| BOOK REVIEW | FALLING KINGDOMS BY MORGAN RHODES

Falling Kingdoms
Author : Morgan Rhodes
Series : Falling Kingdoms
Genres : Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication : December 11th 2012 by Razorbill (first published January 1st 2012)

Goodreads’ synopsis : 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….

I don’t know why I waited so long to read this book. (Well, I know why : so many books to read !)
Anyway. This is a gripping and captivating story !

How to describe it properly ? Falling Kingdoms is a great epic fantasy book. All the ingredients are here to make a wonderful read. It’s a multiple POV story. Most of the time, I don’t particularly enjoy when there are more than 2 narrators because it can be hard to follow who is actually talking. With this book, it’s not the case at all. It’s quite the opposite. It brings more depth to the story.
I heard it was described as the YA Game of Thrones. Well, I can see why !

Then his heart, now broken into a thousand pieces, slowly began to turn to ice.

The plot is intricate, well driven and even if you can see some plot twists coming, there are still surprises.
The story around the Kindred, the mystery around the Watchers, the war,… it’s all captivating. Morgan Rhodes created a rather complex world, which is separated in three kingdoms, with some serious background. She hasn’t just focused on the present days, which is great. I appreciated to read about the stories surrounding the Watchers and the goddesses. It was really interesting !

The characters are relatable, realistic, flawed. In one word, humans. Well, except for the King of blood, obviously. Such a cold-hearted character !
I totally got attached to Cleo. She is a spoiled brat, but she evolved so much at the end of the book. She has been forced to grow up.
I am fascinated by Magnus’ character. There are two sides of him, and I can’t wait to learn more about him.
Jonas is also an interesting character. I believe he will become someone important in the sequels.

Love is stronger than anger. Love is stronger then hate-stronger than anything. Remember that.

I also can’t wait to read more about Lucia and what she will be up to !
I particularly enjoyed Alexius’ POV. He is an outsider, his look on the events is sharp. And his motives aren’t clear at all, even at the end of the book.
There’s one thing that bothered me a little. Cleo and Theon’s instant love. I wish they had more time together so we would have been able to witness their feelings growing. Nevertheless, it’s a rather small point compared to how much I enjoyed this book !
I totally get what the hype is about !!!

 

I would highly recommend it to a fantasy lover ! I picked the sequel right away !

About the author

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.