Morgan Rhodes

"A fantasy about three kingdoms on the brink of war and the destiny of one princess"--Provided by publisher.

Falling kingdoms

arwen

this is a YA walmart version of game of thrones. really liked magnus and cleo though. i really hope the second book will be better

Monicap

Wow. Well. This book actually turned out to be pretty good.

The whole time I was reading this, I was thinking that it was trying REALLY hard to be a YA Game of Thrones. Because it totally was. Trying, that is.
But did it actually achieve the Game of Thrones emblance it was trying so hard to attain?
No. Of course not. This book does not have the preattached status of GoT. 
But I did get the vibe, so points for that!

There were SO MANY characters in this book. At the beginning, there is a character glossary. While I appreciate this, I wish it weren't at the beginning. Because it was THE FIRST THING I saw, and when I started reading, I kept flipping back to the character Glossary EVERY SINGLE time we met a new character and trying to match them up, and it was so distracting for the first 150 or so pages. If it had been at the END, it still would have served the purpose just fine and not have distracted me nearly so much.

Also, as with most fantasy books, there's a map at the beginning. but the map is SO VAGUE. Like, there are the three kingdoms and their names and that's it. No roads, no cities no nothing. If there's a map, I want to be able to refer to it so I can KNOW WHERE SHIT IS. This did not fulfill that purpose AT ALL. 

Also, at the beginning of every chapter, the kingdom in which the chapter takes place is used as the 'title'. And Each kingdom had this cheesy little sigil shaped like the first letter in the kingdoms name. I bet whoever designed this book thought it was cool. But it was lame.

And I realize that up to this point, I have been discussing mostly format and design issues in the book. I promise I will now talk about the CONTENT.

Really, all I have to say to explain this content is the GoT comparison. There are too many characters for me to discuss them all, and too much goes on for me to give a proper plot rating, and the romance kinda seemed all over the place. But I'll try to discuss the characters and the romances, for YOU.

There are four main characters: Cleo, the younger princess of Auranos; Jonas, a winesellers son from the destitute country of Paelsia; Magnus, the heir to throne of Limeros; and Lucia, Magnus's sister and a prophesized sorceress destined to return magic and save their dying world.

Out of the four, I liked Magnus the best. And not even because his name reminds me of Magnus from TMI (TOTALLY different characters). But, I will have you know, I AM VERY CONFLICTED ABOUT LIKING HIM. (view spoiler)[Given his incestuous feelings towards his sister (which also reminds me a little of TMI, but that's beside the point) and also, he killed Theon. (hide spoiler)] 
Next would probably be Cleo. Everyone said she was used to getting what she wanted and that's why she was being so stubborn, but she was also trying to do what she thought was right, so everyone else can just suck it up, all right?
After that is Lucia, but I don't have many comments about her.
And Jonas was my least favorite. I felt like he didn't get much (or any) character development after the whole (view spoiler)["My brother was murdered" (hide spoiler)] thing.

Next, let's talk about the romance. First we have (view spoiler)[Magnus and Lucia (hide spoiler)]. I did feel conflicted about this, but I've also read TMI and ship Clace so I can't really say that much. Other than as long as Lucia isn't feeling it, I can't feel it either. Though my heart does ache for (view spoiler)[Maguns (hide spoiler)].
The other main romance occuring was between Cleo and Theon. Like Jonas, there was little development or thought put into this aspect of the story aside from classic story tropes like "Put a male in a the same room as the princess and they're gonna f*cking fall in love." And then, well, (view spoiler)[he died (hide spoiler)] so there was that.

Overall, a pretty solid book, though. Good thing I have the next one to dive into.

Vicky  Nuñez 

Rating- 3.5 stars

Falling Kingdoms has something that I can’t explain that makes it that despite the fact that is not a particularly interesting premise, or an original one, you get hooked on it. 
We can see where the story is heading just from reading the prologue, the story is a really predictable, but despite that, Morgan Rhodes ( Michelle Rowen’s pen name) makes it so enjoyable that you keep on reading.

