• Morning Star

  • Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy
  • By: Pierce Brown
  • Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
  • Length: 21 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (45,883 ratings)

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Morning Star  By  cover art

Morning Star

By: Pierce Brown
Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2016 Pierce Brown (P)2016 Recorded Books

Featured Article: Our Editors Recommend—Further Listening for Star Wars Fans


With more than 150 books in the Star Wars audioverse alone, there's certainly no shortage of adventures in our favorite galaxy far, far away. But let's say you've absorbed the very best of both Canon and Legends, watched the films and television shows time and again, and have exhaustively played through extended universe games (video and tabletop alike). If you're looking for something new, our Audicted to Sci-Fi editorial team has you covered.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

SciFi bread and circuses

Split the atom's heart, and lo!
Within it thou wilt find a sun.
-Persian Mystic Poem

Not great, but good enough. Finished the series. It was popcorn with butter. And, sometimes, what you want is popcorn with butter. This isn't Isaac Asimov or Philip K Dick. Pierce Brown isn't aiming for great SciFi lit. He's aiming for movie rights, readers, and finds an unplowed row between Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Divergent, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones. It is a steroid Space Opera with the subtlety of a freight train filled with frat boys.

I think the strength of Brown is his characters and his occasionally artful phrase. His weaknesses is he sometimes runs into SciFi cliche, his plots are fairly predictable, and the whole set-up is far too clean. It was written to be a large-budget movie more than a novel. It was written to sell, too option, and yes read, but not to feed or inspire.

When I remember they are written more for my teenage kids, I am more forgiving. Not everyone can write with the messy heart of Philip K Dick or the control of Dan Simmons. Brown can write about death and suffering and still make it feel warm and sunny. His prose lacks the gravitas to REALLY pull off suffering. When Brown writes about death, it feels like a teenager writing about sex or a white man writing about racism. I know I'm probably taking this review and the whole series way more serious than I need too. I don't think it breaks any new ground. I don't think the stakes are huge. It is entertainment for the masses. It is SciFi bread and circuses, and I guess that is fine for a couple days. Watching gladiators battle in space is always good for a bit of blood and even made me forget Trump for a couple minutes every day. And that IS a good thing.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Masterpiece

The Fallacy of many trilogies is believing that they can finish as strong as they start. Morning Star and the Red Rising Trilogy as a whole not only believes this about themselves, but actually succeeds where so many fail. This journey has taken me from the Mines of Lycos beneath the surface of Mars, to the Moons of Jupiter, the Moon and everywhere in between and it will be a long time before I ever come back down to Earth. There are not enough words in the English language to express how highly I reconmend this series. Darrow's journey is one truly made hand in hand with the reader.

In the beginning of Red Rising I saw him as a character that I would have difficulty liking and sticking with, but I was entranced by the brilliant narration of Tim Gerard Renolds and the prose of Pierce Brown. As the books continued I grew with Darrow and came to view him as exactly what this series and the world within needed. He surrounds himself with a cast of characters that at oftentimes outshine him in their life and vigor, overflowing with personality.

The story ebs and flows and has its fair share of moments that rip out your heart or make your breathe catch in your throat, but the common core beneath it all is the human condition and the struggle that all must wrestle with within their own minds and the world around them, what is humanity and who has a right to define it? Listen to this audiobook, immediately, and if you have not listened to the rest of the series, what are you waiting for? Mars and the stars beyond await. Break the chains.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

the book met the expectations

it couldn't be easy to stand up to the previous books and close the story in a meaningful, satisfactory way, but it did

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I'm exhausted

The author and narrator do a masterful job of orchestrating the tension that moved me from exhilaration to despair and then back again.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing series and an amazing 3rd installment

How to begin? I was captivated from the moment I started Red Rising and the ride didn't end until completing this 3rd novel. I can't say enough about how amazing Reynolds is at narrating; I've listened to many books narrated by him, all of which were done exquisitely. The charactors and plot twists were complex and entertaining. Must Read.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

started great, but to many forced plot twists.

I loved seeing Darrow grow into a more humble, thoughtful character. his sense of vulnerability made him a much deeper, likeable character.
However, some of the plot twists felt forced and frankly unnecessary. For example, Ragnar's end fell flat to me. His character was building up to something great, but Brown failed to deliver on the promise of one of his strongest characters.
The finale also felt forced and a bit manipulative, fishing for a climactic showdown that didn't quite live up to my expectations for a satisfactory triumph.
To summarize, it felt as if Brown was writing the novelization of the future movie he envisions for the Red Rising series, and in the process lost me in the third novel due to lost opportunities for the true depth of a story that you cannot capture on the big screen.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An original and exciting trilogy

One of the best SF books ever, in both writing and performance.
Original plot, magnificent characters, many surprising plot twists and turns.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Too much of a good thing.

I loved the first book and the was Brown described everything so well that I felt I was there . The second novel frustrated me. Plus then it ends so poorly. The third book was somewhat a disappointment. I jumped through part one and 2 trying to catch the highlights of what was happening. Then with part 3 and 4, I was forced to ride a long roller coaster type climax which went on and on. Brown tries to keep the reader/listener in suspense for to long with far too many over the top events. Some of the characters are unreal in ability and the number of times they keep coming back. Even the epilogue, which is meant to conclude everything, is over the top. However In my opinion all that needs done would be to cut out parts that run on. To pay special attention to how the chapters full of thoughts are cut out as well as some of the action. It is as though Brown tried so hard to make the story fantastic, that it was over done. His description of the surroundings, sounds, and visuals is amazing. Considering it is Sci-Fi, I can relate to each character and came to love some to. I seek description in a novel so that my mind takes me there and Brown does this well. This was my first novel to make cry. I do recommend this novel so that the reader can conclude the drama of the first 2 books. Just keep reading when you begin to feel yourself lose interest. So, If you have taken the time to read this review, I know you can easily listen to this novel and get much out of it. I did.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

epic!

severo is an amazing character rooting for him the whole time, what never dies? haha

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Truly an amazing book

A book that I will be thinking about for years to come. This series is Enders Game but better in every way.

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