Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes | REVIEW

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Published by Razorbill on December 11th, 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Romance
Pages: 412
Format: Hardcover

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In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed… and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It’s the eve of war…. Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword….

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Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes is the first book in the Falling Kingdoms series. It follows a wide cast of characters from three different kingdoms at conflict with each other. One event will spark a war, ignite revenge, and a journey that will never be forgotten.

As many of you know this is a re-read for me, and therefore I decided to base my review on my opinions formed after reading this book for a second time. Let’s see what I thought!

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GIANT CAST OF CHARACTERS

I love books that showcase not only a wide variety of characters but a book that has multiple POV’s. And boy does Falling Kingdoms not disappoint on this one. The story follows the 4 main characters Cleo, Magnus, Lucia, and Jonas as the story of conflict, love, heartbreak, war, and magic unfolds.

Cleo is the Princess of Auranos, the golden land that prospers. She goes through major character growth from the beginning to the end. She starts off as timid and somewhat spoiled, not taking her princess duties seriously as she feels she shouldn’t have to. Being the younger princess, she is not first in line to the throne. But as the story progresses we see her world falling to pieces right before her eyes. She must to take a magical journey to try and save her kingdom from peril.

Magnus and Lucia are the brother and sister duo of Limeros, the frozen land of religion and strict rules. Magnus is the prince heir to the throne while Lucia is the princess with mysterious past and prophesied future. Magnus must remain strong and cold when he is faced with his father’s savage plan for conquering all of Mytica while Lucia has internal battles with her new destiny and magic. They must stick together through it all if they want to survive.

Jonas the poor villager from Paelsia, the barren wasteland that lies between Limeros and Auranos. After the tragic events at the beginning of the book, he takes it upon himself to begin a revolution to bring forth change and destruction to the powers that oppress his land and people. But did he align himself with the right King, or did he dig himself an even bigger grave?

WORLD AND STORY

The vast land of Mytica is rich in history and magical beginnings. Falling Kingdoms brings forth myths and legends that tie the whole story onto an even bigger scale. There is so much more to explore and learn. After reading the book for a second time, more things have become clearer. Things I may have missed the first time that just add to the story as a whole.

The story lines are riveting and are much bigger then the book itself. The story will leave you on the edge with all the twists and turns it takes. It will leave you heart broken because no one is safe. And it will leave you feeling powerful after the final battle at the end. But whose side will you take?

THE WRITING

A book can have as many POV’s as it wants, but it has to be well written. And Morgan Rhodes knows how to do exactly that. Her writing style is humorous, heart wrenching, cheerful, and dark depending on the character whose view we are reading. Never do the POV’s get muddled or confusing. Everyone has a clear voice and tone that sets up their own individual personalities.

She sets up the world with vivid descriptions and vast details that sets your imagination running wild. Their is never any confusion when it comes to the world, story, or characters. Because of this, Falling Kingdoms prospers in every way!

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NONE

I really have no dislikes from this book. In my opinion it was everything a high fantasy book should be and more. One very tiny thing the book could have done without would have been the brother sister love that border lined incest, but by the end of the book it was all resolved. Other then that, there is no complaints from me!

 

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Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes was a fantastic start to a high fantasy series that I’m sure is going to continue to break boundaries and go on to great things! So if you’ve read it, let me know what you thought in the comments below. And if you haven’t, let me know so I can throw the book at your head and make you read it. (I’m only half kidding… I might actually throw the book at your head).

Until next time,

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Morgan Rhodes lives in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess — the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, reality TV, and is an extremely picky, yet voracious reader of all kinds of books. Under another pen name, she’s a national bestselling author of many paranormal novels. Falling Kingdoms is her first high fantasy.