Falling Kingdoms: A Falling Kingdoms Novel

Although the book has four main characters, it mostly focuses on Princess Cleo°s growth and development. While in the book`s beginning Cleo is no more than a headstrong, spoiled girl, she progresses to a level of pride and determination, displayed at the ending of the story, that is found within the depths of a true queen even in the worst of times. Princess Cleo`s character is in many ways much like that of the heroine of the Seven Realms series, so for readers of the Seven realms, I strongly recommend experiencing this adventure as you will soon be scrambling for its Sequel. All hail Queen Cleo!

This book looked really good, and the premise is pretty good, but the execution was a bit off. I just couldn't get invested in the main characters, and ended up putting it down when I realized I just didn't care what happened to them.

**SPOILERS** **SPOILERS** **SPOILERS**

DISCLAIMER: So I made the mistake of going back and reading other reviews once I had already started the book. A lot of things were said about it, both good and bad. Some compared it to A Game of Thrones but for young adults, but the only similarities I could see were the multiple POVs and the seemingly incestuous attraction Magnus had for his "sister" (which is quite the opposite of Game of Thrones if you really think about it). Many of the other reviews were nothing more than fangirl(and boy) raves over how wonderful the book was, or simple statements that it was the worst piece of literature the reviewer had ever encountered. I tried not to let these reviews affect my opinion, but I fear they may have.

This book took absolutely forever to take off - 20% was left on my Kindle before I started to read with a good amount of interest. If the book had started there and filled in any pertinent background information as flashbacks or something similar, it might have been a great book. One of the things that irritated me was how blunt and stiff the emotional connections between characters was presented. Honestly, this book had no subtlety whatsoever. Perhaps it came off this way because I'm not in the target audience age range, but in a young adult category where great books like The Thief, Alanna, and stinking Chronicles of Narnia exist, I have nowhere else to put this book but at the bottom of the list.

That being said, I will likely read the next book. As I said, the end of the book was when the story finally started to show promise. We shall see!

Wow...this book is an insult to the intelligence of teenagers.

Incredibly difficult to finish - I cannot count the number of times I rolled my eyes. One of the more irritating parts of the book (I may go so far as to say her entire character ruined almost everything for me) was Princess Cleo, one of the main characters. She's a wild idiot; the author seems determined to have her perceived as a tough-yet-vulnerable female who's full of heart and bravery but only suceeds in making her seem incredibly dense and selfish. I understand that she's supposed to be sixteen, however I've seen girls on Sixteen & Pregnant with more common sense than this one. The idea that a princess of the realm would sneak off with another teenager to go to a country they are at war with to find...magic beans? seems ridiculous. I cannot imagine anyone in that position being so incredibly dense to not realize the consequences - of COURSE you were captured and held hostage. Her idiocy almost cost her nation (her entire NATION) the war - I just...it became unreadable. She was one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever encountered and showed no "growth" - in fact everyone in the book seemed so impressed with her bravery. It was ludicrous.

I'm mean, ehhhhhhh....... it's alright. I felt like for the amount of characters and plot twists there was very little detail, personally I didn't really like it, but I really wanted to, it had a great build up, definitely worth reading, but I just didn't like it, the romance seemed a little....... sappy and fake, but otherwise it was a pretty decent book......... I guess

I'm mean, ehhhhhhh....... it's alright. I felt like for the amount of characters and plot twists there was very little detail, personally I didn't really like it, but I really wanted to, it had a great build up, definitely worth reading, but I just didn't like it, the romance seemed a little....... sappy and fake, but otherwise it was a pretty decent book......... I guess

The Blurb:
Magic is all but forgotten in the three kingdoms of Mytica. All three have lived in peace for centuries, unrest is brewing. Four teenagers from the three different kingdoms will each play a distinct, important role as the conflict comes to a head. Whose side are you on?

The Nitty-Gritty:
I had heard so many good things about this series from people who I really trust, so my expectations were pretty high going in. This, as it turns out, was a mistake. I was promised rich politics, morally grey characters, blindsiding betrayal, and fascinating magic. I expected strong worldbuilding and intriguing characters.

I got none of the above. The characters were neither intriguing nor morally fascinating. They were flat and whiny and obnoxious. The only characters that I wanted to hear more about were either killed off, or we only got to hear from them once or twice. I could see every "plot twist" coming from a mile away, because the foreshadowing was so heavy handed. The magic itself was so poorly explained that it wasn't actually interesting to read about.

I really enjoyed, however, when we got to dive into the legends behind the religions of Mytica. The stories of the Watchers and the goddesses and the Kindred were intriguing, and that was why I ended up finishing the book - because I wanted to hear more about the two goddesses.

The Verdict:
Just judging from this first book in the series, I would suggest giving the Falling Kingdoms series a hard pass. There are so many other high fantasy YA series that are constructed so much better. This one wasn't worth the reading time.

This book was awesome. Addictive. Satisfying. Literally almost perfect. I have been wanting to read this series forever, and I am finally getting around to it. Since the series is almost over I felt it was time to get cracking.

My first impression of the book was that it is basically Game of Thrones for a young adult audience. And that's not a bad thing. It really worked quite well. There are quite a bit of adult-ish things going on, but not in exuberant detail. It's more nuanced or implied.

I really loved the writing style. The writing pulls you in and keeps you interested. And it flows so beautifully. The pace is perfect. This is my first Morgan Rhodes book and so far I am impressed. The words and dialogues are so smooth that I just race through them. The writing isn't confusing or disjointed in any way. It's bliss!

There are many characters in this series and I really loved getting a glimpse into their lives. The chapters of the book alternate by which kingdom the characters are in when the chapter takes place. The character growth is written fantastically. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions getting to know these characters. I liked how the distinction between good and evil was blurred. Each character acts upon what happens to them and what decisions they make.

