Falling Kingdoms review

Publication Date: December 9th, 2014
Number of Pages: 407 Pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre(s): YA Fantasy, YA Romance

***Warning!! This review contains spoilers for those that haven’t read the first two books in the series yet! Enter at your own risk, you’ve officially been warned!***

To see my review of book #1 – Falling Kingdoms – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Rebel Spring – Click HERE

To see my Fancast/Dreamcast of the whole series – click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

I would say it was this book where things in this series really start to get interesting, I only hope plenty of readers stuck with it long enough to be able to enjoy it! It’s unfortunate that it had to wait until the third book in a series, but hey, good things come to those who wait.

The first two books in this series were pretty fun to read through, I thought I’d found a gold-mine. Before this book, this series had felt like just a YA version straight from Game of Thrones: Royal siblings with weird incestuous vibes, the pretty princess taken prisoner with her enemies, the escaped rebel drawing forces from all their found resources, and of course the corrupt king who mercilessly kills off anyone who opposes him. This title, however, felt like all my hopes and dreams for this series had been answered!

So much happened that made me so happy; so many answers pertaining to important aspects of the overall story of the entire series, and it even included more parts that I didn’t even know I needed. Sure, it’s not the most original content, their isn’t some deep/meaningful message to learn from; it’s just pure entertainment, and that’s totally fine. Not every story you read needs all that in order for it to be worthwhile.

What It’s About:

Continuing a week from the events of how the previous title, Rebel Spring, ended in the Forbidden Mountains, the quest for the Kindred continues in violent and unpredictable fashion. Jonas meets a mysterious stranger, Felix Graebas, who rescues him from enemy soldiers and befriends him before joining his rebellious cause. Together, they plan to rescue the fellow rebels, including Lysandra, from the dungeons of Auranos before they’re hanged for their crimes against the crown.

Cleo Bellos, still a prisoner in her own castle, continues to be a spy for Jonas and send him secret messages with valuable information, but also turns to fellow princess Lucia in order to gain more information on the Kindred.

Outside forces join the race as the Kraeshians make their presence known amongst those in Mytica. Prince Ashur, who we met in the previous book, is still hanging around but is now joined by his devious sister, Amara. Together, they find their own answers towards the Kindred and how to take them for themselves.

Prince Magnus is still torn about recent events, mostly the decisions his brutal father makes, and becomes more and more tormented with the inner battle between his family and what may be right.

The Watchers have been doing just that, but no longer. Melenia has gained enough power and now they are able to come over from the other side of the Sanctuary.

Everyone is searching for the Kindred, but what they discover is that sometimes, ancient power should remain buried…sometimes the legends leave out certain parts of the tales that can make all the difference in what’s to come!

What I Liked:

New and Interesting Characters! The author introduces us to some fun and exciting new characters to spice things up a bit and cause more chaos. Prince Ashur has stuck around, but now his younger sister, Princess Amara, has joined up with him, and let me say that she makes a viper seem tame. Together, they bring the upcoming threat of the Kraeshian Empire from overseas as they join the hunt for the Elementia orbs. Another noteworthy character is Felix Graebas, who joins Jonas and Lysandra in their quest to free their rebel brethren from their cells in the Auranos dungeons, awaiting execution. The great thing about these characters is that they are definitely hiding something, and their true allegiance is in question.
The Love Triangle Sub-Plot Thickens! As we can tell from the previous book, there’s a bit of a love triangle forming between golden Princess Cleo with Jonas and now Prince Magnus. I’d say it’s definitely one of the more well-done triangles formed in the genre, and adds to the angst of everything else that’s happening so far in the story, especially with the inner turmoil that it puts Magnus in.
It Furthers the Kindred Storyline! You finally get more information and important scenes when it comes to the Kindred and what role they play in the story. Alexius gets more attention within this story and you experience a few surprises where he’s concerned!
Cleo Continues to Shine! Cleo becomes such a fan favorite as she continues to do whatever it takes in order to survive amongst her worst enemies. I’ve really grown impressed with her survival instincts that appear when it most matters, her bravery, her brains, her ability to outsmart her enemies, and I don’t know about any of you, but I’m rooting for her!
So Many Twists! So many shocking reveals, bitter betrayals, and surprises are in store for you in this tale; you truly won’t know what happens next!

