SKU: 94119305292

DYE MXR DARKNESS - BLACK/BLACK DUST

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Description

DYE MXR DARKNESS - BLACK/BLACK DUSTIntroducing the DYE MXR: 20 Years of Paintball Marker Technology & Innovation The DYE MXR represents over two decades of relentless marker innovation, combining the best of our championship winning technology with cutting edge advancements to deliver a marker that stands in a league of its own. Designed for both the seasoned pro and the avid player, the MXR is engineered to dominate on any field, providing unmatched performance, precision, and

Introducing the DYE MXR: 20 Years of Paintball Marker Technology & Innovation

The DYE MXR represents over two decades of relentless marker innovation, combining the best of our championship winning technology with cutting-edge advancements to deliver a marker that stands in a league of its own. Designed for both the seasoned pro and the avid player, the MXR is engineered to dominate on any field, providing unmatched performance, precision, and reliability.

We stand on the brink of a new era. Prepare yourself. The next level is here with the DYE MXR.

Precision Engineering Meets Next-Level Performance

The MXR is the embodiment of DYE’s commitment to excellence. Every feature, from the  revolutionary ARC-X Bolt System to the advanced 3v-MOSair Operating System, has been meticulously crafted to enhance your game. The MXR’s ARC-X Bolt delivers a smooth, consistent shot with industry-leading efficiency, while the Flex Face Bolt Tip ensures gentle handling of even the most delicate paint. With its low operating pressure and dwell-insensitive design, the MXR is built to perform flawlessly in any condition.

Built for the Competitive Edge

Whether you're gearing up for a weekend with friends or preparing for the finals of a championship, the MXR gives you the competitive edge you need. The SLAP-2 ASA Slide Lock AirPort offers a streamlined, tool-free operation, while the TAAC Detent System ensures precise, multi-directional ball control. The patented UL 45 Frame and ergonomic Sticky Grips provide the ultimate in comfort and control, allowing you to play longer and harder with less fatigue.

Innovative Design for the Modern Player

The MXR isn't just about performance—it's about ease of use and adaptability. The marker’s quick-release bolt system, quick release grips, and color-coded o-rings make maintenance a breeze, while the gas-thru design and low-profile construction enhance maneuverability. Plus, with its upcoming Mech Frame compatibility, the MXR offers versatility like never before, allowing you to switch between electronic and mechanical setups with ease.

Unmatched Craftsmanship & Durability

Crafted from aerospace-grade aluminum and featuring a sleek, no-exposed-screws design, the MXR is as tough as it is refined. The low-profile body is lightweight yet durable, weighing in at just under 1 lb 15.2 oz, including the barrel and batteries. The all-metal Lockdwn2 Clamping Feed Neck and Hyper 6IM Regulator ensure that the MXR can withstand the rigors of any game, keeping you on the field and in the fight.

Experience the Legacy

The MXR is more than just a marker; it’s the culmination of 20 years of paintball marker innovation through top-tier engineering and player & customer-driven design. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or just starting your paintball journey, the MXR delivers the performance, reliability, and precision you need to elevate your game. Join the DYE legacy and experience the future of paintball with the MXR.

Quick Feature View:

  • Arc-X Bolt

  • Flex Face Bolt Tip

  • Next gen marker platform

  • SLAP2 ASA Slide Lock AirPort

  • Breech Sleeve - 5th Gen Breech System

  • TAAC Detent system - Revolutionary, true multi directional ball control detent system

  • Mag X-Reach trigger system-2 Trigger profiles included

  • 3v-MOSair Operating System

  • Internal Pressure Sensor

  • Freewire Connectors

  • Powered by 2 AA batteries

  • DYE Boomstick UL-i Barrel system with .680, .684, .688 Included

  • Mech frame compatible (coming soon)

  • Patented UL 45 Frame

  • DYE Sticky Grips-Quick release

  • Hyper 6 IM Regulator

  • Lockdwn2 Clamping Feed Neck

  • Quick Release Bolt

  • Colored O-Rings

  • Gas-Thru

  • Low Profile Design

Luxury Design & Ergonomic Construction

  • No exposed screws or plates

  • All aluminum Aerospace grade construction

  • Low profile design

  • Ultralite 45 frame with full wrap quick release sticky grips

  • Dual density, micro textured grips

  • Best in industry ergonomics

  • Simple joystick OS operation and navigation

  • 3 tool assembly

  • Compression formed protective case with Die cut EVA foam

NEW ARC-X Bolt Design

  • Reduced O-ring count

  • Longer service cycles

  • Simplified service

  • Redesigned valve porting

  • Improved shot to shot consistency

  • Softer and quieter shot signature

  • Dwell insensitive

  • High efficiency

  • Low operating PSI (about 120psi)

