Chapter 9: The City of Ares – Summary and Analysis
Spoiler Notice: This summary and analysis covers Chapter 111 (Chapter 9: The City of Ares) of Morning Star. Major plot points from the previous books and early chapters are discussed. Proceed only if you have read up to this point.
Summary
Darrow begins the day recovering at his family’s quarters, eating coffee and cereal supplied by his mother. The children prepare for school, a sign that the community has not given up hope. His friends Kieran and Leanna have left for work, leaving Darrow with his mother and Dio. Suddenly, Sevro and Ragnar arrive noisily. Sevro charges in, embraces Darrow, and reveals he has been Carved with Darrow’s old red eyes—a bizarre but heartfelt gesture. Ragnar follows, carrying laundry as a favor to Deanna. After Darrow’s mother extracts a promise for his safe return, Sevro pushes Darrow’s wheelchair through the corridors while telling a wild story of Ragnar escaping a sea demon. They reach the hangar, where the Howlers Pebble and Clown greet Darrow warmly, unbothered by his past lies. Sevro then wheels Darrow to the edge of the hangar to reveal the City of Ares: a vast stalactite base hanging over a refugee camp of nearly half a million Reds. These people have fled mines purged by the Jackal using the chemical achlys-9 under the Liquidation Protocol. Conditions are horrific—disease, starvation, crime, and a recent riot that Ragnar suppressed. Darrow feels hopeless, realizing this is not the world Eo dreamed of. Sevro remarks that Cassius was the one who killed Ares (Fitchner).
Key Events
- Sevro and Ragnar visit Darrow; Sevro reveals he has had Darrow’s eyes Carved into his own head.
- Sevro jokes about his poor hygiene and tells an outrageous story of Ragnar being swallowed by a sea demon and fighting his way out through its rectum.
- The Howlers (Pebble, Clown) greet Darrow, affirming their loyalty despite his five-year deception.
- Sevro shows Darrow the City of Ares—a hidden rebel base built inside a stalactite, hovering over a refugee camp of 465,000 Reds.
- Darrow learns the Jackal is using achlys-9 to gas mines suspected of supporting the Sons of Ares; the refugees are survivors of those purges.
- The camp suffers from extreme overcrowding, food shortages, disease, and violent crime, including a recent lynching of a Gamma boy.
- Ragnar is credited with stopping a riot among the refugees.
- Darrow voices despair: “This is not what Eo wanted.” Sevro replies that dreaming is easy but war is hard, and reveals that Cassius killed Fitchner (Ares).
Character Development
Darrow: He begins the chapter with cautious domestic comfort, but his mood darkens as he confronts the scale of suffering the Rising has caused. He feels like a prisoner who has only reached another cell. His idealism is shaken, but he still measures reality against Eo’s vision.
Sevro: His manic energy and dark humor remain intact, but he reveals a deeper exhaustion when describing the refugee crisis. His decision to implant Darrow’s eyes shows both his sentimentality and his strange, loyal madness. He also carries the burden of leadership, admitting he is less popular than Ragnar.
Ragnar: Calm and dignified, he has learned to read and now serves as a protector (“Shield of Tinos”). His physical power is matched by a quiet authority that the refugees respect. He adapts to domestic requests (taking laundry) without complaint.
Deanna: She embodies the stubborn resilience of the Reds, maintaining normalcy (school, chores, manners) even amid war.
The Howlers: Clown and Pebble demonstrate unwavering loyalty, treating Darrow’s past lies as irrelevant beside their familial bond.
Themes, Symbols, and Motifs
The gap between dream and reality: Darrow’s encounter with the City of Ares forces him to confront the suffering caused by the war he started. The refugee camp is a symbol of how revolution consumes the innocent. His line “This is not what Eo wanted” underlines the theme of lost ideals.
Invisible genocide: The Jackal’s use of achlys-9 to purge mines represents the Society’s willingness to destroy entire populations to maintain control. The Liquidation Protocol is a motif of systemic cruelty.
Community and endurance: The children attending school and the family’s shared coffee ritual contrast with the chaos below. These small acts of normalcy symbolize the will to survive.
The burden of leadership: Sevro’s admission that he struggles to feed the refugees and his reliance on Ragnar to keep order show the moral weight placed on rebel leaders.
Sacrifice and transformation: Sevro’s acquisition of Darrow’s eyes is a literal and symbolic merging of their identities—a token of loyalty that borders on the grotesque.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 111 is a turning point in Morning Star. It shifts the narrative from Darrow’s personal recovery to the harsh realities of the war effort. The City of Ares reveals the human cost of the Rising and the scale of the challenge ahead. Darrow’s disillusionment sets the stage for his next actions—he must find a way to turn this suffering into meaningful victory. The chapter also deepens the bond between Darrow, Sevro, and Ragnar, and reinforces the stakes: the Jackal is systematically destroying Red communities, and the Sons are barely holding together.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the Liquidation Protocol, and how does the Jackal use it?
The Liquidation Protocol is a Board of Quality Control measure for dealing with compromised mines. The Jackal uses it to pump achlys-9 nerve gas into the ventilation systems of any mine suspected of supporting the Sons of Ares, killing everyone inside. The survivors in the City of Ares are those who escaped from such purges.
2. How does Sevro’s decision to have Darrow’s eyes implanted reflect his character?
Sevro’s choice to be Carved with Darrow’s old eyes is a bizarre but heartfelt expression of loyalty. It shows his deep emotional connection to Darrow, his disregard for normal social boundaries, and his tendency toward macabre symbolism. He wants to carry a piece of his friend with him, even if the method seems creepy to others.
3. Why does Darrow say “This is not what Eo wanted,” and what does it reveal about his state of mind?
Darrow says this while looking down at the mass of suffering refugees. He realizes that the revolution he began has created a new kind of hell for the people he meant to free. The statement reveals his guilt, despair, and the growing tension between his original ideals and the brutal compromises of war. He feels trapped in an endless cycle of oppression.