What I Didn’t Like:

Another Cliffhanger Ending…Once again, the author leaves us with a gigantic cliffhanger that excites and frustrates to the point of wanting to do violent things towards the book and a wall nearby; So much happens, but then you’re left with so many questions with what will happen in the next title, which for me, would be a whole year later on…
Jonas’s Development…Jonas started off as a favorite for me, but he’s turning into the greatest rebel to not actually accomplish anything…Almost everything he sets off to do ends up in failure, or doesn’t end up being as successful as we’d all hope it’d turn out…
The LGBTQ+ Rep Continues to Fall Flat…While part of me appreciates the fact that their are bisexual characters included in the story, part of me is also annoyed at how they are handled compared to the straight relationships also within the story. The M/M is treated like an afterthought, almost as if it’s just a ploy for one character to use strategically in order to gain information or some sort of edge. I mentioned this in the previous book as well but it’s also using a character, who up until the unexpected reveal, kept moping on and off about how he was hopelessly in love with his best friend, a girl. So, adding the M/M romance angle still just feels so rushed and short handed compared to other romantic subplots going on.

Conclusion:

A thrilling addition to the fun, entertaining, unpredictable Falling Kingdoms Series. No longer does it feel like a YA Game of Thrones knockoff; it truly feels like it’s coming into his own as a legitimate story.

I continue to recommend this series to anyone who likes the fantasy genre, and who loves a few unexpected surprises and twists along the way! Like any great story, this one includes political intrigue, shocking betrayals, forbidden and secret romance, and a race for power.

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

YA Fantasy

My Review: Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2): by Morgan Rhodes

June 19, 2019October 17, 2020 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: December 3rd 2013
Number of Pages: 401 Pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre(s): YA Fantasy

***WARNING*** Potential Spoilers past this point for those that haven’t read the first book of this series! You’ve officially been warned!***

To see my review of book #1 – Falling Kingdoms – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

After reading the first book in this series, I had to suffer an entire next year until this sequel came out onto shelves back in 2014. Any book reader who discovers an amazing series to read while it’s still being published on an annual basis knows the sheer pain of that waiting period!

One thing that was discovered was how Morgan Rhodes is an incredibly talented writer. She is almost masterful of being able to write excellently crafted and compelling scenes that have you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails in anticipation to see what happens next. Like the TV show Game of Thrones, these books are utterly unpredictable and every character faces insurmountable dangers that could lead to pain and ultimately death. No one is completely safe!

What It’s About:

Taking off immediately from the ending of the previous title, Rebel Spring starts off on a high high note. The Kingdom of Auranos has been taken over by the Damora’s and in the span of an epic battle, everything has dramatically changed, much blood has been spilled, and its all only the beginning.

Cleo, who’s lost literally everyone close to her, is now a prisoner within her own castle as the Damora’s have taken over.

Lucia is in a magic-induced coma from the exertion of power that won her father the kingdom in the first place.

Magnus has become his hateful father’s right hand man and goes off on tour to spread his message with Aron Lagaris, and oversee’s the construction of the golden road to connect all of Mytica.

Jonas has narrowly escaped after the betrayal of his chief, and is slowly building another rebel army.

