Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms #1
Age: Young Adult
Genres: High Fantasy
Publication Date: December 11, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group
Source: eBook
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks
Synopsis:
In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
I'm not going to lie. I was really hoping to love this book like everyone else, but this was definitely a slow paced book for me so 4 stars it gets. This is a good setup for the series though. I loved the world building, the character development, the multiple POV's and how everything was just so seamless.
Cleo is one character I loved from start to finish. She has always seemed like an unconventional princess looking to enjoy life, but still caring for those around her whether royal, peasant or else. She had a pure heart and I loved it. She definitely is a strong character and I'm excited to see how things go for her with her newfound strength.
Lucia was damn awesome too. She was just an innocent girl thrown into the craziness and taken from her home. I will say she handled the truth so well. I hope she seeks out info about her mother and her land.
Jonas is a really nice guy. I don't think I've ever disliked him. He is hurt and grieving the only way he knows how which is seeking revenge on the Princess. However, he didn't expect feel anything towards her. I really hope he and Cleo form a very promising bond.
Magnus is a wimp. I love and hate him all at once. He definitely has one screwed up family and has a shitty life. His father beats him brutally, he's in love with his "sister" and he can't seem to just catch a break with anything. I hope he snaps out of this idiotic stupor and becomes a better man than his father is.
The King of Blood, Gaius, Magnus' dad is a major douchebag and evil man. I can't believe how ruthless he is. I hope it's downfall. He irks my nerve. On a good note I loved Theon and Nic. They were phenomenal. I cried with what happened to Theon, Emilia and King Corvin. Just heartbreaking.
That ending left me wanting to know what happens next for Cleo and how things will go for Magus and Jonas. Definitely plan to read the sequel soon. Hope to see more magic in the next books.
Have you read this book?