Falling Kingdoms Series by Morgan Rhodes

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Falling Kingdoms Series (Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring, Gathering Darkness, Frozen Tides, Crystal Storm, Immortal Reign)

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Synopsis:

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has been long 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 unforseen love.

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Initial thoughts:

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes has been on my list of books to read for a good while now. When it comes to stories with many different point-of-view like this one, I like to wait until the entire series has been completed before I begin reading them. So, when I learned that the conclusion had been written and released, I jumped right in and started it up!

In the beginning, I really didn’t find myself liking the characters all that much. Things started off very whiny and increasingly got better from there.

Plot:

What I liked:

I really did enjoy this book series. I always love a good tale of fantasy and magic and really find myself drawn to these kind of books.The magical element to the series was very well thought out and really helped drive the plot along. I also really enjoyed most of the character development and the world building that went into the series. As a reader, it was very interesting to learn how the magic ultimately affected the characters in the long run of this story.

The villains were very well put together and had this edge to them that allowed me to understand what it was that they were thinking even when they were not the ones that were telling the initial story. I looked forward to certain narratives more than others and when they were back I found myself instantly engrossed in the story.

The books themselves were very fast paced and had a lot of action. The fight scenes really were what got me. They were realistic and honor was often just thrown out the window which I felt had a very nice feel to it.

What I didn't like:

The relationships in this series were TOXIC. I don’t typically find book series where I want to yell at every couple that tries to form, but this one was. I kept feeling angry with the books everytime anything to do with love appeared.

Another reason why I was unable to give this a higher rating was due to the fact that I found that the characters could be a little over dramatic and almost whiny at times. I also became easily frustrated with them for how they reacted to certain situations.For example, Lucia was one character I found myself growing to dislike more and more throughout the series. She was a very two-faced character even during her own narrative and I found it hard to sympathize with her in the long run.

Also, just as a heads up, Morgan Rhodes seemed to have a fun time killing off characters only to bring them back to life again. I found it to be a little annoying personally, but others might not agree especially if it’s their favorite character that gets to comes back.

Main Characters:

Cleo: In the beginning I was really hesitant to like her, but she really grew on me as a strong character. I loved how she developed through the series.

Jonas: He didn’t seem to make as big of an impact on me as I thought that he was going to. I enjoyed his character, but he didn’t seem to learn from his mistakes and that was kind of annoying.

Lucia: To be honest I kind of didn’t like her at all. I hated chapters that were told in her point of view and looked forward to be done them.

Magnus: I gotta say, I really enjoyed his character. Magnus was a very complex individual and I thought that he was a fun character to watch grow through his issues with his family and come to terms with who he is as a person.

Nic: I think that he was my favorite character. I loved this boy even though I didn’t see his POV too often in the story. I thought that he was a good brother and a kind friend, but he certainly wasn’t afraid to voice his own opinions.

Amira: I loved her and hated her. It was hard to decide which I felt more for her to be honest. Her character was very interesting and fun to follow.

Overall:

I did find myself rooting for the characters and hoping that things would pan out well for them even when things were beginning to look bleak. For those of you who like a book series that has a lot of action, deceit, politics, and magic this is a fantastic book for you.

#ya #review #fantasy #lgbtqa