Falling Kingdoms
Morgan Rhodes
Razorbill
December 11th 2012
Young Adult | Fantasy
Official Blurb -
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
Be prepared to switch allegiances frequently. There is no starch evil or good for the main characters. Sure their is evil abounding everywhere and this world is full of selfish people. Even worse than the selfish persons are those so blindly trusting and ignorant that their way of thinking is the only path possible. Dark are their deeds under the banner of love and loyalty.
Magnus very early on became my champion. My heart went out to his plight. Unloved and burdened with heavy responsibility. But instead of building a back bone when the time approaches he makes one bad decision after another. And just like that he had lost my favor.
All the characters have both good and bad choices marking their past. I guess that is what makes them feel so real. It is easy to begin justifying their actions when you know just why they did it.
I was awed in the first few pages. I can't accurately describe how much l was in love with this book after only a handful of pages. I just knew the book would be awesome. But as the pages fled I was left very conflicted. Just who deserved my hope and backing? Before long it became apparent that happiness is not a part of this story. No one is happy. Death visits far too frequently and without a care. Nothing lasts long, especially happiness. If you start to get even a little bit complacent death will knock on the door.
By the end I just couldn't believe the predicament the characters were in. It was almost like they made every bad decision possible. How in the world the next book will work out I don't know. It doesn't look like things will go well. The Bloody King will definitely be having too much fun in the days to come.
My biggest wish is that we had a little more to route for. But aside from dethroning a tyrant the future looks bleak. Is happiness possible after so much horror and pain? Guess we will have to wait and find out.
Magnus very early on became my champion. My heart went out to his plight. Unloved and burdened with heavy responsibility. But instead of building a back bone when the time approaches he makes one bad decision after another. And just like that he had lost my favor.
All the characters have both good and bad choices marking their past. I guess that is what makes them feel so real. It is easy to begin justifying their actions when you know just why they did it.
I was awed in the first few pages. I can't accurately describe how much l was in love with this book after only a handful of pages. I just knew the book would be awesome. But as the pages fled I was left very conflicted. Just who deserved my hope and backing? Before long it became apparent that happiness is not a part of this story. No one is happy. Death visits far too frequently and without a care. Nothing lasts long, especially happiness. If you start to get even a little bit complacent death will knock on the door.
By the end I just couldn't believe the predicament the characters were in. It was almost like they made every bad decision possible. How in the world the next book will work out I don't know. It doesn't look like things will go well. The Bloody King will definitely be having too much fun in the days to come.
My biggest wish is that we had a little more to route for. But aside from dethroning a tyrant the future looks bleak. Is happiness possible after so much horror and pain? Guess we will have to wait and find out.
Content:
Violence: Heavy
Violence: Heavy
