The Morning Star Finally Sets

*Spoiler Warning – Previous articles on series is advised for context*
What an ending to a legendary trilogy. What started as a random purchase, turned into a contender for my favorite book series.
The Red Rising trilogy was an absolute pleasure to read, and quite an experience. I originally bought the first book at an airport, because I liked the cover. And I am glad I judged right.
Starting off with Darrow as a lowly Red not knowing he is a slave to toppling the very hierarchy that owned him, was awesome to see his evolution of conquest.
This book starts off with him in the dark after his capture, and he thinks he is deep underground. Completely quiet, completely alone. The book starts off dark and brooding. Following along with this theme, his escape was intense, fast paced, and pretty sad, as one of the people who we were led to like, at the beginning of the book, died pretty much as soon as he was introduced. This theme of loved characters dying would continue.
All together, this book took me on a roller coaster of emotions, with plenty of highs, and lots of lows. And, the combat in this book. Phenomenal. The best in all the series, from ranged gunplay, to sword duels, to space navy warfare. Nuclear bombs to fists.
One would think with this description, it would be pretty apparent that this book is just showy, but no. The politics was fascinating.
The subtle jabs at characters, the hidden schemes, the planning, the feints and blatant disrespect. The drama made this book terribly hard to put down. However, the lows were “lowing” in that at least two fan favorite characters died, and one made me quit the book.
Ragnar, the giant Obsidian. Once a slave like Darrow, turned brother and free thinker, his death was crippling, and really got me down. He died a warrior. Just like he wanted. But with his death, came opportunity.
They were on a mission. To free the Obsidian tribes on the ice covered polar regions of Mars. To unite them under one banner, to get them to finally see the world and denounce the false golds they were told were gods. Ragnar’s sister, Sefi, would now come to fill that position Ragnar was going to take. And, successfully, they gathered their forces and engaged in mass space warfare.
Eventually making their way to Luna, our moon, and by a masterclass of deception, defeat the Sovereign, and complete the “Rising”.
Finishing this book was amazing and sad at the same time. However, I am excited to read the next trilogy in the series, and I have high expectations for how the overarching story will finish.