Falling Kingdoms: A Falling Kingdoms Novel

What happens to the land, the people, and the kingdoms when the magic fades? In Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, the power may have faded, but the tensions between three kingdoms, one affluent, one starving, and one teetering on the edge, are ever present and growing. Auranos is the land to the south where the people are prosperous and food is plentiful. Cleo knows not all lives are as fortunate as her own as the princess, but she has no idea just how bad things have become outside her kingdom's borders. Her father, the king, believes in the freedom of choice among his people, even if that includes a failure to worship either one of the goddesses whose deaths have resulted in the dwindling magic in the land. Limeros is the northernmost kingdom where a madman runs the kingdom. his son, Magnus, has no idea what his father is capable of, including kidnapping and raising a girl said to be the last sorceress, Lucia, as his own daughter while he punishes his subjects on the very suspect of magic. But it is the kingdom in the middle, Paelsia, where the people suffer the most. As Cleo and the arrogant boy she will most likely be forced to matter travel through the land, Aron, find themselves in a small scale class war over a case of wine, Aron kills a local boy and sets off a revolution against Cleo's home. Now the slain boy's brother, Jonas, is determined to kill Aron, and more importantly, his bloodlust for Cleo based solely on her upbringing leads him on the path to revenge. But the key behind all of this is the magic that has faded from all the lands since the two goddesses killed each other. What Cleo, Lucia, Magnus, and Jonas have no understanding about is how they will all come together: four young people from four wildly different backgrounds who all have one thing in common: preservation. What sets them apart is what they will do to preserve their way of life. Magic, magic everywhere, how to be truly original? I don't know, but Morgan Rhodes does! This was your true high fantasy novel that is right up there with Cashore's Graceline, Marchetta's Finnick of the rock, and Chima's Demon King. You need some fantasy in your life and can't wait any longer? Start this series. It was such a whirlwind of different situations and different people, but the way they all came together is magnificent. I found myself rooting for the rebels but sympathizing with the prosperous nation hidden behind their boundaries and walls. I felt bad for the twisted Magnus while simultaneously wishing someone would run him through on the battle field. I wanted Jonas to avenge his brother's death, but I didn't want him to harm Cleo. I couldn't believe Auranos could sit by and watch their neighbors suffer, but their king was not a bad man. This is not a novel that gives you an easy out. You won't predict what happens in this book. And you certainly will have no idea who to get behind, but there is one thing I can guarantee: you will love this story. It was a beautiful high fantasy novel chock full of mystery and intrigue. It is one of the best I have read in a long time and falls right in the same league as all my favorites like Cashore, Marchetta, and Chima. I loved this novel and cannot wait to see where Rhodes goes with it. The story is fine for all ages, but like a lot of high fantasy, might need a more mature or stronger reader to keep up and keep everything together to really enjoy it. My only peeve? Why do author's need a pen name? Do they really think we can't distinguish between different genres from the same author? It seems silly, but since Rhodes gave me this to read, I suppose I should keep my peeves to myself! Great first novel, and I can't wait for the sequel!

