Morning Star by Pierce Brown

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.

What a series! The three books Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star were just masterful from start to finish. To me, this is what a series should be. Three books that powerfully move the whole story forward without falling into the trilogy trap.

I’ve recently been working on revising one of my own books and I’ve been thinking a lot about energy, conflict, and tension. This series has it in spades. If that’s an area you struggle with in your own writing, I recommend reading this series to see how one author handles it. Pierce Brown really messes with his characters at every opportunity and it makes for an amazing read.

No spoilers in this one…just wow, wow, wow, go buy this and read it!

I think this series has already been optioned for a movie, but I think it would make a wonderful mini series or tv show like Game of Thrones. I think that would give more time to really develop these complex characters and this world. Regardless, I’m excited to see what Pierce Brown writes next!