The world building is excellent! There are three kingdoms and the way that they are portrayed was so vivid and atmospheric. The differences between the three kingdoms were vast and well written. I was never confused about which kingdom was which. I also really liked how the mythology of this world flows throughout the story. Every so often we get a little more info about the religions of this world. It built upon itself gradually, which was perfect. The Rhodes gave you just enough to satisfy but left out enough to make you curious and yearning to know more.

The plot was woven so creatively. I was invested in the story from the very first page. I was itching to find out what happened next throughout the book. There is so much intrigue, so many themes are covered, and it always kept me wanting more.

The only thing that fell a little flat was the romance. It is very lax in that department, and that is what prompted me to rate it the way that I did. With a little more romance this would have been simply perfect.

Overall, I was more than pleased with this book. It is a compelling read that you won't want to put down for a minute. I absolutely recommend this book, and I will be continuing the series.

Fantasy stories either wow me or I think they’re just okay. Falling Kingdoms fell into the second category for me. I liked parts of it and I felt the potential and foundations for a great series, but it didn’t feel like the story went all in. Set in the divided land of Mythica, we follow 4 strangers whose lives intersect as a power struggle erupts between the three countries and an ancient magic is beginning to resurface.

Things I Liked
I am a sucker for Power Plays and Politics in a fantasy story. Magic is great and all, but give me schemes and plotting any day. (Or better yet both!) I really loved seeing the underhandedness and manipulations that characters use to get what they want, or what they think they deserve.

I really liked half of the worldbuilding in the story. While the actual land of Mythica felt lackluster and flat, I really enjoyed the culture of each country and seeing how they viewed magic, religion, and their rulers.

Things I Didn’t Like
While there were things that I liked in the story, it didn’t grip me. The characters all felt similar but I did like that they’re all mostly morally grey even if they are all impulsive and not the best decision makers, the plot is so weak and a non-factor for most of the book. If felt more like setup plot to get to a bigger story down the line.

I’m definitely going to give book 2 a shot and we’ll see about the rest of the series from there because I have heard some mixed reviews as the series goes on. But I thought that Falling Kingdoms was a good, if unoriginal, entry into YA fantasy that kept me entertained.

***Spoilers ahead you’ve been warned***

I rather enjoyed this one. Somewhat. The characters are really what drives this book (some of them that is) and while the plot moves at a medium pace, it’s understandable as this introduces you to the setting, the characters and what’s in store for us as readers.

World building is straight forward and there’s a handy guide in the beginning so you can figure out who is who and from which Kingdom (there are three). It pretty much centralizes on a small group that are central to the main plot and it’s easy to figure out who is who as you quickly start developing favorites :)

And this is where it starts getting interesting. I notice this happens sometimes with fantasy books. The good characters are downright annoying, nauseating (even more so when the love factor is involved) and induce eye rolling moments while reading. The not so nice characters are more interesting to read, you quietly cheer for them and hope they turn out for the better because you don’t want them going down that path because most likely, they’ll end up being gone and you’ll have nothing else to read but the good guys.

I tried to like Cleo. I really did. However all I see is a little naive twit who’s annoying and I don’t really see her worth in this book and I wonder why Magnus just doesn’t end her so she can join good ol dependable Theon. I am hoping she turns out better in the later books but so far she’s not looking so good and her romance with Theon was so eye rolling inducing it’s characters like these that make or break the novel.

Thankfully, I love the Magnus story arc. He’s turned into a jerk but it’s not really his fault as dad isn’t really nice. The thing with Lucia is creepy and although they’re not blood related it still gives moments of queasiness (dude, you have like so many girls in the Kingdom come on). That being said though, I love reading about Magnus and Lucia. Their story lines are interesting, they have faults, and they deal with it (albeit, perhaps not in an all too healthy manner).

The story arc with Jonas was also interesting and I wish more was written about him (I think Cleo’s got way too much time in spotlight) as he’s gone through so much to get his revenge and only to find out it just opened a giant Pandora’s box and we’re heading towards more epic battling.

The latter third of the book gets really interesting. I’m only hoping there’s going to be a good outcome for everyone and I really hope Cleo’s character improves because she’s really what could make or break my desire to continue onto this series. Sometimes it takes that one character to ruin it all. That being said, I think it’s off to a great start and I’m ready for some more! Great for those into YA fantasy.

This series takes place through the perspectives of mostly four characters, so I’ll continue in the vein of the synopsis.

Cleo - The spunky princess. Goodness, I adore her. She jumps headfirst into irrational decisions because of her emotions. She’s guided either by good values or self-preservation, both which end up leading her to make moves that will haunt her. I love her defiance. What’s weird about this story is that she is the perfect protagonist, and yet the “prophesied one” trope isn’t used on her, but on another character, Lucia. I’m hoping this is another example of turning the trope on it’s head instead of a nudge by the author pushing me to like Lucia. If the first, kudos to Rhodes for giving the trope a twist, but if not, Cleo’s personality fits the role of the prophesied one more than Lucia. I’m probably prejudiced, but I like her so much more than Lucia. She’s got no tactical or battle skills, just a sharp tongue and a useless titled position. And yet she’s still our heroine. Not OP, but rather under-equipped for whatever is coming. Flawed but fierce. Reminds me a lot of Yona, actually (from Yona of the Dawn). This is what a heroine should be.

Magnus - Based on reviews, I expected to love Magnus going into it. But the way he pines after his sister just made me cringe. I have criteria that needs to be met for me to get on board with incest in a narrative, and I haven’t fully defined what that is yet. I think maybe one of them is that it needs to be normal within the context. Another would be the perv factor of it. Unfortunately for Magnus, he doesn’t meet either of those criteria. It’s not normal within the context, and he just rubs me the wrong way. He feels like a creep. And his whining annoys the everliving fudge out of me. Seriously, dude, stop being so pathetic! When he’s not pining, he’s your standard broody, damaged protag feigning indifference to his father’s murderous ways. He’s got a soft heart hidden behind a cold exterior. It’s a trope we’ve seen a million times, and one that I usually like, but Magnus wears it all wrong for me.