Genre: Fantasy Young Adult Type: Book 1 in the Falling Kingdoms Series POV: First Person – Multiple "Magic will find those with pure hearts, even when all seems lost. And love is the greatest magic of all." The story opens up right away with a shocking scene, I honestly did not see coming. We meet princess Cleiona aka Cleo the second daughter to the King of Auranos who at only sixteen years of age finds herself fighting for survival in a world where everyone is fighting for power. On a visit to Paelsia she meets Jonas; a seventeen year old Paelsian rebel. What happened to Jona's brother will be the beginning of a war between the three kingdoms (Auroanos, Paelsians, and Limeros) and only the beginning of a journey full of action and unforgettable events. "No one at all had ever looked at her this way. Angry and fierce and vastly unfriendly...but there was something else there. As if Cleo was the only girl i the entire world and now he owned a part of her." Jonas wanted to avenged the death of his brother but instead he found a better way to avenged his brother and it was by fighting for freedom for his people. He was so smart and strong; I really liked his determined character and felt terrible for his loss and sorrow. I did however love the relationship he had with his friend Brion; I liked how they easily understand each other. "You know what you have to do," Felicia whispered fiercely. "Avenge him." And so here he was. A predator prepared to hunt an entirely different kind of prey." Magnus is the prince of Limeros; at seventeen years old he is forced to grow up too quickly. With the high demands of his father; he tries to be more like him to please him. However; deep down Magnus has a noble heart and I really like that about him. He is conflicted when he admits to having feelings toward his sister. He knows is a forbidden love one that he is afraid to speak of. I felt so much for his character I wanted to saved him from his misery. "All his life he'd endured so much pain and developed only a thin mask to cover his true feelings. But masks could easily be removed and smashed with only a few words....His heart, now broken into a thousand pieces, slowly began to turn to ice." Lucia is Magnus' sister and the princess of Limeros. She was Magnus best friend and confident. I liked her and how much she cared for his brother but at the same time I found her weak and lacking strength. Even though she is only sixteen years old I found myself loving Cleo more. Lucia is special though; she is a key to the entire story so her character is important. After her sixteenth birthday she found herself able to do unnatural things and it scared her. This book was told on four different point of views Cleiona, Magnus, Lucia and Jonas there are couple of other characters we will see their point of views but not too much. These four characters were the main focus of the story. I found myself growing fond of each of them. The story was surprisingly addicting; I was unable to stop reading and craving more. The book was packed with suspense, angst, action, and deep feels, oh my gosh the feels were ridiculously good. This book has magic and death as well so much blood and lost. I don't think I cried because I think I was so shocked with everything I didn't even had time to cry I was barely trying to maintain my sanity haha. Readers who enjoy Game of Thrones will find this series appealing. Is basically like the YA version of GoT. I literally couldn't breathe until I finished and even when I was done I couldn't believe everything that happened!!! Sooo good it will have your heart in your throat until the end. One word of advice do not get attached to any characters or you will be heartbroken. I am freaking out of what is to come on the next books but I am still diving into next book soon because is so good not to. "In any case, her fight was not over-not nearly over. It had only begun. And yes, Cleo would be strong. Just as her father and Emilia had asked her to be. She would be strong." I read a digital copy via my local library loan overdrive.

I'm in utter shock after reading the first book in this series. It was fast pace, the plot thickening and the character development than any high fantasy series I have read so far. I can see why it is compared to Game of Thrones because the world and characters are so well developed that you will never know what will happen to each character. Falling Kingdoms was amazing from beginning to end as I was envisioning what is happening while I was reading. When I was done reading I already had a feeling I would be hooked to this series. In the world where Elementia is a secret, three kingdoms are on the verge of war. After what happened to his brother Jonas seeks revenge. Living in Paelsia which was known for its beautiful lands and resources has now turned into a wasteland. It is by stealing and selling wine that he has kept his family alive. Princess Cleo of Auranois has witnessed the murder of Jonas' brother from the hands of Aron. She is also on the quest to save her sister to find magic. By her side she has her best friend Nic and bodyguard Theon. In the kingdom of Limeros lives Lucia and Magnus who are brother and sister. When Lucia finds out that the power within her can change the world and future. I loved how each character was laid out so clearly that you couldn't help root for each one of them. Each one of them matures throughout the whole novel. I definitely saw it with Cleo, Magnus and Jonas as they each go through the novel. By the end the villain of the story will be determined all because of power. I did hate King Gauis and his brutality, especially towards Magnus. From the beginning I hated Aron who is such an a-whole and manipulative that I wish I could kill him through most scenes. Each kingdom is known for something important like how Auranos is for wealth and resources, where Paelsia is more known as a wasteland and for their wine. It really connected how in real life the Wars and what countries are really facing when they are poor. The writing was easy to understand and the characters were rich with development as well as that plot! I felt like crying during some scenes because most of them were shocking. Falling Kingdoms is a must read for those who love fantasy, romance, action and definitely magic!

