Falling Kingdoms

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

"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?"

- Cover description 

The first book I will be reviewing for my blog is Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. An impressive cover, no? I got this book over April vacation, at a time where all of my series were too busy having the next book being written, so I couldn't read it. I was in the middle of looking for something new at the Barnes and Noble when I came across this and began to read. Falling Kingdoms is about a foreign, fantasty land named Mytica. Mytica is divided into three kingdoms: Auranos, Limeros and Paelsia. Not all is well in Mytica, with rising tensions between the kingdoms and a war brewing on the horizon. When one misunderstanding becomes the final straw, the inevitable war finally comes. In the midst of it all, four teenagers: Cleo, Jonas, Lucia and Magnus, find themselves caught in the thickof the conflict, and end up playing bigger roles than they could ever ever expected.

Falling Kingdoms is different than most novels because of the fact that it incorporates multiple narratives- and manages to do so in a fashion that actually works in favor for the author. The multiple perspectives gets a clearer look and understanding for the characters, and each view is distinct enough that you never get confused about whose mindset you are currently reading. Along with the excellent use of multiple perspectives, there is the characters themselves. As you get to know each and every one of the characters, you can clearly see the depth and soul behind them. All four of them are people you can easily relate to and cheer for as the story progresses. The general plot is unique and interesting, and once you really get into the book, you can't put it down until you know what happens in the end.

The first out of four books, Falling Kingdoms is a great read. I would most definitely recommend it if you are ever in a need for a book to read. It is a thought-provoking novel, and it makes the reader consider the following questions: how far would you go revenge? Would you really do anything for your family?