We are introduced to some new characters: Lysandra, Melenia, Alexius, and Prince Ashur Cortas. Lysandra, who comes from another town in Paelsia, joins up with Jonas and his rebel clan in order to rescue her brother, who has been taken prisoner by King Gaius’s men. Alexius, a mysterious demigod-like being called a Watcher, helps Lucia discover more about herself and the magical abilities that she possesses. Melenia, also a watcher, is the voice inside King Gaius’s head, urging him to build a road in order to find the magical elementia orbs that have been hidden for so many years. Ashur Cortas is the third born prince from the foreign empire of Kraeshia who visits Mytica for a special occasion, but has much more going on beneath the surface.

What I Liked:

The Action! One thing that this series delivers on is the excitement factor that the author brings to the table. A lot more happens in this book than the last, and while some could argue that the pacing is inconsistent, I thought that it added to the unpredictability of what was going to happen next to certain characters.
The Addition of New Characters! The characters that I’d mentioned earlier add a lot to the overall story, creating more depth to the plots of the four main characters in different ways. Prince Ashur has to be my favorite addition just because it’s obvious that more is going on with him than just being a guest to a royal wedding, and I was curious to see what more he’d bring to the table.
Character Deaths! While it’s usually heartbreaking to say goodbye to certain characters, whether it be a violent, cruel murder or a heartbreaking sacrifice, a character death that causes an emotional impact to the readers always makes a story more effective. Every main character loses someone close to them in this story, but it gives them more motivation to their story moving forward.

What I Didn’t Like:

Still too Derivative…I absolutely adored this series when back when it was brand new and the books were coming out every December; I had nothing bad to say about them at the time. Unfortunately, as time has passed, thats no longer the case, and at reading other reviews that weren’t so glowing about these books, it’s more and more obvious how this series is too similar to Game of Thrones. It’s gotten to the point that it’s becoming harder to and harder to separate what the author has created themselves, and what they’ve slightly changed/copied from the stories of George R.R. Martin. I know I mentioned this comparison in my review of the previous title, but by this point, there’s just too many comparisons that match up: King Gaius is a mix of Tywin Lannister and Stannis Baratheon, Cleo is Sansa, Melenia is Melisandre, Magnus is Jaime Lannister, Lysandra is Arya Stark, Nic Cassian as Jorah Mormont, and Jonas is (maybe) Jon Snow and/or Robb Stark? I’m just relieved that we don’t have another King Joffrey running around…
The Cliffhanger Endings…This is more something I love to hate, because its such a long, drawn out torture to read a book, be so elated to read what happens next, and then finish the book with another huge cliffhanger, and then realize that you have to wait another year for the next book to release….again. the torture continues. I suppose its a good thing that you read something that you enjoy so much that you’re in such a conundrum.
The Random Addition of LGBTQ+…There’s one shocking moment in the story where two male characters share a secret kiss, and honestly, the reveal of it for one of the characters was certainly shocking, but not in a positive way. There was absolutely no hinting at it in anyway before hand in either books, and he’d been hopelessly pining away for a woman who’d never return his feelings the entire time before, so while it was shocking, it was just random and seems like it was only added for a cheap token-like addition and for the sake of adding diversity as an afterthought. I’m all for LGBTQ+ representation, but the way it was handled in this story could’ve been better than how it was actually executed.

Conclusion:

SO MUCH MORE happens in this sequel of the Falling Kingdoms series, and while its satisfying, it still leaves you wanting more and leaves more hints of whats to come. The main thing this series needs to improve on by this point is becoming more of its own thing, not just a YA knockoff of another fandom in The Song of Ice and Fire.

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

YA Fantasy

My Review: Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1): by Morgan Rhodes

June 3, 2019October 17, 2020 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: December 11th 2012
Number of Pages: 412 Pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre(s): YA Fantasy

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

This series is like a YA Game Of Thrones: There’s kingdoms, knights, stolen thrones, forbidden romance, secrets that have been killed over, deadly betrayals, a hint of magic, and war on the horizon. The main thing missing is the dragons (technically Wyverns, but I won’t get into that now) and the White Walkers.