3.5 stars This book has been in my radar for a long long long time. I’ve had it to read forever and just haven’t gotten around to it. Everyone says it’s a great read for fans of A Song of Ice and Fire (AKA Game of Thrones series). So I’ve been on a YA high fantasy kick lately so I thought I would give this one a once over. OK so I’ll be perfectly honest….the first half of the book did not appeal to me AT ALL. Cleo was so naive and unconvincing as a strong lead. I was about to put this one down because it came across so juvenile and unrealistic. Some of the lines and come backs were just too ‘young’ for me but at the same time I have heard such great things about this series I was worried maybe I was being overly critical. I felt the romance between Theon and Cleo was unfounded and flimsy…they barely spoke two words to each other and boom they were in love?! Where was the build up and the sexual tension and the drama?! There was none! I mean zero! And really what did Cleo think would happen….that her and Theon would live happily ever after even when Magnus pulled his sword?! I’m sorry but I was completely put off, based on how naive Cleo was in general but still I plugged along and somewhere along the way…..things got interesting. I can’t exactly put my finger on when that happened but the second half of the book got much better. I don’t know if it’s because Cleo started to take off her rose colored glasses or what but somewhere along the way I really started to enjoy the book. By the end, I was downloading the next one in the series. Cleo kind of won me over……little by little. It was fun to see her ‘grow up’ a bit during the second half of the book. I am also greatly intrigued by Magnus. Is he good or is he bad? He’s one of those mysterious characters that you aren’t really sure about and I like that…..a dark knight of sorts. Overall while this wasn’t the best book to start out with, I think it earned at least 3.5 stars from me. The second half saved the series for me and I will gladly start reading the next book!

I'll admit straight off I am not a big fantasy fan. I do love Game of Thrones but I can't think of any other fantasy shows or books I like. There is a large cast of characters that was a little confusing for the first few chapters but there is a very helpful map and character guide at the beginning. Once I got all the characters down, I was totally hooked. An exciting ride full of revenge, backstabbing, blackmail, and power hungry people desperate for more land, more power, no matter what it takes to get it. No one was safe. That was exciting and depressing at times. As soon as I started to care about a character they were killed! With so many characters it is hard to get into them but I'll outline a few things I liked about each one. Auranos was my favorite kingdom and Princess Cleo was my favorite character. This is the wealthy land that all the other kingdoms are jealous of. Cleo makes a poor decision in the beginning but she does learn from it. She was also always willing to sacrifice herself for the people she cares about. Although she may be a somewhat spoiled and sheltered princess she never let that hold her back from doing her best for the people she loves. Her character had the most romance. She is engaged to Aron, an awful guy that is blackmailing her. Cleo begins to fall for her new guard and also has a best friend Nic who I adored. Limeros had by far the most evil leaders. Magnus is heir to the throne and was an intriguing character but I just couldn't like him. I do think most of his actions were based off his horrible father but I was hoping he would stand up against him more. Magnus is in love with his sister, Lucia, which I know threw people off but they are not blood related and that is clear from the beginning. Still weird since they grew up together but I got over it. Paelsia was the poor land where they struggle to get enough food. They have the best grape crops so they are known for their wine. But often the rich refuse to pay a good price for it. Jonas suffered a tragic family event and wants revenge. When this first happened I felt horrible for him but then I thought he took his revenge too far. Towards the end I think he began to have the potential to be a strong character and I think in the next book he will right his wrongs. I loved the way the plot brought all the characters together. At times I didn't know who to root for with all the treachery and deceit but that just made it more fun. The language was some what modern which I liked. The ending left me wanting more. Not so much a cliffhanger but I am dying to see what these characters will do next. I am a new fan of fantasy! --- "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."

