Reading off of Olga's Bookshelf Week Two: Falling Kingdoms (Novel)

This novel has been one I've wanted to read for a while and I'm super glad I got to. This is like the Game of Thrones of the Y/A genre! With, of course, dynamic characters, unpredictable story, and plot, and some kick-ass female empowerment. I am exhausted this week, so we without further ado, this is my review of Falling Kingdoms. 

The Story

Three Kingdoms-- Limeros, Paelsia, and Auranos make up the continent of Mytica. 3 different families rule. Princess Cleoina of Auranos will be involved in the midst of a scandal that threatens to burn her kingdom to the ground. Jonas, a common man from the poverty-stricken kingdom of Paelsia, will have to rage against the forces of oppression his country suffers under, finding himself the initiator of a continent-wide war. Magnus, Heir to the Kingdom of Limeros, a conquering kingdom, discovers that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. Finally, Lucia, adopted as a Princess of Limeros, discovers she was born a sorceress and must discover the supernatural destiny she was born to wield. The long-lasting place between the 3 kingdoms of Mytica will begin to unravel and now each ruler must grapple for power in deadly unrest. 

My Thoughts 

This novel is one of the few that had me guessing what would happen in it (this is kinda a hint) true GRRM style, despite the fact that the author is not him, but Morgan Rhodes. In many ways, this is a more mature version (and better one), of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. You will not predict how this story will go, as it is a tale of betrayal, war, and tragedy. And in this case, I commend Morgan Rhodes for actually going through with the nuances, tragedies, and realities of war that some Y/A novels may stray away from. 

Characters, as well, seemed so much more mature and sensible, dealing with rather serious themes for a Y/A book itself. And not all characters in the main cast make it until the end of the book (I will say that now), but none the less, as the reader I was very much invested, attracted to, and saddened to see go in the short time they were around in the book. But this is only a small part of the twists and turns that the book throws at you to keep you engaged. The characters are also very raw as well. Cleoina, in particular, is meant to be a Queen, she is strong and clearly meant for a leadership role, and at the same time is also foolish, naive, and stuck-up. But, this comes off as balanced and lays the ground for a lot of potential character development. The same goes for Magnus as well, whose story I won't spoil here. 

You'll find there's a lot of perspectives to take in with this story, but they are blended flawlessly throughout the novel, albeit the story itself takes a bit of a quick turn, but then goes nowhere towards the end. But since there are about 5 more books left in the series I am not faulting the book itself, because there will be plenty of room for the story to flesh out later. Even though this story is both slow and fast, and a lot happens initially, but also doesn't get boring or hard to follow. You get invested in both character and story quickly, and you get invested fast. And the story progresses at a natural level that allows you to get into this book quick. 

My Rating 

With that said, I'll let you discover this novel for yourself. It's a really good one I'd prefer to spoil too much! So give this book a buy or a borrow! It's a really good start to a great series! 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Check it out!! 

~Meghan