Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012)

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Cleo is the princess of Auranos without a care in the world- she’s not in line for Queen, her land is green and thriving, and is only sixteen. Which is the opposite life of Jonas, who’s home nation of Palesia is barely surviving on grapes, which forces him and his brother to illegally poach for food. In Limeros, the nation next to Palesia, Prince Magnus is under the rule of his father, the King of Blood. Although he tells himself he’s good, the similarities between him and his father are growing, and it seems like nothing he does can stop it. But his sister, Lucia, has her own problems. Since her sixteenth birthday, she has been finding the she has elemental powers, powers that are forbidden in her kingdom. Together, Cleo, Jonas, Magnus, and Lucia find that they are unterwebbed in a beast of politics, one that is unraveling quickly. While most things aren’t for certain, one thing is: war is coming.
I absolutely loved Falling Kingdoms. I usually don’t like fantasy, but lately I’ve been on a fantasy kick, mostly because I just started to read and watch Game of Thrones. I think my problem with fantasy usually is that I can’t relate to the characters- their problems just seem so separate from mine. However, I found that all the characters in this novel were very realistically done. Although they lived in a world that was the opposite of mine, they all had struggles any teenager goes through, including seeking parental approval and overall just going through issues with their family.
The plot was both fast and slow. Take in consideration that this is a six book series, with all the books being over 400 pages. So, the first book’s only job was to really lay down the storyline and develop the characters. Falling Kingdoms takes place over about three months, but you definitely don’t know everything that went down in those three months. The plot really jumped around, sometimes skipping two or three weeks at a time. Although it usually really bugs me when authors do this, as with Red Queen (see review), I didn’t mind it, because when the plot resumed, it caught the reader up with what had been going on previously. During the last 50 pages, it was really jammed-packed with action, which I really loved.
Now, I’m going to talk about the things that really stood out to me. First, this book does deal with incest (sort of- it’s complicated). I feel the incest is kind of a popular topic in fantasy novels, but that it’s usually just considered the norm. Here, it’s looked at a perspective where it's frowned upon, and overall how it affects the dynamic of a whole family. Speaking of romance- I found that there was a little bit of insta-love going on (not going to mention who), that I didn’t think was necessary. In fact, I think the whole outcome of that romance was unneeded, and could’ve benefited the plot if it went the other way.
Overall, such an excellent read. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
5 STARS

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