Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

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

Fallen Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes is the first book in a six-book series. It takes place in the world of Mytica and follows four characters who play very important roles in the kingdoms. The story starts after the death of a peasant in the hands of a royal triggered the events that altered the course of three nations and into war. Through war, death, betrayals and hatred, our 4 heroes have to find out who they really are and what they are going to do with that knowledge. In the end, it all comes down to the four crystals that wield unlimited power that can corrupt anyone, and the difficult journey to find them.What remains unanswered is who deserves them the most. 

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Here is the plot of the book:

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...

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I believe this book is good for someone is about to start reading fantasy books, especially for young adults. It is kind of a Game of Thrones mix with a Mortal Instruments twists. It is definitely a great first book in a series! The world building in this book was satisfying but not the best of the best. This is also Rhodes is first book and I have to give her credit for it being her first book. There were some times in the book were the scenes could have been written better because it seemed easy to 'complete the mission'. Overall, it was an enjoyable world building.

Now to break down the four main characters:

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

Cleo

Cleo kind of plays the main female character in the book. She is a princess from the kingdom of Auranos. She was considered to be spoiled, ignorant, and naive. But she is the opposite of what a princess mostly mirrored to be. She is sweet, kind, fierce, and determined. Cleo, at the beginning, wasn't supposed to be the next heir of Auranos. Cleo was stubborn and rebellious when it comes to things she doesn't agree with. She is also described to be a small girl with long blonde hair. Her skin is fair and she has blue-green eyes. She often wore bold dresses and eye-catching jewelry.  Cleo is one of my favorite characters, I would probably rank her as my second favorite character. There were some actions Cleo made that made me place her second in my list. 

Lucia

Lucia, oh Lucia. She is the Princess of Limeros and the 'sister' of Magnus. Lucia, I believe, is like a secondary character. Lucia is described as being pale, flawless skin and long black hair. She has blue eyes and full lips. She is basically the winter to Cleo's summer. She is kind, friendly, quiet, intelligent, and loyal. She loves her parents, even though her mother is hard on her. I did not like her at all...she seemed so fake to me and i just couldn't deal with her. She is the kind of character who felt too good to be written.

Jonas

Jonas...yep, he is in the same category as Lucia. He has deeply tanned, flawless skin from spending time outside. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is described as being handsome, but to me it seems like he is kind of like the 'average' boy in Mytica. He is very stubborn, rebellious, and holds grudges when it comes to Auranian royals. He becomes a part of the rebellion against the Auranos kingdom. Jonas didn't really grow on me in this book. I had a problem of how he treated Cleo, even though it was not her fault about what happened.

Magnus

Yes, save the best for last! Magnus is imposingly tall, with pale skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes. He is considered to be extremely handsome like his father but his beautiful face is marred by a horrific scar that runs down from his ear to his mouth. Magnus has dark, conflicted feelings. Although he is loyal to his cruel father, he also harbors a deep unmistaken hatred for him. The prince of a falling kingdom, the son of the King of Blood. He was never respected by his father, who thought kindness is a weakness. Magnus is my favorite character in this series! He reminds me of a YA version of Anakin Skywalker, who is my favorite character as well.

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

I had mixed feelings for this book at the beginning but as I continued, it grew on me. 

“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.”

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  ☆

Adventure woven with elemental magic, fantasy lands, illicit romances, legends of goddesses, heartless rulers, deaths and courage. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves Fantasy!

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