ragnar trusted in Darrow then I trusted him. Sefi was on a completely different level of ‘crazy’.
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I knooow … these books gave me such trust issues!
YEP! You are the second person to mention Red Queen hahaha I can see the connection there. I started reading Glass Sword today … I am already trusting no one!
Sefi really was bonkers.
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Hahaha well the two books do have some similarities, one of being that the authors love plot twists and cliffhangers!
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True that! But Red Rising is way more intense throughout in my opinion.
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Definitely, probably because of the betrayal and more being at stake.
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Yep, there’s definitely more at stake. At least it feels that way, even though they are both about a corrupt civilization. They both have a colour system of sorts too hahaha
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I think the Golds are a lot more ruthless which makes them seem like the bigger enemy. But then again the Silvers basically send children to war…
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The Silvers aren’t too hesitant on killing each other either. Just think of the Arena hahaha, but it’s true. The Golds have even more of a ruthlessness to them.
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So I just finished Morning Star’s audio book (hard to believe that when this review came out, I was just waiting for the chance to download the first book, but there you go). And you are right: Pierce Brown is such an amazing writer! He manages to keep things interesting and exciting no matter what, and every twist is so powerful! I was heartbroken when I thought Sevro had died near the end, and even though I suspected it might all be a ploy, I was terrified that Brown was doing the whole character-gets-married-and-then-gets-killed-saving-lives trope. And that ending with the Jackal! Jeez, that was tense. And finally, little baby Pax! Did not see that coming till Mustang hinted that she was worried for someone else’s sake! Damn, that was a twist I should’ve seen coming, but I’m glad I didn’t. What catharsis.
Overall, I loved this series. The growth of Darrow and his friends, Darrow’s struggles to become the leader he needs to be and to achieve Eo’s dream, and the epic scale and ingenuity of the story. It was just so awesome. I’m still in awe of it! I texted my mom right after I finished it, telling her that she had to check it out as soon as she could. Perhaps now she will.
And speaking of which, did you hear Pierce Brown is writing more books in the series?
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I am glad you decided to pick those books up, audiobook or not. And yes, of course! I did a little happy dance when I first heard about Iron Gold. I’ve already heard rumors that Sevro will make a cameo in it.
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And Mustang!
And if in a later book we meet another of the Reaper’s kids, I bet it’ll be a daughter named Eo. I’m willing to put money on that.
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Hahaha I wouldn’t be surprised about that at all. I am glad he will continue to write in this world though. Most stories just end with the protagonist overthrowing the government or oppressing power or whatever, but no one talk about the consequences.
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Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a bunch of golds living in small apartments complaining about how times have changed, they don’t have any servants, and budgeting is the pits.
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Reorganising a whole caste-system isn’t easy. It will take time and compromise to make it work.
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And even then, it’ll take years before its ill effects are gone. America’s still trying to root out all the evil our caste system left in its wake, which isn’t helped by certain people trying to rewrite the narrative surrounding that caste system.
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I hear you.
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