It’s not surprising the story’s predictability, after all it was commissioned by the publisher and they probably wanted to keep all of the clichés because they are clichés for a reason, they work. But it is Michelle Rowen’s writing that makes you stay. 

I really liked Morgan's writing. How she switched from one POV to another. It made me feel like I knew what was happening at all times in the three kingdoms.

The basic premise is this: 

We have three countries: 
- Auranos: the thriving country, that lives in richness. Its land is full of wildlife and nobody goes hungry. The King is Corvin Bellos and he has two daughters, Emilia and Cleo.
- Paelsia: the middle country. Everyone here lives in extreme poverty. Is ruled by Basilius, a powerful sorcerer. His people barely get by and their entire income comes by selling wine to Auranians. 
- Limeros: Northern country ruled by King Gaius. Their kingdom has started to decline.

There is magic or elementia in the kingdoms, or there used to be. But it disappeared and this is what's causing the decline of the kingdoms. It all started after a war of power between two goddesses. They each wanted all the power for herself, until they killed each other off. After their death the source of all the magic, the Kindred, disappeared. 

I loved the backstory in this book. It all seems so well planned. It kind of feels like a YA Game of Thrones, which is what I think they were going for. 
With tons of backstory and different POV's. And everyone fighting for power.

There are a lot of characters in this, but some of the main ones are:

- First we have Cleo, she’s from Auranos. The thriving country. Cleo is named after the goddess Cleiona. She is a spoiled princess, she thinks everything she wants will happen. She is always crying when things don’t go her way. 

“If Cleo wanted something badly enough, it would happen. Why wouldn’t it? It always had before. ” 

 Cleo is practically that rich girl everyone loves. She knows she’s beautiful and rich, as proven by the quote above. She only thinks about herself, (view spoiler)[ even when her sister was in her death bed, her main concern was herself.  (hide spoiler)] And if something is going wrong, she likes to think it will fix itself up if she doesn’t think about it. 
 But despite all of this, I honestly liked Cleo because she seems so pure and honest with everyone. She kind of reminded me of Rapunzel from Tangled. How she is so innocent. 
I was honestly expecting a big quest for her and after a great deal of pain she would become this great character. Sadly, although she did went through a lot there wasn’t a change in her, but we still have long ways to go before the end, so who knows. 

We also have Magnus Damora. Magnus is the exact opposite of Cleo. He is the ice shard to her sunshine. I honestly hope they get together. And he stops that silly, I like my sister thing he has going on. It's weird.
He, unlike Cleo did go through a change, he started as this uncaring Prince that did not care about anyone, but his sister. But he ends up even worse. 

I do not know how I feel about Lucia. I feel pretty meh about her. She was there, but mostly when Magnus was thinking about her. I feel like we didn't get to know her. The only things I know about her is that she has black hair(Magnus is always talking about it), that she loves her family (who doesn't) and she can do magic.

Jonas was probably my favorite character because he seemed the most rational. I liked that little tease at the end. 

There are many more characters, but I feel that Magnus and Cleo were the most present at all times. I liked both of them. And I would be lying if I said I do not ship them a bit. 

At the end I really wanted to love this book but maybe it was that I had just read a great fantasy book and I felt a bit of disappointment it wasn't as good as my previous read. But I do look forward to continuing the series. 

It's a great fantasy series, especially for someone that likes magic because I can see there's going to be a lot of that in the future. 

Predictions for future books: (view spoiler)[I hope Magnus becomes good in the future. And if he doesn’t, I expect him to become even more bloodthirsty, so that his sister has to kill him.

Also I think Cleo has at least part of the Kindred. I hope that means she can do magic so she can fight Lucia. And they replicate the old war. 
It would be incredibly boring if there was only one sorceress. I want magic fights. 
  (hide spoiler)]

can we stop writing incest plot lines??? 