Jonas - The angry rebel. This guy wasn’t fleshed out enough for me, but I’m looking forward to his potential. Initially holding a grudge against Cleo for her role as a seemingly-indifferent observer to his brother’s murder, most of the book he just wants his vengeance by killing her and Aron (said murderer). There are sparks that go undeveloped between Cleo and him, and I’m pretty excited to see them together again. The whole enemy love-interest thing is entertaining (it’s a whole ‘nother issue for Cleo and Magnus, as it doesn’t work for me between them the way it does for Jonas). I know I’m supposed to feel optimistic and ship-y about Magnus (based on other reviews), but I’m not there yet. I’ll be happier with more Jonas time. When I can stop imagining Magnus as the rape-y uncle figure, maybe I can stop clinging to Jonas as if he’s a life raft. Also, I hate to think of Cleo as a consolation prize for his sister. She deserves better than that.

Lucia - And here’s Bambi. Pure, naive, boring. The prophesied sorceress destined to do something super powerful I guess, it’s not very clear. *dusts off hands* Moving on!

Setting:
As far as the world building goes, I’m afraid I couldn’t care two figs about the setting, though that’s less the books fault and my own hyper-focus on characterization. But I’ll touch a bit on the world this takes place in.

So, I think Mytica is the continent, or some sort of landmass, and there are three separate countries/kingdoms on it. (Seriously, sorry for my apathy on this topic.) There’s another larger kingdom across the sea that’s referenced but never fleshed out (likely setting the stage for a future arc). Magic exists but witches are persecuted, except for Lucia who is more powerful than a witch (sorceress) and protected by her adoptive father who wants to use her powers for total domination. Magic is based on the elements. Witches can dabble in one or two elements, but a sorceress has more complete control over every element (magic is called elementia, BTW). There are also Watchers (basically gods stuck in bird form while on earth) who spy on humanity, and take information back to the Sanctuary (basically heaven?). They’re waiting on a prophecy to happen, which involves Lucia and finding basically magical Easter eggs that when united perhaps make a giant egg-gauntlet that can set the gods free from heaven and their bird shackles. I will say that there are a lot of unanswered questions. I assume they’ll be answered when they need to be. You can tell the story will deepen as it goes on, but really the only things that is clear is that there are three kingdoms on a landmass with two against kingdoms fighting against one for total control over said landmass. And also magic (excuse me, elementia).

I know I sound unimpressed when it comes to the world building, but one facet that I greatly appreciated was the unpredictability of the plot. Because you don’t really know the world you’re in, it’s easy to throw in turns that you won’t see coming. So the details of the world end up being revealed through twists in the narrative.

I pretty much inhaled the first one, so I can't say that it's not entertaining. I definitely enjoyed it, and it has potential as a series, but I'm also slightly afraid that the tropes may be an issue for me in the future.

4.25 stars!

“Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.”

It's easy to call this book the young adult Game of Thrones. The obvious similarities are the conflicting royal families and unexpected and frequent deaths throughout the book. Except there aren't as many families in this book and because it's young adult it's a bit lighter in its themes.

When the Royal Princess Cleo visits a neighboring country with friends, what was meant to be a lighthearted wine trip turns into a nightmare, and inciting a political disaster and turning allies against each other. Now three countries are preparing for the worst, some for defense and others in offense. Choices are made and many are killed in the fight for power and survival.

“Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It's something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic.”

There are four main characters in this book: Jonas, Cleo, Magnus and Lucia.

-Jonas thirsts for revenge after watching his brother unjustly murdered. Honestly most of the time I found him a wee bit annoying, but I feel like he will be less so in the upcoming books based on his actions and thoughts near the end of this book.

-Cleo finds herself wound in a political web where she is used as a pawn for more power. Cleo isn't terribly strong for the majority of the book. In fact she messes up a lot but she does grow as a character and does her best to fight for those she loves while facing many challenges.

-Magnus also known as the book boyfriend to me, Christine and Jasmine (just kidding ladies, I know I have least amount of claim on him). Magnus is the son of the king, and he hates his father. The only person he truly loves is his younger sister, Lucia. Magnus constantly finds himself at odds with what is expected of him, and what is morally right.

-Lucia is a princess with a secret, and it's a secret that can change everyone's lives.

“You're the same as you were yesterday and the day before. Nothing has changed. Not really. Forget what troubles you. Regret nothing, but learn from any mistakes you make. Tomorrow will be a brighter day, I promise.”

So the only character I truly loved in this book was Magnus. That man makes my heart bleed for him in almost every scene. The other characters I like but kind of want to smack them some of the time. Basically I really enjoyed this book for the plot, but to me the characters needed a wee bit more development for my personal reading tastes. I cannot wait to jump into book 2 and see what happens next.

“You must continue to believe with all your heart. Sometimes belief is all if takes to make something real.”

Rating: 7/10

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes has been on my list of books to read for a good while now. When it comes to stories with many different point-of-view like this one, I like to wait until the entire series has been completed before I begin reading them. So, when I learned that the conclusion had been written and released, I jumped right in and started it up.

To start off, I really did enjoy this book. I always love a good tale of fantasy and magic and really find myself drawn to this kind of books. The character development was well executed and the world of Mytica was well thought out, but I found myself able to predict what was going to happen pretty quickly as I read through the book. For instance, I called almost every death that occurred within this book. There was maybe one or two that I was a bit surprised by, but overall I found myself not very surprised. However, even when I did predict a death correctly or some other misfortune, I found myself sympathizing with the characters and understanding the situation that they were in. Except for maybe Cleo’s character at times.

