Item: Falling Kingdoms
Rating: 3.5
Author: Anjali Kay

Book Review :: Falling Kingdoms, by Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Series: Falling Kingdoms #1
Also in this series: Rebel Spring, Gathering Darkness, Frozen Tides, Crystal Storm, Immortal Reign
Published by Razorbill
on December 11th 2012
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 412
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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.

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....

Last updated on 14 October 2023

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What is Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes about?

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes is about the three kingdoms of Mytica, where magic has faded into history, and simmering unrest threatens the hard-won peace that has endured for centuries.

Amid the power struggles of the kingdom rulers, the lives of their subjects are brutally reshaped. Four central characters become linked: Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus. They navigate a world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, hidden alliances, and unexpected love.

In this tumultuous landscape, only one thing is certain—kingdoms will crumble. The question is, who will emerge victorious when everything they’ve known comes crashing down? As the eve of war approaches, it’s time to pick a side.

My thoughts on Falling Kingdoms

I had seen Falling Kingdoms and the others in the series in stories and at the library for years, but have only recently picked it up. I’m glad I did, as I really enjoyed it. “But just a 3.5 stars?” you ask. Yes. Let me tell you why…

Part of the description reads ‘Choose your side’, in the hopes that one or two of the characters will grip you enough to pick a side and root for them as their stories interweave with the others. In a land that is divided into three regions, all the main characters come from each one, and they’re all quite different. However, I didn’t really connect with any of them.

Who are the main characters in the Falling Kingdom series?

Princess: Cleo, raised in luxury, embarks on a perilous journey into enemy territory in search of long-lost magic.
Rebel: Jonas, fueled by anger at injustice, leads a revolution against oppressive forces that have plagued his country for centuries.
Sorceress: Lucia, adopted into the royal family, unravels the truth about her past and her supernatural destiny.
Heir: Magnus, groomed for conquest, discovers that the heart can be deadlier than the sword.

Princess Cleo, I found to be a bit of a crybaby. While I realise that life is hard and there are a lot of deaths happening around her, she seems to be weeping every time we come back to her storyline. I’m all for tears – let them out! It’s good to grieve – but not every chapter, or rather, don’t tell us she’s crying, imply that she has been.

Jonas is meant to be this rebel out for revenge, but again, he was just a bit meh.

Magnus is the heir to the northern region, Limeria’s throne, but he’s in love with someone he shouldn’t be in love with. I was hoping to like him, he seemed likeable at the beginning, but, again, just a bit meh.

My favourite character, therefore, was Lucia, Magnus’s sister. She was the only one I actually quite liked, and she alone bought it up a star.

“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 in to the dark or the light?”

What I enjoyed about this book

Having just thrown all that negativity your way, here are some positive points: the setting is wonderful. I love a divided land story, and Rhodes writes it very well. Each nation has its qualms and its strife, each as its history, religion, their way of life. As one land they have a history, and it’s a fraught one, to say the least. I really enjoyed how Rhodes brought the setting to life.

The fantasy plot was easy to follow, with just enough intrigue and twists to keep it a page-turner. Some things were obvious to me, but others were surprising. I have to just mentioned the amount of death in this story! Goodness me! Maybe don’t hold on to characters too tightly if you read it.

Magic in Falling Kingdoms is rather nifty – with the idea of earth, water, fire and air being the main magical elements -, with Watchers and a Sanctuary out of the realm of the kingdom, and goddess who possess magical powers. While there wasn’t too much in this book about it, or elementia, I suspect in he following books it’ll really come out in full force.

So overall, I did really enjoy Falling Kingdoms. While it wasn’t a 4 or 5 star book for me, I do want to keep reading the series and see what happens.

Have you read Falling Kingdoms? What did you think?