Morning Star

“The Golds carve their deeds into their swords. The grand, violent shit they’ve done. But Ares thought you’d prefer to see the people you love.”

The differences between the images carved into Darrow’s blade when compared to those on the Golds is a notable example of the values celebrated by each side in the war. Brown emphasizes that Gold culture is based off the pursuit of glory, while the Rising develops a communal sense of purpose and wish for a better world.

“But Victra would have died for me. In the darkness, I thought of her. The childish joy in her eyes when I gave her the bottle of petrichor in the Jackal’s study. ‘I didn’t know. Darrow, I didn’t know,’ was the last thing she said to me after Roque betrayed us. Death around, bullets in her back, and all she wanted was me to think well of her in the end.”

Through Darrow’s memories of his time with Victra, Brown constructs exposition for her loyal and kind character. By doing this, Brown shows that, when she struggles with believing that she can be better than the other members of her family later in the book, it stems from her insecurities. He conveys that, despite her low opinion of herself, Victra is a good person.

“[H]ow would a son and daughter of Gold ever know the sound of a clawDrill gnawing through rock? How would they guess that my people would come not from the sky, but from the heart of our planet?”

In this exchange, Darrow knows what the sound of the clawDrill means while his Gold foes do not. This is an early example of how Darrow’s unique background as a Red and a Gold gives him an edge over his enemies.

“I made you a myth. And now that you’re back from the dead, you’re not just a martyr. You’re the bloodydamn messiah the Red have been waiting for their entire lives.”

Following Sevro’s release of the video of Darrow’s carving, the legend of “the Reaper” grows. Darrow is uncertain about how to live up to this legend, especially because the Jackal stripped him of his confidence through his torture. Brown uses the religious imagery of “messiah” to reinforce the pressure of this legend.

“You might not believe in our rebellion. But I saw Tactus change before his future was robbed from him. I’ve seen Ragnar forget his bond and reach for what he wants in this world. I’ve seen Sevro become a man. I’ve seen myself change.”

This quote shows one of Darrow’s core beliefs: that people can change through being given love. He puts this into practice throughout the series and it makes people incredibly loyal to him.

“‘He’s just a man pouring gas on the fire.’ Maybe I didn’t understand how far gone this war is, how far reaching the chaos has become.”

This quote shows that, by purposefully increasing chaos in the hopes it leads to the breakdown of the Society, Sevro is creating something that is out of control which cannot be built upon. Brown explores The Ethics of Revolution and argues that Sevro’s approach is an inefficient way to rebel.

“But when she sat before my hearth as a girl beside Pax and my children, what stories did I read them? Did I read them myths of the Greeks? Of strong men gaining gory for their own heads? No. I told them tales of Arthur, of the Nazarene, of Vishnu. Strong heroes who wished only to protect the weak.”

Kavax’s description of Mustang’s childhood is an important part of her characterization. While other Golds have been raised on Neoclassical ideas, Kavax instilling in her the belief that the weak must be protected makes her a reformer, and eventually a revolutionary.

“Now all these people think she was divine or something. A perfect martyr. But she was just a girl. And she was brave, but she was stupid and selfish and selfless and romantic; but she died before she could ever be more.”

Darrow discusses how the myth of Eo compares to the real figure during his heart-to-heart with Sevro. Despite Darrow disagreeing with the belief that Eo was a perfect martyry, he stresses the immorality of the Gold rule. Her death before she could ever truly grow up demonstrates how the oppressive Gold regime robs people’s future.

“Slavery is not peace. Freedom is peace. And until we have that, it is our duty to make war. This is no license for savagery or genocide. If a man rapes, you kill him on the spot. If a man murders civilians, high or low, you kill him on the spot. This is war, but you are on the side of good and that carries a heavy burden.”

In this quote from Darrow’s Phobos address, Brown lays out an important part of the text’s framework regarding The Ethics of Revolution. He presents fighting back as the duty of the oppressed, but given that it is a moral duty, it must be conducted morally. This ideology is a defining aspect of how Darrow acts and what he believes in the series.

“I’m struck by how natural this feels, our four worlds colliding together.”

Darrow’s internal monologue during the conversation between him, Mustang, Holiday, and Ragnar demonstrates how the divisions between colors are manufactured by the Society. Outside of these restrictions, when representatives of Red, Gold, Gray, and Obsidian talk, they are easily able to find common ground and get along.

“‘I will give Eo your love. I will make a house for you in the vale of your fathers. It will be beside my own. Join me there when you die.’ He grins. ‘But I am no builder. So take your time. We will wait.’”

This quote is one of the last things Ragnar says before dying, making it emotionally significant within the text. It demonstrates that Ragnar has adopted the religion of the Reds (which Darrow himself doubts) instead of the Obsidian belief system, a sign of his change over time. Furthermore, it exemplifies the deep bond that Ragnar and Darrow have, as Ragnar wishes to spend the afterlife with him while hoping that Darrow does not die soon.

“Which would you fear more, Virginia au Augustus, a god? Or a mortal with the power of a god.”

