Morning Star by Pierce Brown (Red Rising) Rant

Long rant, TLDR at bottom

I greatly enjoyed the first, absolutely loved the second and really liked most of this book. I thought this was going to be a great send off for the trilogy and was so excited to start iron gold when I was done.

That was until the last hundred pages.

Firstly Uncle Narols death. I honestly hadn’t cared for Narol since the first book, so I wasn’t really sad when he died. Although I always appreciate the self reflection Darrow goes through after a loved one dies. However I really didn’t think the low color rage was realistic. Not to say that it wouldn’t, or shouldn’t have happened but it felt like it should’ve been built up more. It happens so fast and is delt with so fast. it really just felt like a cheap twist to keep the pace fast, and to sucker punch you after such a happy moment in the book.
This was kind of annoying, but forgivable, and didn’t sour me too much.

I also think a similar rage would’ve gone through the public when Mustang took leadership, I think her being in charge is the right call. but the whole thing was built upon Darrow, Red, and really all colors, rising to meet the golds. Then you just put another gold in charge? I’d be enraged.

My main gribe, that honestly has me rethinking my love for the series, and has turned me off of reading the next trilogy, is that Darrow lied to me. Narrator Darrow, Pierce Brown himself lied to me. The first person perspective requires Darrow to keep information from us. Obviously we don’t want Darrow to tell us about making the plan and then also tell us the same thing when he actually does it, makes sense and that’s how so many many of these great tense scenes happen. However he’s never outright lead us astray like he does with Sevros death.
No part of this scene had me thinking he wasn’t actually dead. I’m not a die hard Sevros fan but I do like him, not to mention this also undid all of Cassius character arch.

I know the stuff they gave Sevro was alluded to earlier in the story and obviously there’s still the question of what did Darrow show Cassius on the hollow cube. it’s not like this doesn’t make sense inside the story. But what doesn’t make sense is Darrow letting us believe it. The book reads like he knows he’s going to die and the howl is his send off to the world. But he’s know he’s going to be fine, he knows the Jackel isn’t about to kill him.

I really think this was a cheap unnecessary twist for the sake of the twist, and I hate it so much. I get that tricking Antonia was important for the credibility of the plan but that doesn’t mean that the reader should’ve been kept in the dark about it. It didn’t even need to be spelled out, but some heavier foreshadowing so I’m not here believing in false stakes would’ve been nice. There were 50 pages left and somehow there going to come back from this? There must be something amazing about to happen?! Nope Darrow just lied to me, ruined the book.

Lastly the whole plan to infiltrate the Sovereign’s war room was just not good and could’ve gone so very wrong in so many ways that Darrow’s a fool for staking everything on it. Who would let 2 of the most dangerous terrorists in the galaxy into their war room? So dumb especially since Darrow’s escaped twice now.

TLDR: I don’t appreciate how Pierce Brown let me believe Sevro was dead and that he had undid Cassius’s character arch. I think it was lazy uninspired writing and it ruined the books for me

I might eventually continue with the series because aside from the last 100 pages of Morning Star I’ve loved the series this far. But before I do, does Pierce Brown continue this level of dishonesty in the information he keeps hidden? If so I won’t continue. (Not asking for spoilers just in general)

If this is a unique take that’s cool. Don’t let me drag you down

by AbsuredMrSteel