Morning Star

Disclosure that my thoughts here will encompass this individual book, but also the trilogy as a whole.

I think that Brown's best writing comes through his characters. They are unique, well-drawn, realistic people. I can empathize with almost all of them in some way or another. I root for them. Seeing their arcs was the driving factor of my desire to finish the trilogy. Sometimes I wish that Brown had worked on expanding or at least shifting the focal point of the story on to new characters as the journey progressed. But sticking with same set of main characters from beginning to end also allows him to explore each of them to a deeper level I suppose. 

I think my problem with Morning Star comes down to its lack of originality compared to the other two books in the series. I have grown tired of the stakes consistently seeming massive, only to have the next battle have the same if not more of a stake. I've grown tired of a protagonist that I do not fear for because he has some of the thickest plot armor I've ever seen. I've grown tired of being reminded why the rebellion is worth it. I'm tired of Brown insisting on telling instead of showing. These are consistent flaws that have not improved over the course of the series. 

To make matters worse, the ending in Morning Star is rather clunky and rushed. Several of the characters actions feel illogical, the pacing is jagged, and instead of a tone tempered heavily by all the loss and sacrifices that have had to be made, we are left with something that tastes like an artificially sweetened soda. When you've invested what I can only assume is 1000+ pages of reading, an ending like this is hard to swallow. 

Morning Star, and it's companion pieces, are good, but never great. They never truly transcend their limitations to be more than the sum of their parts. They are exciting, page-turning, and sometimes emotional, but that's about where it ends. I never felt challenged, never felt like the author asked the reader to critically think for themselves. It's a shame really. I want it to be better than it is. Brown created something special if not original, but didn't quite have the skills required to make it as good as it could be.