Another reason why I was unable to give this a higher rating was due to the fact that I found that the characters could be a little over dramatic and almost whiny at times. Like Cleo rushing off on some fools search when there was literally a war brewing and another solution could have been presented or when Magnus got so upset he let his ‘heart turned to ice’ when the girl, Lucia, whom he grew up thinking was his sister, rejecting his affections (she did this because they were still siblings in her mind and it was weird to her even when it turned out they weren’t related by blood). I also found that it could be pretty repetitive at times (I swear every character thought that Cleo was beautiful and couldn’t stop thinking about her or falling in love with her. It felt very superficial to me).

The character I felt had the most sense to him was Jonas. Though he was a little hot-headed, he was the only one I thought really stopped to consider his actions before he went about doing them. Yes, he did let his emotions get to him at times (I mean his brother was killed right before his eyes in a rather brutal fashion and he wanted revenge), but he was the only one that saw treachery on the horizon and was willing to ultimately sacrifice his thirst for revenge for the death of a single person over the needs of his people. Hell, he was willing to die to protect his people in the end.

Overall, I thought that this was a pretty interesting tale and I can’t wait to see how Morgan continues with the series as I move onto the second book, Rebel Spring.

“Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.”

Stars (Out of 10): 7.5/10
Overall Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, and how it's written and planned out is different from most fantasy novels. It actually reminded me of how Game of Thrones is formatted, or atleast how I've heard it's formatted, as I haven't read the series yet. There were some parts of the author's style that needed getting used to, such as how frequently she killed off characters and how she went about making those deaths seem important, but I believe that now that I understand Rhodes' style more the rest of the series will seem a bit better. I do believe that with it's flaws, it was still a really good book, and I truly enjoyed it!

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE

The Good: I loved the diversity of the characters, as how they reacted to things was actually quite different from each other. I also enjoyed how the main characters aren't on the same side, so we almost have to choose who we believe is good, and who we want to 'win'.

The Bad: I thought the character deaths seemed a bit too constant, and made the lives of those characters way less important. I also thought that the love of Theon and Cleo was pretty instantaneous, which was a trope I was never truly a fan of.

The Characters: While I loved the characters, I wasn't really a fan of how they died. It was frequent and sometimes unnecessary, with some not really seeming to make a big impact. I do realize that Basilius and Tomas were very important deaths, as they actually moved the plot forward, but the deaths of Theon, King Corvin, and Emilia were a few of the ones that weren't fully made into a plot device yet. However, I hope to see those deaths being put to use in the second book!

The Plot: I enjoyed the plot of this book, but I do feel it was a bit "plain." Don't get me wrong, it was good, but it was also simple. Three countries want power, two gang up on the other, then stronger country betrays weaker country. Even the personal plotlines never truly surprised me, as when there was a twist, it was heavily, very heavily, hinted at, such as Lucia being the orphan child in the prologue and Gauis betraying Basilius. However, the author concealed her plot of the Kindred and magic well, as I did not guess Eirene was the Watcher, and that Cleo would be Eva's descendant.

The World Building: I really enjoyed how they built the world, from it's history to it's current, and gave real reasons for why the war was happening, and why everyone agreed to it. I especially like how the religion and magic was built, and that was definitely one of my favorite aspects of the book.

The Stereotypical Tropes: Insta-Love, A Chosen One/Destined One

The Favorite Character: Theon Ranus (may his poor soul rest in peace)

Falling Kingdoms has drawn a comparison to Game of Thrones. And if you pick up this series based on that alone well I have a few words for you: you will not be disappointed.

There is a complexity similar to the aforementioned novel regarding the world building of the story. There is one land with three kingdoms within it, three kingdoms that want to rule over everything. Sound familiar? I hope it does. But anyway, you have a story where the land is in turmoil, where being bloodthirsty is part of growing up and magic was a long-lost ability thought to be a fable. There’s a richness to the story even though it doesn’t appear to be a fresh one. There is a certain lack of creativity and freshness about the story, but the talent of the storytelling itself, the narratives and world-building, they keep the reader entertained and hooked.

The story offers up a complex narrative where the story goes between various characters all of which have such different lives and voices. There are no purely good characters in this novel, nothing is black or white for the main characters as they each strove to make the world better for the people around them. It doesn’t excuse their actions but it makes them three-dimensional characters, they have depth and strength to them. And that’s what the story focuses on. We have characters who the reader gets to know. Their richness keeps the story going, who they are, their secrets, their hate, their passions, all of those aspects make the characters unique and powerful to follow on this adventure.

Moreover, the story itself is a focused one. The author had an idea and she created such pivotal moments to see the story unfold in a captivating and easy to follow way. If Game of Thrones is too complex this novel offers up an easier to follow version of it. It doesn’t give everyone their own perspective, only the important people, giving the story a solid definition, without losing the reader. It has a beginning, middle, and end, all of which flow together effortlessly. Rhodes uses those classic fantasy tropes to set up her story, but she still manages to steer clear of clichés while working those tropes in her own imaginative way.

At the end of the day, this novel will leave the reader eager to see what the hell is going to happen next. And that’s a good thing. (★★★★☆ | A-)

Please understand that all my reviews focus on the interests of my middle school students. I never do a full plot synopsis in a review.

Morgan Rhodes has created a world that seems real and fantastic, characters that are vibrant, and a plot that is relentless. The main characters (outside the evil King of Blood--a deserved nickname) are mid to late teens who are faced with decisions and responsibilities that would strain the wisest and strongest adult. While I can't identify with any of the characters on a personal level (well, perhaps, this one kid, Jonas, will develop into someone I could like), it doesn't follow that they are not real and believable. I am definitely hooked on the series.

I usually don't review books that have as many reviews as this one, but I think there is a strong caveat that should go with this book: middle school kids, for the most part, are not ready to deal with some of the issues raised in this book. I am very sure that almost all of the parents of my kids would agree. I am not a prude by any definition, but I do believe in age-appropriateness. Incest, sexual activity justified by mid-teen "love," filicide, and other aspects of the book combine to make this a work I will not place in my in-class library. I have to be very judicial in allowing kids to read, for example, Cassandra Clare's books (usually requiring parental consent), but I can usually describe other books' issues in one sentence. The warning that would go with this book/series would be exhaustive.