  • Air supply cut off in Solenoid

  • Minimized chamber expansion

  • Air spring return

The all-new ARC-X Bolt is DYE’s groundbreaking engine that delivers amazing performance in a robust, reliable package. The ARC-X Bolt’s smooth quiet shot, high efficiency, and soft touch on paint is the result of precise engineering. Optimized flow paths, dwell independent valve control, air supply cut off, and nearly zero chamber expansion are all critical to the ARC-X bolt system air efficiency. Controlled bolt acceleration, air spring, impact bumpers, and low operating pressure ensure a smooth quiet accurate shot that is extremely gentle on paint.

Flex Bolt Face

  • Proven flex face design

  • Extremely gentle paint handling

  • Flaring soft tip design offers no blowback or breech drag.

The Flex Face soft tip bolt is an instant upgrade to paint handling. The Flex Face bolt tip ensures the most fragile paint will be gently carried through the breech and helps protect irregularly shaped paint from clipping.

Next Gen Marker Platform

  • Classic DYE high end features

  • Increased grip clearance between frame and fore grip

  • Increased thumb room accommodates virtually any grip style

  • Extended marker length for better balance and control

SLAP-2 ASA Slide Lock AirPort

  • Patent pending design

  • Easy to use

  • Slide On/Off operation

  • Dependable shielded cover and reliable design

  • Aluminum construction

DYE’s Slide Lock AirPort (SLAP) ASA’s new enclosed SLAP design provides long term dependability in a rugged and easy-to-operate package. The shielded design has no button to operate, no knob to turn, and no lever to get snagged. All critical operations are protected by the Slide Lock Cover. Simply press and slide the lock cover back to engage the air supply with ease.

 

TAAC Detent System - Tri Axial. Alignment. Control Detent System Breech Sleeve – 5th Gen Breech Insert System

  • NEW aluminum design with retaining bar

  • Control Band Detent- Patent Pending true multi-directional ball control detent system

  • Adjustable detent for widest range of paint handling

  • Protects from damaging breech ware. Improved breech geometry – reduces ball bounce, improved paint handling

  • Eliminates bulky eye plates and small easily stripped mounting screws

DYE’s patented Breech System moves into its 5th generation of refinement with updated breech geometry and an all-new adjustable detent design that accommodates a wide range of paint sizes including extremely small paint. Some of the important features of the Breech Sleeve System - it shields the anti-chop eye system from dirt and broken paint, your marker stays protected from harsh environments eliminating permanent performance hindering breech wear, and the new retaining bar helps lock the pipe in place. This next gen breech system also eliminates the need for bulky, antiquated exterior eye plates.

New Mag Reach-2 Trigger

  • New trigger blade retention design

  • Magnetic return force

  • Improved external trigger travel control

  • Improved trigger pin design

  • Adjustable trigger rake angle

  • Dual stainless steel roller bearings

  • Improved sustainable ramping

  • Improved leverage

The Mag-Reach2 Trigger system incorporates super smooth benefits of magnetic trigger return. It is the next evolution in individually customized ergonomic comfort, as well as optimal trigger speed. The adjustable trigger angle, travel, and magnetic return force allow you to create a personalized fit. All adjustments on the Mag-Reach-2 trigger are accessed externally, so you can reach your ultimate shooting capabilities.

3v-MOS Operating System

  • High contrast OLED display screen

  • 5-way joystick control 

  • Training modes

  • Extended battery life

  • Dual player profiles

The MXR is powered by DYE’s Method Operating System (MOS). The 3V-MOS gives the operator unrestricted access to precision tuning and unsurpassed performance. The 5-way Joystick control and high contrast OLED display screen provide an intuitive user interface. Optimized MOS programing logic ensures lightning-fast response time, long battery life, precision tuning, and dual player profiles to store your exact playing specifications. Communication between frame and body is facilitated through the freewire connector pins. Compression pins ensure a positive connection between performance driving hardware and the MCU. DYE Freewire connector pins eliminate awkward wire routing, and dramatically improve serviceability. The MXR’s 3v-MOS truly provides advanced performance in the palm of your hand.

