Reviews with content warning for Torture - Morning Star

(Ok, so I’m dubbing this the first Trilogy, kind of like Star Wars-these three take place in a relatively short amount of time. The next three jump ahead about a decade.)

I STRUGGLED at the start. For like the first 3 hours. So disturbingly brutal because the Jackal is the worst and Darrow and Vitra have to work through the trauma they’ve endured. It was hard to listen to yet totally necessary to the story. Serious props to Pierce for navigating that balance.

While totally feral, this book has some of the most beautiful (and deep) insights. Here’s some of my favs (the non-spoilery ones 😅)

🪐 “Mother is the spine in me, the iron. And I clutch her hand as if such a simple gesture could say all that.”

🪐 “His eyes radiate a goodness that I used to think made him seem foolish, now it just seems wildly brave.”

🪐 “Government is never the solution, but it is almost always the problem.”

🪐 “I think the sh*ttiest part about getting old is now we’re smart enough to see the cracks in everything.”

🪐 “In war, men lose what makes them great. Their creativity. Their wisdom. Their joy. All that’s left is their utility.”

🪐 “Our lives mean so much more than the frail bodies that carry them.”

🪐 “Whatever plan I make, it seems the world is content to undo it.”

🪐 “If my people know one thing it is how to survive hardship with celebration.”

🪐 “Life without love is the worst prison of all.”

🪐 “When we are wound together, we make something unbreakable, something that lasts long after this life ends.”

Ok, I’ll stop, but if you think you can handle this harsh chronicle of war and love, do it. 🤩

#bookstagram #audiobookstagram #maddieraereads2023 #momswhoread #redrisingtrilogy #morningstar #fivestarreads

Content Warnings

rheagoveas's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

jpw's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

With the third book, I found the structure and style becoming tedious. The continued cycle of 'triumph, betrayal, hopelessness, clever triumph, repeat' didn't hook me. Meticulously detailed sequences leave nothing to the imagination, making the multiple battle and torture sequences exhausting. The crassness of multiple charcters is cartoonish and grating, as the same bits play out in the same way for a thind book in a row. Ultimately the vision of revolution is interesting but the journey to get there is less so

Content Warnings

midikitty's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Doubling down on Sevro being a favorite at this point but GAH did

Ragnar have to die? that had me upset for a hot minute and it took me longer to finish this one than it took to get through the last two books. I don’t usually find myself so invested in “side” characters but this series has me hooked.

Content Warnings

More...