This is just a warning for parents and teachers. I am not advocating banning the book or any type of forced censorship. If my seventh graders buy the book and their parents are cool with them reading it, I would want them to talk to me about it. I simply want the adults involved with the younger side of the YA crowd to know this book is not in the same category as Percy Jackson, etc. You can decide for yourself if I am right.

Here's the thing: epic fantasy kind of scares me. Falling Kingdoms has been on my TBR list for quite awhile, but I feel like I can only commit to one massive series at a time and The Wheel of Time has been occupying me for literally ever. But I finally decided to give this one a try when I found the audiobook. In fact, I tried it twice. The first time I couldn't get into the narrator's voice. The second time I couldn't understand why that was because he was amazing!

Falling Kingdoms is a story of several people and is split into multiple points of view. Usually I hate this, but it really worked here! Cleo is a princess who is in fear of losing her sister and sets off on a mission to save her life, against everyone's wishes. Lucia is a princess of a different kingdom who makes shocking discoveries about herself at every turn. Jonas lives in a country in the middle of two kingdoms and on the verge of destruction and finds himself in over his head when he tries to stop it. And then there's Magnus... Magnus, poor guy, just can't catch a break. He wants to please his father, he wants his sister to love him, and he makes some pretty big mistakes along the way that interfere with those wants. I love him.

Each of these characters have their strengths and weaknesses, but I'm really pleasantly surprised to come out of this reading experience not hating a single one of them! Considering two of them are princesses and there are multiple POVs in this book, I really expected to dislike at least some of them. Instead, I got strong, yet flawed characters with depth that you don't always find in YA. But as I've kind of implied, Magnus was my favorite of them all. I love a good tortured character and he fits the bill! There were also plenty of secondary characters that really made the story come to life.

The world building was one of the areas of this book that I'm conflicted about. While I really enjoyed the world and the mythology and I did feel like Morgan Rhodes did an incredible job of transporting me to Mytica, there were some serious issues. Primarily that characters seemed to jump from country to country in a matter of hours. I was continuously flipping back to the map trying to figure out how big the countries were. I've concluded that they must be a few miles across. Otherwise, I cannot figure out how everyone travels so fast. All of that to say I wish there had been a better sense of distance established.

While I ultimately did enjoy Falling Kingdoms, I can definitely say that this book dragged a little. There were times I wondered where it was going and if would ever get to the point. There were exciting parts every now and then, but it was mostly pretty slow. Since I've already read book two though, I can assure you it picks up! That's often the way with epic fantasy. Book one drags while it sets up the rest of the series, but it's usually worth it in the long run. Based on the hype for the rest of the series, I'm hoping it is!

Falling Kingdoms is a solid, if slow, first installment in this fantasy series. I was bored at times and I did have some issues understanding the (tiny) world, but I fell in love with the characters and was genuinely interested in their individual stories. Everyone told me that the first book might be just okay but that the rest of the series was incredible and that has been my limited experience. I definitely recommend this to fans of YA and adult fantasy alike!

Falling Kingdoms was a pretty good read! I tried not to go in with any expectations due to the mixed reviews on Goodreads, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was pretty slow for the first half, but it did pick up and I can tell we are just scraping the surface of this complex world.

Yes, there’s a lot of characters and kingdoms to keep track of but Rhodes approaches it well and I found myself quickly immersed in the story and did not have much difficulty keeping track of the characters. While I enjoyed the story, it definitely felt like a “first book” in a long series- much of the first half of the book was spent getting to know the characters, becoming acquainted with the different kingdoms and setting the political climate. The title says it all, but this book is broadly about tension between kingdoms that eventually leads to war. There is also a mysterious, overarching magical story line occurring with the elusive Watchers. We are only introduced to these characters but I have a feeling they will play a larger role in books to come.

There are three main kingdoms in this world: Auranos, Paelsia, and Limeros. Auranos is easily the wealthiest of the three, with a lush and beautiful landscape, Auranos’ citizen seem happy and content. In contrast, Paelsia is the poorest of the regions. Their land makes it difficult to grow crops, and what little land they do have is used for wine to distribute to the other empires. This region is in poverty and neither of the two wealthier kingdoms seem to care or notice. Finally, in Limeros the current king is known for his bloodshed and cruelty, and he seeks even more power. We meet out four protagonists within each of these kingdoms so we see first hand how each kingdom interacts with one another, which I personally really enjoyed.

Magnus: Crown prince of Limeros, Magnus tries to emulate his father with his steely resolve, but he has a soft heart. He also has a secret crush on his sister, Lucia. What is up with this sibling love?! As the reader, we know that Lucia is not blood related to Magnus, but Magnus doesn’t find out until later. I thought that was a bit weird but didn’t detract from the plot too much. Aside from that, Magnus was an extremely interesting character. I loved seeing the contrast between how people viewed him and what was actually going on in his head.

Lucia: Lucia is the adopted daughter of the royal family of Limeros and Magnus’ sister. We learn from the prologue that Lucia is actually a sorceress and the king believes she has enough magic to sway the way. There is a prophecy about her as well, although we don’t learn many details. I liked Lucia, but she wasn’t an incredibly enthralling character for me. She’s pretty, has magic, and is weirded out by the fact that her brother is in love with her (I mean, its weird).

Cleo: Cleo is a sassy, headstrong and slightly spoiled princess of Auranos. Her biggest worry in the beginning of the book is being forced to marry someone she doesn’t even like. Cleo was by far my favorite character in this book. Her character transformed the most- from a spoiled princess to someone hardened by tragedy with a newfound responsibility on her shoulders. Her determination is admirable, and I can’t wait to see what happens to her later in the series.