Alia Snowspear’s service to the Golds despite her knowing that the Obsidian religion is false demonstrates the strength of the Gold rule. The Golds use both cultural traditions and their military might to enforce their control. To defeat them, Darrow and the Rising must both confront the cultural and military power of the Golds.

“‘You and I keep looking for light in the darkness, expecting it to appear. But it already has.’ I touch his shoulder. ‘We’re it, boyo. Broken and cracked and stupid as we are, we’re the light, and we’re spreading?’”

In Morning Star, both the Rising and the Society claim to be the “light” of the worlds—the thing that is bringing goodness. Here, Darrow tells Sevro that they cannot wait for the goodness to appear as they are actively spreading it themselves. This claim is influential for Sevro later, who repeats a similar line of thought in his speech to stop the lynching of the Golds.

“Too shocked at seeing two halves of my life collide without my supervision, I sit down uneasily and listen to Mustang finish the story.”

An important aspect of Morning Star is the Red and Gold halves of Darrow’s lives colliding. The meeting between Mustang and Deanna, Darrow’s mother, is a crucial moment. Darrow frequently uses the word “collide” to describe people coming together, a violent term which highlights the context of war.

“‘It’s hard for me to speak to you as if you were not a tyrant,’ I say. ‘You sit here and think you are more civilized than Luna because you obey your creed of honor, because you show restraint.’ I gesture to the simple house. ‘But you’re not more civilized,’ I say. ‘You’re just more disciplined.’”

Darrow’s discussion with Romulus about the difference between the Gold rule in the Rim and the Core shows the nuances of Brown’s view on revolution. He presents the Rim Golds as notably more honorable than those of the Core but, through Darrow, he shows that this does not make their rule more just. They are still an oppressive society, if less hedonistic.

“Gold. Red. It doesn’t matter. Your spirit is black. Quinn was good. Lea was good. And you used them. You are ruin, Darrow.”

Roque’s hatred of Darrow shows the lasting consequences of their friendship falling apart in Golden Son. Darrow’s tendency to isolate himself in the past alienated Roque, and the death of two people who Roque loved further strained their relationship. This passage shows that, unlike Cassius whose hatred of Darrow lessens in this novel, Roque still cannot forgive him.

“But there’s a kindship here on my ship. One I saw in the engine rooms, in the gunnery stations, on the bridge. A dream that links us together and makes us brave.”

Darrow’s comparison of his fleet to the Sword Armada shows that, while they are outmatched, they can win the fight. The unified dream of the Rising means that they can suffer losses better than the comparatively selfish Golds. His observations also allow Brown to establish the setting of the ship and its different rooms, anticipating the battles that will take place in each section.

“If I ruin Ganymede’s dockyards the Rim won’t be able to threaten us for fifty years. Romulus is an ally today, but I know he will threaten the core if the Rising succeeds.”

Darrow’s decision to destroy the Ganymede dockyards shows his complicated morality. While he wants the Rising to stay on an ethical path and build a working society, he is willing to go to great lengths to make this succeed. This includes betraying an ally he knows is dangerous and killing the lowColors on the docks. The Ethics of Revolution that Brown conveys includes using violence as a means to an end.

“‘I never thought about the weight on you,’ he says carefully. ‘All that time among us. Years. You couldn’t talk to anyone, could you?’ […]

‘You still can’t. And that’s what kills you. You’re among your own people and you feel a stranger.’”

Cassius’s unique understanding of Darrow’s mentality demonstrates their similar characteristics. Despite their antagonistic relationship, both can relate to the other because of The Cost of Leadership. This means that Darrow knows that Cassius can be turned to the Rising, a reason he keeps him alive.

“Death begets death begets death.”

Sevro’s recitation of this mantra is an important moment for his character and one that leads to his saving the Rising. While earlier in the book, Sevro’s leadership of the Sons of Ares added violence to the world, by this stage Sevro has matured and realized the danger inherent in this cycle. His recognition of the need to stop this cycle of violence allows for the Rising to move past the riots following Narol’s death and eventually gain victory.

“With them is Cyther, the awkward Orange who so impressed me a year and a half ago in the garages of the Pax. He only just finished Mustang’s special project this morning.”

In this throwaway line, Brown hints at the twist of Sevro’s fake death that occurs several chapters later. He foreshadows that there is a plan in the works and shows that, for this plan, something must be built. However, Darrow’s narration is incomplete, allowing Brown to keep suspense during the final act.

“Last time I pinned him down, I took the wrong weapon. What are hands to a creature like him? All his evil, all his lies, are spun with the tongue. So I grab it with my helldiver hand, pinning it between forefinger and thumb like the fleshly little baby pitviper it is.”

Darrow and the Jackal are depicted as polar opposites. While the Jackal is physically unimposing and gains strength through speaking, Darrow values his hands greatly. Darrow taking out the Jackal’s tongue is thus a symbolic action, as Darrow’s direct force can overcome the Jackal’s manipulations.

“Change will come slower than Dancer or the Sons want, but it will come without the price of anarchy.”

Mustang taking up the office of Sovereign shows that the Rising does not immediately abolish the system it fought against. However, Brown shows that the maintenance of order and the institution of steady reforms means that society will eventually improve. The passage thus demonstrates the view on The Ethics of Revolution in the series.