Kimmy Hobden

Couldn't get into the story or the characters. It all felt bland and mundane. The plot and character relationships did not progress; I felt like I was waiting for something to happen but nothing did.

Brandyn

DNF @68%

Couldn't get into the story or the characters. It all felt bland and mundane. The plot and character relationships did not progress; I felt like I was waiting for something to happen but nothing did.

Rachel Kanyid

It was pretty interesting. I wouldn't say it was the best book ever, but I will definitely continue the series!

Emily B

4.5 STARS

Ok. I know this is a reread. But I read the first four books of this series when I was young(er), in high school, and my book tastes hadn't matured enough. So, while I did give this book a high rating initially, and could appreciate a well written book, it was not one of my favorites (because like an idiot I kept comparing everything I read to my then at the time only favorite series). But, I got the bug in me to FINALLY finish this series, so a reread was/is in order. Plus, now I actually write decent reviews (I hope), so this will give me a chance to process my thoughts.

As is the case with most of the books I gave up on in high school and am now (re)reading, I absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in two days! I could tell that this is a set up book, yet it does a great job of not feeling like a set up. The stakes are noticeably higher at the end of the book than they were at the beginning. The plot had so many twists that even I kept gasping at a lot of them. Granted, I have forgotten like 75% of this series, but even the twists I did remember came with a shock value. It was like I had this sense of dread before each one, and when it finally happened, that dread built up into adrenaline and the payoff was oh so sweet. That just goes to show how well written this is. I don't think I would have had such an experience if it wasn't written well.

Most of the characters go through a good deal of development. They each start out with more simple and single-minded goals, yet they grow and grow in who they are. What they want at the end is not even close to what they wanted at the beginning. The only character that did not get that much development, in my opinion, was Lucia. She has one change that affects her, but she is essentially the same person at the end of the book. I am hoping to see more from her in the coming installments. Without a doubt, Cleo and Magnus tied for the most development and are currently holding my favorite spots, though Jonas is certainly a close second. I also appreciated how the book showed the political maneuverings around a war and how one little spark is all it takes to sets something ablaze. It was similar to how WWI started with the death of Archduke Ferdinand. The things that happen in this book parallel both World Wars. Gaius also reminds me of Hitler in a way with how he exerted control over his country and broke deals with allies when it suited him. Needless to say, the author did her research on these subjects.

I am really looking forward to the next few rereads! I remember that they just keep getting better and better. I will be binging this series in the coming months. Please, if you haven't already, check this book out. Stay tuned for more reviews for the Falling Kingdoms Series!

Falling Kingdoms

Aaliyah Jenkins

Am I the only one who thought the romance between Cleo and Theon, no matter how endearing, was a bit rushed? Other than that I think it's a great read. I just couldn't wrap my mind around their insta-love.

Fantasy, romance and magic meld with unforgettable characters in this sensational series debut. Falling Kingdoms is perfect for fans of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones, JRR Tolkein'sThe Hobbit, and Trudy Canavan's Black Magician trilogy. In a land where magic has been forgotten and peace has reigned for centuries, unrest is simmering . Three kingdoms battle for power . . . A princess must journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long-thought extinct. A rebel becomes the leader of a bloody revolution. A Sorceress discovers the truth about the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield. It's the eve of war. Each must choose a side. KINGDOMS WILL FALL. 'From an opening dripping with blood, magic, and betrayal through complex interweaving plots detailing treachery, deceit, and forbidden love, this novel is the first in a projected series that will immediately engage readers and keep them intrigued' Booklist 'Once you are drawn into Falling Kingdoms' vividly imagined landscape, you won't ever want to leave it!' Mizz 'Falling Kingdoms is a great choice for lovers of Game of Thrones.' Hypable.com 'Ms. Rhodes takes the reader on a journey in a mythical land and you come out cheering for a victor and gasping for air. If you like 'Game of Thrones', you'll love Falling Kingdoms.' JustJared.com About the author: Morgan Rhodes lives in Ontario, Canada. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess - the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, and reality TV, and is an extremely picky yet voracious reader of all kinds of books. Under another pen name, she's a national bestselling author of many paranormal novels. Falling Kingdoms is her first high fantasy. Follow her on Twitter @morganrhodesya.