Jonas: Jonas lives in Paelsia, and he wants revenge on the spoiled royals of Auranos. Why should he live in poverty when the residents of Auranos want for nothing? Jonas was pretty angry most of the time (rightfully so) and jumped at any chance to be part of the fighting. He’s young, but passionate about what he believes in. I haven’t quite formed an opinion of Jonas yet, but the ending certainly made things interesting!

Overall, Falling Kingdoms is an exciting mix of three kingdoms battling for power with a larger, magical plot that we’ve only just started to delve into. I’m intrigued by the Watchers and am excited to see what part they will play in future books. My only complaint is that it took me the entire book to grow somewhat attached to any of the characters, so the many bloody deaths that occurred didn’t bother me all that much. I’m sure there are more to come! I already requested Rebel Spring on Overdrive, so I am excited to continue on with the series.

Very middle-of-the-road for me, Falling Kingdoms was a book from which I expected more. It is very unoriginal, and it feels it. Unoriginality in a storyline can often work out just fine if the characters feel like new ones; or vice versa, and the unoriginality in characters is balanced with a fresh storyline. But, I think Falling Kingdoms suffers from both levels of unoriginality—like the storyline is a backdrop borrowed from another slew of books, and the players are shadows of the characters from other stories.

That being said, this was still fairly enjoyable, albeit rather predictable. There was a good rhythm to the story, especially once I got used to and accepted the merry-go-round of multiple characters' POV. It was a little daunting, and frankly, I'm always wary of going into a book whose opening is a listing of the various families/kingdoms and the characters slotted with each. But, it became endurable and even enjoyable near the end.

The writing was fine—neither overly effusive nor bare minimum. The characters were, for the most part, believable, especially the main characters. I, too, grappled with the character of Magnus, but I assume you're supposed to do so.

I just am, overall, left with just lukewarm feelings.

I'm going to hold off on reading the sequel, Rebel Spring, for right now, but I'm not permanently removing it yet from my To Read list.

“Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is also darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It’s something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic.”

This book is a book about different kingdoms on the verge of war. About magic that is stolen and lost. About young people in the different kingdoms learning who they are and what they will stand for. There was love, passion, death, and battle. I enjoyed it all. I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to all lovers of fantasy.

2.5 stars

I tried incredibly hard to enjoy this book but I just could not bring myself to love it. The storyline was fairly interesting, and there were some cool characters but it just did not live up to all the hype.

Falling Kingdoms is pitched as a favourite for fans of game of thrones. I can see the likeness between this book and GoT... The different kingdoms and their power struggles and a rather taboo relationship, all make it a read for GoT fans. Personally, that wasn't enough.

As the first book in a high fantasy series, there is a lot of world-building, as expected, but the story lacked that addiction that would make me want to read on. I couldn't relate to any of the characters. When characters died, or were injured, it didn't affect me as it should have! (Note that generally, I care far too much about fictional characters than I should!)

The ultimate test for me on whether I enjoyed the book or not is if I can remember the main characters names. The only ones that spring to mind are Cleo, Magnus and Nic (who isn't even a main character but just really funny) :S

It's a shame because I had such high hopes for this book. There are plenty of fans of this series so clearly it must be doing something right, but sadly I'm not one of them.

Favourite Quotes:

"I never said she was evil. Nor was she good. Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is also darkness. The question is, will one give into the dark or light? It's something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic."

Cleo didn't like "hopefullys." She liked certainties. She liked knowing that tomorrow would be pleasant and sunny and filled with fun activities. She liked knowing that her family and friends were healthy and happy. Anything else was unacceptable.

*Original review on Goodreads & My Blog*

I have to mention first that I love the cover of this book! :)

I'm just going to go ahead and get this out of the way, there are some characters in the book that I really liked that were killed. I have a feeling I probably shouldn't like too many characters that have made it to the next book, or they might die as well!

The main characters are Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus. They are all from different kingdoms. And they probably all could be friends if their fathers, the Kings, weren't jerks.

I'm not too sure how I feel about Cleo. The way she just "let" a death happen in the beginning of the book. I do believe she could have stopped this death if she wasn't so ignorant and let the jerk Aron do what he did. And now that I think about it, her stupidity caused a death of someone I really liked later on in the book! Ok, I don't like Cleo. Her hearts in the right place, but she's stupid. I'm hoping she wakes up in the next book.

I liked Lucia and Magnus in the beginning. They have a sad and weird relationship. I'm not too sure about Lucia at the end because of the things she did, but she is an innocent girl that just seems too naive, so we shall see in the next book.

Jonas I just feel sorry for because of a lot of different reasons. I hope he can find some kind of peace in the next book. He seems like he's going to be a major player in the coming books, or die. Anyway, he started using his brain toward the end of the book when he lets go of the revenge factor.

I'm looking forward to learning more about the Kindred and The Sanctuary! That is an interesting story from the little we get to read about it.

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

“Magic will find those with pure hearts, even when all seems lost.”

FALLING KINGDOMS by Morgan Rhodes is an action-packed fantasy that I've heard compares to a YA Game of Thrones. I've never read Game of Thrones, but know it is quite popular. I was motivated to read this series after winning FROZEN TIDES, the fourth book, in a contest. Since I enjoy audio books so much and since my library had it available, I elected to listen to the first book in the series.

Just as a quick primer on the main characters: The story is told in multiple third person point of view. The main four characters are Cleo, Jonas, Magnus, and Lucia. Cleo is the princess of Auranos, the richest, most powerful of the kingdoms. Jonas is from Paelsia, the poorest of the kingdoms. Magnus and Lucia are a brother and sister from Limeros, the middle ground kingdom. There are many more characters, but, if you focus on these four key players, the others will fall in line.