A bunch of teenagers trying to save an entire kingdom. Magic that is supposed to have disappeared, but seems to be lurking around. Characters with dark pasts and raw emotions. Falling Kingdoms has some of my favorite tropes in Young Adult Fantasy literature, and characters with the potential to remain in my memory for a long time. A murder opens the book, an action that sets off the events that will bring three Lands to the brink of war. The main characters are all teenagers, and they come from different Kingdoms, with different upbringings and different goals. They are not friends, not allies, but they all have one thing in common. They want to save their own Kingdom from falling. Under the pretense of wars, the actual objective is the research of the Kindred. I won’t tell you anything in detail, but the kindred are four stones that can control the four elementia of magic (air, water, earth and fire), and if possessed all, they make one invincible (Thanos vibes). The character I like the best is probably Jonas, a peasant from Paelsia, who is mostly driven by revenge. I think I like him because he’s the only commoner amongst the characters, and his ideals are very clear. Second on my list is Magnus, Lucia’s brother and heir to the throne. Now, I think I might grow to like him a lot, but for now, I am a little concerned about his taste in women. One woman in particular, who is not only unavailable, but also very very wrong. Aside from that, Magnus is probably the hottest character in the book. He’s the classic bad boy, with a quick temper and a thirst for power that will make him take a very questionable path. Third is Cleo, princess of Auranos. She is the first main character we encounter in the book, and she has quite an important role in the story. For that reason, I feel like it’s easier to have an opinion about her. I put her third because she is that kind of princess I don’t particularly like; spoiled, unaware of what happens outside the castle, gullible and a little annoying at times. She gets better by the end of the book, but I will have to read what happens next to decide whether I can like her or not. Finally, we have Lucia, the princess of Limeros, a country covered in ice, where everyone except her seems to be absolutely void of emotions. She doesn’t have a big part in the first book, and she kind of just stays there, pretty and kind until the very end. The main reason why I decided to put her last is that she doesn’t have a very big personality, and she even does a terrible thing during the war, for reasons I still cannot understand. She seems like a weak character, but hopefully, she will get better. On the other side, while I liked the story and the characters, there is one thing I did not like. In the book, we have mentions of creatures called the Watchers, who are supposed to be observing the humans. I understand the mystery, but it really annoyed me that by the end of the book I still had no idea who these Watchers actually are. I am not talking about their role. We have different names popping out throughout the book, and none of them is introduced. I was really confused and couldn’t understand the structure behind their society. Hopefully, we shall find out more about them in the next books. To sum things up, I think Falling Kingdoms is a very entertaining story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes young adult novels spiced up with fantasy, romance, intrigues, betrayals and secrets.

I felt like I had to mentally prepare myself before delving into the epic fantasy that is Falling Kingdoms. As you can clearly tell from the blurb, there are a lot of characters, each with their own agenda that at times intersect. I knew this wasn't a book I could sit down and finish in an afternoon; I knew I would have to think when I read this. Falling Kingdoms isn't a spectator book--you cannot sit idly by and enjoy the scenery. Morgan Rhodes crafts such an intricate tale that you must be prepared to fully surrender yourself to her world. And I feel so much richer for doing just that. This book is so grand and large, I'm sort of at a loss for where to start. Let's begin with the writing: Rhodes is a genius. Her world building skill are phenomenal. She created not only a fantasy world, full of magic and folklore, but also her own countries. She created back stories and histories for these countries, but never once did I feel like I was being preached at. She has perfected the art of revealing through storytelling. Her settings are lush and rich, making me feel like I was walking through the barren lands of Limeros or the meadows of Auranos. But the characters are what drive this story. These complicated, emotional, and brilliant characters that bring the story to life. Usually when given several prominent characters who each get a turn telling "their" story by alternating chapters (but not alternating POV's--this one is solely third person, thank God), I find myself attached more to one character than the others, so I will occasionally skip ahead to get to the parts I care about. Not true at all with this story. I loved Cleo's spirit, Jonas's determination, Lucia's innocence, and Magnus's brooding equally. I'm not a girl who goes out of her way to read fantasy. I tried reading Game of Thrones when the show came out and found myself hopelessly lost by the third chapter. Same with Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (again, loved the tv show Legend of the Seeker), but once more found myself confused and overwhelmed. But there is something magical about Falling Kingdoms that sucked me in. I could have spent another month immersed in this world and not tire of it. If you're a fan of fantasy, even in the smallest measure, this is your book. If you're like me--somewhat intimidated by fantasy and the sweeping magnitude of it, this is also your book. Falling Kingdoms is a book that I can easily see wowing a variety of audiences and readers for years to come.