Internal Pressure Sensor

The MXR is equipped with an internal pressure sensor that monitors the operating pressure in the marker. Extremely accurate digital pressure transducer helps you keep the MXR within the optimal pressure ranges. No more packing around heavy testers with bulky dial gauges. DYE’s Prism Interface will confirm your pressures in seconds.

Freewire Connectors

  • Wire-Free between frame and body – quick disconnect, contact pads

  • Eliminate awkward wire routing and dramatically improves serviceability 

2-AA battery Operation - 3 Volt power supply

The MXR operates on the new 3V-MOS system, which is powered by a simple 3-volt power supply of 2 AA batteries.

Boomstick-i Barrel System

  • 8.5-inch control bore

  • Superior accuracy

  • Autococker quick threads

  • Precision multi-stage honing

  • Self-centering 3-piece design

  • Slip fit, self-clamping design

  • Multiple inserts bore sizes- .680, .684, .688 included

  • Internal Diameter Tolerance +- 0.001”

Multi-Stage Precision Honing

All Boomstick-i™ barrels go through the same proprietary DYE multi-phase precision honing method that you have come to count on. This highly protected, proprietary process yields a Ra4 mirror like surface finish that is the most accurate and consistent finish available in paintball. Multi-stage Precision Honing removes all imperfections in the barrel’s surface efficiently minimizing ball spin and air turbulence. This produces exceptionally stable ball control and maximizing accuracy.

Three-Piece Construction

Three Piece Construction gives you the flexibility to run multiple combinations of tip length, control bore size and back support. Gearing up with confidence knowing that every combination of the DYE Boomstick-i™ Barrel System produces the best barrel in the industry.

Steady Port Pressure Porting

DYE’s trademark muzzle port design is another key feature that gives DYE barrels unparalleled accuracy and a low sound signature.

Self-Center Centering Alignment

Alignment is a critical factor in a barrel’s true accuracy. The self-centering, angled surfaces are used to ensure precise alignment between all Boomstick-i™ components. DYE’s Proven alignment design eliminates tolerance variations and thread wear from the equation, giving you long-lasting reliable performance and accuracy.

Mech Frame Compatible

Play any format with the MXR. With the simple addition of the aftermarket MXR Mech frame that allows you to quickly swap between E-frame and M-frame setups.

Toolless Sticky Grips

  • Simple and quick release grips

  • Full 360° wrap grip

  • Micro texture surfaces

  • Superior comfort, grip, and control

  • Improved water intrusion protection

The 360° wraparound Sticky Grip™ with micro texture provides ultimate grip. Dual-density design offers comfort and control. The simple tool-less design utilizes a durable locking system that ensures a rock-solid grip, a reduction in potential water intrusion areas, and at the same time quick access for service.

Patented UL 45 Frame

  • Proprietary DYE hourglass shape

  • Ergonomic designed specifically around dual-finger trigger design

  • Superior comfort, grip, and control

The UL 45 frame is the culmination of top pro player influence and progressive engineering. Designed specifically for modern double finger triggers, the UL frame’s hourglass shape was ergonomically designed to give the player ultimate control, comfort, and performance. The UL frame combined with DYE’s now world famous Sticky grips offers a secure grip for stability and accuracy, while at the same time encourages a sustainable, rapid trigger speed. The Mag Reach-2 trigger with adjustable travel, activation, and resistance allows for optimal tuning for unbeatable speed, reaction time and trigger control.

Hyper 6IM Regulator

  • Proven reliable design

  • Air pressure bleed off

  • Coil spring for easy service

  • 2 screw mounting - easy service

  • Top load assembly – faster easier service provides better access to all o-rings

  • Regulator is integrated into SLAP-2 ASA

The Hyper 6IM features a more efficient airflow path and consistent piston movement. The latest generation of DYE’s trusted line of regulators is the most reliable and consistent regulator DYE has produced to date. Updated with a single coil spring and top load assembly delivers exceptionally easy service. Integrated into the Hyper 6IM is a pressure bleed off to ensure no gas is trapped in the marker when degassed. These refinements were focused on performance, reliability, and safety to ensure the best playing experience possible.

Lockdwn2 - Lever Lock Clamping Feed Neck

  • Positive grip of any size hopper neck

  • Thumb wheel for fine toolless tuning of clamp force

  • All metal design

  • Zero swivel collar

  • Adjustable cam lever clamp

The adjustable Lever Lock allows you to securely lock your R-2™ or Rotor™ Loader onto your marker without tools. DYE’s Lever Lock feed neck sits low and tight on the marker making sure your R-2™ or Rotor™ stays low profile with the rest of your gear. 

