Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 47,143 ratings

Price: 22.57

Last update: 03-02-2025


About this item

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.


Top reviews from the United States

  • kkcav
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great ending to a fantastic series
    Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2024
    Product review:
    5 stars - the book was in perfect condition. Arrived quickly. No damage. The hardcover (dust jacket removed while reading) lasted me taking it to the gym and sauna for several days just fine, pages stayed put. The pages themselves feel good quality, thick, non-transparent.
    Book review:
    4.5 stars - this final book in the trilogy almost had me fooled with thinking all had been for nothing, but as he does, the author put so many twists and turns, my heart could barely handle it. Thankfully, I did end up liking the finale (but there was one part in there I was like "NOPE! THAT'S THE LAST STRAW!" and I didn't want to pick it up again.
    There were definitely more slow parts in this book in comparison to the other two, and the vibe of it felt really sad, but.... this is war. When is war not sad?
    Overall, although this was not my favorite in the trilogy, it's a necessary one, and still deserves an abnormally high rating for the amazing characters, seamless writing and transitions, and overall fun roller coaster ride.
    I will be reading the next books in this same universe, but my heart needs a teensy break, so I may give it a week.
    Customer image
    kkcav
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Great ending to a fantastic series

    Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2024
    Product review:
    5 stars - the book was in perfect condition. Arrived quickly. No damage. The hardcover (dust jacket removed while reading) lasted me taking it to the gym and sauna for several days just fine, pages stayed put. The pages themselves feel good quality, thick, non-transparent.
    Book review:
    4.5 stars - this final book in the trilogy almost had me fooled with thinking all had been for nothing, but as he does, the author put so many twists and turns, my heart could barely handle it. Thankfully, I did end up liking the finale (but there was one part in there I was like "NOPE! THAT'S THE LAST STRAW!" and I didn't want to pick it up again.
    There were definitely more slow parts in this book in comparison to the other two, and the vibe of it felt really sad, but.... this is war. When is war not sad?
    Overall, although this was not my favorite in the trilogy, it's a necessary one, and still deserves an abnormally high rating for the amazing characters, seamless writing and transitions, and overall fun roller coaster ride.
    I will be reading the next books in this same universe, but my heart needs a teensy break, so I may give it a week.
    Images in this review
  • David Maldonado
    5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophical, cathartic, mind-blowing my amazing! Not enough words to describe it all!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2016
    Hello readers,

    I am excited to bring this review to you. I finished this book two days ago, and I just could not write a review outright. I know that sounds funny, but the overwhelming variety of emotions I felt after completing this book was just too much to bare. So please bare with me, as I do my best to describe why this book is so amazing, because I know for a fact there's no way anything I can say will do it justice.

    The Red Rising trilogy is a rare trilogy that has been solid all the way through. Most authors burst onto the scene with vengeance, some gain momentum as they go, and yet others hit their peak midway through. Pierce Brown is a rare author who has written solid gold all the way through. Sadly, my blogging hiatus happened during the time I read Red Rising and Golden Son, so I never got to review it. I will say a bit about each before I move on to the glorious Morning Star.

    Red Rising is a book that takes place in space, where everyone is part of a caste system. Golds are depicted as God like figures, and rule over the Greys, Obsidians, Pinks, and on the lowest level, Reds. (I'm sure I'm missing a color or two, but you get my point. Our protagonist Darrow is a lowly red, and like all his people, suffer because he's not part of the ruling class. Golds act like tyrants, and like all tyrants, they believe they rule for the better of everyone. Now, I won't give out spoilers, but a catalytic event takes place that sends Darrow on a road of revenge, glory, love, and most of all, betrayal. Darrow becomes a shining beacon for his people, and Red Rising is a book that shows us that Darrow is a character not to be taken lightly.

    Golden Son, also known as book two, continues the journey Darrow and his band of misfit supporters have embarked on. Their goal: justice and freedom for all. An uprising has begun to happen, and Golden Son is smack dab in the middle of things. It was very political in the sense that, it reminded me of a Presidential Campaign. Who has who's vote? Who will fight for whom? What resources can you provide? Are you willing to double cross the opponent for the right price? And so on and so forth. The biggest theme for me is betrayal. Golden Son ends with the biggest cliffhanger I've ever read, and the fact that we had to wait a whole year for Morning Star was not easy. Darrow learns an important lesson and I'll just say he's never truly the same. Heart-breaking really.

    Now, for the best book yet, Morning Star. Where to begin I ask myself...

    Pierce Brown has created such a wide variety and swoon-worthy characters and he makes it feel effortless. Darrow is the hero we all want, deeply flawed but we love him viscously. Mustang is a fierce woman character that modern literature gravitated to, and with good reason. Dear old Sevro is by far one of my favorite characters in literature. He's hilariously blunt, a fierce fighter, deeply loyal to Darrow, yet we all can see he has daddy issues. On character I loved to hate was Aja. She was fierce, cruel, and entitled in her Gold status. She was definitely a female version of Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones. There's plenty of other characters to discuss, but these four stand out the most to me.The dialogue and fluid banter between characters is superb, and I'm sure I laughed out loud more times than I could count.

    The. Damn. Plot. Oh! My! God! Never in my entire book-reading life have I ever been so on edge with a book. This book gave me twists and turns, perouettes, literally everything Pierce Brown could throw at you---he did! The battles are phenomenally described, and Brown doesn't bog down his book with murky and boring details, despite the massive length of his book that might make you think otherwise.

    I don't think I can say anything else except me sharing some important quotes that are near and dear to me. These quotes come from some of the best moments in the book, and pretty much the trilogy. Many are empowering dialogues, philosophical cathartic moments, and some are just down-right heart breaking in the grand spectrum of things. Read them and weep :)

    When I looked up at my father as a boy, I thought being a man was having control. Being the master and commander of your own destiny. How could any boy know that freedom is the lost the moment you become a man. Things start to count. To press in. Constricting slowly, inevitably, creating a cage of inconveniences and duties and deadlines and failed plans and lost friends.

    Pierce Brown hit home with this quote. It spoke to my adult self, mourning the death of my youth. We can only dream now of our youthful glory days. Touché Brown, touché!

    We were just an idea. But Roque has made them think the thought that unites all masters who have ever been: what if the slaves take my property for their own?

    So insightful. I would have totally used this in my African American slave narratives class if I could have had the chance. I'm sure all tyrants fear this, as they should.

    Battles are won months before they are fought

    This gave me Sun Tzu Art of War REALNESS! It's a brilliant deductions, and so true. It reminded me of one of my favorite book trilogies The Shattered Sea by Joe Abercrombie, particularly book three Half a War. I can't find the quote but it was something like half a war is fought on the battle field, while the other half is fought politically. Horrible paraphrasing, but that is the sentiment behind it. Planning is everything!

    And....that's it readers. I literally can go on for days about this book. It took me there and back again. I haven't felt so emotionally invested in a book in such a long time. It was refreshing to do so again. If you haven't read this trilogy, I urge you, PLEASE DO! Even if it isn't your type of genre, I promise you there's a little something for every kind of reader. And of course, if your are a YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction fan, this is a definite must-read for you.
  • Sidney Young
    4.0 out of 5 stars A satisfying conclusion to the saga
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2016
    Morning Star is the third book in Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Trilogy. While I did not enjoy it as much as the previous two books, it nevertheless provides a satisfying if uneven conclusion to the saga.

    Like its two predecessors, Morning Star is action-packed from beginning to end. But despite its fast pacing, the first half of the book did not really grab my attention. While I was reading the first two books, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, wondering what Darrow was going to do next and if he was going to be exposed as an impostor. With his secrets now in the open, and with more than half of the book still to go, I was in no doubt that he would succeed in whatever missions he embarked upon, which significantly lessened the suspense quotient. Furthermore, there is a tonal shift in the first part of the book that is quite jarring. In order to bolster his army, Darrow seeks an alliance with the Obsidians, a tribe of fierce warriors who for decades have been duped into worshiping the Golds as gods. The Obsidians are a primitive people who still fight with spears and ride giant griffins. This part of the book reads more like a medieval fantasy than the science fiction I signed up for. While other readers may not be bothered by this, it is just not my cup of tea.

    Once we are past the midway point, the book picks up considerably. The tactics Darrow uses to best his foes in battle are often brilliant; and there are plenty of twists to keep readers guessing. But what gives the book its emotional impact is the nuanced relationship between Darrow and his enemies. Many of these are people whom Darrow used to call friends; and care is taken not to demonize them, but to portray them as people who believe in their cause as strongly as Darrow believes in his. Of course, there are a few foaming-at-the-mouth villains that readers would be more than happy to root against, but Darrow's refusal to let some of his friendships go is what makes part of this book truly heartbreaking. Luckily, things are not all dark. Darrow's friends Sevro, Virginia, and Victra are all given their moment in the sun and their support is what gives Darrow the strength to do what he needs to do.

    In the end, Morning Star is an enjoyable if flawed book. The ever shifting loyalty between Darrow's friends, enemies, and allies are confusing at times; and towards the end, there are too many twists and the ending is too neatly tied up. One twist in particular is such a deus ex machina that it cheapened the impact of what came before. Still, one can do worse when it comes to books of this genre and on the strength of the series as a whole, I would heartily recommend it.

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