Sunday, December 30, 2012

Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes


Title: Falling Kingdoms
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Reviewed by: Cassie
The Fairies Say: Exhilarating and exciting!

Summary (from Goodreads.com)

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?

"Falling Kingdoms will gut you emotionally. It will make you ache, cry, and beg for the sequel as you turn the last page. I absolutely loved it." --Julie Kagawa, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Queen

"This triple-layered tale of bloodshed, heartbreak, and tangled court intrigue kept me turning pages very late into the night."--Lesley Livingston, award-winning author of Wondrous Strange

Falling Kingdoms was one heck of a ride. The plot is breathtaking and exhilarating, taking you from different points of the world. Four completely different young adults clash together in a world-changing power struggle. Fascinating characters tie up any loose ends, so if you're looking for an action-packed fantasy that sucks you into its world with tons of action, this is your book.

With a variety of POVs, I must say many different, fascinating characters were created. We have . . .

Magnus: Probably my second favorite main character. 
He's got a horrible, disturbing secret: he's in love with his beautiful, younger sister. It's all he can do to stop from saying something. No one loves him, except her, and one day he knows he won't be able to keep himself from admitting his love to her. All he can hope is that she doesn't run screaming from him. But the way she always says she loves him so much, more than anyone else . . . How loving and nurturing she is to him . . . Maybe, just maybe, he can have a sliver of hope that she'll love him as something other than an older brother. (anybody think of Commodore from the movie Gladiator?)

Jonas: Probably my favorite main character.
Jonas was the best of friends with his older brother, Tomas. They could barely be told apart and rarely strayed from the other's side. That is, until, someone kills Tomas. The rage Jonas is filled with is something like no other. He's going to kill Tomas's murderer and get vengeance. He's obsessed, absolutely, with Tomas's murderer, and the murderer's sinfully beautiful and absolutely treacherous companion. Nothing can stop him- if he has to convince the ruler of his kingdom to help him, then so be it. He'll get them, no matter what. Nothing can stop him.

Lucia: My least favorite character
Lucia has been kept in the dark from so much. Her whole family has lied to her- even the one whom she trusted most. They say she's powerful-one of the most powerful there ever was in a thousand years. She's the source of a prophecy, one that will change the whole world, and she doesn't even know what it is. But if it means helping her kingdom-and the ones she loves or trusts- she'll do it. She'll do whatever they ask of her. Because she should. She should, right?

Cleo: My favorite female character
Cleo is a princess in the prospering kingdom of Aurenos. Nothing serious has really concerned her- that is, until, she's witness to a murder. Whispers fly, fingers point. She's guilt stricken, desperate, and now concerned for her the health of her older sister- the heir to the crown. She sets out on a journey to find a long forgotten magic, while in the process, finds herself and what she must do, and comes back to chaos. Will she even be able to change anything?

Basically, it's a good read. I had some issues with the female characters (they were portrayed as weak or too willing, etc. etc.) but I look forward to the next book!
Until next time-
Cassie

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