Quick Release Bolt

  • Push button removal

  • Quick pin styled operation

  • Air lock prevents accidental release while under pressure

The all-new Quick Release Bolt Assembly features a robust steel gate system with air lock that prevents accidental bolt release and a securing the bolt in place. A simple push button system allows the user to remove and reinstall the bolt kit in seconds. Standard maintenance has never been easier or more accessible.

Colored O-Rings

Color coded O-rings make it easy to quickly identify the correct replacement o-ring when performing maintenance on your marker. Keep it simple!

Gas-Thru

Updated airpaths enhance ergonomics and performance while also eliminating the need for hoses. Switching hands in tight situations has never been quicker or easier.

Low Profile Design

The MXR features one of the lowest profiles in today’s market. The MXR’s streamlined for the most competitive profile possible. With this compact profile comes dramatic weight savings as well. The MXR weighs in at less than 1lbs 15.2 oz including barrel and batteries.

Gen2 Solenoid - Serviceable

The MXR features a serviceable solenoid assembly. Gone are the days of complete replacements, in most cases leaking can be solved with the simple replacement of an o-ring or cleaning of an air passage.

DYE PGA - (Proprietary Graphic Anodizing)

The PGA process is one that is truly unique to each marker that is created in DYE production facilities. There will be seams and parting lines that are kept to a minimum but will be visible due to the proprietary nature of the 360 degree anodizing process. We look at the lines as a necessary element that provides full graphic anodizing to the entire body of your marker. No two markers are exactly the same due to this artistic, handmade process of applying graphics and anodizing.

 