Audiobook masterfully narrated by Fred Berman.

This book was all about giving me "classic" vibes. Classic setting, classic tropes, classic elemental magic systems. 

Sometimes, seeking too much orignality in fantasy books lately just leads up to disappointments.

Indeed, there's nothing revolutionising about the story but was it enjoyable? Yes. Did it deliver? It did. 

 I definitely can define it as a cozy read because we still need those classics in a good fantasy story imo 

The pacing was really good, the writing style also good. 

Attaching characters (Amelia's storyline 🥲🥲), cool story. 

The successions of events were wild especially towards the end lol.

The only downside is that for a good chunk of the book we focused too much on teen dramas lol (I guess I'm too old for this) 

Anyway overall it was a pretty good YA fantasy and I can't wait to see how everything evolves in the future.

Cleo, thank goodness you're starting to be interesting.

Amira BEN

4.25 ⭐️

Audiobook masterfully narrated by Fred Berman.

This book was all about giving me "classic" vibes. Classic setting, classic tropes, classic elemental magic systems. 

Sometimes, seeking too much orignality in fantasy books lately just leads up to disappointments.

Indeed, there's nothing revolutionising about the story but was it enjoyable? Yes. Did it deliver? It did. 

 I definitely can define it as a cozy read because we still need those classics in a good fantasy story imo 

The pacing was really good, the writing style also good. 

Attaching characters (Amelia's storyline 🥲🥲), cool story. 

The successions of events were wild especially towards the end lol.

The only downside is that for a good chunk of the book we focused too much on teen dramas lol (I guess I'm too old for this) 

Anyway overall it was a pretty good YA fantasy and I can't wait to see how everything evolves in the future.

Also, Magnus has my sympathy 

Cleo, thank goodness you're starting to be interesting.

War brought them together. Love will tear them apart. Princess Cleo of Mytica confronts violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse. Once a privileged royal, Cleo must now summon the strength to survive in this new world and fight for her rightful place as Queen. The King of Limeros’s son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father’s trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything. Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making. Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.

A Falling Kingdoms Novel

Nicole

I'm here for Magnus and Cleo. That's all.

Elisa Bieg

This is a really difficult book to rate.

On one hand, I liked the story, I liked the world of Mythica, and the premise.

On the other hand, the pacing feels way off somehow, and the writing lacks impact.
It’s like drinking really watery coffee when what you’re craving, what you need, is an espresso — it’s frustrating, but somehow you want to keep sipping just to have that barely-there hint of the flavor you are actually looking for.

The characters are good in theory, but lack depth and feel one-dimensional. Not a single characters I could hold on to, someone of whom I could think “well ok, at least there’s you”, someone you want to keep hearing about and that can get you though the story when the other characters do something stupid/cruel/[add your unflattering trait of choice here], as you hoped they wouldn’t but knew they would, because they haven’t changed a single bit since the beginning of the book. 

And yet... there is something there. There is the hint of what this story could be, if a bit more of its potential were tackled with better writing, better pacing, better world-building, better characterization, or at the very least (PLEASE, for all that is holy) better dialogue — seriously I’ll settle for an improvement to the dialogue alone and will put up with all the rest.

Will I read the rest of the series? Probably. I have the urge to keep drinking that watery coffee, after all. Maybe at some point, cumulatively, it will hit the spot. 

But as it is, I can’t give it more than 3 STARS> 🤷🏻‍♀️

Savannah Winchell

This book was very okay. 
It was definitely disappointing, but I've heard that it gets more ch better later on.
The characters weren't flushed out, the plot was fine, there were no emotional stakes. This was definitely a book where emotions are told, not felt. It's obvious this is a first book, but I really hope it gets better. I'm in no rush to continue the series, but I will eventually. I think.

