Falling Kingdoms

By Morgan Rhodes

 

Synopsis:

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love. The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct. Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield. Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....


Publication date: December 11th 2012

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 2.5 / 5

My Thoughts:

Many fellow bookfriends recommended this series to me but some things are just not meant to be. I tried incredibly hard to enjoy this book but I just could not bring myself to love it. The storyline was interesting enough, and there were some cool characters but it just did not live up to the hype and, in my eyes, fell a tad bit flat.

Falling Kingdoms is pitched as a favourite for fans of game of thrones. I haven't read the GoT books but I'm a fan of the show, and I can see the likeness between this book and GoT... The different kingdoms and their power struggles and a rather taboo relationship, all make it a read for GoT fans.  Personally, that wasn't enough.

As the first book in a high fantasy series, there is a lot of world-building, as expected, but the story lacked that addiction that would make me want to read on. I couldn't relate to any of the characters. When characters died, or were injured, it didn't affect me as it should have! (Note that generally, I care far too much about fictional characters than I should!)

The elders were uncertain how to proceed. So many centuries and nothing. No clues. No leads. Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.

The ultimate test for me on whether I enjoyed the book or not is if I can remember the main characters names. Whilst reading Falling Kingdoms I also started Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine, and right now, I can only recall the characters from the latter read :S

Cleo didn't like "hopefullys." She liked certainties. She liked knowing that tomorrow would be pleasant and sunny and filled with fun activities. She liked knowing that her family and friends were healthy and happy. Anything else was unacceptable.

It's a shame because I had such high hopes for this book. There are plenty of fans of this series so clearly it must be doing something right, but sadly I'm not one of them.

Favourite Quotes:

But this felt right. This felt more right than anything else in his life ever had. "Will you come with me to meet with Chief Basilius?"
"And miss witnessing his order for your head to be removed and place on a spike for trying to incite a revolution in your brother's name?" Brion laughed. "Not for all the gold in Auranos."

Finally the king spoke. "If I admit something like this to you, Magnus, we're treading on very dangerous ground.
"The truth is only dangerous if it can inflict injury."

"I never said she was evil. Nor was she good. Even in the darkest and most cruel person, there is still a kernel of good. And within the most perfect champion, there is also darkness. The question is, will one give into the dark or 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."