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 94119305292

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Product Reviews
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Verified Purchase
Brandon C
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Amazing Supernatural Thriller
Format: Hardcover
I had a lot of fun reading the Caretaker. This supernatural suspense novel snowballs from the start. Talk about a gripping opening that is going to keep you turning the pages… We follow our protagonist, Macy who is a down on her luck and job hunting to take care of bills for herself and younger sister after their father’s passing 3 years ago. Macy accepts the job as a caretaker from an add via Craigslist with a $3k pre-payment and another potential $6k depending on how well she takes care of the home. 3 days to make $9k… Who would say no? She is given a video tape to watch prior to staying at the property. Macy is instructed that the bonus payout will be rewarded, depending on how well she follows the instructions on the videotape. The videotape was made by the property owners late husband. In it, he describes certain rites that have to be followed starting at 3 AM. Things such as turning off any lights that turned themselves on. Answering the phone if it rings. Awaiting three knocks on the door. The videotape is very ominous, but doesn’t feel like it needs to be taken seriously Macy soon learns otherwise, the plot spirals into supernatural suspense from there as Macy tries to make her way through the three nights with an ending that is an absolute shock to me, but has me on the edge of my toes for whatever Marcus Kliewer writes next. Highly recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2026
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Verified Purchase
SassiGirl
Draper, US
★★★★★ 2
Atmospheric Writing, Frustrating Protagonist
Format: Hardcover
Marcus Kliewer is a talented writer. The atmosphere was vivid, unsettling, and easy to picture, and I could almost feel the emotions he was trying to create. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t work for me. My biggest issue was the protagonist. I don’t need characters to make perfect decisions, but I do need a reason to root for them. Time and again, she ignored clear instructions, got distracted at critical moments, or simply gave up. Instead of building tension, it became frustrating because many of the problems felt self-inflicted. The rabbit incidents and repeated failures to follow the caretaker rules were where the story lost me. I kept waiting for a turning point where she would take control of the situation or fight harder for her sister, but it never came. By the time the white rabbit appeared, I found myself skimming rather than reading because I no longer felt invested in the outcome. I understand the novel can be interpreted as a story about grief, depression, and helplessness, and some readers may connect with that. For me, however, the book delivered atmosphere without payoff. The writing was strong, but I never cared about the protagonist enough to care what happened next.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2026
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Meghan
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 3
Not the hit I was hoping for
Format: Kindle
I found the protagonist insufferable, but maybe because her inner dialogue felt cheesy. I liked how the rites felt trivial because in thought it would all tie together better in the end, but in was left feeling disappointed.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026
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C. E. Stevens
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
A beautifully haunting--and ultimately satisfying--conclusion to a brilliant series
Format: Hardcover
Alert: spoilers abound. The overall pattern of the Hunger Games series is a familiar one to the genre: an ordinary individual (albeit one with some unordinary talents) is thrown into extraordinary circumstances, faces and overcomes an immediate threat to personal survival that turns into a much broader conflict in which this person plays a central part. Some of my favorite books or series follow this motif: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Dune, Ender's Game, Star Wars, the Hyperion series, His Dark Materials ... the list goes on and on. It is much easier to begin such a series than it is to end one. The beginning is easy, because the scope is smaller: a compelling mystery or situation, an enigmatic or charismatic hero or heroine, a seemingly insurmountable menace ... it all makes for good drama, pregnant with potential promise, with the details to be filled in later. A successful ending is much harder, and even amongst the works I listed earlier, some were able to achieve a successful ending better than others. This is because by the end of such works, the scope has enlarged, the world is bigger: for an author, it is easy for plot lines to spiral out of control (the post-Ender's Game trilogy and the finale of His Dark Materials come to mind) or for the ending to seem too implausibly 'pat', too "happily ever after" to do justice to the difficult journey trekked by the characters we grew close to. And yet, it is safer for an author to hew to the latter course, as there is something innately human about the desire to root for the "one man against the universe" who triumphs over all odds, beats the bad guy, and gets the girl (or boy) and the gold too, as improbable as it might be. That's why we love action movies, even though most deserve the caveat "as long as you don't think about it too much ..." This is why I loved Mockingjay, and found Suzanne Collins' ending to this series to be a remarkably brave choice. The "easy way out" was starkly apparent: Katniss could have saved Peeta (in a unique twist on the 'damsel in distress' motif--I must say, I found the choice of a female protagonist to be remarkably smart on Collins' part and refreshing for the genre), killed the bad guy, and they all could have lived happily ever after (with the man of her choosing). On some level, that might have still been a satisfying ending. But Collins' aim is to raise questions, strip assumptions bare, and leave the reader burned and bothered about the fundamental nature of reality, and of war most specifically. Actions have lasting repercussions, wounds and fear do not simply fade away during the chapter break. For me, the fact that Katniss attempts to run away from her demons makes her extraordinarily real. She has been beaten, stabbed, shot, blown up, poisoned, and tortured; she has killed and watched her closest friends and family be tortured and killed, while bearing responsibility at least in part for these actions; she has endured the genocide of her people. If this did not break her, how could she still be considered human? I would ask the critics who wished for a more stoic Katniss what they would have done in her shoes. Particularly given that the weight of Katniss' burden becomes increasingly weighty as Mockingjay continues and it becomes more and more clear that the liberators are fundamentally little different from the oppressors; a new regime under Coin would be no better--and perhaps worse in some ways--than one under Snow. One might be able to tolerate the pain and death if one believed it would lead to a brighter future, but this does not seem to be true had District 13 become the new masters of Panem. The "mission to kill Snow", which would have ended in the predictable 'triumphant victory of good over evil' in the