In hindsight, I would not choose to listen to this book. It was difficult to get into as the story is so complex. Settings continually switch and there's a plethora of characters to become acquainted with. It's even more chaotic in audio as it's difficult to go back and re-listen which I had to do multiple times as the story's set-up was confusing.

This was the first time I've ever listened to Fred Berman. He has a clear voice, but I could not discern from his voice who was speaking. Also, his accents changed for the same characters which made it even more difficult to follow via audio. He would voice one character with an accent and a few minutes later, the same character would not have an accent. I thought I may have been mistaken, but on a few of my many re-listens, it was crystal clear that he didn't voice the same characters the same way. I was not a fan of his narration of this book for that reason. I would not be against trying his performance in another book series as I liked his voice, but I'm through with listening to him with this series.

This book is teeming with magic. Betrayals and deception are commonplace in every kingdom. I was shocked more than once by having characters that I liked, cruelly taken out. I even cried over one in particular. I also cheered when , vice versa, characters I didn't care for met their ends. Obviously, a lot of characters from this book will not be continuing to the next. I hope that the deaths abate a bit as, at this rate, there won't be any characters left to cheer for. There's some characters that I don't have a good feeling as to whether they are dark or light. I am excited to continue the fantasy in ebook form and would encourage anyone starting the series to read it and not listen to it. I hope future installments aren't as heartbreaking as the first book. I have to go with my rating for the audio since that's the way I elected to read it. I do feel, however, in retrospect, that my rating would have been higher if I'd not elected to listen to it.

My full review is posted at Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Please check it out there.

3 out of 5 Wine Glasses

“Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is also darkness. The question is, will one give in to the dark or the light? It’s something we decide with every choice we make, every day that we exist. What might not be evil to you could be evil to someone else. Knowing this makes us powerful even without magic.”

This book is a book about different kingdoms on the verge of war. About magic that is stolen and lost. About young people in the different kingdoms learning who they are and what they will stand for. There was love, passion, death, and battle. I enjoyed it all. I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to all lovers of fantasy.

*Review may contain mild spoilers for some*

Falling Kingdoms is a much smaller scale, YA, version of A Game of Thrones. I think that's why I gave this four stars, instead of five, because A Game of Thrones is very near and dear to my heart, and it just does it better. This would also be a wonderful introduction to fantasy that I would recommend with my whole heart.

I will say though, Instead of the 900 characters in George RR Martin's world, this book only really follows four characters. Right when you start this book you'll receive a character list from each kingdom, and it will probably seem super overwhelming, but the book really only revolves around the four, while the rest are just side characters. I really liked this, because that's my main critique with A Game of Thrones, I always get really sad when I've read twenty-something chapters and I still haven't seen my favorite characters.

Another comparison I'd like to make, that I know will upset a lot of people, is that Falling Kingdoms deserves the hype that Throne of Glass receives. This book was so much better than that entire series. There was no filler in this, no pointless angst, and no weak characters. Everywhere I look, I see people constantly ranting and raving over Throne of Glass, but I've only seen one person give this book the praise it deserves. Seriously, Falling Kingdoms deserves more attention.

“Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.”

Mytica has three kingdoms:
1.) Limeros, the Northern Kingdom -Very cold land, their main export is fishing, but they have a very good military. Also has a very power-hungry king, King Gaius.
2.) Paelsia, the Middle Kingdom - The worst of the three kingdoms. The land is very dry and poor, it's only is really used to make wines. It's basically a desert.
3.) Auranos, the Southern Kingdom - A very lush and accommodating place to live, but the kingdom is very stingy with its resources. This kingdom is also said to house four hidden magic crystals.

Within these three kingdoms are the four main characters I mentioned previously:
1.) Cleo, who is hands down the star of this book. She is the princess of Auranos, who witnessed a terrible attack caused by the boy she is promised to marry. This attack is what starts the wheels in motion for the war. She's strong, persistent, and has a heart of gold. She believes in the old forgotten magic, and will do anything for her loved ones.
2.) Jonas is the younger brother of the boy who was on the receiving end of the attack. Through most of this book he is blinded by his vengeance for his older brother, but towards the end of the book he starts to see the bigger picture.
3.) Lucia is the child you will read about in the prologue. There is a great prophecy about her and what she will be able to accomplish in this life. She is also the proof that magic does exists.
4.) Magnus is hands down my favorite character in this book. I am quite smitten! He is the prince of Limeros, and Lucia is his sister. He is constantly struggling with the battle of his heart versus his tyrant of a father. He's strong and rough on the outside, being primed to take over the throne one day. Inside he's so caring and devoted, just like a good king should be. I haven't felt such a strong attraction to a new male lead in a very, very long time. Seriously, Magnus is everything I want in a male lead. He's such a conflicted character that brought me so much empathy. He alone is six out of five stars.

“Be happy enough for both of us”

I am a little doubtful about this storyline being stretched for six books (and a 3 book spin-off/companion series), so I'm going into Rebel Spring with a little caution. Hopefully, it doesn't disappoint, because I loved this book and I honestly think it's maybe the best YA Fantasy I've ever read.

Murder, Magic, War. The three kingdoms of Mytica have suffered, and still suffer. The lands of Limeros freezes over, the vineyards of Paelsia dies, but Auraunos flourishes. The Auranian Princess and her friends venture to Paelsia for the best wine in the lands, but find themselves involved in a murder. The Paelsian boy who died left his brother with one thing in mind. Revenge. Jonas decides the only way to avenge his brothers death is to kill the Auaranian Princess, Cleo. But The Chief of Paelsia has other plans. With this murder he finds it's the best time to team up with the King of Blood and overtake Auranos. The Limerian King, though, may have other ideas. He has a secret weapon that may change the fate of every life in all of Mytica. It may even change the realm beyond and the Watchers who guard it. But one thing is certain, Mytica is dying, and only the thing that can stop it from fading away is lost.
Magic, adventure, love, action. This book was amazing. This was the second time I read it, I forgot most of it and wanted to read the next book. This story is intriguing and well written. It focuses on the magic of elementia, and adventures only magicians and warriors can embark on. It was heart breaking at times, I was engrossed in the conversations. I fell in love with the dark Price of Limeros. It was great!

