Peps' Reading List: Morning Star by Pierce Brown

It's been a few days since I finished reading Morning Star, and I'm still trying to get my thoughts in order. But I can't move on to the next title in my reading list if I don't write this post, since I don't want errant thoughts of another book getting in the way of my writing. 

I will admit that I planned to take my time with Morning Star. One of the reasons is because there's a part of me that didn't want to let go of the Red Rising trilogy and I wanted to savor every page before saying goodbye. Another is my fear that the final installment of the book series might end up being not quite as impressive as its predecessors, Red Rising and Golden Son, and I wouldn't want to rush my reading only to find out the worst. But despite that plan, I wasn't actually expecting to take a whole month to finish reading it. 

Morning Star begins with the traumatic consequences of Darrow's unveiling as a Red carved into the figure of the all-powerful Gold. Betrayed by a close friend, witness to the deaths and injuries of others, and subjected to the torture of the Jackal and now Archgovernor of Mars, Adrius au Agustus, Darrow practically rots in a lightless cell that could only be described as a coffin. A daring rescue attempt allows Darrow and Victra au Julii to reunite with Obsidian Ragnar and Sevro au Barca, who now leads the Sons of Ares in his murdered father's place. But Darrow is much changed after his nine-month imprisonment, and the war that the Sons of Ares attempt to win is a whole different creature under Sevro's leadership. 

A lot happens in Morning Star. A lot. Author Pierce Brown doesn't really shy away from putting his characters through the wringer, and either I still haven't gotten used to it or he just really put in his all to ensure that, in reading Morning Star, the readers go through the wringer, too. Darrow's experiences have never been easy, with his hardships and the obstacles increasing incrementally with each volume in the series. The physical and emotional trauma he experiences in Morning Star, both in captivity and in his renewed participation in the war he started, add yet another layer to his character growth. His introspection and reflections are more mature, further distancing him from the talented yet naive helldiver he once was at the beginning of Red Rising. With the stakes already at an all time high, with millions of lowcolors joining the war to follow the new Ares and the Reaper, the repercussions of every decision affects every planet, moon, asteroid belt or space station that has humans living in them. And the losses that Pierce Brown dishes are tragic, with the hundreds or thousands of lives lost in every battle punctuated by the death of significant individuals, causing Darrow to either doubt his decisions or propel himself to even more daring attempts to achieve victory.

While Darrow remains central in the story, Morning Star shares the spotlight with the other characters. In my reading of Red Rising and Golden Son, I found that while I learned to love Sevro and Ragnar, hated the Jackal, and admired the many strong qualities of Mustang, it is always Darrow who commands my attention. I suppose that parallels the isolation he keenly felt as he kept his secret from those he counted as friends and finding many reasons to distrust even those he called allies. But in the trilogy's last volume, Sevro, Ragnar, Mustang and Victra, as well as the antagonist Jackal, are more fleshed out. In Morning Star, the supporting characters are given more voice, and their intentions and fears come across as fully theirs, instead of just Darrow's understanding or supposition of their thoughts. The storytelling in the series's final installment is all the richer for it, continuing on the evolution of Brown's writing in the series.

The pacing of Morning Star isn't really perfect, with some chapters seeming to drag with Darrow's perpetual internalization about his role in the war and his abilities to bring them to victory. His buildup to climactic scenes can be drawn out excessively... until the climax crashes in on you. Because there is no denying that Pierce Brown more than makes up for it when the scenes call for action. Morning Star is space opera at its finest, with human battles that maximize the prowess of the Gold physique and their chosen weapons, to the space battles appropriately epic that it's easy to imagine how they unfold in your mind's eye, even if you feel that the technology written in the pages are beyond your ken. It makes you excited to see the reported film adaptation of the series actually come to fruition.

Given how I ended up devouring the last few pages of Morning Star to the detriment of my alertness to perform chores the following morning, I again wonder how I ended up taking an entire month to read it. Then I think about the satisfaction I derived from actually finishing it and I realize it doesn't matter how fast or slow I reach the conclusion of Pierce Brown's epic debut trilogy.

The Red Rising trilogy, in its entirety, is worthy of reading and passing on your love to others every time you are asked for a good sci-fi recommendation. From Darrow's beginnings as a poor Red helldiver living in the bowels of Mars, until the conclusion of a war that taught him to make the greatest sacrifices in exchange for freedom... every page is worth the time you take to read it. Whether you end up reading it quickly or slowly.

Happy reading!!

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