Livia

I need to stop reading these typical ya fantasy... it's just, meh

Jaclyn

*4.5* *4.5* 

  "Even paradise could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls."   

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!! It's not a 5 star for me because I did have some issues (more on that later) but because of the brilliant way Morgan Rhodes weaved the plot together, and connected so much dots was fantastic and shocking. It's hard to explain the premise of this book but basically it's a high fantasy  in the best most epic way  YA series about these three kingdoms battling it out and there's love, betrayal, death   SO MUCH   , and lots of magic talk. It gets compared to Games of Thrones and I've only seen the first season but I can see where it comes from. It was a tiny bit slow in the beginning but then quickly grew to become addicting. It's a fun and exciting world to escape to filled with explosive and shocking plot twists. 

  "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 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."   

We follow four very different and crucial characters throughout the book: Cleo, Magnus, Jonas, and Lucia. I had so much fun watching how they met up and seeing how she weaved these different worlds together was perfect. I LOVED all of them in their own ways, they flew off the page to me and that hasn't happened in a while for me! 

Let's talk more about these beautiful new friends of ours. 

Cleo! I connected very easily to her, I sympathized with her but at the same time I'm excited for her to get some back bone which I feel like she will in Rebel Springs! There was insta love. Big time. It was cute very really frustrating, then the thing happens and it's like OHHHH OKAY I SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING. It ended as quickly as it came but it was still there. Anyway, I feel so bad for with that ending but I'm excited at the same time!!! Ahh

  "You're the same as you were yesterday and the day before. Nothing has changed. Not really. Forget what troubles you. Regret nothing, but learn from any mistakes you make. Tomorrow will be a brighter day, I promise."   

  SO MANY AMAZING QUOTES IN THIS BOOK THOUGH   

Magnus...oh Magnus... I love him but I'm aggravated with him! I think he's my favorite though because of how dark and mysterious he is.   and super hot and sarcastic   I pictured him as Matthew Daddario with a scar on the side of his face *cries* 
He's pretty tormented but I think eventually he's going to grow to be the king I know he can be!! *wails desperately*
He's seen so much and his father is super evil. Ugh! Magnus just wants to be loved! 

  Then in his heart, now broken into a thousand pieces, slowly began to turn into ice.   

Noooooooo

*hides Magnus in a corner* 

Now let's talk about our other swoon worthy boy, Jonas. Jonas was a very headstrong character. He knew what he wanted and was ready to do whatever it took. He was charged by remorse and vengeance. But I can't wait for the recent development within the last couple pages! Ahhhhhh *gets popcorn* this is gonna be GOOD! 

  Magic will find those with pure hearts even when all seems lost.  

Lucia. She was okay. She was my least favorite out of the four but I know she's eventually going to grow to be a stronger character. I felt she was really naive because no way does that evil King actually think of her as a daughter! He's sick. But I can't wait for Lucia to become more powerful and much more involved. 

  You must continue to believe with all your heart. Sometimes belief is all it takes to make something real.   

My favorite minor character though is Nic! He's a sweetheart and so caring. Such a great friend to Cleo. 

  "I have stories. But stories are not facts." 
"I like stories. Love them actually. Most of the time they're better than facts."   

Have I mentioned that I loved the writing? Morgan Rhodes is a beautiful writer and I loved reading her dialogue and the lessons she weaved in there.

  Hate is such a strong emotion. Much more powerful than indifference. But those who burn with hate can also love just as intensely. Can't they? When you hate-or love-do you do so with all your heart? So much that it feels as if you might die from it?   

Is that some foreshadowing there? Ahh this book was such a fun setup for what sure to be an amazing series. That action packed ending and heart stopping ending was shocking but made me super excited to get to Rebel Springs!! Now that they all know each other I feel like the stories just getting started but it's an amazing world and I'm so pumped to get back into it!! 