*Thank you Penguin Random House for sending a complimentary copy! (To be honest, not sure if I won it or sent for review but either way, this does not affect my review. All opinions are my own!)*

Even though us #KingdomReaders will participate in a discussion for this one, I still wanted to touch up on a few things so here is a mini review (hopefully mini, we'll see).

First of all, that first line is super captivating.

"She'd never killed before tonight."

I was super excited to read this because I hear wonderful things and this is one of the series I want to catch up-to this year. I did come into this with some expectations but not that many.

Falling Kingdoms actually starts with a prologue which I enjoyed a lot. In the first 15 pages or so, three people already die. Starting off with this much adventure really captured my attention.

Looking back, it's kind of crazy how this all started off with one event-- one death. To be honest, I couldn't really tell who the enemy is because each kingdom and character has their own demons. It's choosing the lesser of the two (in this case, three) evils. One king shuts everyone out and hoards the goodness, one is the King of Blood, and the other king/leader/chief is a fraud. Even the characters from each of their kingdoms had their own demons.

Jonas-- Bloodthirsty and a tad annoying.

Cleo-- A bit narrow-minded, does thing on impulse, goes through way more loss than one expects.

Magnus-- Feels he needs to live up to his father's reputation even though he knows that's not who he is.

Lucia-- Not much about her in this book. Has a secret that can kill... and it does.

For side characters, my favorite is Theon. But out of these four, I'd say Cleo. Though, I heavily appreciate how complicated Magnus' character is. He's different and there is more to him than I expected.

The magic system is pretty simple; it's elemental magic, which is my favorite. There are some twists, such as the addition of The Watchers who are immortals that watch over them in their own kingdom called The Sanctuary. There is also The Kindred, which are kind of like four stones, each pertaining to each of the elements. There's more, but you just have to read it ;).

I had some minor problems with Falling Kingdoms. My biggest problem was how many characters, POVs, and places there are! Though I agree that the multiple POVs helped advance the plot and they were necessary in the long-run, it was overwhelming. It was hard remembering every character. There is actually a scene where all the kings/leaders meet up and it was incredibly difficult to differentiate all the leaders.

The other thing that really bothered me is the relationship between Lucia and Magnus. I don't want to get into it too much since this is meant to be non-spoilery but if you go on the discussion, you can see how I felt about it there.

I do wish that the four characters were more intertwined. Not all of them meet one-on-one and there is no point where all of them meet at the same time.

It took me the full two weeks to read Falling Kingdoms. But without schoolwork and all that, I think I could've finished this in three days.

In other words...

This was a fairly good start to the series and I feel that there is a lot of room and opportunity to grow. Because of this, I will continue with the series and hopefully it will be better!

How much do I recommend it? It's pretty cheap on the store right now so I'd say give it a go!

This book is utterly depressing. Every time someone important died, I was shocked to the core! I've only begun to get into this and I'm finished with book one. These characters could do with more refining, development, and purpose. I feel this series start to come into a more detailed developmental phase.

I love the direction Jonas is going, Cleo is becoming her own person, Nic has a touch of backbone,
Magnus still needs help to be who he was meant to be, and Lucia could use some fine tuning. I think I went into this book with high expectations because of good things I'd heard about it. I really wanted to love it and I think the cover was too good for this book(sadly).

The storyline seems a bit abrupt and scattered as if it was thought up on the spot, but I'm going to keep reading until the very end.

But somewhere along the line it missed the mark for me. Part of me felt like I had read the story before and a part of me was left really intrigued. I’m not saying that Falling Kingdoms isn’t a good book because it is, I just expected more. Which is really my own fault because I’ve read so many books in the genre.

Let’s talk about what I struggled with the most in Falling Kingdoms, the characters. I didn’t really connect with any of them and honestly, most of the time I found them to be pretty insufferable. By the end of the book I was really coming around to Cleo’s character despite the fact that earlier in the book she had a problematic relationship. (and I’m sure by now you know how I feel about problematic relationships). At one point her and a guard suddenly fall in love and start spewing s*** like:

“You’ve come to mean everything to me…”

“I was meant to be with you.”

Like really? Talk about some seriously naive and misguided feelings. But you also get the feeling like she had to deal with an even worse relationship before. But it doesn’t really excuse the gross problematic insta love either. And don’t even get me started on Magnus’ weird attraction and feelings towards someone really close to him. But the end of the book I still wasn’t sure why it was a thing. I’m definitely curious as to how it plays out in the next book. Now Jonas kept things interesting, with the struggle of loss and playing against the odds he kept me intrigued and reading to find out what would happen next with him. Now Lucia, she was the most surprising character of them all. I’m hoping she turns into this strong BA female character in the series.

Even with all that being said, I still gave it 4 stars because I really did enjoy the world building and the magic portrayal. I’m a sucker for a good fantasy world that I wish I could be a part of. I can see why this series is a big thing, the writing is on point and the three kingdoms of Mytica are completely enticing.

This book is terrible, well, the first half that I actually read….somehow. The writing is very middle grade and annoying. The female characters are all whiny, bratty, crybabies and frankly, very insulting. The male characters are not any better (oh, you’re in love with someone and are completely obsessed with her yet you sleep with a kitchen maid but do not even allow your “love” to speak with a man? *sigh*). None of the characters are engaging and every single love thread is the same “I’m in love with someone I can never have” multiplied by five. This is a carbon copy of a carbon copy of a carbon copy of a fantasy book. Think watered down, extremely childish, boring, Game of Thrones if it was on the CW or an even worse network. If you want to read a thoroughly engaging fantasy series with awesome characters, secrets, betrayal, star-crossed lovers, etc., read the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks.