Book Review: Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Morning Star is the third, and final, book in the Red Rising trilogy – if you want to check out my review of Red Rising, you can do so here, but this review wont contain any spoilers for any of the books. This review will not focus on any specifics, but be more general babbling about how much I love it, because I don’t want to give ANY THING away.

What is it about: Well, Red Rising is kind of like The Hunger Games, only set on Mars (and in space!), and way better (that is my opinion and I will not apologise for it. The Hunger Games was good, but I believe this series is way better. It’s darker and a lot more clever). Firstly, we are dealing with a dystopian society where how much you are oppressed depends on your colour. Darrow is a Red (lowest of the low), and also a ‘Helldiver’ (super extreme miner). Things happen and he ends up joining a rebellion to take down the Golds (the most oppressive of the oppressors that are kind of superhumanish). In Morning Star, Darrow is still trying to destroy his oppressive society, but things aren’t really going to plan.

What I thought: Loved it. This book has been the only thing to make me smile in this awful awful week I have been having. This series always seems to be there for me when everything in my life sucks. I read Golden Son (book 2) while recovering from surgery (without painkillers I might add – note: I’m allergic, not some crazy person who doesn’t believe in pain killers) and it was the only book I could manage to actually focus on enough to read.

This series is seriously (PUN INTENDED!) awesome. It’s so action-packed, so clever, has amazing characters, and is also beautifully written. I love Pierce Brown’s writing style. I feel a bit sorry for Mr Brown to be honest. Everyone always just goes on about how good looking he is, which yes, he is devilishly handsome, and no one here is going to deny it, but he really should be praised more for his writing. Because it’s more beautiful than his beautiful face. Fight scenes are a bit long winded, but other than that his writing is stunning. Every sentence is constructed perfectly and it’s so comfortable to read as there is not a single word out of place.

I would definitely recommend picking up this series to anyone who likes dystopian fiction, however it is far more mature and a whole lot darker than The Hunger Games, and might not be suitable for younger readers. I have seen this book referred to as YA (I think just because Darrow is 19 in the first book), but it’s really extremely violent. Golden Son and Morning Star are far less violent than Red Rising, but still are not for the faint hearted.

I did think this book ended a bit quickly, and I would have liked another big spaceship battle at the end (as well as the end that we had, not instead of it), but what can you do.  Honestly the book ended really well, but there will just never be enough of this serious for me.  I still loved it, and I’m really upset that it’s over. But I am pretty proud that I actually finished a series for once (I love starting series and then I get distracted by other books).

So everyone should go an read this series, especially if you like dark, bloody dystopians with fantastic characters who are flawed but brave and smart and funny. It’s so good I was perfectly happy buying the ebook for $17. And I bought the hardcover too. And I don’t regret it at all. It’s that good.

I rate it 5/5 bloodydamn stars. 

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Find it here:

Goodreads. The Book Depository. Amazon. Kobo.

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