  "Love is stronger than anger. Love is stronger than hate-stronger than anything. Remember that."

Nedu

I liked this book and I'm excited to continue this series. I almost didn't finish reading this book but I'm glad I stuck with it. 

 CLEO:
In the beginning she was annoying and comes across as spoiled but her development throughout the book is good. I can't wait to see her arc in the sequels. Her relationship with Theon was difficult to buy mainly because it was rushed. -sidenote- I really hope Aron dies the worst death possible. 

 Jonas:
Initially Jonas is fueled with revenge for his brother's death. I do think he is the smartest character and he was the first main character I actually liked. 

 Magnus:

I feel like Magnus regressed as a character. He starts off as wanting to be nothing like father but ends up being exactly like his father. His attraction to his "sister" was a little disturbing.

 Lucia:

Lucia's writing was disappointing. She is supposed to be this long awaited sorceress but she's written as an afterthought. She just goes along with what her father says. I'm hoping she gets better in the remaining books.

Rachel Estep

Falling Kingdoms is hands down the best YA series I've read in a very long time. Despite being a princess, Cleo is strong, capable, and makes an incredible female protagonist. Morgan Rhodes makes each of the core 4 so well rounded that by the end, I found I was rooting for every one of them.

Jo Young

Falling Kingdoms is amazing, I can't wait to read Rebel Spring.

Julie D.

i relate more to leaves on a tree than i do any of the characters in this book. the only one i even remotely like is jonas. UGH. so disappointed after all the hype about this book.

Tammy Leon

I fell in love with this book, to anyone that's a fan of Fantasy, definitely should read this!

Tatiana Alvarez 

I am so happy to be back in this world again. This is my second time reading FK and I NEVER reread books. But this is my all time favorite series. It’s very game of thrones like and the characters are just amazing.

Cindy Lee

Rating: D+

Falling Kingdoms was okay. I liked the different kingdoms but sometimes it failed to keep my interest. I really don't like switching persepectives either and that made me fail to make much of a connection with the characters.

Sophia De La Garza

I absolutely loved this book! It was action packed and full of life and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series! Click the link below to see my full video review: 
https://youtu.be/p2l1pxd9grg?list=PLG...

Chrissy

This book left me feeling very underwhelmed. It is so hyped that I had been meaning to get to it for some time now, now that i have i am in no rush to continue. I know i will, I'm intrigued enough but I'm not in love enough to quickly grab the next book. I feel like this was average. Continuously described as the YA Game of Thrones (one of my favorite TV series), i still went into this not expecting it to live up to that description. There is quite a bit of death for a first book, and there is more than one kingdom with more than one royal family but that is about the end of the GOT vibe to me anyway. 
At the moment I don't personally find any of the characters interesting. What I found most interesting were the myths/legends/prophecies. I enjoyed learning about their religion and the two Goddess'. That is what kept me reading. I wanted to know how the played a role in the story. 
I found the main characters for each kingdom bland. 
Magnus, although sweet and kind and loving, just became a different person every time he left his kingdom to do his fathers bidding. To be so harsh to another girl he knows nothing about and who has done nothing to him or affected his life in anyway was a little confusing. 
Lucia's character just didn't develop enough for me to have a opinion on her. 
The King of Blood was just to predictable to me and I just didn't feel the evil vibes from him although he is a terrible person, his evil was shared to us in story, we didn't get to actually witness enough of his actions to see where he got his name. Yes he did do that one act of bloodiness but for some reason to me it didn't seem evil enough because we didn't get enough time with that character for it to pack the punch.
There is insta love in this book and I found it funny and eye roll worthy but I do think Cleo has the potential to be a like-able character in the next books. 

I think this was a good set up for the series and I think the book didn't live up to the hype, maybe i would have liked it more if i read it sooner, I'm not sure. I'm curious enough to see how things go with all the legends and what not and that is why i will continue.

Falling kingdoms

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