If Red Rising was to build up Darrow and Golden Son breaks him down, then this is the result of all that construction. This entry in the initial trilogy delivers some hard hitting moments of humanity between the colors that really emphasizes that these are people. Though some seem to act without humanity, they all have their own sense of purpose. It serves to illustrate how different cultures find varied meanings in life, but some do so at the cost of others’ potential. The artificial divide created by Golds is unsustainable and the Rising must prevail despite the steep cost.

Darrow, Sevro, Ragnar, Mustang, Victra, all of these characters deserve praise. They’re all so different, but get along so well. (If this varied group can get along, there’s hope for humanity.) The last entry really made them feel like a family, and this one still holds that tenet as important while also emphasizing their leadership qualities. The aftermath of the Jackal’s betrayal leaves a huge mess for them to clean up and some characters don’t agree with others’ methods. Despite some headbutting, they get the job done and their relationships are better for it. Some of the quiet thoughts of the others are said out loud and it really helps the reader understand them better as most of the time we’re only privy to Darrow’s perspective. While his inferences of their emotions are usually correct, it’s nice to see them truly open up and I found myself loving each of them more than before. Destroying and rebuilding things is basically their whole deal and I think this entry does some seriously fantastic things with its characters.

Story wise you may be a bit unsurprised. There was a twist in the latter half that I saw a mile away, but I still really enjoyed seeing it unfold. Obviously they’re still trying to take down the Sovereign and of course Adrius will get in the way, which leads to some space combat that isn’t too interesting overall. The hand-to-hand is a bit more exciting and there are some truly gruesome battles. The events of this entry really hammer home the idea that war isn’t for the faint of heart as some tough decisions are made and I appreciate how much the characters have grown from having to make them. It really leads to a satisfying experience seeing the initial trilogy close like this as the next books have a good base to build off of and I look forward to coming back around to it, though these three are a good point to take a break as well.

Morning Star is a great conclusion to this trilogy. It has some moments of triumph, despair and love, all of which exemplify humanity, giving the world a realistic feel despite the sci-fi elements. Characters are all fantastic and the story serves to help them develop in meaningful ways that I felt kinship with. With this ending, one can wait a bit before jumping into the next series in the universe as it’s fairly conclusive. I’ll definitely be circling back, however, after I catch up on my backlog. If you’re already invested in this series, this entry is a no-brainer, but if for some reason you’re reading this review without having read the other books, do yourself a favor and go back and get started. I’ll wait.