What It’s About:

In the land of Mytica, magic that was once in abundance is now a long lost memory, and the kingdoms that rule the land are reaching an unrest with a power struggle for ultimate power.

Cleo Bellos, a privileged heir to the throne, must quickly travel to enemy territory to find a magical item thought to be lost long ago.

Jonas Agallon, a poor but proud wine merchant’s son, is fueled by anger and injustice in a need for revenge and makes a deal with the devil to lead a revolution.

Lucia Damora, adopted into the royal family of the North, learns a shocking secret of her mysterious past that could change the course of time.

Magnus Damora, being trained to be a vicious ruler by his father, finds himself torn between the ongoing battle between duty and love.

Whether they know it or not, their lives and their fates are intertwined, and entire kingdoms will fall. All the while, powerful entities from another world watch from above as it all unfolds; who will reign supreme when almost all is lost, and be the last one standing?

What I liked:

The Four Different Perspectives! For anyone who’s reading my reviews so far, they’ll notice that this is a recurring favorite of mine in books. I mean, a story told from one character is good, but it’s even better when told from multiple sources. It helps create a richer, deeper story with the potential for so many bigger things to come. The four main character’s stories each follow their own path, all the while they intertwine in different ways. Each have their own good and bad qualities, so it’s harder to say that they lack depth or complexity when you see their point of view. Cleo appears as a privileged & spoiled brat, but internally she expresses a desire to break off a betrothal to a man she absolutely despises. You obviously like her until she’s seen through Jonas’s eyes when she stands and does nothing as someone he loves is taken from him forever. The complexity of the characters and their evolving relationships is an absolute driving force for this story.
The Overall Buildup! The author does an amazing job of growing tension in the story, and it only gets better and better as more happens. It’s truly exciting stuff, and makes it easy to want to keep reading to see what happens next. While the author may lack originality in this story, she definitely knows how to hit the ethos in her readers, it has a certain way about it that is addicting and keeps you interested, almost obsessed to see what happens next. The romance, the secrets, the betrayals, the spilled blood and the cliffhanger at the end!
The Cover Design! I will say this for the rest of the books in the series as well, but these may be some of the most beautiful book covers that I’ve ever seen! I mean, look at these:

What I Didn’t Like:

The Incestuous Story Arc…It’s been made to be a shocking storyline twist since the Lannister twins were discovered in the tower in the very first episode of Game of Thrones, but the author goes down a tricky path when she includes it within her story, especially when its YA. While I can say it’s daring for the author to go down this route, it’s still a disturbing subject. Incest was said to be a method amongst royal families in Ancient to Medieval times as a way for them to keep their bloodlines pure, to not dilute it. George R.R. Martin even affirmed this when he researched European history that he based his bestselling novels off of. Luckily, the author calls it out in her story and makes for what it is; a taboo perversion. No one who finds out about it reacts to it in an accepting manner, and even the character who has these feelings sees how wrong it is.
The Lack of Originality…If you’re looking for an innovative, never been done before type of book in the fantasy genre, this isn’t a story for that. It is filled with what just about every fantasy novel has had in the past: kingdoms at war, a runaway princess, a peasant that serves a greater purpose, long lost magic on the verge of returning, a prophecy that can change history, a cruel & corrupt king, the brooding bad boy trope, and whatever other fantasy cliché you can think of. Someone could basically call this fan-fiction of George R.R Martin’s work, just with their own world, characters, etc. Luckily, the story is still entertaining enough to get away with the lack of creativity.

Conclusion:

Overall, this is a fast-paced, entertaining read that is just the beginning of an impressive series that is a great addition to any fans of the fantasy genre! I recommend it to those who are beginners to the genre and want to try it out for the first time before getting into thicker and heavier material, or for anyone who loves a good story with plenty of surprising twists, daring and forbidden romance, endearing characters, dueling kingdoms with knights & princesses, and one that keeps your eyes glued to the pages until you hit the acknowledgements page!