When I chose this book I was not sure of what to expect. Certainly not such an entertaining read. The story revolves around multiple youngsters who are entangled in the grasps of war and greed. They have their own emotional troubles and a lot of growing up to do, because things are progressing grimly for every one of them. The protagonists are likeable and interesting, though personally I don’t fancy the whole princess and prince stories. I like how depth is being added to their characters and their pain is an excellent medium for change. I liked the pacing a lot, switching between views was done smoothly and it always felt interesting to read the next few pages. Frankly, it felt too interesting - I was hooked and I couldn’t stop reading. I admit in terms of language and ethics this book is no gem. I didn’t highlight that many quotes or wise sayings, but still that doesn’t mean there was no depth on the story and its morals. On the contrary, the different point of views make it clear that things are not always how the look like, there is more depth than initially perceived emotionally. I gave this 5/5 because it hooked me in and because I enjoyed reading this a lot. I am curious how the will go on on the rest of the books and I will get on with it!

Also seen on www.emmamazey.blogspot.com The best way to describe this book to you is that it is a YA equivalent of Game of Thrones. It is so epic and amazing that you will be left amazed by the character progression and the beginnings of a huge series. I knew about 20 pages in that I would love this book and it certainly didn't disappoint. When I had this book for Christmas I knew that I wanted to read it as soon a possible because it is everything that I love about fantasy, you have duel perspectives, battling countries and fantastically written characters. Whilst this book tends to focus more on the characters than the world building, there is never a lack of any aspect. I knew exactly what to picture when the author was writing the scenes but I think that is because it takes the backdrop of many classic fantasy stories and nothing is totally unimaginable despite the mutterings of magical elements. Thats right, theres magic in this book as well! The magic element was probably my favourite, it wasn't the main plot but I can tell that it will in the end be the most important factor in this series, the hints and then the stories were super interesting and The Kindred and The Watchers were unique and like nothing I have read before. Now lets talk about characters... Cleo is one of the best characters I've read about, she is independent, head strong, a little reckless and full of passion. I throughly enjoyed her segments and I think that she has such a strong voice, despite everything that happens she remains strong and I think I may love her slightly.... Magnus is a very intriguing character, I really can't make my mind up about him and to be honest I don't think he can make his mind up about himself. He is mean and reckless and totally like his father but then on the other hand he is nothing like his father because he does feel remorse, but he still does all of these things anyway so does the fact that he feels remorse make any difference? AH I don't know, but this is why I love this book so much because no character is as black and white as they originally seem, they are complex and real. Jonas is again very complex, he wants to avenge his brother but he also has a softer heart and I think that makes him so much more dangerous and so much more threatening to the surroundings, he is also incredibly clever and brave and I think in the second book he will really come into his own. I can't really say anymore without spoiling anything but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is too threatened by the size of Game of Thrones, or who finds the GOT series a bit dense because this is everything that is good about GOT but in my opinion even better because there aren't as many characters, the world is not as complex and the writing flows so well that it makes it a super quick read. 5/5 STARS

Ok so this book was a pretty good first book. I liked all the characters and the plot. I did find some plot twists to be very obvious..however some of the characters that were killed i didnt expect. I did find this book really easy to read and get into. I would recommend this to anyone who likes magic politics and fantasy in general! Thanks for a great book!

The book is so interesting plz read it

A great start of a series. I had to warm up to some characters, but especially the magical aspects of the story were really fascinating.

A pesar de que este libro es un desastre, lo leí bastante rápido y llegué a disfrutar. El libro está escrito como Juego de Tronos pero para niños o adolescentes, digo que es un desastre debido a que es tu típico juego de fantasía entre cuatro adolescentes, hay amor, tensión sexual y sed por sangre (en abundancia). Lo califico con tres estrellas porque el ritmo de la historia es bastante rápido, dos de los personajes me gustaron en varios momentos y leeré el siguiente libro solo porque quiero saber qué pasará con estos niños protagonistas.