hands of a less-skilled author quickly became a brilliantly perverse mockery of this trite motif, as it quickly becomes clear that Coin has sent Katniss to die along with some other people Coin viewed as a threat (all while keeping the cameras rolling for usable shots of 'the martyrdom of the Mockingjay'). The manner of Prim's death is also particularly heartbreaking, as is the realization that the revolution is really just the Hunger Games on a larger scale--whether orchestrated by Snow or by Coin, there is only one winner (and it is most decidedly not the superficial "winning tribute" of the Games). Both Snow and Coin's manipulation of reality, through propaganda and the use of the Hunger Games and the revolution as "reality TV" was also chilling, resulting in the need for the main characters to constantly question what was 'real' and what was 'not real': made up for the games, or the propaganda, or the war. As a reader, that moment when Katniss shifted her arrow, sending Coin to her death, was cathartic. She chose a 'third way' of sorts, a choice that meant true freedom and liberation for Panem (even if it potentially meant her own death). Even in this moment, Katniss has likely been manipulated (by Snow, and probably even more importantly by Paylor, whose decision to let Katniss speak to Snow set the final events in motion ... and resulted in Paylor assuming the presidency). Yet, at worst, this 'manipulation' served to fully reveal the truth, allowing Katniss to make a true, fully-informed choice. As if to validate the rightness of this choice, the book ends with the indication that a 'new normal' has been created, one more hopeful than could have been possible under either Snow or Coin. True to form, the wounds remain; yet, life goes on. Through her sacrifice and pain, Katniss has created a better world for the next generation; she has also chosen (wisely I believe) the partner with whom together they can make each other whole. The dynamic between Katniss and Peeta was one of the most important and interesting aspects of the entire series, so personally I found it gratifying to see them together at the end, starting a new family (although even this slight nod to convention was tempered by the need to explain their nightmares and roles in the days of Capitol rule to their children). A more subdued and melancholy ending than is typical for this genre, but one that is ultimately true to its characters and the situations they faced: "happy ever after" is for the 'propos' and Capitol newscasts, not reality. Not understanding this fact would make us little better than the viewers in the Capitol watching the Hunger Games for entertainment, seeing the individuals not as people but as 'characters' there to simply give us a good show. Collins expects and demands more of us. After a long and painful journey, a satisfying, if bittersweet, ending to an emotional, intelligent, and wonderful series that I look forward to going back and re-reading at some point in the future. The Hunger Games series more than met my expectations and has gone down as one of my all-time favorite series that I can highly recommend to others. 5 stars, easily.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2011
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Karissa Eckert
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Excellent conclusion; stays true to Katniss's trait of being a survivor
Format: Hardcover
This is the third, and final, book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. If you read the first two books, you will read this one. All I can say is to be prepared for one heck of a ride. A lot happens in this book and Collins doesn't hold off on killing off a lot of people. The book starts where Catching Fire left off. Katniss is in District 13 with Gale, her mom, and her sister Prim. The Rebel group based in District 13 is trying to get Katniss to take up the Mockingjay symbol and become the face of their revolution. Katniss is unsure if she wants to go this route or not. Peeta is still missing and presumed captured by President Snow and being held in the Capital. Katniss's journey eventually leads to the capital itself and a final face-off with President Snow. This is a hard book to review without spoilers but I will give it my best shot. The pace of this book is relentless. Collins does not pull punches when it comes to killing off large groups of people, as well as people we love and care about. This is a dark book, and that is putting it mildly. As far as characterization goes we begin to see even more of what defines Katniss as a character; she is not sentimental, she is a survivor foremost and that it what sets her apart from others. A lot of the decisions made by Katniss in this book are driven by that personality trait. In fact at one point Gale and Peeta are discussing Katniss and who she will "choose". Gale sums it up perfectly when he says something to the effect of "Katniss will choose whoever she can't survive without." On to other characters. The ruthlessness we saw in Gale at the end of the Catching Fire is built upon in this book. Gale is ruthless and practical to the point of dislike at times. He begins to look like a character that likes what Katniss stands for, rather than who she is. At the end of book two I was Team Gale all the way. I thought that Gale and Katniss had more in common in survival instincts and could pull off a good relationship based on those characteristics. As this book starts and continues, we see a side of Gale that is more ruthless and dispassionate than ever before. In order to avoid spoilers I won't say much about Peeta, except that he is back in the story for the second half of the book. Collins does an excellent job at showing both sides of the story. You get to see both the good the rebel forces do, and the harm they cause in rebelling against the Capital. As Katniss and team enter the capital, Collins relates the Capital takeover as yet another type of dome just like previous "Hunger Games" this is an interesting idea and ties the three novels together well. In each of them we see our teams of characters struggling to stay alive, doing things no one should have to do. In each book there are brutal deaths. There's quite the twist at the end of this book. People may be surprised at who Katniss kills. All I have to say about this is that I was satisfied with the choice Katniss made, and had actually been hoping that Collins would have it play out that way. Katniss's actions at the end seemed like the best way to follow Katniss's beliefs, while trying to ensure the best ending for humanity as a whole. The epilogue was interesting. It was kind of nice to get a definitive ending to everything that played out before. It wrapped things up nicely. Still, I didn't think the epilogue was necessary and I think the book would have actually been a bit better and more thought-provoking without it. As with the previous books the writing style of this book was incredibly readable and engaging; no matter people think of the plot, you have to admit Collins is one heck of a great writer. Overall I thought this was an excellent conclusion to the series. Readers may not like how some of things play-out; but I thought they played out realistically and I liked the decisions Katniss made at the end...I thought her decisions really stayed true to the core personality trait of her character, which was to survive. I am eagerly awaiting whatever Collins comes up with next.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2010

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